Frostfire Legacy

Thanks to Argus' one-shot-kill attacks, the conquest was proceeding smoothly. Not only Flame Sahuagins and Sniper Lavahorses but all monsters they crossed paths with ended up becoming EXP for the party.

"This must be the place."

After a few hours of walking down narrow paths, they finally arrived at a "checkpoint" marked in the data they had received previously. The area before them was a large cavern, and unlike the paths they had passed through earlier, it wasn't surrounded by magma.

The space was flat and wide, with a lower temperature compared to the sweltering heat they should've endured. It was a spot perfect for resting.

"We'll set up camp here as planned," Aster commanded, checking the time on his tablet—it read 4:55 p.m.—before nodding to Liz.

Understanding the gesture, Liz quickly took out a small cube from her ring and set it gently in the middle of the cavern. Moments later, the familiar Portable Home materialized in its place, towering over the wide space like a structural sovereign.

Without delay, Aster and the girls entered, each heading to their respective rooms to take an early rest. Of course, not all of them rested simultaneously. They had decided on two shifts, with each group taking five hours of sleep before continuing their journey. This precaution was necessary, as they'd heard how dangerous the dungeon became after the 100th floor.

Beyond this "rest area," even if they rushed at top speed, the next rest spot would be a grueling ten hours away. Continuing without adequate rest could lead to overfatigue, triggering small mistakes that might escalate into deadly tragedies.

Aster knew that this "rule" didn't fully apply to their party since they had Argus leading the way, cutting through monsters like a hot knife through butter. However, dungeons were unpredictable, and caution was always better than regret.

"... Hm?"

Halfway through the first shift, Aster thought he heard something: a low growl, accompanied by rhythmic drumming and thumping on the ground. Unfortunately, Cassy, Kali, and Tina, the ones with the sharpest senses, were the first group to rest, so he couldn't enlist their help to confirm what he had heard.

"Liz, I think I hear monsters outside," Aster said, turning to the other person sitting across from him on the sofa, his expression apprehensive. "We should check it out."

"Monsters outside?" Liz tilted her head before a faint smile graced her lips. "It's fine, Aster. This Portable Home's defenses are more than enough to handle monsters on this floor."

Despite a nagging sense of foreboding, Aster decided to trust Liz's words. "If you say so..."

A moment later, the sound of high-powered lasers firing, coupled with explosions of fire spells, echoed from outside. Liz turned her head toward the noise briefly before resuming her tea, unfazed.

Aster glanced at Via, who was playing with Argus a short distance away. She didn't seem concerned either. He knew the Portable Home's defenses were powerful and had seen them in action multiple times over the past two weeks. But the prickling feeling of unease refused to leave him.

"... I'll go take a look." Unable to ignore his instincts, he decided to check the situation himself—just in case.

He was half-convinced it was just monsters being obliterated by the defenses before they could even come close, but...

"This is...!"

He gasped as soon as he opened the door. Looking left and right, he saw monsters filling the cavern. Not just hundreds, but thousands of them had gathered, besieging the Portable Home.

The defenses of the Portable Home weren't perpetual. Each attack consumed a specific amount of mana, meaning the core would eventually run out of energy and leave them defenseless.

*FWEEEEEEEEPP!*

As if to confirm his fears, the warning horns inside the Portable Home began to blare. This alarm signaled that the core's mana levels had dropped below 50% — still far from depletion, but alarming nonetheless.

"W-What's happening?!" Find your next read on empire

"Is it an enemy attack?!"

"Darling, I'm scared~! Stop this grating noise, please~!"

Alerted by the blaring horn, Cassy, Kali, and Tina rushed out of their rooms, their faces filled with anxiety—except for Tina, who seemed to take advantage of the chaos by trying to hug Aster from behind.

"Monsters... lots of them," Aster explained briefly. "Everyone, prepare for a long battle!"

"Yes!"

The girls immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. Even Tina's playful demeanor shifted into a serious expression as she rushed back to her room to grab her equipment.

In under a minute, the girls were fully geared up. Meanwhile, in the short time it took them to prepare, Aster had already surveyed the entire cavern.

"Monsters are coming from all directions, so we need to split up," he instructed quickly. "Liz, Cassy, Kali, and Tina, you four, along with Argus, will block the monsters coming from up front."

*Arf!*n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The girls and the loyal dog affirmed their orders without hesitation, rushing to their designated positions. Aster turned to Via, who stood nearby, awaiting her assignment.

"And Via, you'll cover the rear left. I'll handle the rear right."

She immediately nodded, a faint smile crossing her lips. "Leave it to me. And be careful out there, alright?"

"Of course."

Aster returned her smile before turning and running to his position. Via watched him for a moment, then closed her eyes and sighed. "I wonder when the last time I worried about someone was..."

Shaking her head as if to dismiss the thought, her body began to emit bright, golden sparks.

"Anyway, time to work~!"

With a flash, her figure vanished from the entrance, followed by a loud explosion and a dazzling light show some distance away.

Aster had just reached his position when the explosions caught his attention. Though he worried about the girls, he had to trust that they could hold their ground.

*RAAAAAGH!*

"Now's not the time to worry about someone else."

Before him, monsters surged forward, swarming from all directions. Among them were Flame Sahuagins, Sniper Lavahorses, Magma Golems, Ash Bats, and even new types they hadn't encountered before.

Drawing his sword, Aster infused its edge with a frosty glow. His expression sharpened.

"Time to stock up on some extra seconds!"

Leaping forward, he swung his sword with precision, cutting through the first wave. The fierce battle had begun.