"You dare plant such nonsense in my children's heads? I am the goddess of purity!"
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When Fron saw the god Hermes again, that handsome and charming face of his had already been beaten beyond recognition. Of course, that was a story for later.
Because of Antares' sudden probing, the adventurers more or less did not rest well in the latter half of the night.
At times like this, Fron could not help but sigh, "Reader" really was a godlike skill.
In the darkness, his active mental energy allowed him to stay awake without sleep for long periods, maintaining full alertness, and his condition was even better than in the daytime.
By the lake side.
Fron crossed his arms, leaning against a tree trunk, his keen hearing catching the ambiguous splashing sounds coming from the lake behind him, his expression faintly awkward as he tried to distract himself with conversation.
"Ryu, this mission, last time when you went to the 18th floor, and now with this commission, were they both requests from the god Hermes?"
In the lake, under the moonlight, the blonde elf only crossed her arms over her chest, back turned to the shore, staring at her own reflection in the water, and softly spoke.
"Mm. Last time, it was Lady Hestia of the Hestia Familia, who issued the commission. Since both gods had to descend into the Dungeon, it was impossible for Asfi alone to provide full protection, so they called me along. It just so happened that I was also going to pay respects to friends of my Familia… so I agreed."
"As for this time…"
A hint of shyness flickered in the elf's blue eyes.
"I heard that you… you also accepted an investigation commission over here…"
"..." No need to ask further, Fron's expression froze in surprise, instantly grasping the cause and effect.
'As expected of you, Ryu. Once you've acknowledged someone, you'll always…'
The corner of his lips curled into a faint smile. This wasn't something he could easily pry into, after all, though Ryu was a warrior, she was also a woman.
...
"I'm done, Fron."
"Mm. Rest well. I'll keep watch for the rest of the night. You've been traveling hard these past few days, so take a good rest. Be ready to face tomorrow's battle."
"Mm." The elven girl obediently followed Fron's suggestion, retreating quietly.
That sense of déjà vu, it felt just like Ais after she had changed.
Why was it that strong women, once a relationship was established, would always undergo this sort of change?
Someone rubbed his chin, sinking into thought.
...
As the sun rose, the morning mist covering the endless sea of trees was driven away by the light, leaving only sparkling dew between the leaves and flowers.
With the arrival of morning, accompanied by the chirping of birds, smoke already rose from the camp.
The cooks carrying chopped firewood bustled about with their work, and from time to time, some early-rising adventurers washed their faces casually in the stream before joining in to help.
As the night watch, Fron didn't need to do such things.
The division of labor was very clear, everyone only specialized in their own tasks, and no one crossed roles unnecessarily.
He took all this in silently.
"For the sake of efficiency, huh…"
At breakfast, everyone ate seriously, without speaking.
Because soon, they would head into that desolate land, whether life or death awaited them, all was shrouded in mist.
"Alright, then let's begin." As the core of this ruins expedition, Artemis naturally stood forward.
"Because the gates of the ruins are sealed and only I can open them, this time the main raiding team will be myself, Hermes, Asfi, Ryu, and Fron."
"Rethusa, you will command everyone else, gathering their strength to lure and delay the enemies outside the ruins. We don't need you to annihilate the monsters, just stall the main forces as best as possible."
"It is worth noting that the enemy possesses great powers of multiplication. Based on the intelligence we've gathered so far, there's a high probability they will continuously spawn reinforcements after the battle begins, dragging us into a war of attrition."
"Therefore, use delaying tactics, guerrilla tactics, and the like to cope with the situation. Do not engage head-on. Understood?"
"B-but Lady Artemis, you and Lord Hermes, only a team of five, isn't that too…"
But Artemis raised her hand, cutting off Rethusa's anxious protest.
"Don't worry. I am not like this useless god next to me. Even you, Rethusa, cannot surpass me. So I count as a proper fighting force."
In that instant, a certain male god was shot down, attracting countless curious stares. Even the battle-hardened Hermes could not withstand it.
He raised both hands, looking helpless.
"Hey, hey, Artemis, that's too cruel. We've been fellow gods for countless years at least. Give me a little face, won't you?"
Artemis glanced at him coldly.
"Face is earned, not given. Think about your deeds in the heavens!"
"..." The man's lips moved slightly, but in the end he could only rub his nose awkwardly.
There was simply no way to argue back. Watching the flustered god, Asfi couldn't help but mutter while adjusting her gear.
"To be stuck with such an unreliable god… truly pitiful for you, Asfi."
"Ah… tell me about it." Under the goddess' iron-willed command, the team was quickly divided.
The final roster of the ruins main exploration squad was decided:
Artemis, combat strength around Lv.3.
Hermes, intelligence head.
Asfi Al Andromeda, top-class Lv.4.
Ryu Lion, top-class Lv.4.
Fron Argon, peak Lv.5.
...
As the elven warrior, Ryu, with her sharp insight and terrifying skills, took the vanguard.
Asfi, with her versatile magic items and powerful adaptability, held the middle, coordinating support.
Finally, the strongest fighter, Fron, brought up the rear, protecting Artemis and Hermes.
"Then, let's go."
But before anyone could cheer or offer blessings,
The enemy's counterattack had already arrived!
"Rustle rustle…"
"So quick to respond, huh… Antares, is it?"
Watching the countless monsters emerging from the forest and surrounding the camp, Fron narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhere between smile and sneer.
At that moment, the five-person team was already sprinting. Following the bloody path carved out by Ryu's longsword, forged from the Great Sacred Tree, they rushed at full speed toward the heart of the Elsos Ruins.
The lifeless, decayed forest blurred past on both sides. Serving as mid-guard, Artemis ran while calling out directions to Ryu.
"We'll circle around from the side, our target is the front gate!"
"Ryu, right turn ahead!"
"Understood!"
"Schhhk, "
With one silver flash, a pursuing monster was cleanly dispatched.
"As expected of Fron."
In moments like this, there was never a lack of the god's compliments.
"Something's wrong." Running, Fron glanced down at the [Short Sword No. 6] in his hand.
"Fron? What did you notice?" Hearing the young man's low murmur, Asfi's expression shifted subtly, knowing he wouldn't say such things lightly.
Not to mention the intimacy between them, so close that only one step remained to cross the line, even just based on Fron's strength, insight, and analytical ability, if he said so… then there was definitely some abnormal situation occurring.
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T/N: Second bonus chapter for crossing 400 power stones; will post another two for crossing 450 power stones in some time~