Most dragons appearing in this world obeyed the rules of a so-called low-magic world, which meant they had some strength, but only just some strength.
A small dragon like the Marsh Dragon couldn't even whip Don Quixote hard enough to make the old man's aching back cry out "warning, warning."
So, were there any dragons possessing the attributes of a so-called "super cool magical giant dragon"?
The answer was yes.
It was the "Red Dragon Species" mentioned by the senior. When introducing other dragon species, most came with various trait descriptions, but the introduction for the Red Dragon Species was the briefest: "The Red Dragon Species is the least numerous dragon species, possesses the largest average size among the four dragon species, and is also the most magical dragon species."
Don Quixote, walking backwards, made an unsettling joke:
"If we encounter a Red Dragon Species, we still have time to learn Draconic and say to it, 'Medium-rare, please.'"
Qiong said in a gentle voice something utterly horrifying:
"Dua-Puia-Akir... This Draconic phrase means 'medium-rare, please.' I hope you won't have to use it."
"Even if I die, I want to die with dignity," Don Quixote insisted, and then began to practice: "Duia..."
Qiong corrected him:
"It's Dua, with a lower tone at the end. Imagine the feeling of having a thick glob of phlegm stuck in your throat for five years..."
Sonia, running behind them, put her arm around Melina.
Melina gave the sweat-soaked senior a disgusted shove, at the same time glaring with those eyes reminiscent of a pedigree cat, radiating an aura that practically screamed, "You better fucking have a good reason for this."
The senior asked in a soft voice, seeking instruction:
"Was that Draconic phrase real?"
Melina glanced at Qiong and Don Quixote, who were patiently teaching and learning, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly:
"Fake."
"Hiss." Sonia cautiously watched Qiong, who wore an expression of earnest, patient gentleness, and silently swore to herself, "I will never provoke a woman like that."
"Did you think about provoking her before?"
"They're twins, after all. Twin lolis. Twin giant-weapon lolis, at that." Sonia offered three very convincing points. And Melina mentally added for her: "And they're pretty."
Qiong and Lei were probably half-breeds, somewhat resembling Marie Rose's doppelgänger from another world—twin blonde ponytails, looking exceedingly grab-and-able.
"I figured as much," Melina added. "The fact that Miss Qiong can so seriously teach (erroneous content) is also a talent. Just like how telling a joke without laughing yourself is a talent."
She admired this talent; whenever she told a deadpan joke, she always cracked herself up first by giggling.
She didn't whisper to Sonia anymore.
It definitely wasn't because Melina was disgusted that the other person was already "soaked through by rivers and mountains," but rather because the formation was shrinking, shifting from 3-2 to 1-4. The two heavy-weapon-wielding legal lolis were standing right beside them like prison guards watching over inmates. In such a situation, whispering and chatting about pre-transmigration topics would be quite impolite.
Melina noticed Sonia smiling at Qiong.
Her internal alarm bells instantly started going *beep-boop-beep-boop*. The senior really mustn't do anything criminal.
She turned her head sideways.
Melina saw Lei gazing at [the waves upon the ocean named Melina].
*Beep-boop-beep-boop*.
Woman, what are you trying to do? I am not Lv Tong.
Melina desperately wanted to deceive herself into thinking the other girl was just enjoying the scenery, but if someone's head bobbed up and down like a nodding dog while looking at scenery, that scenery probably had some issues.
Fortunately, this awkward moment ended quickly. Qiong and Lei swapped positions. This legal loli was much more seasoned; only her eyeballs moved up and down while her head remained still, allowing Melina to comfort herself: *It's fine, she's just doing eye exercises.*
...
What a historic figure... Qiong secretly made a definition for "Miss Melina" in her heart.
She had never seen such explosive startup speed.
Qiong and her sister had applied to quite a few hunting squads and had seen many [unreasonable] contestants, such as hardcore experts who used greatswords like one-handed swords and tower shields like ordinary shields. The heavy two-handed weapon girls of their own lineage were also mostly [unreasonable contestants].
Yet she had never seen anyone like Melina, who started at maximum speed, needed no adjustment whatsoever to slow down, and possessed an absurdly long hang-time in the air.
The hovering ability of the Vampire, the startup momentum of the Elf, the explosive power of the Werewolf, and the solid strength of the Dwarf.
These constituted everything about this young lady named Melina.
Along with a bottomless potential in Magic Factors.
Qiong roughly understood why Senior Sonia valued this junior so much. Given the other's basic stats, if she became an Explorer, she would undoubtedly be an ultra-strong asset. Based on their limited cooperation, Qiong had roughly figured out Senior Sonia's basic abilities, which were probably indistinguishable from being completely useless. So how do you play when one person in a three-person squad is useless?
Some people might go back to being a Gatherer and give up on the dream of being an Explorer.
But others would think of a countermeasure and latch onto a powerful backer.
And such a powerful backer...
Qiong reluctantly looked at Melina's body again, sensing the surging Magic Factors within, and felt a sense of regret in her heart.
How did that freeloader Sonia find her first?
...Before graduation, Qiong had possessed the unwavering determination to drag her sister along to form a sisterly hunting squad, eager to become two pillars of strength alongside Lei with her sister. But after working for barely two years, she had already come to terms with reality: being a freeloader was nothing to be ashamed of; what was shameful was shouting high ambitions day in and day out while lacking the ability to achieve them.
Her gaze was too intense, seeming to attract Melina's attention.
With a hundred percent poaching mindset, Qiong deployed the most effective move of a legal loli: the "cute, charming, and gentle smile."
This move worked on the vast majority of people; even a cold-hearted alchemist would allow her to run a tab, supply her with full Magic Factors, and even offer a discount.
To Qiong's surprise and annoyance, however, Melina's first reaction upon seeing such a cute smile was to tremble in disbelief—with wide, angry, and terrified eyes, looking exactly like a pedigree cat that was eating its meal only for its master to suddenly snatch its food bowl away.
Try as she might, Qiong could never figure out why this was.
*[Why is she afraid of me, and why is she mad?]*
...
The end of the map provided by Sonia was a ring of rather dangerous jungle downward slopes. Following the Explorer's golden rule of "rather go up than go down," the squad's morale was slightly low as they headed downward. Under these circumstances, the two sisters Qiong and Lei directly shifted into a 2-1-2 formation, personally opening the path ahead.
"What if we run into a hidden Yellow Dragon?" Don Quixote asked, full of worry. The Yellow Dragon he spoke of was a feathered dragon species with a rather malicious disposition; despite having a dragon's body, it liked to hide in the tree crowns or bushes to launch waiting-in-the-ambush sneak attacks on prey, ranging from lunges to throwing lumps of dung, with its breath weapon being the most disgusting of all.
Qiong replied leisurely: "Then we can only pin our hopes on my rich experience and my sister's excellent combat ability."
Sonia leaned in curiously and asked: "What if it doesn't work?"
Qiong glanced at her and replied with a smile:
"Then you can only pin your hopes on your own escape abilities. It's not easy to fight when depleted by casualties."
Ready to face death!
But Qiong wasn't that noble.
Melina knew that Qiong and Lei definitely had trump-card alchemy items to save their lives.
The formation had spread out quite a bit.
Because of this, Melina and Sonia had some new private space for chatting.
This time it wasn't initiated by Sonia, but rather because Melina wanted to speak from the heart to her beloved senior.
"I want to have a heart-to-heart with you."
"Oh-ho-oh-oh?" Sonia made a terrifying boiling-water sound.
It caused the three people scouting ahead to turn their heads in synchronization.
All three wore expressions of "what kind of freak noise is that?", but upon seeing it was Sonia, they turned back around as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
"Do you have to be so dramatic?"
Melina was somewhat irritated.
Sonia hurriedly made the sign of the cross on her chest. "No, no, no, I just didn't expect you to want to talk about this with me. Go ahead, we've only known each other for a day and you're already willing to talk to me about this and that..."
"..." Melina had mastered the trick: as long as she stayed silent, pursed her lips, and glared at Sonia, this reincarnator senior would obediently shut her mouth.
"Okay, okay, heart-to-heart, I get your meaning. Respect." Sonia tapped her breastplate again, her smile becoming bold and sunny.
Melina lowered her voice, speaking in the muted volume of someone playing Werewolf and declaring "XX is the wolf":
"I suspect Qiong is Lv Tong, and Lei is too."
"Oh-ho-oh-oh!" Sonia let out a delighted boiling-water sound.
Before Melina could fly into a rage, the senior suddenly quieted down, staring at her expressionlessly. A second later, that serious expression was replaced by a cheerful smile. She spread her hands: "That doesn't count as speaking from the heart. But you're improving. In the first playthrough, the Echo Squad suffered heavy losses, and only one person survived from each of the three squads."
"Was it Qiong?"
"No, it was Lei," Sonia recalled. "Truly cruel."
Yes, too cruel.
Melina hadn't expected such a fate to befall these three.
"Will you change this?"
Sonia nodded almost imperceptibly: "I'm certain of it. I died and returned precisely for countless things like this."
She seemed to always have this mysterious confidence.
But perhaps it was true.
Melina began to believe it.
Perhaps this was destiny.
...
Unaware that the tragic fate of their future had already quietly begun to shift, the Echo Squad, after a difficult journey clearing the path, finally located the mineral deposit Sonia had spoken of.
It was a terrifyingly deep swamp.
Amidst those bubbling pools of poisonous mire, a trace of glowing blue crystal ore light became visible.
If one weren't staring at it with complete focus, they would probably mistake it for the liquid on the surface of the poisonous mire.
For no reason at all.
Melina felt a sense of disgust, yet also a sense of familiarity.
The Taryi Crystal Mine, the ore the senior said would make her wish come true.