"Porus… I think he's the boss of this town, right?"
A figure with the aura of a thug and a single eye popped into Line's mind, and she couldn't help but frown.
"I remember he's a Level 3, second-tier Adventurer. All the Adventurers in town have to listen to him."
"Should we go?"
Lefiya looked at Ryoji, clearly leaving the decision to him.
Even though they were from the Loki Familia, that didn't mean they could look down on other Adventurers. Basic respect was still necessary.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
Ryoji instinctively reached for his chin but was stopped when Line grabbed his right hand, shooting him a reproachful look. Only then did he remember, he was still healing.
"If we count the time… those Amazonesses have probably already searched through the upper floors."
"So you mean… they might already be on the 18th Floor, and they're the ones who told Porus to gather everyone to search for us?"
Lefiya immediately pouted, clearly displeased.
Having witnessed how accurate Ryoji's intuition was the night before, both girls had developed deep trust in him.
If only Miss Ais were here, she'd definitely show those Amazonesses what's what!
Thinking this, Lefiya subconsciously glanced at Ryoji, a flicker of guilt surfacing in her heart.
"Wait, why do I feel guilty?"
Snapping back to reality, Lefiya quickly shook her head, making her ponytail sway wildly.
She didn't know when it started, maybe it was yesterday after seeing him defeat the Floor Boss, or maybe even earlier after he'd saved her multiple times, but she always found herself caring, unconsciously, about Ryoji's opinions.
Probably just because he's the Captain… right?
The small-framed Lefiya muttered to herself inwardly.
"If they don't find us in the plaza, they'll definitely search the entire town."
Line furrowed her brows deeply, looking troubled. "This street only has two main gates, north and south. They're definitely guarding both. We won't be able to escape!"
In a game of hide-and-seek, being caught was only a matter of time.
"Then we'll confront them head-on."
Ryoji stood up, flexing his right wrist.
After spending 500,000 valis, and with Line's healing magic, his right hand had mostly recovered.
If he had a full Elixir on top of that, his body would be completely healed. Unfortunately, although that also cost 500,000 valis, a few high-grade Recovery Potions just couldn't compare to a full Elixir.
"You're going to the Crystal Plaza?"
Lefiya looked at him in surprise.
Though there was no hint of worry on his face, just imagining him being taken away by the Amazonesses made her heart tighten… because they were all comrades in the same Familia!
"It's fine. I don't think it'll be dangerous."
There was no real reason.
But Ryoji was utterly calm.
Intuition, truly a god-tier skill.
The Crystal Plaza was the heart of Rivira. Two towering crystal pillars, one blue and one white, stood proudly in the center, a breathtaking sight.
But at this moment, such beauty was being marred by an ugly figure.
It was a woman over two meters tall, with a burly, muscular build. Her mouth stretched wide like a toad's, and she had just smashed one of the twin crystal pillars with a single swing of her axe. Now, she was comfortably seated atop the rubble.
"A beauty like me deserves to be paired with a beautiful crystal like this. Don't you agree?"
She flared her enormous nostrils smugly and turned to the one-eyed man beside her.
"Eh… Y-yeah, m-m-maybe you're right…"
The one-eyed man had a shaved head, bronze-colored skin, and wore only a simple vest, showing off his muscular torso.
Faced with her shameless question, the muscles in his face twitched violently. He wanted to nod vigorously, but his stuttering voice betrayed his honest nature.
"Urgh!"
The moment the woman turned her head away, he quickly spun around and dry-heaved, his face pale.
It was torture!
Ugly was one thing, but thinking she was some kind of peerless beauty? He had never met anyone so terrifying in his life. Just seeing her made him want to raise the white flag. He didn't even have the will to fight anymore.
"Captain, we didn't find the one you're looking for."
A hooded Amazoness girl walked over and reported the results of their search.
"What did you say?"
The woman's expression turned cold in an instant. She stood up from the crystal pillar, her towering frame emanating a crushing sense of pressure.
"Don't go rampaging here, Toad."
Another Amazoness nearby, one with an incredibly seductive appearance, immediately warned her, her tone dripping with open disdain.
"We've already sealed off the entire town. It's impossible for them to escape."
The spacious Crystal Plaza was now filled with four to five hundred Adventurers. Under the oppressive aura of the toad-like woman named Phryne, not one dared resist and obediently allowed the Amazonesses to inspect them.
But among them, there was no sign of the rumored beautiful boy.
"I know! And also, call me Captain!"
Phryne shot her a glare. "Everyone, search! They're still somewhere in this town! Don't let them escape, or I'll hold all of you personally responsible!"
The Amazonesses exchanged looks of displeasure.
"Foolish woman. Letting personal desire outweigh the bigger picture!"
"Just wait. Daring to provoke the Loki Familia like this, she's asking for a beating."
Storming into Rivira like this? She might as well be waving a flag announcing her presence.
No one could understand what was going through her mind. Was her head just for show?
They murmured among themselves, their words full of contempt for Phryne. But still, they had no choice but to obediently spread out and begin searching the town's perimeter.
"Were you looking for me?"
Before they could leave the plaza, a clear voice rang out, drawing the attention of the hundreds of Adventurers present.
Everyone turned to look.
From the depths of the street, three figures emerged, a man flanked by two women, walking together toward the Crystal Plaza.
A cute braided girl and an elegant golden-haired Elf/Spirit, under normal circumstances, either would be the center of attention. But right now, they were completely overshadowed by the third.
He was a boy as handsome as a jade statue, his perfect features enough to make even the gods feel inferior. His slow, deliberate steps captivated the crowd of Amazonesses instantly.
His presence exuded an almost lethal charm, making it impossible for anyone to ignore him.
Even though his body was wrapped in bandages and covered by a cloak, it was like he radiated the pull of an ocean whirlpool, irresistible and overwhelming. None of it diminished his breathtaking allure.
Phryne was no exception.
With just a single glance, she was utterly spellbound by the boy's demonic charm. In that moment, it felt as if the world, and her life, finally had meaning.
But along with that came an overwhelming sense of possessiveness rising within her. The thought "No matter what, I have to take him away and hide him," surged through her heart again and again.
Suddenly,
The boy looked at her.
It was a simple, ordinary glance, like one would give a complete stranger, but it made Phryne's heart skip a beat.
And then,
"What a disgusting stare. Could you stop looking at me, please?"
The next moment, the boy's expression twisted into one of pure revulsion.
His face showed the unmistakable look of someone who had just seen something filthy and couldn't bear it.
(End of Chapter)
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