Tina and Liz were working hard trying to keep the Field Boss occupied. Despite their impressive progress, skipping the previous three floors had left them under-leveled compared to the recommended strength for this part of the dungeon. As a result, their attacks couldn't penetrate the monster's thick carapace.
"That's enough, you two!" Aster called them back. "Argus, finish it!"
Upon hearing the command, Argus, Aster's small but powerful puppy, let out a sharp bark.
*Arf!*
Excited to fulfill his role, Argus's body began to glow in the dark as powerful sparks of electricity surged from him.
"Battle Cry!" Liz yelled, her voice echoing across the vast desert.
Her skill stunned the Field Boss for a brief moment. The massive scorpion twitched, immobilized just long enough for Tina and Liz to leap back, creating some distance. Then, from the sky, a crackling bolt of lightning struck down with immense power. It roasted the Giant Sand Scorpion in an instant, frying it to a crisp.
Luckily, Argus had remembered to not use his Red Lightning, which would have disintegrated the boss entirely. That kind of overkill was great for defeating monsters but terrible for preserving the loot.
As the monster collapsed, a soft, golden glow surrounded all the girls, a sign that they had leveled up once again. With Argus's ability and their recent battles on the previous floors, all the girls had now reached level 25.
"Great work, everyone," Aster praised, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "Now, let's get this thing out there to be sold." He tapped the half-burnt shell of the scorpion's tough exoskeleton.
Argus's lightning attack had destroyed the boss's brain, but the rest of its body remained mostly intact. Its organs and other valuable materials were still salvageable, making the corpse worth a decent sum. While the payout wouldn't compare to the fortune from the 10th floor, money was still money, and they had skipped plenty of loot by rushing through the previous floors.
Cassy and the others exited the dungeon first, holding Argus tightly. Aster, the last to follow, dragged the enormous body of the Giant Sand Scorpion behind him.
"Woah!"
"T-The Giant Sand Scorpion?!"
Naturally, the sight of Aster hauling a seven-meter-long creature out of the dungeon caused quite a stir. Low-level adventurers who were nearby stopped what they were doing to gawk at the enormous carcass, their eyes wide with awe and disbelief.
"Mr. Aster, please leave the rest to us!" Two muscular men rushed over before Aster even had time to step down from the portal's platform. They took the scorpion off his hands with ease, hoisting its body like it weighed nothing.
"That's not even the main reason we're here!" Tina snapped, crossing her arms. "I only stayed because Lory said she had something important to tell us. If this turns out to be a waste of my time, I'll beat you to a pulp!" She pointed a finger at Lory, her eyes narrowing.
"Right, right! The food and drinks are already set! What's the tea? Spill it~!" Cassy chimed in, her words easing the tension in the air.
All eyes turned to Lory, who now found herself the center of attention. Her fingers tightened around her cup of orange juice, swirling the liquid nervously as she gathered her thoughts. After a long, hesitant pause, she finally spoke.
"Actually, I... am a spy."
Her voice was so soft, it almost disappeared into the night breeze.
"I was sent by the Mayor of Juviel City to bring Aster—the only 100% human in the world—back."
"You..."
"..."
Cassy's expression grew worried, while Liz frowned deeply. Kali and Tina, however, reacted differently.
"A spy?!" Kali hissed, drawing her dagger. "So, in short, you're Leader's enemy?"
*SLAP!*
Before Kali could even take a step, Tina struck first, her hand coming down hard across Lory's cheek. The force of the blow turned Lory's head to the side, leaving a thin trail of blood at the corner of her mouth.
"You dare try to drag my darling to another city?!" Tina's voice was laced with venom.
Despite the stinging pain, Lory didn't fight back. She straightened herself, her eyes calm but filled with regret.
"I won't make excuses," she said softly. "But I didn't want to keep this a secret from you all anymore."
Her left eye glowed red, a sign of the chip behind her eye entering a dangerous mode. The heat and pain it generated weren't something one could even imagine enduring!
Gritting her teeth, Lory turned to Cassy, her lips curling into a sad smile.
"Cassy, I... I'm going to die in a few seconds. The decision of what to do next... I leave it to you."