Frostfire Legacy

After Tina got her father's permission (albeit forcefully), Aster returned to his room to change into more casual clothes, concealing his face and other features before heading out again.

This time, he planned to buy items that weren't listed in their dungeon preparation. Essentially, he was going window shopping and buying whatever caught his interest.

Aside from dungeon-related items, Aster visited various markets to pick up food supplies, ingredients, and even a cooler to store sensitive perishables, ensuring they stayed fresh a bit longer.

Unfortunately, he didn't run into any of the girls during his shopping trip. However, they all sent messages in the group chat, saying they'd finished their own lists already.

"Everyone, get a good rest. Starting tomorrow, we're going to breeze through the dungeon!"

With Argus and Aster being overpowered for their current floor, it would be a breeze to clear the floors beneath the 30th level. Their strategy was to rush through, wasting no time.

No need to worry about surprise attacks!

At the top speed they could manage—limited by Lory's low DEX stat—they could cover over 200 kilometers in about 15 to 18 hours. If they didn't have to accommodate Lory's speed, then the next slowest would be Liz, which would still bring their clearing time down to about 8 to 12 hours!

Aster had something else in mind for tomorrow. A special item that was bound to surprise them.

"I can't wait to see their reactions!" He chuckled playfully.

Aster was already excited about tomorrow.

*BEEP!*

Suddenly, his Holo Tab lit up with a new message. Aster glanced at it and saw it was from Mayor Magnus. The contents were a mix of reminders, warnings, and relevant information.

"My second partner has already been decided?" He scratched his cheek.

Of course, this wasn't really his "second," considering he had already been with Vanessa. Still, that was a secret, so the thought made him feel a little awkward.

The other party was a single woman in a high-ranking position. Hearing that gave Aster some relief. Though it was with the consent of both parties, he didn't feel right about sleeping with a married woman.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"But I wonder who it is?"

Magnus hadn't included the name or position of the person, leaving Aster curious.

"Well, it's just a one-off relationship anyway," he shrugged. 'Though it'd be awkward if it's someone I know...'

A high-ranking person... Vanessa's face popped into his head, making him a bit nervous. "It's not her again, is it...?"

Their "date" was set for June 10th, the day when the other party would supposedly be the most "fertile" and the chances of success would be highest. Aster marked the date on his calendar and hoped for smooth dungeon diving until then.

---

June 2, 4533, 6 a.m., Adventurer's Guild.

Aster, Cassy, Kali, Tina, and Liz had already gathered. They'd exchanged supplies and refined their plan for the day. Now, they were just waiting for Lory, who was late—again.

'She did mention she had a cold yesterday, so we'll wait just a little longer…'

Just as Aster was considering extending their wait, a bob of silvery-red hair appeared through the crowd. Her distinctive ear wings made it easy for Aster and the others to spot her.

"Lory, over here!" Cassy called out energetically.

Lory squeezed through the bustling crowd and entered the guild, panting slightly. "Sorry, I overslept a bit." She apologized with a sheepish smile.

"It's fine, you're not that late, and you were sick yesterday." Liz patted her on the back. "More importantly, you and Aster should renew your contracts. We're heading straight to the dungeon afterward."

"...Right."

Lory looked visibly tired, and the group assumed it was from pushing herself after recovering from her cold. However, her exhaustion was from something else—something she couldn't share with them...

Aster and Lory approached the counter to talk to Zena about renewing their contracts. The process went smoothly, without any issues, and ended in just a few minutes.

"Let's get going!"

With that, the whole party chatted amicably as they made their way toward the dungeon entrance.

The Oni Uncle greeted them with a wide grin. It might have been a friendly smile, but to most people, it looked fierce and intimidating—though not to Cassy.

"Uncle, we're back~! Hehehe!"

"Oh! Working hard again, I see! I thought you'd rest longer! Kahaha!"

Cassy smiled as she handed him her card along with everyone else's. "We're clearing the fifth floor today! Wish us luck!"

"Luck? With your skills, clearing it in one go is a given. Go and rack up those earnings, my little piggy banks!" He praised.

Once they reached the other side, Aster released Argus from his jacket, letting the little puppy breathe fresh air. Then, he turned to the girls with a grin.

"Alright, from here on out, all of you will be riding on Argus and Aster's A-A Bus!"

The girls thought he was speaking metaphorically... but little did they know, Aster meant it literally. He pulled out a large object from his Spatial Fanny Pack, making quite a surprising display.

"Hop on!"

What Aster revealed was an Electromagnetic Push/Pull Cart, an item most wealthy adventurers had. It allowed them to carry more than their usual capacity, perfect for hauling extra loot.

The price of such carts varied based on capacity, and Aster had bought one with a 600 kg capacity. He had also modified it, adding seats on either side. In its current state, it could carry both loot and a few passengers.

Aster didn't plan to waste time. As the fastest, strongest, and toughest in the party, he decided to load everyone onto the cart and pull them through the dungeon!

"With this, we'll reach the other end in six hours!" Aster declared.

"Is this... safe?" Cassy asked, eyeing the cart warily.

"Leader..." Kali added hesitantly.

"Aster, this thing won't overturn while we're on it... right?" Liz raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"So we can move while resting? Convenient!" Lory chimed in with a smile.

Despite their mixed reactions, the girls carefully climbed onto the cart, relaxing comfortably. It was quite large—about 1.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters long—so there was plenty of space for everyone to sit without squeezing.

They sat perpendicular to the direction of travel, giving them added stability in case of any sudden accelerations or decelerations.

Aster moved to the front, grabbed the handle of the cart, and flashed a playful smile.

"Fasten your seatbelts! We're setting off!"