Chapter 34: Princess of the Sakura Kingdom, Kujo Mise!

In another part of the Feeding Cavern.

Kujyo Meise, possessing breathtaking beauty and clad in a form-fitting kimono, was kneeling on the ground, supporting herself with both hands. Her snow-white legs, exposed to the air, were covered in gruesome wounds. Even her platinum-grade equipment appeared tattered and ruined. The icy composure she once held had vanished, replaced by a sickly pallor and blood that refused to stop trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Before her lay a massive, lifeless monster. Had Li Yao been present, he would have identified it in an instant: a Tongue-Ripper Warden.

[HP: 532/14000]

Kujyo Meise glanced at her remaining health and let out a soft, relieved chuckle. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, and pulled a potion from her storage space, downing it in one gulp.

"That was almost the end of me..."

After consuming the potion, the furrow in her brow began to soften, giving her the energy to reflect on the life-and-death struggle she had just endured.

"Shikigami just aren't enough..."

"The Star-Language Blessing doesn't even grant seventy percent of its potential when applied to a Shikigami."

Kujyo Meise already regretted not keeping Luo Jingsheng by her side. Even if he was a useless S-rank summoner, with her buffs, dealing with this warden wouldn't have been such a grueling task. This Primordial Dungeon was far more difficult to handle than she had anticipated.

Kujyo Meise shook her head, pushed herself up from the ground with her arms, and rose slowly. "There was no need to risk my life for a Primordial Dungeon in the Dragon Kingdom..."

She walked toward the monster's carcass, intending to collect the spoils before entering the escape passage to leave the dungeon.

"Wait."

A sudden thought struck Kujyo Meise, and she quickly checked her system panel.

"Why is there no First Kill reward?"

"Isn't this a Primordial Dungeon?"

"Did someone kill it ahead of me?"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she subconsciously dismissed it as impossible. As a princess of the Sakura Kingdom and one of the four SS-rank professionals to emerge in her country in recent years, Kujyo Meise was confident that her strength placed her at the very peak of the younger generation. This was the reason she looked down on everyone else.

"Yang Junfei and his group?"

Kujyo Meise compared the strength of Yang Junfei to that of the Warden in her mind, then let out a disdainful sneer. If they had encountered it, only Yang Junfei would have had a chance of escaping alive.

"So... could it only be you?"

"Li Yao-kun."

Kujyo Meise stored the loot, but even when the escape passage closed, she did not step inside. With the strength required to slay a Tongue-Ripper Warden, combined with her support, clearing this Primordial Dungeon was not impossible.

Kujyo Meise stared deep into the cave, her gaze profound as she pondered.

Li Yao-kun encountering the Tongue-Ripper Warden so early meant he hadn't been wasting time killing minor mobs; like her, he had focused his efforts on finding the concentrated breeding areas.

If that's the case, as long as I find the breeding area, I'll find you, won't I? Li Yao-kun.

...

Meanwhile.

Yang Junfei and Song Anqing were fleeing for their lives. There were six Tongue-Ripper Wardens in the Feeding Cavern, scattered along the periphery to herd the stray goblin flesh-chunks. To avoid the breeding grounds, Yang Junfei had been forced toward the edges, which had exponentially increased the odds of encountering a warden.

Just moments ago, they had run into one, and it had ripped apart Yang Feng’s flesh and devoured it right before their eyes.

"We have to find Kujyo Meise, or we’re all going to die in this dungeon!" Song Anqing said anxiously while they sprinted.

"I know that!" Yang Junfei cursed. "Damn it! Why is this dungeon so strong? What kind of monsters are these?"

Aside from the Tongue-Ripper Wardens, they had encountered a type of massive goblin flesh-chunk that functioned like a goblin commander, causing them endless trouble. If not for that, Yang Feng wouldn't have been injured, and he wouldn't have lost his life when they encountered the warden, even after activating his Substitute Scarecrow.

Song Anqing’s face was ghastly pale. "I’m worried that Kujyo Meise might not even be in the dungeon anymore."

"Bullshit!" Yang Junfei retorted instantly. "You think that woman could actually defeat that monster?"

"I don't know the extent of Kujyo Meise’s strength, but the possibility you mentioned is indeed low," Song Anqing said, her timid facade long gone under the pressure of the crisis. "However, as the third princess of the Kujyo family, can you guarantee she doesn't have an item to save her life?"

Hearing this, Yang Junfei froze, a wave of despair washing over him as cold sweat poured down his back. *Damn it! Are we really going to die in this dungeon?*

Song Anqing stopped, her face pale. The Tongue-Ripper Warden was busy consuming Yang Feng’s corpse and had stopped chasing them. Their flight had been nothing more than an escape from their own inner terror.

"What about Li Yao?" Yang Junfei asked suddenly. "That kid only has a B-rank adventure guild backing him; he couldn't possibly have an item to escape a Primordial Dungeon!"

"It's unlikely," Song Anqing said. "While soloing a Nightmare-grade dungeon is impressive, he didn't participate in the early awakening like we did. He’s only level 17. The gap between a first-tier and second-tier class is simply too vast."

"Are you saying I'm just supposed to die here then?" Yang Junfei snapped in a rage. "No! We’re going to find that brat Li Yao—if anyone is going to die, it’s going to be him first!"

"He isn't going to die."

At that moment, a cold, clear female voice echoed from around the cave corner.

Yang Junfei was startled, then overcome with ecstasy. He scrambled to his feet and ran toward the voice. "Miss Meise!"

Kujyo Meise appeared from around the bend. Her straight black hair rested softly on her collarbone, and the form-fitting kimono-style gear accentuated her perfect figure. She looked at Yang Junfei, who was wearing a lecherous expression, with utter disdain.

"Stay away from me."

"Li Yao-kun isn't going to die just yet. Follow me to find him."

Yang Junfei chuckled sheepishly and obediently fell in behind her. Had he not encountered Kujyo Meise in his moment of despair, he wouldn't have dared to show such a look. He remembered when he first met her—he had been so captivated by her beauty that he had forcefully tried to bring her back to his family estate. She hadn't resisted; she had simply told him not to bother and asked where his home was so she could go herself. Naturally, upon returning to the Yang estate, Yang Junfei had received six slaps from his father.

*Wait... I remember she traveled all this way to find someone in Jiangzhou, right? Who was it again? I forgot.*

Behind Yang Junfei, Song Anqing was even more submissive, playing the role of a demure young lady. She saw more than Yang Junfei and thought more deeply. Kujyo Meise’s gear clearly showed signs of a brutal battle. If it were just ordinary goblin monsters, even they wouldn't have been injured—so how could Kujyo Meise have sustained damage?

*Terrifying... She really is a top-tier genius from the Sakura Kingdom. Aside from that small circle in the capital and the Magic City, no one should be able to touch her.*

Just then, four bloated goblin monsters appeared before them. Kujyo Meise did not hesitate, immediately summoning her Shikigami to engage the goblin flesh-chunks in combat.

At the same time, Kujyo Meise’s cold gaze shifted toward a turn in the cave. There was a significant commotion coming from that direction as well.

Kujyo Meise arched an eyebrow and whispered, "We’ve met."

Around the corner, Li Yao also let out a faint smile. In front of him were two goblin monsters, and there were four on the other side. Six appearing at once meant the breeding area was not far off.