"Then, same as before, from here, the [Vanguard] and [Main Force] groups will reunite, and from now on we'll act together," Finn shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the open area of the Dungeon.
This was the safe zone on the 28th floor of the Dungeon. Similar to the 18th floor, this area does not generate monsters, at most only occasionally attracting monsters from adjacent floors.
For most adventurers in Orario, the 27th floor is already a difficult barrier to cross. Therefore, the safe zone here, unlike the 18th floor, has not developed a permanent base like Rivira Town.
As far as the eye could see, only some simple bases built with thick logs could be seen. Aside from these temporary buildings, there were no other adventurers active in this safe zone.
In fact, the base that the Loki Familia left here last time still remained, and after a simple tidying up, it was still usable.
"Ais, Bete, Tiona, Tione, Alicia, as well as Shirou and Miss Yamato, thank you for your hard work."
Just like last time, the [Vanguard] team was still composed of five first-tier adventurers at Level 5, responsible for quickly clearing monsters and opening the main path of the Dungeon.
But this time, there were two new members in the [Vanguard] team, Emiya, Level 3, and Yamato Mikoto, Level 2.
Emiya, by projecting Atalanta's Noble Phantasm, [Phoebus Catastrophe], and borrowing this female hunter's acceleration skill, was able to keep up with the high-level adventurers' speed.
As for Yamato Mikoto, she was carried by Tiona while moving in front.
Yamato Mikoto's monster detection skill played a great role in this expedition. She could precisely detect hidden monsters nearby, which significantly improved the efficiency of monster clearing and reduced the chance of overlooking enemies due to negligence.
As for Emiya, although his level wasn't as high as Ais and the others, in clearing low-level monsters, he displayed efficiency surpassing that of first-tier adventurers.
Each time he drew his bowstring and the arrow flew out, a monster would fall with a thud, its head precisely pierced.
The [Phoebus Catastrophe] really seemed to be blessed by the Moon Goddess, never missing a shot, hitting the target every time.
When facing hordes of enemies, Emiya would draw his bow and shoot high into the air; the arrows of light transformed into a rain of arrows, pouring down and easily piercing through large groups of monsters.
Tiona said, "At this time, all the Dungeon's Bosses are in the process of reviving, with no threats interrupting us. Reaching the 28th floor in less than two days, this really went smoothly."
Tione reminded, "Still, we need to be careful. Next, we'll be entering even more dangerous areas."
Starting from the 29th floor is a forest zone called [Dense Forest Ravine].
Unlike the Large Tree Labyrinth, this place is inhabited not only by insect-type and plant-type monsters, but also by many powerful monsters. For example, terrifying dragon-type monsters (such as Bloodsaurus) may appear in this region.
Moreover, the Dense Forest Ravine is covered in large areas of grass and bushes. Compared to the tree-based Large Tree Labyrinth, the monsters here are more concealed, and thus more dangerous.
However, for the fully mobilized Loki Familia, this area was still relatively easy to conquer.
29th to 36th floor – Dense Forest Ravine – Conquered
37th floor – White Palace – Conquered
38th floor – Safe Zone – Rest
39th to 48th floor – Funeral Volcano – Conquered
Along the way, Loki Familia demonstrated their unshakable strength.
"Shirou's firepower is just too fierce, he's totally the 'Strongest Turret'," Tiona exclaimed.
———
More than a week passed in a flash. Ten full days had gone by since the expedition began.
The adventurers cut through thorns and brambles, successfully conquering zone after zone, and reached the 49th floor of the Dungeon at incredible speed, [Moytura].
During this time, Emiya's task had been fairly monotonous. Constantly drawing his bow, shooting, suppressing monsters, and providing long-range support for the party's advance.
Although his title was [Saber], in this expedition team, the most suitable role for him was clearly [Archer].
Protected on all sides by powerful second-tier adventurers like Lunoire and Aki(Anakitty), almost no monsters could get close to Emiya. This allowed him to unleash his firepower without pressure.
Emiya felt that through this intense combat of constant bow-drawing and shooting, his dexterity stat must have increased significantly.
During a lull in the fighting, Riveria walked over to Emiya and asked with a gentle smile, "So, Shirou, do you find this kind of fighting boring?"
"No, I think it's pretty good," Emiya smiled and shook his head. He was a naturally patient man, and besides, archery had always been one of his hobbies.
In fact, compared to close-quarters combat using swords, where he had to fight desperately, this kind of long-range expedition was much more relaxed for Emiya.
"But this kind of large-team expedition is definitely completely different from solo adventuring or small-team exploration," Emiya commented.
Small adventurer teams placed greater emphasis on each member's individual combat strength.
Everyone needed strong independent fighting ability to handle various unexpected dangers.
But in large adventuring groups, what mattered most was division of "roles" and "tasks."
Loki Familia's team formation was far more complex and exquisite than normal teams. Every member had a clear duty and division of labor, each performing their role, tightly cooperating.
The whole team functioned like a precisely operating machine, displaying overall combat power far beyond individual capability.
And so far, Loki Familia's three leaders, the top-tier Lv.6 adventurers, hadn't even taken action yet.
This was the strength of one of the strongest familias, Loki Familia.
In contrast to Orario's other power, Freya Familia, which had the unbeatable [King] Ottar and focused on ultimate personal strength, Loki Familia was the strongest "group" in the city.
———
[Dungeon, 49th floor]
This entire level was a vast single chamber. On the barren ground, there were no grasses or trees. The rocks and sand were all reddish-brown.
"The beast-type monsters, the Fomoires, have started gathering. As expected, things won't be as easy as last time," Finn said, gazing at the dense beast tide in the distance, his tone somewhat emotional.
"But without Balor here, dealing with these guys is relatively easier. Proceed according to the original plan."
At Finn's command, the three leaders of Loki Familia finally took action.
The dwarf Gareth, who possessed the strongest physical strength, stepped into the frontline first, like a moving steel fortress, facing the roaring beast tide head-on.
His giant axe swept like a storm, cutting down the oncoming monsters as if sweeping fallen leaves, blood spraying everywhere.
Meanwhile, the pallum spearman stood at the center of the battlefield, sharply observing the surrounding situation. He commanded the team's assault while fighting alongside the warriors.
They guided the charging beast monsters into a relatively concentrated area.
On the other side, Riveria stood at the rear, raising her staff and beginning her chant.
Alicia gripped [Skadi of Ice], summoning an Ice Giant. The giant's upper body formed from solidified frost, wielding two flashing cold blades, blocking the front lines.
The Ice Giant sealed the formation's gap, standing like an unbreakable fortress, guarding the team's line.
Bete dashed across the battlefield at full speed, cursing and complaining as he quickly retrieved teammates who had been knocked over by the beast monsters during the intense battle.
Ais activated [Ariel] and sped through the battlefield like a raging storm.
The Amazonian sisters, in the heat of battle, were even pushing their lines forward, brandishing their weapons and roaring as they brawled with the monsters.
At this time, Emiya stopped shooting arrows and projected swords instead, standing beside Riveria, protecting the chanting magic caster.
[Skill [King's Bond] Effect Activated]
[When fighting alongside specific individuals or teammates with Bond type skills, all abilities increase]
Above Riveria's head, the faint shadow of a crown appeared.
[—Soon, the flames shall be released.]
[The creeping warfire, inevitable destruction.]
[The horn of battle roars high, wrapping all in brutal war.]
[Come, Crimson Flame, merciless blazing fire.]
[Thou art the incarnation of hellfire.]
[Sweep away a thousand troops, and close the curtain on war.]
[Burn all, Surtr's sword—my name is Alf.]
"Rea Laevateinn!"
In the next instant, with a deafening boom, the magic circle rapidly expanded. Powerful magical energy spread through the air, enveloping all the beast monsters on the battlefield.
Massive pillars of flame erupted from the magic circle on the ground, accompanied by thunderous roars. The fire avoided all allies, radiating outward in every direction.
These flames that pierced the sky did not merely penetrate the monsters' bodies, they completely engulfed them.
Within the raging fire, the silhouettes of monsters disappeared one by one. Screams and howls intertwined into a hellish feast.
The firestorm devoured all, turning the monsters to ash. The intense heat waves swept across the battlefield, the blaze illuminating every corner.
Within seconds, every beast monster was annihilated by this destructive force. The battlefield fell silent, leaving only smoldering embers and lingering heat in the air.
Emiya stood beside Riveria, sword still in hand, his profile illuminated sharply by the red glow of the flames.
"This move is definitely stronger than before," Finn murmured in admiration.
———
[Dungeon, 50th floor]
This was the deepest safe floor Loki Familia had ever reached. Here, the adventurers pitched tents and seriously built up the camp, a rare large-scale rest period during the entire Expedition.
The 50th floor looked like an alien world, almost as if it were covered by volcanic ash. The forest on the floor was tinged gray, and among the towering trees flowed blue-green rivers like leaf veins, forming a strange picture of blue and gray.
Looking up, tens of meters above the ground, the ceiling had giant stalactite-like stone pillars, their surfaces glowing faintly, casting a mystical and dreamlike hue across the entire floor.
Loki Familia set up camp on a stone hill with excellent visibility, overlooking the entire gray forest.
Due to the dim environment, the adventurers had already prepared magic stone lamps, which emitted a soft glow. These were hung on the tent edges, weapon racks, or simply held in hand, illuminating this mysterious underground world.
"Incredible…", Lunoire stood by the tent, gazing at the view and sighing softly.
"It really is incredible, nya. This kind of scenery absolutely can't be seen on the surface," The catperson Chloe agreed.
"No, I wasn't talking about the scenery... I meant, this is the 50th floor! We actually made it to the 50th floor? It feels like a dream."
Even in this city of countless adventurers and familias, the 50th floor was already the forefront of the conquest.
And the deepest current exploration record was only the 51st floor that Loki Familia reached last time.
"As long as I join Loki Familia's expedition, even I can get here."
Next to her, the [Super Ordinary Guy] Raul said with a slightly emotional tone, "You guys, well, that's a given."
Hearing Raul's words, the [Noble Cat] Aki beside him frowned, "Raul, have any of your stats exceeded D (500)?"
Raul paused, scratching his head awkwardly, "Uh… no…"
His stats were extremely balanced. Aside from Magic being I0 due to not having any magic, all his other stats were currently E450+.
"Then you really should work harder. Miss Lunoire and Miss Chloe are only one great deed away from leveling up. So am I," Aki sighed softly and spoke with a hint of sternness, "You need to be stricter with yourself. Also, lift your chest, show the confidence of an adventurer."
"Yes…", Raul replied obediently, but his slightly slouched, dejected expression made his presence even weaker.
Seeing this, Aki couldn't help but shake her head slightly, a trace of helplessness on her face.
Just then, Tiona happened to come over, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement, "By the way, Lunoire-chan, can I see your gauntlets?"
Loki Familia's adventurers often dined at [Hostess of Fertility], and even held celebration banquets there frequently after completing missions.
Because of this frequent patronage, Lunoire and the other servers naturally became familiar with the Loki Familia adventurers.
Especially the cheerful and highly affable Tiona, who could get along with just about everyone.
"Ah, go ahead," Lunoire nodded and casually handed over the gauntlets she had already taken off.
Tiona took the gauntlets and carefully examined the pseudo-Noble Phantasm. Her face showed unconcealed amazement, "Wow… wow…"
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