Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 170

Limey had been engrossed in her chat with Illonica inside the tent when it hatched. It was just random chit-chat, meaning nothing about the situation, when the sudden piercing sound of the alarm cut them short. The signal to notify black cocoon had started hatching.

"......The moment of awakening has been upon us. Illonica, I leave the rest on your capable hands."

"Yes, ma'am."

Limey ended her words with this short preface and with the support of her cane, she stood up from her chair and started walking as the cane made a 'tap-tap' sound each time it came in contact with the floor.

The departing back of the elderly, whose body had started to show its age, looked ever-so slightly smudged with sorrow. Illonica couldn't put the finger on this feeling she was having, but it was more like bad news than good.

"President Limey!"

Illonica was suddenly dried up by the urge to say something and hurriedly raised her voice. But Limey stopped not even once in this emergency but said only a phrase in a quiet tone to seemingly clear her worries.

"Fret not, my body may have started its eclipse but I still am a Zero-grade explorer. I don't plan to quit before the end."

Her voice was truly so tiny that even a single sweep of gust might have subdued it. However this probably just served to intensify her worries.

"Please be careful."

"Of course, I have yet to see the face of my great-grandchild."

These were the final words before Limey left the tent.

The situation outside the tent had already risen, with all the professional explorers there immediately springing up to take their action. They all were treading the best course possible to get to their position discussed in the strategy earlier.

Illonica, too, heard the clattering coming from outside and started taking her action.

"I also need to see it through to the end."

Illonica, who had someone with a sense of responsibility, suggested herself and immediately started her assigned work.

Illonica Monmon herself was a first-grade explorer, an expert in herself. Her first-grade calling 'Count' was often said to be a non-combatant type but in reality, it was a mix-bag. It would be entirely wrong to say it had no combat skills, but it would also be wrong to say it was a combatant type calling. Nevertheless, it had its own special skill that held more weight than just contemplating combat skills; 'Complete Command from Reverse Count.'

She quickly operated her tablet and then pressed the hidden button on her ear-cuff-like translation device called 'Orelia'---which appeared to be an ornament to her ears---with a thin needle.

<A state of emergency has been declared. Explorers staying in Mallorca, please prepare immediately. I repeat—>

It was a robotic voice, typical of AI, coming out from the translation device called 'Orelia' that had been setup everywhere in Mallorca, notifying them of the emergency. The voice, from which one senses a certain level of emergency, certainly reached the ears it was created for.

The emergency level from Orelia was 'Amber.'

Orelia, to begin with, was a device created precisely to respond to a state of emergency, but the translation function was added to the device so that the voice could be understood by every citizen.

It was also equipped with several emergency signals, and the announcement in itself could be sent to the wearer from any dungeon floor---it could travel through floors basically without any hindrance. It was the ultimate emergency device that Mallorca had spent over a decade to come up with.

The amber colour means the announcement was currently being transmitted to only professional explorers, Mallorca Esquella's staff and a portion of other permitted people. The explorers who heard it immediately sprung up to take action---to get their gears ready and for the inevitable fight they might find themselves in.

There was also one more phrase attached to her announcement---this piece of information shall not reach the ears of citizens.

It would just cause unnecessary chaos if they were to know, so they were asked to move in secrecy.

Announcing the emergency was her first job, and now done with it, she rushed for the battlefield.

"I must work harder."

Illonica murmured in an attempt to rouse her spirit while making her way. Her role was to command all the forces present in this floor and issue a statement as asked by President Limey who had seen her skill in facilitating the situation.

"President Limey!?"

And right now---

Illonica captured the worst-ever nightmare-ish situation she could thought of. Like a pebble rolling after being kicked, she saw Limey's, her master, tattered appearance.