Chapter 593 - 593: Turned Into Gacha?! - 593

Once, then twice—by the third time, it was no longer such a rare occurrence.

Furina, who had braced herself for a grueling battle, had expected to pay a heavy price for her risky maneuver.

She had already summoned the Salon, yet she hadn't anticipated that the Infant Dragon would be even more useful—or perhaps, more berserk—than she had imagined.

As Furina danced around the fray, the dragon made short work of almost all the Orcs.

While the Imps were smarter and more agile than Goblins, their stats weren't much higher, and aside from sneak attacks, they posed little threat to her.

Even the Silverback Apes, though dangerous, found their movements hampered by the dragon's relentless aggression.

This encounter with the terrain turned out to be entirely beneficial, with no downsides whatsoever.

Combined with the crucial support from Liliruca's magic sword and the collective effort of the three sea creatures, the only monster left standing was the Infant Dragon itself.

As Furina had predicted, even with strength far exceeding that of an average upper-floor monster, the dragon was nothing more than a clumsy, mindless sandbag before her.

She chipped away at its health during their skirmish until, at last, it dissolved into black smoke and a magic stone, dropping at her feet.

"So... so amazing!"

Liliruca, who had witnessed and participated in the entire fight, finally snapped back to reality only after Furina bent down to pick up the magic stone.

They had actually won!

No running away, no help from anyone else—the two of them, both Level 1s, had actually defeated it! Realizing this, Liliruca's breath hitched.

"Thanks to your help, too, Lili."

Furina felt as though her clothes were soaked through with sweat. Even with the moisture-wicking fabric, she could feel the stickiness on her skin and arms.

That uncomfortable sensation, coupled with the wave of dizziness that hits after the adrenaline fades, nearly cost her her composure.

Sweat trickled down her jawline, dripping onto her dust-covered skirt and leaving a small, dark spot.

She reached up to smooth her disheveled silver hair, only to find her skin still burning from the intensity of the fight—a lingering physical reaction to the high-stakes combat.

"Whew... it's finally over." She sighed softly, gripping the magic stone, which radiated a pale brown glow, in her palm.

The stone felt cold, pulsing with a faint trace of magic. It was the proof of their victory, the spoils of this life-or-death struggle.

In terms of value, it would fetch a high price even in the middle floors, let alone being an outlier dropped by a freak occurrence in the upper floors. While she cared more about whether this constituted a "Great Achievement" than the monetary gain, the reward for her hard work was still deeply satisfying.

Liliruca was still lost in the aftermath of the battle, her cheeks flushed bright red, her hand still trembling as she gripped her crossbow.

She stared at the stone in Furina's hand, her eyes wide with excitement and disbelief. "Lady Furina, we... we actually did it! Two Level 1s defeating an Infant Dragon during a Monster Party—no one would ever believe it!"

"It doesn't matter if no one believes us," Furina said, a faint, proud smile tugging at the corners of her lips, despite her exhaustion. "After all, we are the only ones who know the taste of this victory."

She paused, looking at the black short sword in Liliruca's hand. "This weapon... it was a huge help this time. If you hadn't taken care of those bats and the sneaking Imps in time, I fear I would have paid a steep price."

"It wasn't easy to get, was it?"

At the mention of the magic sword, Liliruca's expression sank, and she touched the hilt with a pained look. She explained the sword's function and its cost.

"It cost Lili 400,000 Valis. It's a used weapon." Or, more accurately, a weapon that had flowed into a black market shop after its previous master died.

Lili knew how to weigh the value of money against the value of her life. Having this sword meant that if a shady adventurer ever tried to kill her, she would have a fighting chance. So, she had bought it.

"I see..."

Although she had guessed it was expensive, Furina hadn't expected it to cost that much. She knew how well she and Sushang earned money, but even at their current pace, it would take them days to afford such a blade.

If it were a brand-new one from a reputable source, the price would likely double.

Black market goods aren't necessarily cheaper than legitimate ones—after all, if they were, everyone would just buy them from the source.

The black market simply offloaded dirty goods that were hard to sell legally; they profited regardless.

But with Sushang away, it would take time to save up enough to replace Lili's sword. She could scrape together 400,000 Valis, but that would be nearly every coin they had.

Aside from the taxes for their Familia's operations, Furina managed their daily earnings.

They both operated under the assumption that the funds were shared, as neither had urgent expenses for weapons or potions. However, Furina couldn't make such a decision without talking to Sushang first.

"I'll compensate you for this later."

Furina decided to set the matter aside for now.

"...It's fine! As long as I'm with Lady Furina and Lady Sushang, I'll earn that money back sooner or later!"

Liliruca's pained expression froze, then shifted into a smile. She waved her hand to show she didn't mind, though her face didn't quite brighten, and her smile looked forced.

This reaction caused Furina to set aside her exhaustion and look at the girl with newfound seriousness.

"Lady Furina?"

Lili felt a sense of bewilderment at the intense gaze.

"My apologies, I misspoke just now."

The solemnity on the white-haired girl's face softened into a smile. "Talking about 'compensation' between companions only casts dust over the choices you made and the effort you put in."

Just like her relationship with Sushang—they were on the same front lines. Sushang taught her without asking for anything in return and even trusted her with the precious Xuanyuan Sword.

Furina couldn't fully repay Sushang for that right now, and Sushang wouldn't care if she did, because to her, it was simply helping a companion, and one doesn't keep a tally of favors among allies.

Such sacrifices might not receive an equal return, but they deepened the bond and brought them closer.

Her words just now had treated Lili's contribution as a cold, transactional exchange—but looking at Lili's expression, it was clear that wasn't the reality at all.

"Com...panions?" Liliruca looked visibly stunned, a realization dawning on her that she hadn't even fully processed herself.

Companions? Me... and Lady Furina?

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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL