Under everyone's watchful eyes, the fog gradually receded. The colossal magical energy converged and solidified toward the center at a terrifying speed.
Finally, a distinct human silhouette materialized from the dissipating magical fog.
"What is that?"
Daphne's body tensed instantly. Her hand grabbed the hilt of her sword, her face displaying extre vigilance.
Robin and the others exchanged bewildered glances. The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
Step. Step. Step...
Clear footsteps echoed through the cavern. The silhouette slowly stepped out of the last wisps of fog, fully revealing itself to Aiden and his group.
"T-This... How is this possible?!"
The mont they clearly saw the figure, Daphne and Cassandra felt as though their entire worldview had been smashed by a heavy hamr. They couldn't stop themselves from taking a step back.
"Are you kidding ?! Why is it human?!"
Daphne let out a terrified shriek.
Standing before them was a beautiful young woman. She had fiery red hair tied in a single ponytail, erald green eyes, and wore simple adventurer gear while wielding an ordinary longsword.
Gulp.
Both girls swallowed hard, their faces turning deathly pale.
What were they looking at?
From within the core of this massive magical anomaly—which had drawn countless monsters—a living, breathing human female adventurer had erged.
This completely shattered their understanding of how the world worked.
The red-haired girl slowly raised her head. Those green eyes, which should have been full of life, were hollow and vacant, like two cold glass beads.
As her gaze swept over Aiden and his group, a bone-deep chill instantly invaded everyone's bodies. Even Aiden wasn't spared.
"Burn, burn, burn, ignite the flas of full power!"
Accompanying the emotionless chant, scorching crimson flas coiled around the red-haired girl's limbs and her longsword. Her entire being resembled a flower of fla, blooming silently on the battlefield.
Boom!
The ground shattered beneath her feet. She transford into a blazing projectile, hurtling toward Aiden and his party at an unbelievable speed.
"—Ride Upon This Wheel of Fla!"
Aiden's pupils shrank. He chanted his own magic in the exact sa instant, the crimson flas of Flascion igniting around him. Turning into an even more blinding streak of fire, he t the red-haired girl head-on.
BOOM!
The two fla-wreathed swords clashed fiercely in mid-air. A berserk shockwave of fire swept outward, scorching a blackened ring into the earth.
Aiden stared hard at the girl's face inches away from his own. Looking into those lifeless green eyes, he already understood what was happening.
Based on the words "Ley Line" that Jeanne had perceived, the answer was obvious.
The Dungeon had referenced the concept of "Ley Lines" from his mories. Sifting through its own massive, millennia-spanning "mory," it had recreated an entity it had once recorded.
It was similar to a monster, yet entirely different. Even Aiden couldn't discern what sort of existence she truly was.
Moreover, Aiden had already guessed her identity.
The mont she used that signature fire enchantnt magic, he knew.
After all, in the history of Orario, there weren't many powerhouses capable of using enchantnt magic, let alone fire-attributed enchantnt magic.
She was the forr symbol of justice, the First-Generation Captain of the Astrea Familia, the one hailed as the "Crimson Flower of Justice"—Alise Lovell.
A hero of justice who should have died many years ago had now been "resurrected" by the Dungeon.
.....
At the exact mont Alise was resurrected by the Dungeon, a minor commotion was taking place on the surface in Orario's Seventh District, inside the Hostess of Fertility.
Ryuu was carrying a tray loaded with ale and roasted at, weaving nimbly between the bustling tables and chairs.
However, just as she was about to serve the food to a custor's table, an inexplicable sensation surged through her. Her heart pounded violently, forcing her to an abrupt halt.
The tray slipped from her powerless grip. The sound of shattering ceramics and tumbling food was exceptionally jarring over the noise of the tavern, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Stupid elf, what are you doing?!"
Behind the bar, Mia frowned, unleashing her signature booming Dwarven voice without holding back.
Although Ryuu was usually clumsy and acted a bit useless, she had been a waitress for years. It had been a long ti since she made an amateur mistake like dropping a plate.
Yet, the mont Mia finished yelling, Syr—standing nearby—noticed sothing was wrong.
"No, wait. Ryuu, what's wrong?"
Seeing Ryuu clutching her chest, her face pale and her body trembling slightly, Syr hurried forward and caught her, asking with deep concern.
"Stupid Ryuu, ow. Did you eat sothing weird in the Dungeon and get a stomachache, ow?"
Anya rushed over as well, poking her furry cat head in with a worried expression.
Chloe and Lunoire also gathered around, their eyes full of concern.
"ow? You... why are you crying, ow?"
Anya took a closer look and was imdiately startled.
Ryuu slowly raised her head. That face, usually so aloof and tranquil, was now filled with sheer bewildernt and confusion. Two trails of tears uncontrollably slid from her erald eyes, dripping onto the wooden floorboards.
"I... I don't know,"
Ryuu's voice trembled with a panic even she couldn't understand. "I just suddenly feel... so sad. I'm so sad I can barely breathe."
She frantically wiped at the endlessly flowing tears with the back of her hand, completely unable to comprehend what was happening to her body and her emotions.
"Don't bother the custors while they're eating. Syr, take her to the back to rest. Anya, clean up the floor."
Mia's frown deepened, but she imdiately made the right call.
Noticing the curious glances from the custors, Syr caught on instantly. She turned toward the crowd, playfully stuck out her tongue, and acted cute to defuse the awkwardness. Then, she supported the disoriented Ryuu and led her into the staff breakroom in the back.
Anya and the others quickly got to work sweeping up the shattered plates and food scraps, trying to return the tavern to its normal rhythm as soon as possible.
.....
anwhile, on a distant continent far to the east of Orario, a city known as the "City of Swords" operated to its own unique rhythm.
The City of Swords—Zolingan.
It was a massive city with walls soaring thirty ters high. While its overall scale couldn't compare to Orario, the center of the world, anyone seeing it for the first ti would still marvel at its imposing grandeur.
Unlike the rows of towering buildings in Orario, the architecture here was generally low-rise, appearing rustic and solid.
Plus of black smoke constantly drifted into the sky above the city. Those weren't the smokes of disaster, but the proof of countless forging furnaces working tirelessly, day and night.
The entire city felt as if it were wrapped in a wave of scorching heat, and the endless clang, clang, clang of hamrs striking anvils served as the city's eternal, unchanging heartbeat.
The pedestrians walking the streets—whether they were brawny n, stumbling elders, or even children playing in the alleys—wore functional work clothes, with hamrs or tongs hanging from their belts, looking every bit like blacksmiths.
The location chosen for this city was a stroke of divine genius.
To the west and south lay endless mountain ranges teeming with rich mineral veins. To the east stretched a boundless, dense forest, providing an inexhaustible supply of charcoal for the forges. A wide river flowed straight through the city from the north, bringing the massive amount of water needed for slting and cooling.
Minerals for slting, wood for charcoal, and water for cooling. These three vital elents converged perfectly in this single location.
It was easy to understand why the City of Swords was founded on this land and why it continued to prosper today.
If one ignored the Dungeon—a cheat-like, rule-breaking treasure trove of resources—the natural resources Zolingan possessed far exceeded Orario's.
The Astrea Familia's new headquarters, the "Stardust Retreat," was situated in this world-renowned forging city.
It was a modest, two-story wooden building. Compared to the surrounding forging workshops that clanged endlessly day in and day out, it felt exceptionally peaceful and serene.
On the wooden sign in front of the building, the emblem of wings entwined with a longsword was clearly carved. That was the crest of the Astrea Familia. The banner of justice, no matter where it was planted, had never gathered dust.
---
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