You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

She wore a crimson robe with flowing gold patterns and held a staff with a molten core embedded at its tip.

Her steps were light, and her long, crimson hair resembled burning clouds.

She approached, her face radiating a soft glow characteristic of fire-breathing creatures.

“This is my daughter, Claudia.”

Lagos explained that the face formed of flames displayed an indescribable expression:

"Your team is still short one person. Let her join and give you a helping hand. I think... Sir Ron, you won't refuse this request again, will you?"

His words carried a gentle pressure that left no room for argument.

Claudia nodded slightly to Ron, her voice carrying a strange quality, like flowing lava:

“I heard about your deeds and your predicament from my father, Sir Ron. It was I who volunteered to join you.”

He rejected the Flame Demon once, and then rejected his daughter...

That's really unwise.

"It is an honor for us to have Princess Claudia join us."

Ron nodded in agreement.

Count Bakus's face was so dark it could drip water—the Balrog's princess had personally intervened?

What is Lagos really thinking?

Now that the team was at full strength, Ron looked at the Balrog:

"Great Lord, may we begin?"

"Hold on."

Lagos raised his enormous fiery hand, and a ball of energy flowing with seven-colored light quickly condensed and expanded in his palm, transforming into a radiant bracelet covered with mysterious runes.

The bracelet silently floated above Ron and his group of five.

"Om..."

A strange sense of detachment instantly enveloped the five of them.

Alyssa felt as if some invisible accumulation within her body had been drawn away by fine threads, while Carolina felt her body become slightly lighter, and Lilith felt her vision become clearer.

That wasn't a real feeling; it was more like a subtle change brought about by a temporary weakening of the energy level.

A moment later, the rainbow bracelet dimmed and flew back into Lagos's hand. He explained:

"Your experience has been sealed within the 'Level Ring,' and you will now remain at level 10. The seal will be lifted after the anti-test ends."

Chapter 71: On the Eve of the Challenge

Ron quickly scanned the status bar in his mind.

Sure enough, everyone's level bar was frozen at [LV10].

"Prepare for teleportation."

The fire demon Lagos gestured for the five to face the strangely writhing [Eye of the Underground]:

"Lord Solomon, please verify."

The square outside Emerald Town was already packed with people, and the noise was like a boiling ocean.

Countless adventurers eagerly awaited the arrival of the giant magic circle that had been activated in the center of the square.

The light screen that appeared in the center of the magic circle clearly showed the open space and the five "challengers" who had just appeared.

"That's the guy who designed the Black Language Cave? He looks way too inexperienced."

Some adventurers raised questions.

"Hmph! Being young makes you even more suspicious!"

Immediately, some people scoffed:

"If it wasn't cheating, how could he have come up with such a freakish contraption? Even Golden Wind was brought down!"

Among the crowd, Ross and Walter, who had suffered a crushing defeat at the Black Language Cave, had ashen faces and clenched their fists tightly.

Ron felt his surroundings suddenly distort, and the scorching rock beneath his feet was instantly replaced by soft, fertile soil.

The fresh scent of grass and trees mingled with a gentle breeze on my face, and above me was the long-lost azure sky.

The moment of tranquility was shattered by a sudden flash of teleportation light from the opposite side.

Viser and his legendary team members have arrived!

Viser's sharp gaze swept over the five people immediately, finally landing on the youngest-looking vampire boy:

"You... are the designer of the Black Language Cave?"

His voice was calm and steady, with a hint of probing that was hard to detect. Even if he was convinced that the other party had cheated, a young man who could design such an exquisite E-level dungeon was still worth paying attention to.

“It’s me,” Ron replied calmly. “Ron.”

After a brief self-introduction, an invisible field of detection emanated from the five members of Viser's group, scanning over their bodies and equipment like a scanner.

The equipment information was clearly projected into the consciousness of Viser and the others—most of them were of purple quality, which was to be expected.

The only anomaly was on Carolina's pocket.

Mills struck first, pointing his finger straight at Carolina:

"【Fenrir's Soul】! A temporary summon at level 80! Isn't that cheating? This level of power shouldn't exist in an E-rank dungeon!"

His narrow eyes gleamed, fixated on this point.

The aloof and icy Belin, who had been observing from the sidelines, raised her hand to stop Mills's advances. Her voice was as calm and clear as shattered ice:

“Mills, calm down. The rules allow the use of legendary items that match the dungeon's level cap. Remember the [Ring of the Traitor] that the Holy Lance Squad used last time? Hers doesn't break the rules.”

Mills was taken aback, somewhat unwilling:

"But if Fenrir's Soul unleashes its LV80 power once, it's enough to instantly wipe out a large area, which affects the fairness of the overall challenge..."

"Fenrir's Soul has a very short duration, consumes a huge amount of resources, and can only be used once per adventure."

Viser took over the conversation in a deep voice, looking intently at Mills:

"The advantages it creates are not enough to completely overturn a dungeon challenge that requires skill and strategy. Besides..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone sharp and insightful:

"Didn't your team also bring the legendary [Anubis Resurrection Stone]? Mills, before you criticize others, shouldn't you at least clean up your own mess?"

Mills' expression changed slightly. His secret item was exposed by the captain in front of everyone, leaving him speechless. He took a step back awkwardly.

Carolina breathed a sigh of relief and happily took the heavy pendant out and put it back on.

Viser carefully examined the last piece of armor locket that gleamed faintly, and nodded.

He exchanged a calm glance with the other team members, then stepped out of the gradually fading circular magic circle.

"Equipment in good condition, excellent condition, no problem."

Viser reported back to the guild master Amata, who was standing to the side, his voice clear and crisp.

Upon hearing this, Amata immediately stepped to the side, facing the still-present halo of light within the magic circle, and solemnly performed a gesture of respect with his hand on his chest.

"President, the inspection is complete. Everything is ready and there are no problems."

The light and shadow flowing in the center of the magic circle rippled like water, and the scene quickly faded, switching back to the open space.

Ron, Alyssa, Claudia, Carolina, and Lilith were already in position, their eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

Almost simultaneously, a steady voice rang out from the "Eye of the Underground" suspended in mid-air:

"Your Excellency Lagos, all inspections have been completed, and we are ready to begin at any time."

Upon hearing this, the Balrog slowly turned his head, his burning gaze sweeping over Ron and his group of five in the center of the open space, his voice like a deep rumble of thunder:

"Little ones, wait a moment. The portal is about to open, and it will send you into the sealed Black Language Cave. When the portal opens, it will be the beginning of your journey."

As soon as he finished speaking, the massive body of the Balrog moved, bringing a gust of hot air back to its seat, and the ground seemed to sink slightly.

In an instant, the gazes of all the nobles in the conference hall focused on the enormous light screen projected by the "Eye in the Underground".

Young Cedric and Martel's Adam's apples bobbed, and their knuckles turned slightly white from straining.

On the other side, Bacchus and other key members of the Knights Order also held their breath, their eyes serious.

At the other end, in the central square of Emerald Town, a huge magic array screen shone brightly, and crowds thronged the area.

Hundreds and thousands of adventurers craned their necks, their eyes fixed on the screen, and even the noise subsided.

The same focus permeated the Adventurers' Guild.

Viser, Mills, Belin, and the other members huddled around a smaller magic circle screen, their eyes glued to it.

In the center of the open space, the four people, apart from Ron, did not relax.

They spread out, seemingly casually observing their surroundings, but in reality, they were assessing every possible entry point and escape route.

Ron's hand rested seemingly casually on the purple longbow at his waist, and his expression was the most peculiar—

There was no tension whatsoever; instead, there was a sense of leisure, almost like a picnic.

Soon, the air in the center of the open space distorted, and a stable elliptical portal with ice-blue electric arcs jumping around its edges opened with a "hum".

Is everything ready?

Ron's voice carried a reassuring ease, as if he were simply inviting a friend in:

"Then let's go."

Without even waiting for confirmation, he was the first to step forward, walking calmly toward the door leading to the unknown.

Alyssa, Claudia, Carolina, and Lilith quickly exchanged a determined look.

Without a word, they followed closely behind, their figures disappearing one after another into the shimmering blue light.

Chapter 72 This is truly an ally