The small golden kitten sat comfortably on Sylvia’s shoulder. Its fur, which gleamed like molten metal, occasionally brushed gently against the long black hair of the Queen of Death. Every small movement the kitten made emitted a soft, warm aura of fortune, creating a sharp contrast with the cold aura of death that surrounded Sylvia like an invisible cloak. This strange balance actually felt comfortable, as if two extreme forces were complementing each other in a fragile yet strong harmony. The Golden Dragon, newly freed from the corruption curse, looked content and loyal. Its bright golden eyes gazed around with innocent curiosity, its small ears twitching at every faint sound in the dungeon.

Sylvia stroked the kitten’s head once more with her pale, cold fingers, feeling the smooth and warm fur at her fingertips. "We’ll finish mapping this area first before leaving," she said softly. Her cold voice carried a faint resonance of death. "There’s no point returning without complete results. We need full data for Nocturne’s future exploitation."

Stacia nodded enthusiastically, her black wings spreading briefly before folding back gracefully. "Got it. I’ll handle the mapping. This area is quite large, but with our true forms, it shouldn’t take too long. I can’t wait to see how much treasure is hidden here."

Alicia smiled faintly, her silver spirit body floating lightly. "I’ll help check for hidden rooms and energy flows. We’ll divide the tasks as usual."

The three of them began exploring deeper into the area they had just freed from darkness. The purple mist here was still thick and damp, enveloping the ruins like a living blanket, but it was no longer as dense or as dangerous as before. The primordial pressure that had weighed on their chests had drastically decreased after the Golden Dragon’s purification. The ancient runes on the ruin walls glowed steadily with a soft reddish-golden light, illuminating the ancient stone corridors full of cracks, forgotten symbols, and carvings nearly eroded by time.

Stacia flew ahead nimbly, her large Grimoire open and glowing softly with gray light. Using a special spell she chanted quietly, she created a three-dimensional illusion map that grew increasingly detailed in the air before her. Every time they passed through a room or tunnel, faint blue lines of light appeared, marking detected mineral resource locations. Blackish-purple crystals grew like thorns on the stone walls, similar to the rare minerals found in the Eldridge dimensional rift, but of lower quality their light was not as strong, and their mana content was more diluted, like wine mixed with water.

"The minerals here are similar, but lower in quality," Stacia said while carefully noting it in her Grimoire. "They can still be used for mid to high-level crafting if purified. There are also several thick low-grade mythril veins, rare rune stones, and mana storage crystals that can be harvested for the city."

Sylvia walked steadily and gracefully in the middle, her long black dress sweeping silently across the stone floor. The golden kitten on her shoulder watched the surroundings warily, occasionally letting out a small snort when it detected minor threats. Thin black chains emerged from the shadows of Sylvia’s dress, moving like living snakes to eliminate the remaining monsters that appeared from dark crevices. SCHLAAAKKK! Quick and efficient slashes, without unnecessary noise or wasted movement. Black smoke fragments scattered before they could get close.

Alicia floated beside them, her translucent spirit body occasionally passing through walls to check hidden rooms. She would reappear with short reports, "There’s a secret room on the left. It contains old chests, but the contents are damaged by time. Only a few broken artifacts can still be salvaged."

They found many corpses of Rank A and B hunters who had not survived. The bodies had begun to rot, their flesh turning a grayish-black. Their weapons lay scattered on the floor, and their loot bags were torn apart by monster claws. Some died still gripping their swords tightly, faces frozen in expressions of fear and despair. Others hung from the walls with massive stab wounds in their chests. The stench of old blood, rotting flesh, and rusted metal filled the air, making the atmosphere even more chilling.

"The casualty count is indeed severe," Alicia murmured softly as she floated above one corpse whose face was frozen in extreme terror, eyes wide as if still witnessing its own death. "Almost all Rank A and B hunters who entered the inner area are dead. They were too arrogant... or too weak."

Sylvia only nodded coldly, her dark red eyes unwavering. "That was their risk. This world does not forgive weakness. Let’s continue. Don’t waste time."

Several hours passed quickly inside the dungeon, which had no clear day-night cycle. Stacia worked meticulously and enthusiastically, her wings occasionally flapping to change position quickly. She marked potential mineral veins, safe rest areas, still-active traps (though weakened), and the boss area they had already cleared. The illusion map in front of her became increasingly complete and detailed, including the best routes for future mining, monster spawn danger points, and estimated resource yields.

They occasionally stopped for short rests. The golden kitten would leap down, run around exploring the area, then return to Sylvia’s shoulder as if reporting no threats. Its fortunate aura made the air around them feel lighter, causing small monsters to avoid them for no clear reason. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Finally, after nearly four hours of thorough and efficient mapping, Stacia closed her Grimoire with a soft thud. She wiped the spiritual sweat from her forehead and smiled, tired but satisfied. "Everything is complete. This map is detailed enough for large-scale exploitation. I’ve also marked the remaining dangerous areas and the fastest evacuation routes."

Sylvia nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Let’s head back. We’ve been here long enough."

The three of them, along with the golden kitten now curled comfortably on Sylvia’s shoulder, turned around and headed toward the exit. The return journey felt lighter and faster since they already knew the terrain well. Stacia flew above, keeping watch from the air. Alicia floated beside them with her calming spiritual light, while Sylvia ran with steady, tireless undead speed. The purple mist seemed to respect their presence and parted on its own, creating a clearer path.

As they approached the exit portal, Stacia brought out her Grimoire again. Using a familiar transformation spell, she cast it on all three of them at once in a soft gray light. In an instant, their true forms faded like dispelled illusions. Stacia’s black wings disappeared, Alicia’s spirit body became solid again with her white-and-silver tank top, and Sylvia’s undead-pale skin returned to smooth, normal human white. They once again became three beautiful girls in their previous outfits Sylvia in a black tank top and cropped jacket, Stacia in her gray jacket, and Alicia in her white-and-silver tank top. Their hair also returned to its original style: neat black ponytail, short ash-gray hair, and beautiful long flowing silver hair.

The golden kitten on Sylvia’s shoulder remained, but now looked like an ordinary cute and adorable kitten, though its fortunate aura could still be faintly felt by those who were sensitive.

They stepped out of the dimensional rift with relaxed strides.

Outside the portal, the area was already bustling. Many hunters and adventurers had gathered in the preparation area, ready to enter the rift again after hearing that the inner area had been opened. Loud chatter, the sound of sharpening weapons, nervous laughter, and footsteps filled the air. But everything stopped abruptly the moment the three girls emerged from the glowing portal.

The Guild Master and Lord Harlan of Silvermist, who were standing near the command platform, were heavily shocked. Their faces turned pale, eyes widened in disbelief, and mouths hung open. Some staff nearby even instinctively stepped back.

"Impossible..." Lord Harlan muttered, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "You... are still alive? And... came out safely after several days?"

Stacia stepped forward calmly and confidently, carrying a rolled-up map that had been printed from her Grimoire into high-quality parchment. She handed it to the Guild Master politely but firmly.

"We are the only survivors from the Rank A and B hunters who entered the inner area," Stacia said clearly and loudly so everyone gathered could hear. "The others are all dead inside. However, the dimensional rift’s inner area is now relatively safe. Mining and further exploration can begin based on this map. It contains complete details: mineral veins, safe rooms, traps, and the best routes."

The Guild Master accepted the scroll with slightly trembling hands. His face was still full of shock as he opened the map and saw its extraordinarily detailed contents, including neat small notes. He glanced at the three girls in front of him and swallowed hard. These three girls were definitely not ordinary Rank A. They were probably already Rank S or even higher. But he didn’t dare ask, only nodding quickly several times.

"Thank you... You have done an extraordinary job that Silvermist will never forget. Please rest first. We will begin further exploration based on this map as soon as possible. Once confirmed, Lord Harlan will personally give you rewards : gold, artifacts, and priority mining."

Lord Harlan, standing beside him, nodded firmly, though his eyes were still filled with deep admiration mixed with fear. "You three... are truly remarkable. This city owes you a great debt."

"Understood," Stacia replied shortly, not wanting to linger.

The three of them walked casually away from the portal area. The other hunters gathered there watched them with a mix of envy, admiration, awe, and a hint of fear. Whispers began to spread behind them like fast-moving gossip.

"That’s them... the three girls who entered a few days ago without a big party..."

"Everyone else died inside, but they came out alive and even brought a map..."

"They’re definitely not ordinary humans... maybe descendants of gods or hidden heroes..."

Sylvia, Stacia, and Alicia paid no attention to the whispers at all. They walked back to the Silver Moon Inn with light steps, as if they had just returned from a casual stroll. The golden kitten on Sylvia’s shoulder yawned cutely, looking sleepy and comfortable, its tail curling slowly.

Upon arriving at their comfortable and familiar inn room, the three immediately headed for the large, soft bed. The human bodies they were using felt tired again after a full day of intense activity inside the dungeon. Without much talk, the three of them lay down on the bed side by side.

Within seconds, all three fell into deep sleep, their breathing steady and peaceful. The golden kitten leaped down lightly, curled up warmly between the three of them, its eyes half-closed as it calmly kept watch. Its fortunate aura spread slowly, making the night at the inn feel more peaceful than usual.