Team A dropped into the forest, immediately finding their target: a massive S-Rank Earth Basilisk. The creature was a formidable, serpentine beast, its scales hardened by Earth mana, and its roar capable of cracking stone. It was using powerful, seismic pulses to detect their movement.
Jian Stormheart (Lava) and Kaelan Bulkhead (Wood) led the assault. Jian immediately began the flanking maneuver, while Kaelan slammed his colossal shield, setting up a solid Wood barrier for defensive cover.
The Basilisk responded with a devastating attack, spitting a torrent of corrosive Stone Acid that ate away at Kaelan's shield.
"Sylva! Focus the joints!" Kaelan shouted, his own body already wreathed in the defensive heat of Jian's lava.
Sylva Moonshadow (Plasma) immediately went into action. She unleashed twin beams of Plasma, targeting the Basilisk's mid-section. The energy strikes hit with concussive force, but the S-rank scales were too tough; the Plasma barely managed to crack the Earth-mana shield.
Vara Shadowstep (Typhoon) utilized her advanced mobility. She vanished into a Typhoon Shroud, reappearing near the Basilisk's blind spot. She fired specialized Typhoon-Amplified Crossbow Bolts—each bullet driven by swirling micro-winds and coated in debilitating venom—at the monster's eyes.
The Basilisk roared in pain and fury, momentarily blinded and enraged.
Jian seized the opening. He surged forward, his Lava-infused Tetsubo slamming down with the crushing weight of Gravity Magic. The devastating strike shattered the already compromised scales where Sylva's Plasma had struck, forcing the Basilisk to rear back.
Seeing the core exposure, Sylva channeled her full power and unleashed a piercing Plasma Orb—a concentrated, explosive bolt of white-hot energy. The attack struck the exposed segment, consuming the Earth mana in a violent burst and instantly collapsing the Basilisk's body into dust and a large, pristine Earth Elemental Core.
The team, though heavily fatigued by the concentrated S-rank fight, quickly gathered the core. Team A had succeeded, confirming that while an S-rank monster could be defeated, it required the full, concerted effort of four seasoned 7-Star mages, and significant mana expenditure.
They looked up toward the floating platform, signaling their victory to their leader.
The Team A, consisting of Sylva, Jian, Vara, and Kaelan, returned to the aerial platform just as the sun dipped below the trees. Kaelus brought the platform down near a secure clearing. The air immediately cooled, carrying the scent of pine and volatile mana.
As a safety measure, Kaelus channeled his enormous power to create a vast, sound-dampening Vortex Sphere around their camp. This defensive dome allowed filtered air inside while blocking external noise and containing their mana signatures.
While the others tended to their gear, Grund began cooking dinner over a low-mana heat source. He specialized in maximizing nutritional value for combat recovery. Tonight's meal was a thick Dwarven Iron Pot Stew, built around dried hog rations, wild onions for flavor, and several handfuls of dried medicinal herbs that Grund ground with the base of his axe. The stew simmered into a rich, dark gravy that promised to replenish spent vitality.
When the stew was ready, Grund gave a fair, steaming share to every member of the Obsidian Phalanx.
Vara, ever responsible for logistics, pulled out the medical satchel. "Kaelus," she asked, "you've been maintaining this platform, the Mana Sense, the Wind Needle Rain, and this protective barrier. Do you need mana restoration pills?"
Kaelus checked his core. Despite sustaining the massive Wind Carriage, raining down death with the Wind Needle, his total mana expenditure was only about five percent of his pool.
"I think I'm still good, Vara. Also, I just remembered the last banquet: Baron Marcus Aurumglow gave me a bottle of their new mass-produced pills, a genuine 6-Star High Rank Mana Restoration Pill."
Sylva's eyes widened. "A 6-Star High Rank pill? Kaelus, maybe only you can consume that kind of pill. The rest of us might explode from the high potency and dosage if we consumed even half of one."
It was while they were silently eating the stew, its dense warmth spreading through their exhausted bodies, Zathis decided to break the silence.
"Oh, before I forgot," Zathis piped up, curiosity overcoming caution. "What is the deal between you and Lady Erice Aurumglow?"
Jian, surprisingly, gave Zathis a warning smack to the back of the head.
Vara, exasperated, muttered, "Dumb Zathis, mind your own business!"
Zane, however, chuckled. "Well, I am also curious. Kaelus, you are the youngest here—you are even younger than Vara. Lady Erice is a great match."
Sylva joined the teasing. "Stop it, guys. I'm sure he is also considering it, right Kaelus?"
Kaelus remained silent, looking out at the dark forest. The easy teasing hit a nerve. He was projecting the physical appearance of a 28-year-old man, and his past life as Kai Nakamura was 18, but his mental age was truly only 15 years old—the exact amount of time he had spent living in the cave as a Dragon. The years of isolation as a Dragon had defined his current maturity and experience far more than his brief existence as a NEET.
It wasn't that he was closed off to the idea of a relationship; he genuinely liked Erice as a person. However, his previous life as a NEET and his years in the cave had instilled an unconscious, deep-seated fear in him that he couldn't explain. More pressingly, with the continental chaos—which he knew was caused by his own departure—his mind was entirely focused on the immediate, colossal goal of fixing the problem. He had no time or intention to pursue a romance, knowing there was a very real possibility he might not return to the Neutral Zone; he was prepared to stay at the Dragon's Cave permanently to reactivate the shield. His immediate fate was tied to the world's survival, and he could not afford a distraction.
"Kaelus, are you okay?" Sylva asked, noticing his sudden withdrawal.
"Zathis, this is your fault," Kaelan sighed.
"I'm so sorry, Kaelus," Zathis stammered.
"No, it's okay," Kaelus said, taking a deep breath. The time for half-truths was over. He had faced the Mage Emperor and survived, and he was now deep in the Eastern Territory with a team that had literally offered their lives for him.
"I have something to confess to you guys."