"Wait, Star. Is there really a need to destroy those? I heard setting up a teleportation array takes a lot of time..." Cassy, unable to hold back her curiosity, asked.
Aster turned to her and shook his head.
"Cassy, do you think anyone could catch up to us using normal means?" He asked. "No, right? So, to make sure they can't catch up to us at all, we need to invalidate the shortcut they have."
"That's..."
Cassy looked troubled, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of doing something wrong. However, after thinking for a moment, she realized Aster was doing this to protect them—her, in particular. If she kept holding on to self-righteous ideals, it would only endanger their lives.
"I guess we don't have any other choice." She sighed, nodding her head in reluctant agreement.
Aster gave a wry smile and explained, "It's not like I want to do it either. But this method is the best way to keep us safe..."
Of course, he didn't plan to stop at just that.
"Also, Kali. Later, while I attract their attention, sneak in and gather supplies from their storage. The more, the better."
"Got it," Kali replied.
They currently only had about five days' worth of provisions left. If they didn't figure out a way to restock, they would have to starve after that. When that happened, they'd need to return to the surface, regardless of how dangerous it was.
This was where Aster's plan came into play. With Kali's stealth abilities, it would be easy to steal provisions from the larger clans. Food and water for a group of five, plus one dog, wouldn't even dent their stocks. That made it feel less wrong than destroying the teleportation array.
Naturally, Kali didn't hesitate to agree with Aster's plan. She understood that sticking strictly to neutral-good morals wouldn't help in their current situation. A bit of dirty play was necessary.
"Alright, any other questions?"
After explaining his plan, Aster turned to the girls. Scanning their faces, he saw they all wore serious, contemplative expressions, but none raised objections. "Good." He nodded. "Then, let's proceed."
Aster quickly brought out the EM Cart from his Spatial Fanny Pack. However, he didn't let the girls sit down right away, as they were preparing to rush ahead. The cart was currently empty except for the seats.
"Let's modify the cart a bit first."
Relieved to see they were just unconscious, he continued deeper into the camp.
"KYAAAAH!"
"E-ENEMY ATTACK! ENEMY ATTACK!"
"Where the hell are the guards?!"
As expected, chaos erupted. A few adventurers had seen the guards fall, and within moments, the whole camp was on high alert. Soon, an army of adventurers gathered, ready to face him.
"Ah, this is troublesome..." Aster muttered as he eyed the dozen or so people in front of him. "Excuse me, but if you just lead me to the teleportation array, I won't hurt anyone else. I promise I'm not here to take lives."
He made the offer as a courtesy, but deep down, he knew what their response would be.
"You're not a member of the top three clans, and you don't have a permit to use the array! Turn back, you bastard!"
Aster sighed.
"As expected," he muttered. "Alright then, can you stay still for a moment? I'll be quick."
The moment he finished speaking, a wave of freezing air swept through the camp, encasing everyone's lower bodies in ice from the waist down.
"W-What is this?!"
"Help! I can't move!"
"My leg...! My leg!"
Panic spread as adventurers struggled against the ice. Aster grinned and called out to them in a clear voice.
"Stay still, and you'll be free in a little while. But if you try to force your way out..." His grin widened, and his tone turned dark. "Well, you might lose a finger... or maybe something more important down there."
His playful threat sent chills down their spines, and, surprisingly, it was very effective!