Chapter 150: Debt 150 - The Unusual Party Returns

The gusty surface wind hit Ryan’s face the instant they crossed the threshold of the first floor’s great rift.

Leaving behind the imposing structure of the sky dungeon, the entire group hung suspended in the air for a brief second.

Karol extended her arms forward and began to channel her brilliant blue mana, manifesting her flight magic to envelop Beatrice as well as the six elves and three beastmen who made up the spy squads.

The magical current immediately supported them over the immense void outside.

Ryan wasted no time and activated his support skills on Karol, granting her a massive boost to her stats.

The mage’s aura expanded noticeably, reducing the strain on her bodily energy and instantly doubling her travel speed. The entire group shot forward at maximum speed, cutting through the clouds like a silent gale that left no trace in the sky.

Leading the formation alongside Beatrice and Ryan, Karol controlled the course of the journey with precision while observing the vast horizon.

The clouds passed by rapidly on either side, and the dungeon’s structure began to look like a small, distant speck in the heights.

After a few minutes of traveling in the middle of the strong, protective wind generated by the spell, Karol glanced sideways at her companions and decided to break the ice to lighten the tension.

"I never thought we would be in this strange, unusual group again," Karol commented, flashing a small smile as she adjusted the silver ring on her finger.

Beatrice let out a soft laugh, adjusting her travel cloak and looking at Ryan with eyes filled with a deep nostalgia.

"True, you’re absolutely right about that. Remembering those times still gives me a strange feeling. At first, when I ran into you guys on the demon continent, I was completely sure I would die at Ryan’s hands." Beatrice admitted, recalling their first meeting with total serenity.

’Back then, I never imagined we would have a result like this in the future.’

Ryan thought as he glanced at Beatrice out of the corner of his eye, and then refocused his attention on watching the outside world.

Beatrice shifted her gaze toward the flight mage, showing an evident curiosity about the team’s beginnings.

"By the way, I’ve always had a question. Had you two already been together for a long time when we met for the first time on the demon continent?"

Ryan let out a sincere chuckle, keeping his eyes fixed on the rough map route that Alicia had handed him before they departed from the portal.

"Not at all. In fact, I met Karol on the exact same day I was sent to that demon continent. Technically, we met almost at the same time we met you, Beatrice, though circumstances simply forced us to cooperate immediately so we wouldn’t be wiped out by the demons," Ryan responded directly.

Ryan laughed again in a low voice, remembering the immense difficulties of his first days after reincarnating into this world.

"Back then, I never would have thought it was possible to talk with a demon, and now I’ve had the experience with two of them." Ryan murmured to himself.

Karol subtly turned her head back, observing the perfect line maintained by the six elves and the three beastmen.

The nine spies flew in absolute silence, keeping their dual daggers secured and their faces completely serious as they took in the immense speed of the aerial travel.

"And now it’s even more unusual," Karol added gracefully, pointing to the squad following closely behind them through the air currents.

The journey continued for a long stretch during which Ryan took the opportunity to monitor the map, calculating the exact coordinates of Wind Valley.

Due to the length of the trip, Ryan kept buffing Karol’s skills roughly every fifteen minutes. Of course, all of that meant that during the journey, he kept gaining more and more stat points.

After several hours of uninterrupted flight at maximum speed thanks to his buff, the land terrain below them began to change drastically.

Ahead, the flat plains gave way to an enormous, shimmering dome of translucent energy that completely covered the borders of the nation of Kalistia.

Karol immediately slowed down the spell, halting the formation in mid-air right before entering the range of magical detection.

"Just as Alicia indicated to us before we left, the city has a rather complex defensive barrier. Too much energy is floating in that area. There would be no way to cross it using stealth if we try to fly straight in." Karol warned, furrowing her brow.

Ryan observed the immense glowing dome and it was just as he expected, exactly what Alicia had mentioned. And after all, the plan was to enter the city the same way any adventurer would enter.

"Let’s descend here. We will head down a considerable distance away from the city’s main gates to prevent any guards from spotting us. It will be best to arrive on foot." Ryan ordered directly.

The entire group descended smoothly until touching solid ground in a secluded, wooded sector, hiding behind the dense vegetation so as not to be sighted from the main roads of Kalistia.

The leaders Ethan, Void, and Jake immediately positioned themselves in front of Ryan in a waiting stance, ready for the infiltration.

"From this point on, we will proceed with the movement strategy we had agreed upon. We won’t all enter Wind Valley together because a group of twelve people will raise suspicions at the entrance checkpoints."

Ryan stepped to the front of everyone and continued explaining.

"We will enter three at a time, maintaining a one-hour difference between each squad. The first group to march toward Kalistia will be mine, alongside Beatrice and Karol."

Karol and Beatrice took their places beside Ryan, though Karol pressed herself against Ryan’s arm as was customary for her.

Ryan looked at the rest of his companions.

"Listen. Once inside, you’re on your own. Don’t cause any conflicts."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Good, we will head out first." Ryan pronounced, adjusting his pace toward the city.