After their small scuffle with the Dragon's Roar team, Aster and the others began executing their plans. Their goal was to defeat the boss of the 7th floor before midnight!
The girls once again rode on the AA Express, enjoying a smooth and swift passage with little to no inconveniences. Argus, clearing monsters around them, allowed them to gain experience even while seated!
They no longer felt sorry for Argus, knowing they had ways to repay the hardworking pup. During breaks, the husky was pampered by five doting goddesses, making Aster feel just a little jealous!
After two hours of riding, they switched to slower, manual hunting. As usual, their main task was gathering loot, as Argus rarely allowed any monsters to get close. Kali didn't contest him, knowing they still had a long conquest ahead.
Their job was easy, with only one or two monsters reaching them every ten minutes. However, those monsters were a few levels higher than the girls, making the fights a bit intense. Whenever the girls found themselves in critical situations, Aster would step in and save them, keeping their injuries to minor scratches and cuts.
Cassy, who had little to do, ensured everyone was fully healed after each cycle.
Time flew by, and they gained two levels by the time they reached the boss area. It was just a little past 11:30 p.m., ahead of their schedule. Without hesitation, they went straight for the boss battle.
As they approached the portal, the boss began to manifest.
Unlike previous anomalies, this time the boss was the standard variety for the 7th floor. A Rush Boar, similar to what they had faced on the 6th floor, appeared, making Aster wonder if the anomalies were only on the lower floors.
*GRAAAGH!*
The Rush Boar let out a powerful roar as it materialized.
*CRACKLE!* *BOOM!*
Before it could take a step, Argus' lightning struck it, killing the boss in a single blow. The girls, already used to this display, quickly praised Argus for a job well done.
With no loot to collect from the Mega Slime, they immediately moved on to the 9th floor.
This floor featured the unique Ice Slime, which was immune to physical attacks and the ice element but was helpless against Pyra's flames. The team focused on gathering as many cores as possible from this rare monster.
After collecting thousands of cores, they resumed their journey. Aster, eager to make up for the time spent hunting Ice Slimes, doubled the cart's speed. The girls, however, were quick to scold him for pushing too hard—the lack of a windshield meant their hair and clothes were blown wildly by the wind!
Aster quickly apologized but couldn't help but grin. "But hey, we're back on schedule, so it's all good!"
His attempt at humor earned him another round of lectures.
Continuing at their usual pace, they reached the boss of the 9th floor, an Elite Green Wolf. Unsurprisingly, it fell to Argus in a single strike.
After collecting its fur and loading all their loot, they headed for the next floor.
"So, this is the 10th floor!" Aster cheered. "It still looks the fucking same!"
Just as Liz and Tina were about to leave to offload the loot, Aster spotted a camp near the entrance. The logo on the camp was all too familiar, and he frowned.
"Dragon's Roar again?" Kali, noticing the same thing, grumbled.
Cassy tilted her head in confusion. "But weren't they supposed to be on the 7th floor?"
"It's probably a different party," Aster sighed. "Still, let's not push our luck. We'll keep our distance."
The camp was set up on the right side of the entrance, so Aster led his team to the left, farther away, and began setting up their own camp. It was still within sight of the entrance, so Tina and Liz wouldn't get lost upon their return.
"I said fuck off!"
After a while, a shout suddenly echoed from the entrance, making Aster's heart skip a beat. The voice was unmistakably Tina's angry roar.