Frostfire Legacy

The moment their vision returned on the other side, Aster let out a soft sigh. The sight of open grasslands, bathed in the gentle light of a low-hanging sun, with scattered forests dotting the horizon, stirred a faint sense of nostalgia within him.

"What should we do while we wait for Cassy?" Liz asked as they lingered near the entrance.

"Some light hunting, maybe," Kali suggested with a shrug. "Or we could go after an Area Boss."

Aster caught their exchange and smiled wryly. "No, let's keep it casual for now."

To avoid widening the gap between the girls' levels, it was better to wait for Cassy before tackling more significant prey. Sticking to smaller hunts was the best approach until she joined them on the 21st floor.

"Sounds reasonable. We'll get busy once they arrive, after all," Tina added, a faint, excited smile tugging at her lips.

Aster couldn't help but wonder how they'd manage to clear the entire 20th floor in just a few hours. But, with the path already known to them, and their strength at hand, the monsters wouldn't pose much trouble. Even the Area Bosses would be no match for their large raid group.

"Alright, I'll scout around for targets," Kali said, already moving ahead.

Before Aster could say a word, she was off, dashing into the thick forest to their right. Her speed remained unmatched, aside from Aster himself, of course.

Two minutes later, Kali reappeared, running back toward them, still as composed as ever. There wasn't even a bead of sweat on her brow, a clear sign she hadn't pushed herself yet. But behind her, a large swarm of goblins emerged from the woods, crude weapons in hand and flimsy bows ready to fire.

"Skill: Dagger Tornado!"

Reacting swiftly to the incoming arrows, Kali leaped into the air, raising both daggers. She spun rapidly, creating a small tornado that sucked in the arrows before shredding them into useless scraps.

"Nice kiting!" Liz shouted, stepping forward to take her place. "Knight's Challenge!"

With a sharp command, Liz activated her taunt skill, pulling the attention of the goblins toward her. The goblins let out a collective growl and surged toward her, their weapons raised in an uncoordinated frenzy.

"Come at me!" Liz's fearless grin matched the oncoming wave.

As the goblins charged, the group split into two. One half continued to chase after Kali, while the other now turned its focus to Liz. But there was more to come.

"TAUNT!"

Tina, the other tank, stepped forward and used her own taunt skill, pulling the goblins that had slipped past Liz. Her skill's wide range quickly forced every remaining goblin to focus on her, leaving Kali with a moment to breathe.

With the crowd control in place, the real action was about to begin.

"Argus, sic 'em!" Aster called, eager to let his pet take the stage.

*Arf!*

The husky, Argus, didn't hesitate.

With a burst of speed that rivaled Kali's, he weaved through the goblins, reaching the heart of the swarm. Then, with a flash of energy, bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, striking the battlefield in all directions.

In an instant, the entire goblin swarm, numbering close to a hundred, was reduced to ash.

"I'll pull the next group over," Kali called, already turning to the next forest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

She was as efficient as ever, moving without hesitation, her focus unwavering.

For the next few hours, they repeated the same routine. Since they stayed close to the entrance, their prey wasn't numerous, and it wasn't enough for anyone to level up. Still, they managed to keep the flow going, taking out small groups of goblins while keeping things light.

Their hunting began around seven in the morning and stretched until noon. After setting up a small picnic area, the portal flared to life, signaling that someone was about to emerge.

The first to step through was a familiar face—the catkin man who had been scolded by Tina earlier. He scanned the area with a serious expression, before his gaze landed on Aster and the others. A bright smile spread across his face, and he waved enthusiastically.

Behind him, the portal continued to shine. One by one, figures emerged, cheers and laughter echoing as they celebrated clearing the entire 20th floor in under five hours. Among them was a familiar figure—Cassy, still being gently led by the Jaguarkin woman.

"Princess Celes! Reporting that we've successfully cleared the 20th floor, and ahead of schedule!" the catkin man announced proudly as he approached the picnic area.

Tina nodded in acknowledgment, her face unreadable, before she turned to Aster.

"Sorry, Darling. It seems clearing the floor in under two hours was too much to ask. I shouldn't have expected them to move that quickly," she sighed.

Aster, ever pragmatic, simply smiled and nodded. He hadn't expected them to clear the floor that fast. If anything, he was more relieved to see that no one had been lost in the process. And most importantly, Cassy was safe and sound.

Ignoring the catkin man, still reeling from Tina's comment, Aster stepped forward. He stopped a few paces from the blanket and extended his hand toward Cassy.

"Welcome back," Aster greeted warmly, his smile genuine. "You're just in time. We're about to have lunch."

"Thanks, Star. That sounds great~!" Cassy replied, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "I didn't get tired from clearing the floor, but I wouldn't say no to a good meal!"

Aster chuckled softly and gestured toward the picnic blanket. "Then sit here. I'll serve the food in a bit."

As they settled into their meal, Tina seemed to gather something from the raid team. She then ushered them off to the side after her business was over, preventing them from coming too close to their group. Aster couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them, but there wasn't enough food to go around. It was probably for the best.

Still, his curiosity was piqued by the item Tina had collected—his curiosity wouldn't last long, however. As soon as they finished their meal, Tina planned to show him what she had retrieved from the raid team.

An item she lent to them for a short while.