The light of the dungeon gate swallowed them whole as they entered, fear and questions weighing heavily on their minds.

For a moment Kyouka thought her body would break apart, the sensation of her power flickering out had left her bracing for the worst. But the very instant she stepped across the barrier, something surged back into her veins.

She gasped, nearly stumbling.

Her weapon felt better in her grip, the energy of her body thrumming steady and strong once more.

"…It's back." Her voice shook with relief. "My power… it came back!"

The other Valkyries blinked, then one by one they tested their own strength.

"My shield is responding."

"Energy flow stable."

"I can fight again."

Xinyue walked in after them, her movements as calm as ever. The faint shimmer of her aura returned to her body, icy energy crackling faintly around her fingertips. Her eyes narrowed.

"This is expected," she murmured. "Outside, the jammer suppressed us completely. Inside… it no longer applies."

Kyouka straightened, her grip tightening around her weapon. "Then that means we're not completely defenseless. Good."

But when they looked around, the sight was not what anyone expected.

The dungeon stretched out to the horizon as it always had. The mountains and the fog that slightly distorted vision were still there, but the howling of monsters and the thunder of a stampede were not. The air was eerily still. The pathways wound like veins into the dark, and not a single sound of movement stirred.

Too calm.

"…Where are they?" one of the Sirius guild hunters whispered, scanning with her bow drawn. "The reports said monsters were spilling out. This place is empty."

Kyouka frowned, her chest tightening with unease. She had been ready to clash blades, to cut through whatever swarmed inside. But this silence—this stillness—felt wrong.

Xinyue's eyes swept the chamber, her steps measured and unhurried. She squinted slightly, her voice dropping into a low murmur.

"This is… not normal."

Lan Xue, who stood near her, tilted her head in concern. "First Mother… what should we do?"

The Sirius members glanced her way as well, waiting for orders, but Xinyue didn't answer immediately. Instead, she closed her eyes.

The ground beneath her feet shimmered faintly. Slowly, a thin frost spread out like rippling veins, crawling across the dungeon floor. Crystals of ice formed patterns in concentric waves, as if responding to her will.

The Valkyries gasped softly at the sight. Even Sirius's own guild members stiffened.

"She's using it…" one whispered.

Kyouka glanced at one of old valkyries, frowning. "What is she doing?"

She swallowed hard, her voice hushed with a mix of awe and dread. "She's invoking her Aqua Soul Resonance. By linking with the moisture beneath the land… she can read the dungeon itself. The ground speaks to her. Nina told me about this absurd skill of this woman."

Kyouka's knuckles whitened around her weapon. That sounded less like an ability and more like something divine.

Meanwhile, the frost spread out wider, covering several meters in every direction. Xinyue's eyes remained closed, her expression calm and unreadable.

But when she finally spoke, her voice carried a quiet weight.

"…This dungeon is unnatural. Its surface is calm… but something deeper is stirring. Stronger than anything I've ever seen."

A hush fell over the group.

Xue's lips parted, trembling slightly. "Stronger than anything…?"

Xinyue did not elaborate. She simply opened her eyes again, their cold glimmer betraying nothing of her inner thoughts.

The Sirius guild members shifted uneasily.

One of the Valkyries stepped forward. "Our objective remains clear. Nina is still missing. We can't just stand here waiting for monsters to appear."

"Yes," another added, gripping her lance tightly. "We're not here to solve mysteries. We're here to bring our sister back."

Kyouka exhaled, steadying herself. "She's right. Nina first. Everything else can wait."

She turned, looking to the others with a determined gaze. "Listen. I don't care if you're Sirius or Valkyrie or whoever. Our objective is to find her. We'll sweep the dungeon in formation, cover each other, and keep moving. Standing here won't save her."

The words resonated, though some Valkyire members exchanged reluctant glances, as well as other guild.

It had been a long time since all of them had stood together like this, because normally they would be at each other's throats. Sirius was always trying to overshadow the Valkyries, while other guilds like Irons tried to overshadow Sirius, and so on.

Xinyue did not respond to Kyouka's words. She simply stood there, calm as still water, her hand brushing faintly against her own frost-marked floor. Her eyes lifted toward the cavern roof as though listening to something only she could hear.

Finally, she murmured—quiet enough that only Xue heard:

"…Something dangerous is here. More dangerous than anything I've ever seen."

Xue's breath caught in her throat. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek as she whispered back, "Is it..Is it more powerful than you, first mother?"

Xinyue's lips curved faintly, neither smile nor frown. "Danger is inevitable. Knowing it changes nothing."

Xue lowered her gaze, her stomach knotting. She had seen Xinyue calm in the face of threats before but never speaking with that tone speaking about danger.

Meanwhile, others began to split off.

A rival guild—Irons—left to the opposite side, their armored leader barking orders. "Spread formation! Secure the tunnels. First to strike the dungeon core claims the reward!"

"Guild Valkyrie Fang, move out!" one of Kyouka's senior called, rallying their hunters.

The Valkyries tightened their formation, Kyouka also following the orders of her seniors even though she had a very prominent role in this.

"We're heading east," Kyouka muttered. "Nina's trail has to be here somewhere. She told me that's where she is going to hunt."

The Valkyries nodded and left. The only guild remaining near the entrance was none other than Guild Sirius, waiting for their leader's orders. But Xinyue herself seemed frozen, her gaze fixed on the distant mountains.

"Do we have to be here? Can't we just you know leave?" a Sirius hunter whsipered to another clearly doubting this whole expedition, after all, this is the first time Xinyue muttered the word danger.

"Then we'll cut through them," Xue snapped back. "No matter how dangerous it is...we will overcome,"

Even as she muttered those words, her body trembled, and her eyes seemed to embody fear and regret itself.

The tension between the guilds flared, the air thick with rivalry. But the dungeon itself remained silent, as if mocking their bravado.

Finally, Xinyue stepped opened her mouth. "Go where you wish. It makes no difference."

Her calm words silenced the murmurs for a heartbeat.

Meanwhile Kyouka set her jaw. "We'll find Nina. No matter what."

The Valkyries moved out together, their voices overlapping:

"For our sister."

"For Nina."

"Together."

One by one, their figures disappeared into the dungeon's winding paths.

Xinyue lingered a moment longer. She cast a single glance at the frost beneath her feet before dismissing it with a wave of her hand. The ice shattered soundlessly, melting back into the stone.

Her eyes narrowed as she whispered to herself—too soft for anyone to hear.

"I will die here today!"

***

Amanda dropped behind a crumpled concrete barricade, her pistol aimed at the nearest group of intruders. The cold night air carried the sharp report of gunfire, and sparks flew as bullets struck metal and concrete around her.

She fired in controlled bursts, each shot finding its mark. Two of the mercenaries in front of her went down instantly, their rifles clattering to the ground.

"Keep your heads down!" Amanda barked, pressing herself closer to the cover. Another volley of bullets slammed into the barricade beside her, chips of concrete spraying like rain.

One of the officers nearby ducked, returning fire shakily. "Officer Amanda! There's too many of them! They're flanking from the left!"

Amanda's eyes flicked toward the warning. She twisted her body, taking a careful aim, and squeezed the trigger. Another two attackers dropped before they could get closer.

"Move up! Push them back!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

The mercenaries were ruthless, advancing steadily, firing with deadly precision. The air was thick with smoke, screams, and the crack of gunfire. Amanda's pistol barked again, and again, but she noticed the familiar click—the magazine was empty.

Damn it.

One of her squad members, a young officer with a determined look, slid an AR across the barricade to her. "Here! Take this!"

Amanda caught it mid-motion, her fingers already checking the safety and switching the fire mode. She took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the battlefield. "Thanks. Keep your head down and cover me," she muttered, voice tight with focus.

The AR roared to life in her hands. She swept the barrel across the advancing mercenaries, a deadly rhythm guiding her movements. Bullets tore through cover and sent enemies sprawling.

"Reload!" she barked at her squad, keeping herself low and moving with a fluid grace. Her eyes never left the chaos ahead.

A mercenary tried to flank her, but Amanda spun, planting a precise shot between her eyes before she could fire. She muttered under her breath, teeth gritted.

"…I really need to finish this here. Today. I hope this is what I think it is."

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