With only five hours to rest, every minute was precious. Daphne and Cassandra slept while Roy and Ryuu took turns on watch.
When Roy woke up for his shift, Ryuu sat by the fire. "You seem to value Cassandra's talent quite a bit," she noted.
Roy smiled. "She has a unique gift that might just save our lives." He didn't explain the "curse" of her dreams; he knew that even if he told Ryuu, the nature of the skill made it hard to believe.
As the deadline approached, Cassandra came running out of the tent, looking frantic. "Mr. Roy! I had a dream!"
Roy's eyes lit up. The expensive pillow had paid off. "Deep breaths. Tell me everything." He handed her a cup of warm sweet milk tea.
As she calmed down, she spoke in a rhythmic, poetic tone: "The phantom in the water, are you singing? No, I am weeping... Why do you hurt others? Is it because of your scars? Perhaps I am lonely..."
Roy's expression was a mix of confusion and focus. The dreams were always abstract poems accompanied by blurry images. As he listened, he felt a strange, rising surge of irritation and anger—the "Curse" of the dream trying to make him dismiss her words.
Suddenly, his [Luck] development ability activated. It felt as if a silent blessing washed over him, clearing his mind. He realized with a cold sweat that without his Luck stat, even he wouldn't have been able to take her prophecy seriously.
Roy analyzed the poem. "So, you dreamed of an environment with lots of water?"
Cassandra's eyes sparkled. "Yes!"
"And you saw a monster that sings... or weeps? And she's alone?"
"Yes, exactly!" Cassandra was moved to tears. Finally, someone believed her.
Roy's frown deepened. The 24th floor, the "Great Tree Labyrinth," was a cave system covered in moss. There shouldn't be any water-based monsters there. Based on her description, this sounded like something that didn't belong in the Dungeon at all.
The location of the impending disaster was the "Great Blue Falls," a massive cataract connecting the 25th, 26th, and 27th floors. The culprit was likely a Mermaid, a monster known specifically for its enchanting songs.
"Mr. Roy, let's not go down there. I saw so many people dying... blood staining the river red," Cassandra whispered, clutching Roy's sleeve. Her small face was etched with terror.
Under Ryuu's tutelage, Cassandra had gained a flicker of self-confidence, but only when facing Roy. To anyone else, she was still the timid, introverted girl whose prophecies were dismissed as delusions.
------------------------------------------------
My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Starting with an Elf (260 Chapters, Ongoing)
------------------------------------------------
"Running away won't change anything," Roy said, shaking his head. "You can hide from a thief for a day, but you can't hide forever. Should I just stay out of the Dungeon for the rest of my life?"
He intended to snap the reaching claws of Freya once and for all. If she thought she could steal Ryuu away so easily, she was dead wrong.
"But..." Cassandra's body trembled as abstract, twisted images flashed behind her eyes. As the phantoms faded, a Great Dragon let out a roar.
"Now that you know the disaster is coming, are you just going to watch it happen?" Roy whispered like a tempting devil. Under his subtle persuasion, Cassandra's hesitation slowly dissolved. She bit her lip hard.
"Think back," Roy urged. "There must be an omen of salvation in your dream."
Cassandra's eyes widened as she recalled a specific image. She murmured, "Heavenly fire... the sky-fire will burn everything to ash!"
The rest period ended. The group packed up their tents, knowing that anything left behind in the 18th floor would be stolen within minutes. They joined Bors's subjugation party. The team was formidable: a Level 4 (Ryuu), seven Level 3s (including Roy, though he kept his level hidden), and forty-five Level 2s. This lineup was strong enough to stroll through the first twenty-four floors and even push down to the 30th.
"Alright, boys! Move out!" Bors barked.
"OHHH!"
The group marched toward the colossal tree at the center of the floor. Within its roots lay the tunnel to the 19th floor. Their confidence wasn't misplaced; it was common knowledge that Enhanced Species grew stronger by devouring the magic stones of other monsters. The longer they waited, the more dangerous it would become. This one had been discovered half a month ago, meaning its strength was at least Level 3, but likely not exceeding Level 4. This party had more than enough power to handle it.