The battlefield was still, the air thick with the acrid scent of burnt flesh and blood. Akira exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders to ease the lingering tension from the fight. Around him, the bodies of slain Lingols and the defeated Golion Tant lay scattered, a grim testament to the battle that had just unfolded.
Sylara wiped a streak of black blood from her cheek, her sharp violet eyes turning toward Akira. "You've grown even stronger," she muttered, her tone carrying a hint of admiration.
Akira smirked faintly, flexing his fingers as faint white lightning crackled around them. "Yeah. I can feel it too."
Before he could say more, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the ruined streets. A group of armed stars emerged from the shadows, their guild uniforms marked with the insignia of Sylara's Guild, Silver Aegis. At the front of the group was a familiar figure—Grido. Beside him was another face Akira recognized: Anna.
The blue-haired girl, her daggers sheathed at her sides, walked a few steps behind Grido. She had been with Victor, Grido, and Akira during the C-rank evolved dungeon. Now, like Victor, she had returned from her break. Her eyes flickered toward Akira for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Akira raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
The guild members halted a few feet away, straightening their posture and saluting Sylara with respect.
Grido crossed his arms, scanning the scene with a low whistle.
"Hell of a mess here," he remarked, his gaze locking onto Sylara. "Guildmaster, is everything okay? We met some of the Terra Agents on the way—they told us a little, but not much."
Sylara sighed, sheathing her sword.
"Akira and I handled it," she said, pointing a thumb toward Akira. "Every last one of them, including the Middle Boss."
Grido's expression shifted. "Middle Boss?" His eyes widened slightly. "So that's the kind of dungeon this is, huh? No wonder those Terra Agents looked nervous."
Akira remained silent, merely watching Grido's reaction. The veteran STAR knew all too well what a Middle Boss implied.
Grido rubbed his chin, his mind already working through the implications. "So, what's the plan, Guildmaster?"
Sylara didn't hesitate.
"Since this is an emergency outbreak dungeon, we don't need permission or a claim to enter the gate. The best move is to locate it and raid it. I think only the real boss is left." She glanced at the gathered hunters, her violet eyes assessing. "With you guys here now, I feel a little safer taking it down."
Grido nodded. "Understood." He turned to the guild members and barked, "You heard the Guildmaster! Spread out and find that gate! Move!"
The STARS nodded before splitting off in different directions, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Grido turned his head, scanning the aftermath of the battle once more. The sheer destruction was staggering—the corpses of monstrous Lingols piled like broken dolls, their grotesque forms twisted in death. The Golion Tant's carcass loomed over the battlefield, its frame still crackling with residual energy from Akira and Sylara's attacks.
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. "Unreal…" he thought. "And to think—he even raided a dungeon with us this morning."
His gaze drifted to Akira, watching as the younger STAR stood there, seemingly unfazed, his dark eyes cold. Grido had seen many prodigies, but Akira was something else entirely.
"You are full of suprises," Grido mused under his breath. "And to top it off, he even managed to bring that cursed artifact tattoo under control… the one locked away in the guild vault. Unbelievable I should ask him later about those abilities he gained from it."
Beside him, Anna stood in silence, her thoughts racing. Grido voiced the same question aloud.
"Anyway, lucky you two were here," he said, arms crossed. "How did you even run into each other, Guildmaster?"
Sylara lazily placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head as she gave Akira a sideways glance.
"Oh, the brat just happened to be passing by, and I was out looking for a little fun. We just bumped into each other." She smirked, then sighed dramatically. "We were having a intense private time… until those damn beasts ruined it."
Anna blinked. Something about Sylara's tone… something offhanded, yet deliberate. Then the words hit her.
"We were having a intense private time? Together?" Her mind stumbled over itself. "Intense? What kind of private thing? Wait… no way—" Her stomach twisted as her thoughts spiraled.
"No way. No way, right? Sylara is older. Way older. But… but age doesn't matter anymore to be honest? And Guildmaster Sylara… is breathtakingly beautiful. Even other women admitted it. And Akira—Akira is… well, Akira. Who wouldn't be drawn to him?"
Sylara's sharp violet eyes flicked toward her, an amused glint hidden beneath her lashes. Anna quickly turned away, willing her cheeks to stop burning.
Akira, meanwhile, had had enough.
He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the darkened streets around him. The stars were moving swiftly, spreading out to search for the dungeon entrance, but something about this situation gnawed at him.
"It's taking too long…" Frustration crept into his thoughts. "Is the dungeon really that well hidden, or is something else at play here?"
He didn't like wasting time. Every second spent searching was a second lost.
Then as hearing his complains—Ding!
A sharp chime echoed in his ears, followed by the sudden appearance of a translucent gray window before his eyes.
[The user wants to locate the entrance of the dungeon?]
Akira narrowed his eyes at the glowing text. The system… could do that? His fingers twitched slightly before he muttered, "You can do that?"
[Yes. If the user permits it, I will begin the search. However, a higher vantage point is recommended for optimal area scanning.]
Akira exhaled sharply, rolling his neck. The system had always been a step ahead, pushing him to limits beyond what he thought possible and aiding his growth. If it said it could find the dungeon—then it could.
"No more waiting."
Decision made, he turned sharply, reaching out. His hand landed firmly on Sylara's shoulder. "Cut this bullshit," he said, his voice low but firm. "We need to find that dungeon."
Sylara arched a brow, unimpressed. "Oh? And what do you expect me to do? I've already sent a whole squad out, and sooner or later, they'll—"
"Nope." Akira cut her off. "I'm not standing around for 'sooner or later.' I think I can find it myself now."
Sylara stared at him, then smirked slightly. "Oh? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
Akira didn't answer. He didn't need to.
He bent his knees slightly—And jumped.
The force cracked the pavement beneath his feet as his body shot into the air like a missile. The city blurred below him, buildings shrinking in an instant. The wind roared past his ears as he soared higher—higher than rooftops, higher than the tallest structures in the district.
Akira reached the peak of his jump, high above the city. From this height, the entire landscape spread out before him like a detailed map. The shattered streets, the trails of devastation left by the monsters—it was all laid bare beneath him.
From below, the others looked up, stunned by the sheer scale of his leap.
"Damn…" Grido muttered, his voice tinged with awe.
Sylara simply crossed her arms, watching with a knowing smirk. "Showoff."
"This should be high enough." Akira let himself hover at the peak of his jump, suspended in the night sky. The moon cast a silver glow over his form as he exhaled.
"Find it." His voice was calm. Absolute.
[Command accepted.]
His status window flickered violently—lines of text racing across its surface as the system worked.
[REGISTERING AREA…][SCANNING FOR TRACES OF MANA DISTORTION…][CALIBRATING…][PINPOINTING LOCATION…]
Then—[LOCATION CONFIRMED.]
Before his eyes, a glowing red marker appeared in the distance, far beyond where the other STARS were searching. His pupils dilated slightly as he locked onto it.
"There." His lips curled slightly. "What a spot. No wonder they couldn't find it."