Reborn as an Extra Chapter 660: The Evolving Threats.

"So you actually had a backup prepared?"

In response to Rio’s query, Kai gave a nod and replied.

"Yeah, had you not shown up and if Lia hadn’t succeeded in her awakening, I’d have been forced to resort to some forbidden magic or the like..."

"Which would clearly bring harsh side-effects to Lia down the line, but at least it would’ve preserved her life..."

"Forbidden magic typically demands vitality and soul power as tribute... and given Lia’s potent soul, it could’ve restored her to peak condition if she consented to offering up a portion..."

With a heavy sigh, Kai pressed on in a grave voice,

"Naturally, that would trigger dire consequences: she’d forfeit a huge chunk of her memories, her soul would frail, her power would diminish, and in the direst case, her ’Path’ would shatter..."

"Rendering her unable to advance further in her growth... the repercussions of forbidden magics are truly brutal; that’s precisely why I avoided it entirely..."

"Yet if no alternatives remained, that was Lia’s sole escape in that crisis..."

Rio shot a look at Kai but held back any further rebuke.

Kai’s strategy was spot on; though it might’ve severed Lia’s future ’Path’, she’d at least stay alive.

The real issue lay with someone like ’Lia’, who’d toiled her whole life for her accomplishments, struggling to swallow such a fate.

For an elite awakener, losing their ’Path’ equates to a commoner suffering amputation of limbs or vital organs.

Life changes irrevocably after such a blow.

Naturally, Rio wouldn’t mind if Lia grew weak or turned ordinary; his love is for her, not her might or abilities. Even total disability wouldn’t deter him from caring for her with joy.

Still, Lia might crumble under that harsh truth, finding it too oppressive to endure such an existence.

Her drive is to stand by Rio as his pillar, never his burden.

"Well, luckily I sped here right after receiving the signal... though I’ll need to justify it back home or face consequences..."

"Since I’m still officially ’On Mission’ until I report fully on it..."

Having overheard their exchange, James queried in bewilderment,

"You mentioned earlier that you’d stepped away briefly... Where to? When we split outside the silver mansion, weren’t you tasked with handling the criminals and quelling the national unrest?"

"Why dispatch you abroad during such turmoil?"

James’s words made Rio see they were clueless about external events.

"Uh... it’s pretty tangled. The upside is Ashtel Rex awoke three months into my criminal hunter stint, freeing me up temporarily, but then a covert spirit realm mission pulled me away..."

"I can’t divulge specifics, but yeah, this assignment kept me gone around six months..."

"I figured you and Lia would’ve been back ages ago, yet here you both linger..."

James’s eyes bulged in astonishment at Rio’s statement!

"Nearly ten months have passed outside!? We’ve only been here roughly two days since entering!!"

"The time flow in this dungeon wasn’t like this on my prior visits!"

James had raided this dungeon repeatedly before, never encountering such bizarre shifts; previously, its time disparity with the outer world was virtually nil!

Yet for unknown causes, the dungeon had transformed into something utterly alien!

"Speaking of this dungeon’s oddities! Why drag Lia into a Pseudo-SS-rank dungeon? Have you lost it!?"

"You can’t manage it solo, and you brought her along!? Are you mad!?"

James stood dumbfounded at Rio’s outburst, while Kai reeled in shock too.

"Pseudo-SS-Rank!? What the hell are you saying!? It radiated pure S-rank vibes when we stepped in!"

"It powered up after we entered!? That defies logic! I’ve never known a dungeon to grow fiercer mid-raid!"

"Usually, it’s the reverse! Dungeons weaken as raiders slay monsters inside!"

Surprise now gripped Rio.

"This?... The dungeon ascended to a superior tier?"

As those words escaped, Rio’s eyes gradually expanded—not from ignorance of mid-raid dungeon evolution, but deep familiarity with it.

’This mirrors the novel’s late arcs... when dungeons began wild evolutions... standard ones surging stronger amid raids...’

’Triggered by rising mana density, but that unfolded far later in the story... why strike so soon now!?’

’We should’ve had more time before this kicked off!?’

Rio knew dungeons were morphing and turning lethal, as Raji had warned during his hunter days, yet merely six months had elapsed.

And evolution had leaped to a fresh phase!

No longer just idle dungeons; even those under active assault were advancing!

Thus, dungeon ranks no longer reliably gauge danger, since mid-raid shifts remain unpredictable!

Dungeon raids now carry escalated peril from this twist!