The quality of interdimensional energy within Misora's body began to improve dramatically. The core near her heart rapidly absorbed the subtle yet immense interdimensional energy from the surroundings into her body. Misora was slightly startled, but she managed to calm herself in less than a second. She knew what this reaction meant.
The flame dog attacked Misora again. This time, the girl was no longer worried or afraid. Interdimensional energy swirled through the core in her heart. Misora stepped forward slightly before throwing a powerful punch at the enemy. The interdimensional monster cried out in pain as it was sent flying out of the cafe.
Misora looked at her hand, which had been strengthened by interdimensional energy, in disbelief. Could a B-rank Vessel truly be this strong? It was truly different from when she was just a C-rank Vessel. Everything had been greatly enhanced, both in quantity and quality.
"I've really become B-rank..." Misora picked up her gun and fired at the relentlessly persistent flame dog. The bullets fired were not ordinary bullets like before. Since Misora had successfully become a B-rank Vessel, she could control the interdimensional energy in her body more freely and as she wished.
Thus, Misora infused interdimensional energy into the bullets before firing them , greatly increasing the damage the bullets could inflict on the interdimensional monster. The bullets pierced the flame dog's body, hitting its bones.
In an instant, the bones could not withstand the force of the bullets combined with interdimensional energy. Its self-healing ability decreased. The flame dog became severely injured and collapsed on the ground immediately. The fire burning on its body slowly dimmed.
The gunshots continued to ring out. Misora would not let the threat have a chance to rise again. After emptying the magazine, the girl stared at the almost unrecognizable body on the floor. She let out a soft sigh.
"The cafe is safe now. Just hide here. Don't go out, no matter what." Misora turned back and warned the two girls who were hiding under the table. They looked so pitiful, filled with fear and despair.
"Sister, aren't you staying here with us?" Hearing Misora's words, Kotone felt strange. She asked uncertainly, hoping it wasn't what she thought.
Misora gave Kotone a small smile, and said in a gentle voice, "I'm sorry, Kotone, but the strange cultists have seen me. If I stay here, you might be in danger."
After Misora finished speaking, she quickly left the cafe without waiting for her sister's reaction.
Fortunately, as soon as she left the cafe, the cut communication signal was restored at the same time. Misora received a call from a colleague. She concisely explained the overall situation to the other party.
"Deal with her!" One of the strange cultists, who appeared to be the leader, pointed at Misora. Then, the other strange cultists began to attack her.
Although Misora had become a B-rank Vessel, fighting a large number of strange cultists still caused her some tension. Misora fired her gun at the enemies surrounding her. Of course, they easily dodged the bullets before closing the distance.
Misora sustained several knife wounds on her body. The girl pushed her reaction ability to the limit, trying to avoid being hit in vital, potentially fatal areas. She gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and retaliated by stealing an opponent's weapon.
Interdimensional energy flowed, coating the sharp blade. Misora used her well-trained expertise to gain an advantage. Unlike interdimensional beings, for her, whose duty was covert investigation, dealing with individuals of equal or lower strength was not particularly difficult.
Especially in close combat, the blade moved, slicing through enemies' necks and veins. Misora moved quickly, ending the strange cultists' lives without blinking for even a split second. As time passed, the strange cultists began to be eliminated one by one.
The leader of the strange cultists began to take Misora seriously. He focused his attention on her instead of continuing to cause chaos. Spreading his arms wide, a dimensional rift opened behind him. Then, nearly ten B-rank interdimensional monsters emerged, roaring loudly.
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The sudden opening of the dimensional rift caused a massive amount of concentrated interdimensional energy to flood into the world. Inside the cafe, Kotone turned pale and sneezed softly. Her body began to be affected by the interdimensional energy, which tried to interfere with the functioning of her internal organs.
As for Lucia, her condition was even worse than Kotone's. She couldn't breathe, and her heart rate slowed down to the point of almost stopping. Most of her internal organs nearly ceased functioning. The interdimensional energy flowing into her body was like a waterfall crashing onto a surface from above. The burden Lucia's body had to bear was far greater than what an ordinary person could withstand.
Since childhood, Lucia had never been able to get along with interdimensional energy. She would get sick almost every three days due to the faint interdimensional energy in the world. Lucia's parents repeatedly lost money on her treatment, and even insurance companies were hesitant to cover the costs.
As she grew older, Lucia's physical health slightly improved , as if her body had become stronger and more immune to interdimensional energy than before.
However, if she had to face highly concentrated interdimensional energy, Lucia's body still couldn't resist it, just like when she was a child. Therefore, she usually avoided places filled with large amounts of interdimensional energy or places where Vassals were present. Lucia didn't want to go to the hospital. It would make the expenses balloon, and her income would not be enough for her treatment or daily living.
Another reason Lucia didn't aim to be a high-ranking Vessel was due to her own body's fragility. Vassals are individuals whose bodies can contain large amounts of interdimensional energy and can draw on that energy for use. So, what about her, who was sensitive to interdimensional energy? Wouldn't she get sick every time she used it or accumulated it in her body?
No matter how she thought about it, Lucia couldn't imagine herself becoming a Vessel. She sat quietly, staring blankly under the table. Her consciousness began to blur. Lucia could faint at any moment, but if she did, she might even die.
"Lucia, are you okay?!" Kotone shook her friend's body after her words went unanswered for a long time.
With Kotone's shaking, Lucia's slow response gradually returned to normal. She bit her lip hard until it bled. The pain helped her fading consciousness from slipping away.
"I... I'm fine." Lucia said in a weak voice , which of course, Kotone or anyone who heard it would never believe.