Chapter 86: Bad Blood

Camping at the 28th floor, the expedition team was awed at what Airmid can do.

Never have they ever seen an all-rounder like the silver saintess.

She protecc, she attacc, and most importantly, she has your back.

"Man, Airmid's new magic is awesome yeah?" Tiona grinned and the team agreed.

"Un, she's like a strategic class specialist. Similar to Riveria-sama, but the only difference is, Airmid is on the vanguard." Ryuu nodded.

And somebody else heard her. An elf that was extremely loyal to Riveria.

"Hmph, Riveria-sama is still the best! Her magic is more versatile!" A honey-blonde elf shouted.

"Yeah!? Well Airmid can block monster rexes on her own! And she almost cut its head with one swipe of her sword!" Tione clapped back.

"Fight! Fight! Figh-" Finn smacked a second string member that was chanting.

"Shut up, Raul. You're not making this any easier. And the amazon twins would eat Alicia for breakfast." Finn sighed as he massaged his temples.

He could feel it, he has never seen them in true action before. But their namesakes said it all.

You can't be called lightning empress and crimson lord without being dangerous.

And if a fight breaks out, he was sure that their group was much more superior in combat prowess.

After all, Lars who was mysterious as hell was looming around them. And he can smack Argana away like she was an annoying kid.

'We still don't know much about him except he's friendly to Riveria and Ais. I doubt we want to get on his bad side.' Finn grabbed his thumb.

"Oi, oi, it's true that Airmid is a better all rounder than Riveria." Lars tried to diffuse the situation.

But Alicia Forestlight, Riveria's number one fan was fuming.

"Their roles are different though, you can't compare them. Riveria here's an artillery mage while Airmid is a vanguard." Lars patted Riveria's head and Airmid's.

The elves in the Loki familia gasped as Lars simply patted her head like it was nothing.

"L-Lars. Please don't pat my head like I'm a child." Riveria huffed at him softly, making her look like a shy maiden.

"Unforgivable! Even the captain and Gareth doesn't do that to Riveria-sama!" An elf shouted like they saw a crime.

Which technically is in their culture, as Riveria is the heiress of the high elves. Except he didn't give a single fuck.

Lars rolled his eyes. "Riveria, control your fangirls yeah?" He snorted.

"Uhhh, sure." Riveria sighed as she never did like the attention her status brought.

It reminded her why no one except Finn and Gareth are her friends.

Until Lars suddenly appeared that is. "You guys, Lars is a friend of mine. Don't do anything rash, do you understand?" Riveria glared at them.

"B-but Riveria-sama." Alicia was about to complain.

"Do you understand?" Riveria squinted her eyes and they shut up.

"Hmmm, at least she can control her little cult following, impressive." Bache agreed at the show of might.

"This is making me excited, oi! Lars Johansson, I request a duel." Argana wanted to fight for real.

She wasn't stupid, far from it. She knew that Lars was hiding his real strength for a reason.

The amazoness can still remember the grand spell he casted on Melen.

"Hah, I guess Airmid is here to heal her anyways." Lars thought it was inevitable.

And it was a miracle that she hasn't hunted him down in the first place.

'Maybe Kali gave them some directives? Whatever, let's get thus ober with.' He sighed.

"Wait, I want to do this." Tione stood up and she cracked her neck.

Arcs of electricity escaped from her body as her hair swayed a bit.

"Hoh? Little Tione, have you forgotten what you went through with me already?" Argana licked her lips.

Tione glared at her, remembering the hard times back then at Telskyura. Where she would be beaten half-dead by Argana every day.

"That's different... You have no idea what has changed, Argana." Tione squinted her eyes.

There was a reason why the twins gave any excelia that could be gained to Airmid.

After fighting Belnas and Elnea, their excelia needed just a little push to level up. Their stats were already maxed out.

"Finn, they definitely have some bad blood between them. Should we let them continue?" Gareth frowned.

"I can already read what their leader thinks. Lars, is fine with this as Airmid is right there." Finn sighed.

And he had to agree, with the silver saintess there as a safety net. He would rather let them settle things for now.

"Bache, how are ya?" Tiona greeted her mentor from Telskyura.

She got trained hard by Bache, but she was like an older sister that she never had.

Tione isn't exactly an older sister even though she was born a few minutes earlier than her.

"I have been good, Tiona. I just hope that they don't kill each other or something." Bache pointed at the two who were squaring up.

"Yeah, but I guess it's great that you got out of Telskyura. I did notice that you didn't like it there." Tiona smiled at her and Bache's eyes widened.

"Yes... I want to find my husband on my own and explore the world. I was actually envious of you, Tiona. It's good to see that you're doing well." Bache smiled at her under her veil.

"Un, I've found my hero." She was all giddy and Bache was genuinely happy for her.

Meanwhile, the other student and mentor were like loaded springs, ready to smack each other to oblivion.

"I guess I'll proctor this, start or whatever." Lars yawned and the two looked at him with a glare.

"Take this seriously Lars! This is a fight for you! And all the trauma we got!" Tione shouted.

"Yeah, but real battles don't have timers." Lars shrugged and Tione was suddenly slugged by Argana.

Her face rippled as Argana's fist got a clean hit on her. A powerful sucker punch made her fly away like a pebble.

Tione spun in the air and she grabbed the ground with her amazing reflexes to anchor herself.

She then spat on the side, getting rid of the blood in her mouth that was starting to pool.

"Sorry, Lars. I forgot that this is a battle, not an exhibition match." Tione's expression turned cold.

"Yes! I like that look on your face, Tione. Come!" Argana had a crazed expression and they clashed against each other, crashing their arms.

A shockwave exploded and Argana was pleasantly surprised that she only has a slight advantage over Tione.

"Curious? It'e because I've maxed my stats before leveling up to 4. And my stats now? It's at SS." Tione grinned and she headbutted her.

Argana got planted on the ground as the camp trembled at the terrible might of 1st class adventurers.

Especially because they were the brute force types.

"Good!" Argana sprung back like a mousetrap and she drop kicked Tione right at the chest.

"It's a good day to die! Tione!" Argana followed her like a feral beast.

"It is! You crazy bitch!" Tione replied and their fists crashed against each other, releasing a shockwave that scared the level 4's.

Their bodies vibrated due to the force of their blows. It was like there were bombs exploding.

"What in the world... Ais-san is level 5, but she can't output that much power." Lefiya was gobsmacked.

"That's because they're trained by Lars. I've gotten stronger too when he began training me. But they're with him all the time." Ais replied comprehensively.

And that surprised Lefiya more, sparking her jealousy at Ais' obvious bias for Lars.

"That's becaus if what she said earlier is true, then her stats is equal to a level 6's." Finn smiled wryly.

"They're that strong?" Alicia gulped as she looked at the earth-shattering blows being thrown around left and right.

The arena they fought in already looked like a landing site of a meteor shower due to the craters around.

"You... I've always wanted to break you." Tione growled as she dodged a kick and grabbed Argana's leg.

She smashed her onto the ground, treating her like a makeshift hammer.

Argana kicked Tione's arm and she spun in the air. Her unpredictable trajectory confused Tione as she released an upwards kick towards her chin, making her see stars.

"I would like to see you try." Argana grinned as she snaked around Tione while she was stunned for a split-second which wad enough.

Argana then bit Tione on the neck. "Argh!" Tione cried out in pain as she was brought to heel.

"That's Argana's nasty curse, Kalima. It drains the opponent's stats via drinking their blood and her endurance decreases as payment." Riveria frowned.

Curses were definitely rare and Lars looked at it with interest. 'Hmm, can I copy that and maybe teach it to Tiona?'

It was perfect for Tiona who can control blood. And its downside would be offsetted by her lifesteal.

The Loki familia looked at Lars who was calm. And they were curious why.

They then saw the reason. Lightning fell from the sky and a thunderclap deafened the peanut gallery.

Argana was forced to retreat, her new stats that she stole giving her enough speed to barely dodge.

But her left arm was paralyzed and toast from Tione's sudden attack.

"That hurt you fucking bitch!" Tione glared at her as her DA, berserk activated.

"What're you gon- urgh!" Argana underestimated her lightning armor that boosts Tione's stats massively.

And it was the perfect technique for arrogant people like Argana. Unlike Elnea which is as cool as a cucumber all the time.

Argana got a taste of a Lariat and she sacrificed her left arm to block it.

But her floppy arm that was paralyzed broke and she could feel her ribs crack as Tione's arm crash against her torso like a freight train.

Argana gritted her teeth, but she smiled at the pain.

"Guillotine drop!" She suddenly dodged as Tione came from the sky like a meteor.

With a resounding explosion, the dungeon floor trembled and a deafening thunderclap followed.

Lightning flowed, glassing the ground and Riveria was thankful that she put up a barrier earlier.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Tione?" Argana grinned as a roundhouse hit Tione right on the face.

The air whistled before it crashed on her face, and like a whip, her ankle hit Tione.

"My stats are probably at level 7 right now." Argana cackled and Tione rolled on the ground as she crashed on dozens of trees before she stopped.

Tione's head was bleeding and she shook off the dizziness.

"That crazy bitch and her curse, damn it." Tione upped the intensity of her lightning armor for more protection.

They then clashed against each other more violently than at first.

Lightning spewing around while Argana's brute force, caused earthquakes.

"Argana!" Tione screamed. "Come and kill me! If you dare!" Argana laughed.

"Hell stab!" Tione concentrated her lightning on her legs and one arm.

Argana who threw a punch foolishly couldn't withdraw back now.

And her arm split in the middle as Tione's knifehand stabbed through Argana's ribs, rupturing her right lung.

"Excellent... Tione." Argana coughed up blood on her face and the Loki familia was horrified.

"Okay, okay, let's stop here. Show's over folks." Lars pulled Tione away.

"She killed her Lars! What do you mean okay!?" Riveria was flabbergasted.

A level 6 getting killed is basically a country losing its military might.

"Don't be a baby Riveria, it's just a lung. You have two of them." Lars rolled his eyes.

And everyone thought he was insane. "Sorry, he's a bit crazy." Airmid apologized as she started healing Argana.

"I'm your crazy, though." He winked at her and Airmid blushed.

"That's insane... It's like she's good as new." Gareth's face twitched at the sight.

Argana's injuries reknit themselves like time was reversing.

"She isn't called the silver saintess for no reason." Finn was jealous as all hell.

"She lost a lot of blood though, let's wait for her to recover a bit before continuing our dive." Lars shrugged.

"What about me? I want a reward for beating her." Tione pouted at him.

"Here's some ice cream, you did well." Lars took a bite of some soft serve.

"That's it? Just an indirect kiss!? I dema-" Tione suddenly shut up as he kissed her and he swirled the frozen treat around her tongue.

He then licked his lips and smiled. "Tasty, right?"

She froze in place, rebooting. "Hey! I want some too!" Tiona protested.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.