EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons

"Oh? You also use a spear, Mr. Ruijerd...?" asked Vahn, surprised to see Ruijerd produce a broad-headed, three-pronged spear that appeared to be carved from bone.

"Also...?" repeated Ruijerd, tilting his head confusedly until Vahn produced his Legendary Spear.

"I typically use martial arts against human opponents, but when dealing with monsters, I wield a spear," revealed Vahn, sporting a confident smile as he asked, "Maybe you can provide me some pointers after your match with Himmel...?"

"Mmm...we'll see..." responded Ruijerd, inspecting Vahn's Legendary Spear and center of gravity with narrowed eyes. Both he and Himmel could immediately tell it was no ordinary weapon as, the moment Vahn brought it out, the aura around him became sharper, more refined.

"Two spear users..." hummed Himmel, sporting a relaxed smile as he proposed, "Then, shall we advance with a triangle formation? The three of us can alternate between serving as the foreguard and occupying the rear flanks while Miss Tanya stays in the center, setting our pace and providing ranged support as needed."

"Would it not be better for me to provide fire support from the sky...?" asked Tanya, a slight frown marring her face as she imagined having to travel long distances with a 30kg battery pack smacking her thighs and a metal greave that caused her to place most of her weight on her left heel due to its thickness.

"If we're in an open field, certainly..." responded Himmel, offering a curt nod before adding, "But if we're inside a Dungeon or you have to fight at low altitude, the enemy could prioritize you. I don't imagine F and E-Rank monsters will be particularly challenging, but fighting in a formation is the best way to tackle many enemies while conserving Mana and stamina."

Though she pretended to be annoyed, Vahn, Himmel, and Ruijerd could all tell Tanya wasn't truly upset as she made a show of sighing exasperatedly and complaining, "Fine...I get it. The three of you see me as someone who needs protection, right? Me zipping around above your heads would likely distract you just as much as the enemy, so unless I deem it necessary, I'll keep my altitude low and conserve my ammunition..."

Demonstrating what she meant, Tanya rose a few centimeters off the ground, hovering in place by producing a constant, counterbalancing thrust from her greave but balanced by Mana from her left sole. At the same time, though it wasn't visible to the naked eye, Vahn and Ruijerd could sense Mana condensing around her like a bubble, ready to solidify and form a barrier at a moment's notice.

Nodding approvingly, Ruijerd remarked, "That's a very practical method of utilizing Mana. But how long can you maintain it...?"

Smacking the massive battery dangling from her waist like a fanny pack, Tanya explained, "With this and my Type 13 Computation Jewel, I have a cruising range of approximately 3,000km, but that's if I'm flying full speed for four hours. If it's simply staying in the air, the passive replenishment of my Mana outpaces my consumption."

"In other words, unless you're engaged in intensive activity, you can remain airborne indefinitely..." concluded Himmel, cupping his chin with his right index finger and thumb. Flight Magic typically burned through a tremendous amount of Mana, and as far as he could tell, Tanya was only around the level of an Apprentice Mage. If it was true that her flight unit allowed her to remain airborne nigh-indefinitely, he was fascinated and terrified by its capacity as both a revolutionary innovation and a means to wage brutal and efficient war...

"Mmm...then, just in case..." started Vahn, directing his gaze to Himmel as he asked, "Can you tell me what your boots are called? We will have more options if all four of us can fly."

Understanding what Vahn had in mind, Himmel's smile broadened as he revealed, "They don't have a particular name, but they're enchanted with a Magic known as Faerie's Flight."

"They should have a name..." contended Vahn, instructing, "Open your Inventory and Equipment tab and hover over them with either your finger or by thinking about it."

Doing as Vahn instructed, Himmel blinked in surprise and raised his brows as he revealed, "Well, would you look at that? According to this, they're C-Rank Footwear, specifically called Faerie's Skywalkers."

"Excellent..." said Vahn, taking a moment to purchase a nearly identical pair of Himmel's boots but adjusting them to match the brown of Ruijerd's tribalistic forearm wraps and open-toed sandals. Then, proferring them to the emerald-haired spearman, he offered his best smile and said, "These are for you."

"I prefer not to be indebted to others..." responded Ruijerd, his expression and tone flat.

"And I prefer not to have to leave my allies behind if the situation gets out of hand..." countered Vahn, maintaining his smile as he asserted, "Himmel, Tanya, and I can all fly. If you're the only one who can't, it would place us in an awkward position."

"I understand..." responded Ruijerd, sporting a slight frown but accepting and equipping the proferred boots. Fortunately, unlike Himmel's, he could use his Touki(Aura) to activate the boots' flight enchantment. He also had an incredible sense of balance and extreme control over his body, so after some initial awkwardness, he could move about as if he had been wearing and fighting using them for years...

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"This is a Dungeon? It looks like an ordinary forest..." remarked Tanya, holding her oversized rifle in a relaxed but anticipatory posture as she, Vahn, Himmel, and Ruijerd emerged from the swirling, bright blue vortex that connected them to their destination, the F-Ranked Warden's Glade.

"That's because we specifically chose a Field Dungeon," explained Vahn, appending, "This kind of Dungeon has fewer treasures to discover, but if you possess the requisite knowledge and skills, there are rare plants and herbs to collect."

"Now that you've brought up the possibility of loot, there's something I've been meaning to ask..." revealed Tanya, drawing everyone's gazes as she asked, "This System, our Inventories, and other functions; will we be able to access them when we return to our worlds?"

Nodding, Vahn responded, "Yes, but to prevent its misusage, only items you've obtained, purchased, or brought with you to the Tower can be put in or taken out of your Inventory. There are also restrictions on things that don't belong to you, or else people could steal items, disarm others with a touch, or loot whatever they pleased."

"Makes sense," affirmed Tanya, nodding approvingly. Secretly, she was a little disappointed, as it would have been extraordinarily convenient if she could place whatever she pleased into her Inventory, but she understood the need for such restrictions.

"Alright, then, are there any other preparations we need to make? If not, I will act as the first vanguard," stated Himmel, brandishing his False Hero's Sword with a relaxed smile but a keen gleam in his pale blue eyes. He had entered the Tower for many reasons, but chief among them was ensuring he possessed the strength needed to defeat the Demon King. Thus, while he didn't exude a sense of urgency, he was eager to experience the effect of the Enhancement Crystals.

"I'm good. How about the two of you...?" asked Vahn, shifting his gaze to Ruijerd and then Tanya, both offering curt, resolute nods in turn.

"Then, shall we see what this Dungeon has in store~?" hummed Himmel, taking the initiative to step toward the forest, prompting Tanya to follow a few meters behind, floating a few centimeters off the ground as Vahn and Ruijerd exchanged nods and split to the left and right, protecting the rear and flanks.

Spurred by the group's entry into the forest, the sky above them gained a nebulous purple hue, prompting Vahn to explain, "This is a subdimensional barrier devised to enable Ascendees to use their maximum power without concern. To put things into perspective, you would need a Power Level of 8,000 to shatter it. That's enough power to destroy an unprotected planet in a single attack."

"If I hadn't seen that Saitama in action, I wouldn't think anyone could possess such power..." remarked Himmel, his smile fading as he recalled the scene of Saitama obliterating an entire mountain with what appeared to be a casual punch. He knew of Tactical and Grand-Class Magic Spells that could instantly destroy whole cities, but what Saitama had done was far beyond anything he thought possible. If the bald, oddly-dressed man were unleashed on their world, he knew there was nothing he nor anyone else could do to stop him...

fws fws fws fws fws

Interrupting Himmel's thoughts, compelling Tanya to raise her rifle, and causing Vahn and Ruijerd to take ready stances, a group of wolves with a distinctive leaf-green coat and yellowish underbellies came rushing at the Party. Their speed was only around that of a sprinting border collie, but as there were at least ten of them, the group naturally contracted to prevent the speeding canines from slipping between them.

crack crack crack

Startling Himmel and Ruijerd, though not enough to distract them, Tanya opened fire on the yellow-green wolves. Each time she pulled the trigger of her rifle, a brief but loud explosive crack rang out, echoing throughout the forest. The projectiles she used resembled ordinary bullets, but their casings were covered in intricate Magical circuitry, causing them to glow a vibrant shade of purple as they zipped through the air and impacted the wolves, producing small but powerful explosions as they hit.

"What an efficient form of Magic..." remarked Himmel, regaining a smile as he casually spun on his heel, narrowly evading a wolf's lung before slicing through it as if it were an illusion. Then, twisting in the opposite direction, he split a second wolf from throat to tail before relaxedly brandishing his blade like a beam of arcing, bluish-white light, swiftly decapitating a third as it tried to bite his ankle.

'These people are monsters...' thought Tanya, her expression serious as she observed Himmel, Vahn, and Ruijerd. All three possessed superhuman strength, speed, and reaction time. She was confident she could take out the entire group of wolves on her own, but the ease with which they took down the charging beasts without enhancing themselves suggested they were far from pushing their limits...

With the battle lasting less than a minute, the Party took a moment to recover the dropped Enhancement Crystals, which, rather than falling to the ground and potentially getting lost, emitted a faint white glow as they gradually floated toward the person who had dealt the killing blow to the monsters, dubbed F-Rank Timber Wolves.

"Oh? That's convenient..." remarked Himmel, grasping one of his three crystals out of the air and gazing at it. Doing so caused a blue window to materialize, revealing it to be an F-Rank Constitution Crystal valued at 13 Tower Points.

"So, eating this will improve my health and make my body more resilient?" asked Tanya, her expression and tone full of skepticism as she pondered how she was supposed to eat or swallow a crystal large enough to fill her palm.

Nodding, Vahn revealed, "And to make them a little more palatable, Constitution Crystals have a flavor corresponding to the consumer's favorite vegetable dish. Strength Crystals taste like meat, Intelligence Crystals taste like ice cream, and Wisdom Crystals can be dissolved in hot water to make it taste like your favorite coffee or tea."

"How considerate..." muttered Tanya, observing Ruijerd casually take a bite of his acquired crystal before doing the same. To her surprise, while it felt as hard as a stone in her hand, it was comparable to steamed broccoli when she bit into it. The taste was the same, complete with a faint cheesy undertone that made it significantly more palatable.

"Oh, wow...mine tastes like buttered corn..." revealed Himmel, his brows rising as he finished his first crystal, prompting a system notification that his Constitution had increased by 0.013. This may not seem like much, but as his current value was 128.294 and the monsters within the glade were among the weakest they had access to...the implications were as exciting as they were jarring...

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