At the very front line of the man-made dungeon, the vanguard.
Fron was the very tip of that group; relying on the magic in his hands, the battlefield was left barren wherever he passed.
During this type of rapid-advance, high-frequency movement battle, magic that required chanting was inferior to the swift-cast Fire Ball he learned from Bell Cranel, that was far more suited to the current environment.
It was visible to the naked eye, the same spell, cast by two different magicians, resulting in completely different visual effects, and the difference in power was worlds apart.
The difference in level and ability values was enormous, and after adding the amplification of multiple skills, a single quick-cast spell nearly made the others' eyes pop out!
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought it was some kind of illusionary special-effects performance.
Ahead, relying on Fron's overwhelming speed and violent advance ability, the group of monsters was broken apart. Following behind him, acting as the central organizer, Anakitty directed the companions of the Loki Familia.
As they pushed deeper, the wave of monsters rose higher and higher. The monsters grew stronger and stronger, yet Fron was like a wedge driven straight into a raging tide, cutting through the waves as he slaughtered rapidly.
Pillars of fire erupted from his hands one after another. Holding his staff, moving hands and feet in coordinated motion, he moved gracefully within the encirclement of monsters.
Charging through the sea of monsters, not a drop of blood landed on him.
Behind him, keeping up with Fron's pace, Anakitty continued sprinting while skilfully cutting down monsters left behind, opening a path at high speed.
But with the massive number of monsters present, there was no way she alone could defeat them all. Still, even if a few slipped past, the upper-class Level 3s disposed of them as naturally as eating or drinking water.
This was the powerful Loki Familia, peerless combat experience, skill, and teamwork unrivalled throughout all of Orario.
Where Fron's team swept through like a hurricane, the passage behind them was filled with crushed corpses of monsters that hadn't even had time to turn into ashes, along with monsters blasted apart by Fron's merciless magic, leaving only countless magic stones behind.
After they advanced, only ruins and darkness remained, accompanied by the faint echo of marching boots.
........
Man-made Dungeon, Knossos.
At the moment Fron opened the Orichalcum gate with a key and led the assault troops into madness, the hidden remnants of the Evilus faction trembled.
The surveillance device Fron intentionally left behind displayed the scene, the pressure and suffocating oppression coming from the footage caused those chaotic members to completely lose their will. Panic returned to their faces.
"Fron, ahead, from the front and right side simultaneously, another gate!"
In the midst of battle, Fron received Anakitty's warning.
Swinging his staff, the sharp tip cut into a monster's vital point with ease. After weakening the encirclement, he glanced over briefly.
After sensing the direction and what was on the other side of the door, he issued a calm order:
"Open the gate on the right first. There's a non-monster presence on that side, looks like rats hiding in the sewers. Be cautious. They'll use extreme measures, including explosives."
After reminding Anakitty to be careful, Fron returned his focus to the monsters. As for safety? He wasn't bragging, even if Anakitty lost half her life, even if she were down to her last breath, as long as he was here, he could pull her back.
Of course… not missing arms or legs.
Anakitty acknowledged and activated the Daedalus' Eye without hesitation to unlock the door.
Just as Fron predicted, the Evilus remnants were waiting. The moment the door rose and the two sides made eye contact, the enemies glared fiercely, then unleashed a volley of bombardment fire.
"Wha-!"
Faced with a sudden ambush, even someone as skilled as Anakitty could not defend in time.
Cursing under his breath, Fron retreated while activating ultra-fast chant-casting to erect a barrier.
"Everyone gather on me!!!"
With a loud shout, Fron's expression hardened, and his powerful chant echoed through the chaotic battlefield:
"Dance, O spirits of the air, luminous lords of light."
"I form a pact with the guardian of the forest."
"Let the song of the earth resound, shelter us, protect us,"
"become a great wall of forest light and defend us!"
"My name is Alf. Dimensional Barrier!!!!!"
Without pause, without breath, he sang the entire incantation in one go.
A massive barrier instantly wrapped around the entire formation.
A blinding flash, ear-shattering explosions!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
The explosion's shockwave compressed within the narrow tunnel, multiplying its force several times over. Fron staggered, almost losing balance.
Behind him, Anakitty instinctively reached forward to steady his back.
"Damn it, these sewer rats have no honor! Setting off fireworks inside an artificial man-made dungeon? That's like holding a lantern while taking a dump, just asking to die!"
A certain handsome young man, covered in dust, wiped his face angrily and cursed.
"That's the kind of people they are, willing to do anything to achieve their objective."
Clashing head-on with the Evilus faction again, it awakened memories of that insane era seven years ago for Anakitty.
"Form up the formation. I'll hit them with something big!"
Fron sneered, tossing the staff to his left hand, his right hand forming a claw toward the front.
"Skill: Magic Dominator , Activate!
"Skill: Thought Acceleration , Activate!"
With both skills amplifying him, Fron's attributes surged. Magic roared through his body and gathered in his palm.
"A wide-area annihilation spell, instant cast. Bet you've never seen this before."
"You think you're the only ones allowed to set off fireworks?"
"Die."
"Vas Windheim!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The world turned completely white.
Darkness was swallowed by the radiance.
Under that light, everything decomposed, melted, vanished…
Normally, this spell required an extremely long chant, deep concentration, and an enormous amount of mana and mental strength. Even Riveria herself couldn't chant this spell in parallel, any distraction risked magic turbulence and instant death.
The third-stage strongest wide-area annihilation spell, Vas Windheim.
Silently, without resistance, every enemy, monsters included, dissolved into ash.
The entire passage became empty in an instant.
The drastic contrast left everyone frozen in place, bodies stiff, cold sweat running down their backs.