"Chirp! Chirp!!"
Adorably round creatures emerged from the sea of flowers.
Their plump bodies were balanced by stubby tails, and their appearance was so irresistibly cute that one would hesitate to even lift a hand against them.
But the attacks they launched told a very different story.
"Puff puff!!"
In rapid succession, the creatures began spitting slime from their tiny mouths.
The slime sizzled upon contact with the ground, revealing its mildly corrosive nature.
Luceris quickly pulled up the monster data panel.
[Crystal Bug][Level: Lv.45–Lv.50][Skill: Spitting][Description: Native to the Flawless Crystal Holy Land, these creatures feed on crystals and possess an endless lifespan.][Warning: Do not be deceived by their cute appearance.]
No way!
Level 50 monsters!?
Luceris's eyes widened in disbelieve.
If she had encountered one of these cute horrors alone, she would've ended up as nothing more than a puddle of goo—bones and all.
A shiver ran down her spine. She immediately felt a sense of relief as she hid behind Leanne.
Thank goodness she'd recruited a powerhouse beforehand. Entering this place solo would've been suicide.
Leanne's curvy figure was accentuated in battle, her every move flowing with elegance and strength, all wrapped in a faint fragrance.
Her outfit hugged her figure in all the right places, making it difficult to look away.
Swish, swish, swish!!!
Her high-tier holy sword danced with divine might, each swing trailing dragon-like energy. Within seconds, the swarm of crystal bugs was reduced to glittering dust.
Beside her, Selene raised her staff. Ice crystals formed at the tip, transforming into a barrage of glimmering missiles.
In a single round—
Hundreds of crystal bugs were obliterated. Their remains clattered to the ground in the form of dropped materials.
Buzz!
At the same moment, a radiant beam descended upon Luceris, enveloping her like divine springwater. Every cell in her body sang in delight.
"I leveled up!"
Luceris opened her status screen.
From Lv.10 to Lv.12 in an instant.
Although most of the experience had gone to her teammates, even the scraps were enough for her to grow rapidly.
"Well? Pretty amazing, right?"
Leanne rested her holy sword on her shoulder and gave Luceris a playful wink.
After offering a few sincere compliments, Luceris eagerly stepped forward to collect the loot dropped by the Crystal Bugs.
[Magic Crystal ×1][Magic Crystal ×3][Magic Crystal ×7][...]
Luceris frowned a little. They were just ordinary magical crystals—not quite the kind you could use to forge divine gear.
Selene picked one up and inspected it carefully.
"It seems to contain a denser magic energy... different from typical magic crystals."
Leanne added, "Regardless, if it dropped in a sealed dungeon, it has research value. Don't leave anything behind. Toss everything into your space rings and bring it back."
Selene nodded, then began gathering materials.
With two powerful warriors as her guardians, Luceris felt relaxed and confident.
For the first time, she truly experienced what it meant to be carried through a dungeon.
Over the next few hours, their monster-clearing expedition continued to yield steady rewards.
Eventually, they arrived at a glimmering glade deep within the flower sea, where they encountered the Crystal Bug Boss—a towering Lv.70 monstrosity.
But before it could fully unleash its power, Leanne and Selene dismantled it with ease. It had no choice but to fall, dropping rare and exclusive loot.
Among the items: a Divine Crystal, the Elf Factor, and the Divine Tree Trunk.
The haul was impressive.
With the dungeon timer ticking down, they didn't have time to sort the loot in detail and were soon teleported back to the outside world.
Though Luceris had barely lifted a finger in battle, she had reached Lv.18, a jump of eight levels—an effortless power boost.
But that wasn't what excited her most.
She had gathered all the base materials required to craft Alicia's Dimensional Divine Outfit.
She could barely wait to return home and begin the synthesis.
Before parting ways, Leanne and Selene reminded her:
"You'll receive the official evaluation results of the materials in a day or two."
That assessment would determine the support and rewards she'd receive from the government.
Luceris nodded eagerly, full of hope.
Back home, her sister Aria hadn't returned from work yet.
In truth, the two siblings barely interacted anymore. They had been close as children, but now even their meal and sleep schedules no longer matched.
Lately, Luceris had been actively avoiding Aria.
How was she supposed to explain all this?
Should she just come clean and say, "Hey, guess what? You've got a cute younger sister now!"
She imagined Aria's brain crashing on the spot.
"Sigh..."
Luceris took a deep breath and shook the thought away.
Instead, she opened her system space and carefully took out the materials for Alicia's divine outfit.
The system space was far more expansive and user-friendly than a regular storage ring.
Divine Crystal. Elf Factor. Divine Tree Trunk.
Even without much expertise, Luceris could feel the immense magical power radiating from the components.
If sold on the market, they'd surely fetch a fortune.
But her mind was now focused solely on one thing: synthesis.
Thanks to the system, synthesizing divine equipment wasn't particularly difficult.
All she had to do was place the materials together—everything else was automated.
Buzzing~~
The three materials lifted into the air, glowing with radiant light. They swirled together, fusing into a golden stream, and then exploded into a soft rain of shimmering light.
Luceris felt a surge from deep within her soul—an awakening of something ancient and powerful.
[Ding!][Congratulations, host! You've successfully synthesized Alicia's Dimensional Divine Outfit!][You have obtained: 'Heroic Glory Uniform'!][You have obtained: 'Summer Swimsuit'!][You have obtained: 'Maid Ensemble'!][...][You have obtained the exclusive weapon: 'Flying Flowers of the Past'!]