Lan Qingyou was well-prepared for this.
However, she didn't expect that the moment she was blown away, Steel Wool would fly out from her arms, grab her collar with her claws, and drag her straight toward the tunnel.
As an Aurora Snow Owl, Steel Wool's greatest strength was her speed.
In just a few seconds, Lan Qingyou was dragged into the tunnel.
The cost, however, was her hair, which was blown into a mess by the few seconds of high-speed travel. If her hat hadn't been enchanted with an anti-drop enchantment, it probably would have been blown away by the strong wind as well.
“I didn't expect you... no, you little girl are quite clever,” Lan Qingyou said with a smile, rubbing Steel Wool's face with both hands after being placed on the ground.
Steel Wool didn't get angry at being rubbed; instead, she squinted her eyes in pure enjoyment.
Watching from the side, little Spoon squeaked in frustration, even spinning in place with impatience.
This fellow became incredibly restless every time Lan Qingyou and Steel Wool interacted; it was quite the jealous type.
“Right, right, and little Spoon. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have found these treasures.”
Lan Qingyou naturally couldn't play favorites. She placed the rat on her lap and gave it a thorough petting.
The petting left Spoon in high spirits, squinting its eyes just like Steel Wool.
However, while its eyes were squinted, it didn't forget to glance sideways at Steel Wool.
Then, Steel Wool opened her mouth and playfully swallowed half of it.
Seeing the two of them playing around, Lan Qingyou didn't bother to intervene. After all, this wasn't the first or second time.
She didn't know what the situation was like outside right now.
But one thing was certain: it would be very difficult for her to take down those four on her own. Fortunately, she had her versatile group members.
Although it was likely late at night, Lan Qingyou knew that a large majority of them would definitely still be awake.
A mana tide was the best time to focus on research without distractions, since going outside was impossible.
Moreover, they had just gained some inspiration earlier. If it were Lan Qingyou, she certainly wouldn't go to sleep and waste time.
Sure enough.
After a group-wide summon, the previously quiet group chat exploded.
The Tower: “I encountered four beings in the cave that I estimate are at least S-grade. I'm blocked now and need to find a way to take them down. [Image] [Image] [Image] [Image]”
Lan Qingyou slightly exaggerated her situation as she sent the photos she had just taken.
The Emperor: “What are these, giant tree spirits? It really is like running a dungeon; even the bosses have appeared!”
High Priestess: “Go away, this isn't the time for jokes.”
Death: “What a shame.”
It made sense. As a battle maniac, how could he not feel regret at missing an S-grade monster?
Magician: “Estimated S-grade? What's the reasoning?”
The Tower: “Each ancient has six skills.”
The Star: “...Six?”
The Sun: “If I remember correctly, the investigation report from the Supreme Council stated that D-grades only have two?”
Death: “A-grades only have two as well. I've encountered one before.”
Li Huai usually didn't speak, but every time he popped up or said something relevant, it was always shocking.
At least everyone besides Lan Qingyou was stunned.
An A-grade? You've actually encountered one?
If he even knew how many skills the opponent had, there was only one possibility: he had defeated it and brought the corpse home for identification.
After a brief moment of shock, the Magician sent a message: “In that case, they could indeed be S-grade.”
The Sun: “That's not right. They're at least S-grade.”
Magician: “Is there a difference?”
For most people who only saw up to S-grade, S-grade was the highest level. Thus, the Magician had directly ignored the words 'at least' that Lan Qingyou had used.
The Tower: “World-class.”
The Sun: “Heh, it seems the Witch knows too.”
High Priestess: “Wait a minute, what exactly are you all talking about? What is world-class?”
Wheel of Fortune: “It refers to existences above S-grade. Items, monsters, and so on that are acknowledged by the world consciousness are called world-class. In a way, those of us who have received titles from the world consciousness are also considered ‘world-class.’”
The Sun: “It seems Wheel of Fortune is also well-informed, so I won't elaborate. However, if these four ancients are all world-class beings, we really need to discuss this carefully.”
Anything acknowledged by the world consciousness could be collectively called 'world-class'?
This new revelation hit the others quite hard.
High Priestess: “So you're saying the three of you all know about world-class existences?”
The Tower: “I found a few defective world-class items when I first arrived.”
The Sun: “You have good luck. Unlike me, I can only make them myself.”
Wheel of Fortune: “I guessed it through divination.”
The High Priestess and the Magician fell silent on the spot.
Listen to them. Just listen to what they were saying.
Found them? Made them? Guessed through divination?
Please, could the three of you speak like normal humans? You're making us look really slow.
Magician: “Fine. Back to the ancients. Let's think of a way to help The Tower through this crisis.”
The Sun: “Is there even a need to ask? Attack! Attack is the best defense!”
High Priestess: “Defense is also important. Looking at their height, they must be at least seventy or eighty meters tall. One slap from a behemoth like that would be lethal.”
The Star: “Regarding that, I think we should first ask Death, who has the most combat experience.”
Death: “I don't have the data, so I can't provide a reference.”
The Tower: “The saws on the Blade-rollers made by me and Chariot probably won't be able to break their defense. When I fought the treants earlier, the saws were ruined just by cutting off one branch. As for their height, it's about a hundred meters.”
The Tower: “I used fire to deal with the C-grade treants before, but now it seems the effect is minimal.”
Lan Qingyou glanced out from the tunnel at the burning Ancient of War and the other three ancients gathered behind the flames as she replied.
The Star: “Even fire is useless? Doesn't that mean they've transcended the laws of nature?”
High Priestess: “...I don't know the strength of the Blade-roller's saws, but since Chariot made them, they shouldn't be bad. In that case, even breaking their defense will be difficult.”
Because she often bickered with Chariot, the High Priestess was well aware of his capabilities.
Since the golems were a collaboration between the two, their strength was definitely top-tier.
But now it seemed things weren't as simple as she had thought.
After all, they were S-grade or even world-class beings. To defeat them, they would likely have to use some extraordinary means.
Death: “If only I were there. I'm actually better at dealing with these hard-to-hit targets.”
Li Huai said with some regret.
One could say that the wind element was best at breaking defenses, especially against plant-types. He could use it like a saw without worrying about durability.
Afterward, everyone discussed specifically what to do.
Whether it was rune stones, magic stones, or potions, they discussed for a long time without finding an effective solution.
Just then, Chariot—who had either stayed up working or had just woken up—sent a message.
“This is also simple. As long as you all support me, I’ll have a way to deal with it.”
Rate on N.U.
