Swift Swallows were one of the fastest small monsters in the lower floors.
These crimson-colored creatures loved to nest along the cliffs surrounding the Great Azure Waterfall.
Whenever someone approached, they would launch immediate attacks.
And in a place like this, such harassment was extremely dangerous.
One mistake—
And an adventurer could fall straight into the waterfall and ride a one-way express ticket to the bottom floors.
"Watch out!"
Slash!
A thin red line flashed through the air.
Ais immediately detected it and cut down the attacking Swift Swallow with a single strike.
The tiny crimson body fell.
Its long, sharp beak and incredible speed made it deadly.
If you failed to notice them, they could pierce straight through your body in an instant.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Unfortunately, things quickly got worse.
At some point, a large swarm of Swift Swallows had gathered around them.
Ais frowned.
If they all attacked at once, it would be like machine-gun fire, rushing forward in a barrage that would be extremely difficult to evade.
"Projection… begin."
Whoosh—
Around Cao Ye, phantom weapons began to materialize one after another.
Ais was shocked again.
Another ability?
How many hidden techniques did he actually have?
For most adventurers, obtaining one skill or magic was already considered lucky.
But Cao Ye seemed to have abilities as common as pebbles on the ground.
Buzz—
Because he had already practiced many times, the weapon projection process was fast and smooth.
At that moment—
The Swift Swallows attacked.
SHHHH!
Countless crimson streaks shot downward like a rain of red meteors.
They covered the sky near the waterfall.
"Broken Phantasm!"
BOOM!
Cao Ye hurled one of the projected weapons into the air.
Then he detonated it mid-flight.
The explosion spread outward like a bomb, instantly wiping out a large cluster of Swift Swallows.
These monsters were incredibly fast—
But their defense was extremely low.
In fact, if your armor was thick enough, they could literally kill themselves by crashing into it.
"Not done yet!"
Before they could relax, more Swift Swallows surged forward.
Broken Phantasm was powerful—
But its area of effect was limited.
It couldn't cover the entire swarm.
Cao Ye's lips curved slightly.
"Come."
"Welcome the baptism of gems."
Clink! Clink! Clink!
He pulled out a handful of gemstones.
In the next instant—
The magic power stored inside them was released.
BOOOOOOM!
Blazing flames erupted.
Violent winds surged.
The wind fed the flames.
The flames strengthened the wind.
One gemstone after another detonated under the activation of Gem Magecraft.
They turned into something like magical machine guns.
Even in the water-dominated Water Capital Labyrinth—
The entire area was engulfed in flames.
The swarm of Swift Swallows was burned alive in the inferno.
Their charred bodies fell one after another.
Nearby, the Great Azure Waterfall roared endlessly.
Water and fire coexisted in a bizarre but spectacular contrast.
"Whoa! That's a huge fire!"
Paimon exclaimed in amazement.
The Traveler was way too strong.
Moments earlier, the Swift Swallows had descended like a deadly storm.
Now—
Their burnt bodies were falling like rain.
The only regret was that their magic stones were impossible to collect.
Who knew where they had fallen among the waterfall cliffs?
The crisis ended.
"Your magic… is very strong."
Ais looked at Cao Ye and spoke seriously.
"Thanks."
In Orario, most adventurers could only have three magic spells at most.
The strongest mage in Orario, Riveria, was called the Nine Hell Princess precisely because her three spells could each be split into three stages.
Three spells—
Nine variations.
Thus, the title Nine Hell Princess.
But Cao Ye's Gem Magecraft was different.
By controlling the magic stored inside gemstones, he could theoretically wield any elemental power.
"Ahhh! So many magic stones were wasted!"
Paimon complained miserably.
She had gathered the nearby drops, but seeing so many swept away by the waterfall broke her heart.
After all—
Those were all potential snacks.
"Hm? You're injured?"
Cao Ye suddenly noticed a cut on Ais's shoulder.
It wasn't serious.
For a first-class adventurer, even untreated wounds like that would heal quickly.
"I lost focus and got hit."
"It's fine."
Ais glanced at the wound.
Because she prioritized speed, she wore light armor, which left several areas exposed.
In the Dungeon, those areas often became weak points.
Under normal circumstances, Swift Swallows couldn't even touch her.
But today was different.
Cao Ye's Gem Magecraft explosion had created an overwhelming spectacle.
Flames and wind combined—
The scene was comparable to high-tier magic.
And he had done it as a Level 2 adventurer.
Someone who had been in Orario for less than two months.
While she was still stunned by his power—
She had accidentally let her guard down.
After continuing deeper for a while, the group finally arrived at the next floor.
This place looked like a massive underground cavern.
Water flowed everywhere.
Rocks and small waterfalls filled the space.
It felt like a hidden world beneath the earth.
"Wow… are these all Water Capital Crystals?"
Cao Ye's eyes lit up.
These were extremely valuable materials.
They were formed in the water-rich environment of the Water Capital Labyrinth.
Equipment forged with them gained water resistance.
They were similar to Firebird Silk, another rare material.
And there were so many of them.
If they mined everything here, it would bring in a huge amount of valis.
For most adventurers, the problem wasn't mining them—
It was transporting them out of the Dungeon.
After all, this was the lower floors.
Danger lurked everywhere.
But for Cao Ye—
That wasn't a problem at all.
With Imaginary Space, he could empty this entire place and carry everything back without effort.
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