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Chapter 74: The Strict Advisor
In a narrow corridor, five Rock Shield Hilichurls blocked their path.
Tifa didn't even wait for Robin's command before taking the initiative.
A faint trace of starlight enveloped her—the glow of her Meteor Plume magic. She shot into the group of monsters like a streaking comet.
Bang!
The air popped with a muffled detonation.
Before the leading Rock Shield Hilichurl could fully raise its heavy stone buckler, Tifa's fist had already arrived. Her punch was impossibly fast, piercing forward like an indestructible spear. The sheer wind pressure howled, tearing through the air.
The rock shield, thick enough to endure heavy sword slashes, shattered like a fragile biscuit beneath her knuckles.
Stone fragments exploded outward, but her fist carried on undiminished, punching through the remnants of the shield and burying itself solidly into the Hilichurl's chest. The monster couldn't even shriek before the terrifying kinetic force blasted it backward, its body disintegrating into ash mid-air.
In the Familia, Tifa was usually the gentle, accommodating cook. But the moment she entered combat, she morphed into a ruthless, cold-blooded martial artist.
Every strike was savage and bone-crushing.
Without pausing, she spun around, her leg whipping through the air. The sweeping kick accurately slammed into a stone axe raised by another Hilichurl. The weapon was pulverized, and her leg continued its arc, slamming into the cavern wall.
Boom!
The solid rock dented under the force of her kick, spider-web cracks spreading rapidly across the surface.
The remaining Hilichurls staggered backward in absolute terror at the brutal display, but Tifa gave them no quarter. She flickered through the confined space, every punch and kick accompanied by the deep rumble of breaking the sound barrier.
Under her iron fists, nothing survived a single blow.
In less than twenty seconds, the battle was over.
By the time the four finally returned to the Guild Headquarters, they found the usually busy but orderly reception hall packed to the brim. The main quest board was swarmed with adventurers chattering excitedly. Their faces displayed a chaotic mix of thrill, greed, and apprehension.
"I'll go exchange these for Valis," Robin said, taking their gathered magic stones and drop materials toward the exchange counter.
Curious, Aiden squeezed through the crowd and found Eina, who was overwhelmingly busy behind her desk.
"Miss Eina, what happened? Why is it so crowded today?"
Seeing that Aiden and his team had returned safely, a relieved, joyful smile graced Eina's pretty face. She let out a long breath before lowering her voice to answer.
"You're finally back. Listen to me, something huge has happened in the Dungeon." Her expression grew serious. "Recently, special spatial rifts known as 'Domain Instances' have started appearing. Word is that clearing them doesn't just reward you with 'Artifacts', but also something called 'Adventurer's Experience' that directly boosts an adventurer's basic stats."
Eina quickly laid out the situation: "It started when an Upper Floor party accidentally stumbled across one. They were terrified by the Dungeon intel and didn't dare go in. They reported it to the Guild, and to verify it, the Guild hired a Level 2 adventurer from the Ganesha Familia to investigate. They confirmed it was real. Not long after, the Loki Familia returned from the Dungeon and reported the exact same Domain information... and they provided a comprehensive guide on how to clear it."
"So," Eina pointed toward the mobbed notice board, "the Guild just posted a new announcement warning all adventurers not to enter these Domain Instances blindly."
"Also, to prevent bloody conflicts between the major Familias fighting over these Domains, the Guild issued a new policy. Familias can post open commissions, and any adventurer who discovers a Domain can accept them and sell the location."
"As for the commission payouts," Eina smiled bitterly. "Different Familias are offering different prices. While this won't completely eliminate conflict, it's the best the Guild can do right now. If anyone is caught maliciously stealing a Domain clear, they will face the absolute strictest punishments from the Guild."
She paused before adding the most crucial detail: "The Loki and Freya Familias publicly declared their full support for the Guild's proposal the moment the announcement went live."
Aiden understood immediately.
With the two absolute apex factions of Orario throwing their weight behind it, the other Familias had no choice but to bite their tongues and fall in line, regardless of how disgruntled they might be.
Orario's fragile balance was meticulously maintained by the Guild. A sudden new resource couldn't be allowed to spark an all-out bloodbath; that would spell disaster for everyone. Besides, these Domains were extremely difficult—way out of the league of normal adventurers.
Take the Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula they had just encountered. Just the ten Level 3 Pyro Abyss Mages and Blazing Axe Mitachurls were enough to gatekeep ninety percent of Orario's Familias. For the vast majority, going in blindly was suicide.
Therefore, reporting the Domain for a guaranteed, risk-free payout was undeniably the smarter play. A hefty sum with zero danger—why wouldn't they take it?
Thinking about the payout, Aiden's previously indifferent eyes lit up.
Free money? Who wouldn't want it?
He leaned in close, lowering his voice. "Miss Eina, we actually ran into a new Domain on our way back... on the Fourteenth Floor."
Hearing the words "Fourteenth Floor," the smile on Eina's face froze instantly, replaced by a terrifying mix of shock and simmering fury.
"The Fourteenth Floor?!"
Her voice pitched up involuntarily, drawing curious glances from nearby adventurers. She quickly forced her voice down, though the reprimand in her tone remained sharp. "Mr. Aiden, didn't I expressly warn you to take things one step at a time? I acknowledge that reaching Level 2 is an incredible achievement, but what about Robin and the others? They are still Level 1! The Middle Floors are entirely too dangerous for them right now!"
A barrage of reprimands hit Aiden like rapid-fire arrows, leaving him utterly speechless. He could only stand there helplessly and take the lecture. He knew that beneath her strictness was a genuine, deep-seated concern for their safety. He couldn't—and wouldn't—ignore that kindness.
"Miss Eina is quite strict, isn't she?" Hyacine whispered softly from the side. She could clearly feel that while the half-elf advisor was chewing them out for their recklessness, every word dripped with worry for their well-being.
Consequently, Aiden, Tifa, and Hyacine stood rigidly in place like elementary school students caught misbehaving, acting like perfect little angels, not daring to talk back.
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