Chapter 79: Let’s enter the Dungeon I

Zephyr dusted his hands together as the last of the five S-Rank monsters finally fell.

He was exhausted. More importantly, he was a little hungry. He hadn’t been able to have breakfast that morning before leaving the Association due to the emergency, and after fighting for so long, the emptiness in his stomach was becoming hard to ignore.

Moreover, his clothes were probably covered in dust and dirt by now too.

He had been fighting nonstop, and even though his control over two of his abilities had improved, he was still quite worn out.

Once they returned to the Association, Zephyr decided the first thing he would do was take a bath and have a proper meal.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar chuckle beside him. It was Erick, who, without the slightest concern for whether Zephyr liked it or not, reached out and patted him on the back, his voice filled with quiet delight.

"Like this, we can fight together and win together from now on. Our strengths complement each other, and we can cover each other’s weaknesses. As long as we fight side by side, there won’t be a monster we can’t defeat."

Zephyr didn’t respond.

He didn’t know what the future held.

Nor did he know how long Erick would remain this amiable toward him.

The other S-Rank Espers soon landed around them, quietly exchanging glances.

Their reactions varied. Some were still in awe after witnessing Zephyr and Erick’s overwhelming power, while others were filled with suspicion, jealousy, or disdain.

Erick immediately stepped forward and met their eyes directly. The easy smile and gentle expression he had shown while talking to Zephyr completely disappeared. In an instant, his expression returned to its usual cold indifference.

"Does anyone have something to say?"

His voice was cold, and his gaze carried an unmistakable warning.

Even the S-Rank Espers from M City, who knew him and wanted to question him about the abilities he had just displayed, fell silent.

None of them dared to speak.

They could only swallow their questions.

After all, who would dare question Erick now? ℯℯ𝘭.

He had already revealed strength far beyond what they had imagined.

And this time, he wasn’t alone. There was another monstrous Esper standing beside him—one who could make even powerful S-Rank monsters vanish without a trace.

No one wanted to provoke either of them.

For a moment, everyone was silent. The tense atmosphere was finally broken by a loud shout from behind Zephyr and Erick.

"Zephyr! You and Lucien left me behind! Damn it, how can you two do this to me? I almost thought you got lost and went to look around! Only now did I make it here!"

Jake had finally reached the battlefield, panting heavily after rushing around in search of the two who had suddenly left him behind and vanished without a word.

His loud complaint instantly drew everyone’s attention. One by one, the S-Rank Espers turned to look at him.

Jake’s hurried footsteps gradually slowed down when he noticed the strange silence.

He looked around.

Then he looked again.

The large Dungeon Gate that had plunged B City into chaos was still flickering violently nearby, but there wasn’t a single monster in sight. Instead, a group of S-Rank Espers was standing around in complete silence.

Jake blinked.

What was going on?

Hadn’t this place been under attack because of a Dungeon Break?

Why were all the monsters gone?

And why were so many S-Rank Espers gathered here like this?

The more he looked around, the more confused he became.

Finally, he scratched his head and asked.

"Did I miss something?"

Unfortunately, no one answered him, leaving Jake even more frustrated.

Nox and Olivia weren’t around either. Only some Guides and several unfamiliar lower rank Espers were present in the distance.

Otherwise, he could have asked the two what had happened while he was absent!

Zephyr cast Jake an amused glance.

At that moment, one of the S-Rank Espers behind him finally spoke.

It was a surprisingly familiar voice.

Sylvia addressed Erick directly.

"Now that the S-Rank monsters, along with the monster tide in B City, have been dealt with, and we still have plenty of strength left..."

She paused and glanced toward the violently flickering Dungeon Gate.

"...Why don’t we enter the Dungeon and clear it out as well?"

Her expression turned serious. Normally, she would never have suggested something so dangerous. But this time, she and Ryan had another motive. They desperately wanted to get rid of someone. So she continued speaking, her expression remaining calm despite the faint trace of malice in her eyes.

"The Dungeon Gate is still unstable. If we leave the Dungeon uncleared, there’s no guarantee another wave of monsters won’t emerge again. Since we are already gathered here, let’s deal with it."

Sylvia paused before adding.

"If we do it now, we can eliminate the source of the problem and be done with it."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward Zephyr.

"Anyway, with the strength you and this person here have shown, this Dungeon shouldn’t be much of a problem for us."

Hearing her words, many of the S-Rank Espers around them felt that her suggestion was reasonable. However, there were also some who were skeptical. Everyone knew that entering a Dungeon required extensive preparation. They couldn’t simply barge into an unfamiliar and dangerous environment without making the necessary arrangements first.

Still, most of them had a good impression of Sylvia, so they agreed with her proposal.

Erick, however, narrowed his eyes.

He was somewhat familiar with Sylvia. She occasionally visited the Association for guiding, but he didn’t know much about her beyond the fact that she came from a well-known family.

Amidst the noise, Erick suddenly smiled.

It was a pleasant smile, but there was no warmth behind it.

"If we are as powerful as you say, then why do we need all of you?"

His smile widened slightly as his gaze swept over the other Espers.

"Aren’t Zephyr and I enough to clear this Dungeon ourselves?"

His words sounded reasonable.

If one ignored the unmistakable mockery in his tone, that was.

It was as though he were questioning why a group of supposedly powerful S-Rank Espers was necessary when he and Zephyr were already standing here.