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Chapter 68: Shimmering Nectar
Crack!
The crisp sound of fracturing bone rang out.
This strike finally broke through its dragon scale defense, the powerful impact shattering its bones and internal organs.
The Young Yumkasaur let out a reluctant wail and crashed to the ground. It turned into black smoke, leaving behind several dragon scales shining with metallic luster and razor-sharp dragon claws.
"Nice work."
Tifa whispered in the mental network, withdrawing her fist.
After collecting the loot, they continued forward.
As they walked into a relatively open cavern, Robin simultaneously detected three concealed magic fluctuations.
"Careful. Three camouflaged monsters underground. They're about to attack!"
The moment the alarm sounded, a Cryo Whopperflower disguised as a beautiful ice flower suddenly raised its petals. A row of sharp ice spikes thrust abruptly from the ground.
At the same time, three fireballs from a Pyro Whopperflower and lightning balls from an Electro Whopperflower attacked from two other directions, forming a perfect crossfire net.
"Aiden left, Tifa right, Hyacine—take to the air. I'll coordinate!"
The four scattered instantly like an exploding spring, each part moving with maximum efficiency.
"Silentium Eden!"
Aiden blocked the deadly fireballs.
"Shine!"
Tifa's [Meteor Plume] enchantment magic activated. Instead of taking the lightning balls head-on, she dodged sideways by a hair's breadth. Simultaneously, she kicked the Electro Whopperflower that had just popped its head out, sending it flying.
Hyacine released magic power. Cyan wind wrapped around her, lifting her briefly into the air to avoid all ground attacks. At the same time, countless wind blades rained down, suppressing the Pyro Whopperflower with firepower.
The battle instantly entered a fever pitch.
This was a battlefield commanded by Robin's god's-eye view.
"Tifa, the purple one. Use its momentum to guide it into the Pyro one!"
"Received!"
Tifa advanced instead of retreating. With a clever sidestep, she let the spinning Electro Whopperflower brush past her, sending it crashing precisely into its companion suppressed by Hyacine.
"Aiden, there's one more underground. It's going to ambush."
Aiden understood immediately. He deliberately exposed an opening. The moment the ice spikes broke through the ground beneath his feet, he leaped backward. The tip of his sword was already aimed at the ground—a silent soundwave blasted into the earth.
"Gii—!" A sharp scream came from underground.
"All units, attention. They're making a final stand."
Robin's sensory network caught the three monsters burrowing deep underground simultaneously.
"Hyacine, prepare support. Tifa, Aiden, on my command. Saturation attack."
"Three,"
"Two,"
"One!"
"Now!"
At the instant Robin gave the command, the three Whopperflowers burst out of the ground from three different locations simultaneously, preparing to ambush.
But greeting them was a deadly symphony prepared in anticipation.
"Gospel!"
"Shine!"
"Resonate!"
Aiden's sound cannon, Tifa's limit-break punch pressure, and Robin's Pinion's Aria—three attacks from three different angles hit their respective targets with unavoidable precision.
Hyacine's wind blades sealed off all possibility of them burrowing again.
Boom!
Amidst the violent explosions, the dust of battle settled.
"Not bad, everyone."
Robin's voice rang in the network, carrying a hint of relieved laughter.
This victory tempered their four-as-one coordination in blood and fire.
Aiden swung his longsword, reviewing the battle in his mind. In this fight, he had been coordinating with Robin's commands rather than relying on his individual ability to crush the monsters.
In fact, if he had activated [Everlasting Flames] at any cost from the start, relying on the massively increased stats and the ultra-high-temperature blade capable of melting anything, the three Whopperflowers wouldn't have lasted a few rounds.
He alone could have easily ended this battle.
But if he did that, this adventure would become his solo show.
Robin, Tifa, and Hyacine wouldn't get any real training.
They would habitually rely on him, viewing him as the ultimate solution to all problems, while they themselves were reduced to spectators.
That wasn't what he wanted.
They were a team, a Familia named "Focalors."
He couldn't ignore his companions and deprive them of opportunities for growth just to fight to his heart's content.
Besides, the wear and tear on weapons from [Everlasting Flames] was simply too great.
Until he found a special weapon capable of withstanding that terrifying heat, it was better to use that magic sparingly.
After all, a high-quality weapon cost a fortune on the market, easily tens of thousands of Valis.
And his [Intertwined Fate] system was a bottomless money pit. The newly appeared [Domain Instance] also required a large offering of Magic Stones for each entry.
Magic Stones equaled money.
Thinking of this, Aiden couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He felt that the current situation wasn't bad.
Although the thrill of fighting a strong enemy to the death was indeed intoxicating, coordinating tacitly with Robin, Tifa, and Hyacine to defeat monsters through exquisite tactical cooperation, and then seeing the heartfelt joy on their faces... gave him a completely different sense of satisfaction.
Isn't that what a Familia should be like?
Going "one-man army" was cool, but doing it occasionally was enough.
Adventuring with companions, sharing joy, bearing pain, and witnessing each other's growth—that was the true path.
"Aiden, look at this!"
Hyacine's excited voice interrupted his thoughts.
She was squatting next to the loot left behind after the Whopperflowers dissipated, carefully holding a clump of viscous liquid that looked like solidified honey and emitted a faint glow.
"That's 'Shimmering Nectar'."
Aiden recognized the drop.
Hyacine dipped a finger in it, feeling it carefully. "This contains very pure and extremely active energy. If used to make potions, the effect will definitely be amazing."
Her eyes shone with the light unique to discovering new materials. That focus and joy made her whole being glow.
Since Hyacine joined, the Focalors Familia's potion expenses had dropped straight down.
They no longer needed to buy expensive finished potions from the market; most of the time, they only needed to purchase raw materials.
With her seemingly innate talent for concoction, Hyacine could always create potions far exceeding the effects of materials at the same price point.
However, high-quality materials were always hot commodities in Orario.
Most were directly acquired by the Guild to maintain the city's basic operations, while the rest were bought in bulk by healer and potion factions like the Dian Cecht Familia.
For some special materials Hyacine needed, they often had to try their luck at the Miach Familia's [Azure Pharmacy].
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