"What you said makes sense."Loserine nodded.
Indeed—just as Kurose Akira had said, as long as they could resolve the Demon Lair crisis swiftly, Sunset City's safety would not be threatened.
"So please, don't worry." Akira gently patted Loserine on the shoulder, soothing the tension in her posture. "Sunset City will be fine. Roxia too."
"Mm." Loserine responded softly, then added, "By the way, I've had some new insights recently."
"New insights?"
A spark of excitement flashed through Akira's eyes.
Could it be that Loserine's understanding of swordsmanship has finally reached a critical stage?Is she about to grasp a brand-new high-tier—or even transcendent—sword technique?
"Yes." As she spoke, Loserine raised the black-and-gold Oathbound Sword in her hand. "It may be the insight I gained after slaying the bone dragon. My understanding of sword techniques has deepened another level."
"For example?"
"This isn't the right place. Let's go inside."
With that, the two of them entered the training room.
The instant Akira stepped inside, he felt the surrounding air grow oppressive, so dense it made breathing difficult.
No—It wasn't the room itself. The air around Loserine was thinning, as if it were being devoured bit by bit by the Oathbound Sword in her grasp. At the same time, the black-and-gold blade began to emit a faint glow.
Then—
With a casual, almost understated swing, Loserine unleashed her sword.
The Oathbound Sword erupted in black-and-gold brilliance, a terrifying sword aura surging straight toward the metal training dummy.
At the moment the blade energy struck, a thunderous dragon's roar exploded throughout the training room, reverberating in every corner!
At the same time, an overwhelming force condensed in the air, gradually taking form as the phantom silhouette of a majestic black-and-gold dragon. The colossal dragon opened its blood-red maw and spewed searing black flames, mercilessly engulfing the metal dummy. Each breath carried cataclysmic power, as if intent on reducing everything to ash.
After a long moment, the dragon's phantom finally dissipated, breaking apart into countless motes of light that faded into the air.
The metal dummy that had stood there moments earlier was gone—completely melted into a pool of glowing molten iron that quietly spread across the floor.
At the same time, an astonishing number flashed across Akira's interface:
[39999!]
"Thirty-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine…?"
Akira's heart surged with shock and exhilaration. The power of that strike—even demons above level 50 would struggle to withstand it.
At that moment, Loserine gazed at the sword in her hand and spoke slowly, "This strike has not yet reached its true form. But its power is already approaching the level of Kite Moon. Once I fully comprehend it, this sword… may be capable of threatening a true dragon."
Her words struck Akira like a hammer.
A strike that could threaten a living dragon?
After all, the dragon they had faced before had been nothing more than a skeleton. Its combat power was far inferior to what it had been in life, and its attributes had been reduced by fifty percent. Even so, Loserine's sword techniques back then had failed to deal it a decisive blow.
And yet now—after grasping this new technique—the power contained within it carried the potential to endanger a living, breathing dragon.
After finishing the test, the two of them left the training room.
By then, Ivsha and the others had already arrived at the guild and were waiting in the main hall.
"It's about time." Akira glanced at the in-game clock—it was exactly nine in the morning. "Let's head out."
"Okay~"
…
Amidst a flash of white light, the group descended steadily into Sunset City via the teleportation array.
The moment they arrived, Natasha hurried over with a bright, relieved smile. "Mr. Kurose Akira, are you here to deal with the Demon Lair?"
"Yes." Akira nodded slightly.
Joy immediately blossomed across Natasha's face. "That's wonderful! Mr. Akira, Roxia has been tormented by the Demon Lair issue nonstop. With your help, she can finally be free of that burden—and I can finally rest easy too."
"Where is Roxia now?" Akira asked.
"She's already gone to the Lord's Manor with the Yerman Family's knights," Natasha explained. "I've also heard that a group of adventurers has gathered there."
"I understand." Akira nodded and immediately headed toward the Lord's Manor to rendezvous with Roxia.
"Wait!" Natasha called out urgently. She hurried to Akira's side, worry filling her eyes. "The Demon Lair is full of unknown dangers. Please… protect Roxia as much as you can on this journey."
Akira reached out and gently ruffled Natasha's hair in reassurance. "Don't worry. I'll keep Roxia safe."
And with Loserine there, nothing could possibly happen to her.
"And also…" Natasha leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Akira's cheek. "Please be careful too. You must come back safely."
"Mm."
Akira smiled and nodded, then led the adventurer team into the Lord's Manor.
Inside, he found that the knights of Sunset City's six great families had already gathered—several hundred of them.
At the same time, dozens of adventurers came into view.
Compared to the previous medium-risk Demon Lair, these adventurers were clearly of a much higher level—most of them were above level 40.
"Akira?"
From within the crowd, Roxia noticed his arrival and immediately walked over.
"Why are you here?" she asked curiously.
"Natasha told me you were at the Lord's Manor, so I came to find you," Akira replied.
"So you're planning to take part in this Demon Lair expedition as well?" Roxia shifted her gaze to Loserine behind him, a hint of deeper meaning flickering in her eyes.
"Yes." Akira nodded, then asked, "With so many Law Enforcement Knights gathered here, is the new Lord of Sunset City planning to personally lead the knights into the Demon Lair?"
"Yes, but not all of them will go in," Roxia explained. "Most of the knights will station themselves at the entrance, providing security and support for the adventurers."
"And you?"
"As Sunset City's Oathbound Knight, I will naturally enter the Demon Lair." Roxia straightened her chest, her sense of duty evident in her posture.
Akira's gaze swept over her, and at the same time, her status panel unfolded before his eyes:
[Roxia (Elite)]Level: 25 (0/7500)Race: HumanStrength: 354 / Agility: 362 / Mana: 280 / Constitution: 300Growth: 8 (All attributes +8 per level)Skills: (Expand)Trait: [White Rose & Oathbound Knight]Status: Demonic Fluid Fragrance (Suppressed)
"Oh?"
Akira felt a flicker of surprise. He hadn't expected Roxia's level to rise so quickly—she had already reached level 25 in such a short time.
Even so, her strength was still far from sufficient for the Demon Lair they were about to face.
That was unavoidable. Most of Sunset City's high-end combat power had fallen victim to the Dark Witch's schemes. If Loserine hadn't perished in the sea disaster ten years ago, she would have already surpassed level 35 back then—and by now, she would likely be at least level 50.
"When the time comes, stick with me," Akira suggested.
"Mm…" Roxia hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Alright."
"Roxia, come here for a moment."
In the distance, an elderly knight with graying hair beckoned to her.
"I'm coming."
After excusing herself from Akira, Roxia walked toward the old knight.
Akira's gaze followed her—and a new information panel unfolded in his vision.
[??? (Elite)]Level: 50 (0/30000)Race: HumanStrength: ? / Agility: ? / Mana: ? / Constitution: ?Growth: 8 (All attributes +8 per level)Skills: (Expand)Status: Death Curse
[Death Curse: This unit will die in three years.]
"Death Curse…?"
Akira's eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately understood who this elderly knight was—the newly appointed Lord of Sunset City Roxia had mentioned before.
But who had placed this Death Curse on him? And was his return from the royal capital of the Star Kingdom connected to it?
"Akira!"
Just as Akira was deep in thought, a familiar voice called out to him.
Red Lotus was waving as she strode over, accompanied by several familiar faces—Lu Bo, Shen Jun, Shen Siqi, and their adventurer team.
This time, however, they hadn't brought a large group with them. Most likely, the Demon Lair's difficulty was too high to risk weaker adventurers.
What caught Akira's attention even more was the two powerful adventurers walking beside Red Lotus.
Both were above level 50. From their appearances alone, their races were obvious—a centaur female warrior and a human female mage.
Their combat power might be slightly inferior to Red Lotus's—but not by much.
As for rarity… they appeared to be Epic as well?
"Good to see you again, Akira."
Shen Siqi stepped forward with a smile to greet him.
Ever since she had added Akira on WeChat offline, his contact list had officially gained a third female friend.
Though so far, their exchanges had been limited to sending each other stickers—nothing more.
"Strange… why does it smell so good around here?" Shen Jun scratched his head, asking in confusion.
Akira knew exactly what he meant—the faint body fragrance of Roxia. Even though it was suppressed, it could still be detected within a ten-meter radius, and the scent lingered wherever she passed.
As for its effect of attracting monsters—it had become extremely weak and would no longer pose much of an issue.
"Akira, let me introduce you," Red Lotus said with a smile. "This is Azkman, one of the strongest warriors of the centaur race!"
"Hello."
The centaur female warrior stepped forward and extended her hand.
Akira studied her carefully. She was even larger than he had imagined—at least three meters tall, with a broad, powerful back covered in armor. With a saddle, she could easily serve as a mount.
Suddenly, Akira recalled that Liu Xue had previously recruited what was said to be an Epic-tier centaur—rumored to be the strongest of their race.
He couldn't help but wonder which of them was stronger.
After all, Liu Xue had confidently said—
The strongest~
"Nice to meet you."Akira smiled and shook her hand.
Then Red Lotus introduced the other woman. "And this is Kairilin. She's an exceptional Life Mage—a devout believer of the Dragon of Creation. Her life magic is incredibly powerful!"
"A Life Mage? A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise."
Just as Akira was about to shake hands with the renowned Life Mage—
A furious roar suddenly echoed in his mind!
"THE DRAGON OF CREATION!!!"
"!"
..
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