"I guess that was a scout dragon," Yahiko said while the monster was falling. "To think that they would even go as far as using a boss to do a scout's work… we really can't underestimate them."

Ryan was having a hard time keeping his mouth closed since he was astonished. He knew that Yahiko was powerful, but not to that extent… Ryan could kill such a dragon in one shot, but he needed some preparation. In any case, Ryan recognized the skill he used. It was Sonic Blade. It was a skill that didn't have many limitations aside from its high cost. So, it was evident that Yahiko could use it constantly without worrying about anything.

"I guess the difference in rank is being shown in combat as well," Femradiel said via Telepathy. "I am glad we aren't his enemy."

"You really are a coward, huh," Ryan said.

"There is no courage in trying to fight an enemy that can weep the floor with your body, that is only madness," Femradiel said.

After they approached the body, Yahiko cut it down into several parts before getting the dragon heart and storing it inside a ring. It was a relief for Ryan to know that Yahiko at least couldn't use Space Manipulation. In any case, instead of leaving the rest of the body behind, Yahiko teleported it back to Tokyo.

"Are the bodies that useful?" Ryan asked. "Those dragons don't look as sturdy as the other ones."

"Azure dragons can become decent pieces of light armor for long-ranged fighters, but we mostly use them for their meat," Yahiko said. "I am sure that you already noticed, but the people of this country value their tradition and culture quite a lot. That is why most of them use traditional armor. Speaking of which, it is kind of strange to see an archer using such a black armor."

"It is the best armor that I found and I also wear it for some other reasons," Ryan said.

Yahiko understood that was a topic Ryan didn't want to talk about it, so he stayed silent after that. While Ryan thanked him for his consideration, he still got annoyed later… Yahiko killed several other azure dragons in one shot. Thus, Ryan was starting to wonder if he really needed any help to clear the dungeon.

"You are not messing with me, are you?" Ryan asked.

"Hahaha, sorry about this," Yahiko said after laughing for a while. "The truth is, it has been a while since I fought a difficult fight, so I wasn't so sure if I could clear this dungeon alone. While I do have some tracking skills, I am kind of slow when it comes to that, I hoped that you would watch my back."

"Despite how much I helped your country, you even have the nerve to use me like that, huh," Ryan said. "Why I am not surprised?"

"I don't think use is the correct word, I think trust is the correct one," Yahiko said. "Besides, I am going to pay for all your services once we finish this job."

"Why I feel like I am not going to like my payment?" Ryan asked.

"You are such a worrywart, Ryan," Yahiko laughed. "Don't worry, I assure you that you will like your reward."

Ryan couldn't feel any ill intentions coming from Yahiko. Still, he couldn't bring himself to trust the guy that easily. It probably because he was monopolizing pretty much all the dragon hearts…

After a few hours, they finally found the azure dragon's dungeon… Yahiko wasn't surprised by its location, but Ryan was… it was in the ocean and completely underwater. As if that wasn't troublesome enough, all the dragons were also hidden underwater.

"You should have warned me about this," Ryan said.

"Your Underwater Resistance is at a low-level?" Yahiko asked, surprised. "My apologies… I didn't consider that. Even though I spent training mine for weeks while I waited for this opportunity."

"Well, there is a way to solve this problem to some extent," Ryan said.

"My turn, huh," Femradiel said.

While Ryan could just create a massive tank of water and level up the skill right there, he didn't want to waste more time than he already was going to waste to clear the dungeon. Now more than ever, it made a lot of sense Yahiko came instead of sending his subordinates. Fighting monsters in their habitat is much more difficult.

"Getting the loot after defeating them will be a pain in the ass," Ryan said. "Regardless, how we should proceed now? I am fairly certain that we can start the fight and decrease their numbers from a distance."

"Are you fine in letting me take the charge when I didn't have a decent fight in months?" Yahiko asked.

"This is your country, and its future depends on this fight," Ryan replied. "If we fail here, I want you to be responsible for it. Or if we succeed, everyone will know that you were responsible for it."

"Sometimes it is hard to know if you are being considerate or cold," Yahiko frowned. "Well, they have the advantage in the ocean and in the sky, given their numbers, we shouldn't give them the privilege to deal the first strike either. Let's bombard them from a distance and make them taste a bit of their poison."

It looked like Yahiko wanted to use that opportunity to release all the frustration and anger the monsters caused to him and his people. However, they were several kilometers away from the dungeon and the ocean. While they had the high ground due to the surface of the region, Ryan had no idea if Yahiko would be able to hit the monsters. He will have to help him with that…

"I assume you are thinking of using Clairvoyance to help with your aim, but you should have your mana for when the things start to get messy," Ryan said. "I will make the azure dragons leave the ocean."