When Aster entered the dungeon, he realized the sun was already rising, shining over the wide desert. "So the time 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 Members, he sighed at the sight. As expected, Lory's name wasn't there anymore.
Since she became a "terrorist" overnight, her adventurer registration was revoked.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 time 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.'
Meeting with Lorelai would mean coming into range of her control abilities. Aster couldn't risk doing something 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 kilometers away—right at the boundary between the desert and plains biomes. With Aster's speed, it took him less than 15 minutes to arrive.
The camp was wide, roughly 300 meters in diameter, protected by 1.5-meter-tall rock fences. Tents lined the perimeter 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, something flew toward him—a powerful spell, a Second Level Flame 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 came straight for his face!
Although surprised, Aster had more than enough time to dodge. After sidestepping the attack, he adjusted his pace, slowing to half-speed to stay flexible for whatever came next.
As expected, the javelin wasn't alone. More attacks, even bullets, followed shortly after.
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 members 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, come here." His voice was firm. "If they won't let me 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 me or something?" Aster grumbled. "Ignore that idiot and come 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 methods 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!