When Aster entered the dungeon, he realized the sun was already rising, shining over the wide desert. "So the ti in the dungeon and outside isn't perfectly synchronized..." he muttered.
After checking his phone for the map, he turned toward the first camp and ran. His speed wasn't restricted, and he quickly reached over 100 km/h!
"..."
As he ran, he pulled out his Adventurer's Card and checked the front page. Under Party mbers, he sighed at the sight. As expected, Lory's na wasn't there anymore.
Since she beca a "terrorist" overnight, her adventurer registration was revoked. Of course, this didn't affect her abilities and stats—just her registration.
Aster felt a pang of sadness. Though their ti together had been brief, Lory had fought alongside them. Even if she had been undercover, he couldn't help but wonder if the smiles she had shared were genuine.
'Although I want to hear her true self, that's impossible right now.'
eting with Lorelai would an coming into range of her control abilities. Aster couldn't risk doing sothing that reckless—at least, not yet.
He tucked the card back into his pack and sped up, rushing through the desert like a storm.
The first camp was close to the entrance, only about 20 kiloters away—right at the boundary between the desert and plains bios. With Aster's speed, it took him less than 15 minutes to arrive.
The camp was wide, roughly 300 ters in diater, protected by 1.5-ter-tall rock fences. Tents lined the periter near the walls, while semi-permanent buildings were erected in the center. The guards stationed in the camp stayed in the buildings, while adventurers taking a short break rested in the tents.
"Hmm?"
As he got closer, sothing flew toward him—a powerful spell, a Second Level Fla Javelin!
Its speed and strength were perfect, but Aster was puzzled. Looking around, there weren't any monsters nearby.
"Who are they firing that at?" he mused, but his question was soon answered.
"...!"
The javelin ca straight for his face!
Although surprised, Aster had more than enough ti to dodge. After sidestepping the attack, he adjusted his pace, slowing to half-speed to stay flexible for whatever ca next.
As expected, the javelin wasn't alone. More attacks, even bullets, followed shortly after.
"Bastards...!" Aster growled, frustrated. "I'M AN ADVENTURER, NOT A MONSTER!!!"
His shout, filled with anger, echoed across the camp. The attacks stopped soon after, but Aster could tell this wasn't over. He continued running until he reached the gate of the camp, then...
"STOP!"
He was forced to halt.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!"
The man leading the guards, covered in thick armor from head to toe, barked the question. Despite the rudeness of the unprovoked attack, Aster tried to remain calm and civil.
"I'm Aster Mistral. I'm here to et and join my party mbers."
He stated his na, believing it would suffice. However, the response he received was unexpected.
"Aster Mistral? I don't know which party you belong to, but all the other parties in the camp have been evicted! Only Dragon's Roar, Ironblood Knights, and the Light of Glory are here!"
"Huh? You don't even know the na of the leader of the party you're guarding?" Aster growled, growing irritated. "I'm here to see Cassy and the others! Let through!"
The guard flinched at Aster's intensity but quickly recovered, his tone growing angrier. "I don't care who you are or how you know one of the girls we're in charge of. Get lost before things turn ugly!"
"Things turn ugly? What, are you going to attack again?" Aster scoffed, stepping forward boldly. "Go ahead, but don't bla for what happens after!"
"I SAID STOP, YOU BASTARD!"
Just as the guard raised his sword, ready to command another volley, a voice ca from deeper within the camp.
"Darling~! You're here!"
"Aster!"
Tina and Liz rushed forward, standing behind the wall of guards blocking the gate. Liz rebuked them harshly. "Ironblood Knights, how dare you attack our party leader? Let him in, right now!"
Normally, this would have been enough to intimidate them, especially since Lizandrea's real identity was widely known. However, the captain of the Ironblood Knights snarled back.
"Bitch, shut the hell up!" he roared. "I'm in charge of this camp, so I make the rules! If I say he can't enter, he can't!"
Aster heard the captain's outburst, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area and checked on Tina and Liz. They didn't appear injured, but sothing felt off. Anger simred within him as he began piecing things together.
Then, Cassy and Kali arrived behind them. Cassy's eyes were filled with guilt, while Kali had a bruise on her cheek. That sight broke Aster's final shred of patience.
"Bastards..." His voice echoed, cold as ice. "You're supposed to protect my party, and instead, you're treating them like captives?!"
"...!"
His rage unleashed a thick wave of bloodlust, shaking the guards to their core. Despite being mbers of elite clans, they quaked under Aster's pressure, losing the will to fight.
"Star..."
Cassy, seeing how furious Aster was on their behalf, felt the burden of guilt weigh heavier on her heart. Her expression crumpled, tears threatening to fall again. "I..."
"Cassy—"
As if interrupting her whispered apology, Aster called to her and the others.
"Kali, Liz, Tina. Everyone, co here." His voice was firm. "If they won't let in, fine. We're heading to the next floor now."
"Don't move!"
"..."
Of course, things weren't going to go that smoothly. Another figure stepped forward, looking smart and confident. It was an elf man clad in armor emblazoned with a familiar symbol: Dragon's Roar.
"Again... Does Dragon's Roar have a problem with or sothing?" Aster grumbled. "Ignore that idiot and co here. They can't do anything anyw—"
*WHOOSH!*
A volley of wind blades flew toward Aster's neck, cutting off his words. The source was, predictably, the elf from Dragon's Roar.
"You think you can fool these girls? I know you're under that terrorist's control and trying to take them! But as long as I, Yuulogia Farstern—leader of Dragon's Roar's 170th and 171st Teams—am here, I won't let that happen!"
"..."
Aster understood they were just trying to do their jobs. Their thods weren't admirable, but removing everyone from the area was a reasonable plan for ensuring the girls' safety.
Still, Aster had had enough—he completely snapped!
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