Inside the tent, Finn and Riveria watched the faint, illusory form of a leg appear where Bete's right one had been. Both of them were filled with emotion.
"Even though this is the second time I've seen it, I still don't understand how it's possible for a severed limb to regenerate."
Riveria could only admit that this phenomenon was beyond her comprehension.
It didn't look like muscle or bone growing back. Instead, it was as if a phantom limb had formed in place of the lost one. But clearly, it couldn't be used like a real limb—at least not yet. Bete had no control over it.
"Bete, how does it feel?"
"No sensation at all."
The Werewolf stared at the phantom limb extending from where his right leg had been. He couldn't control it, but when he moved his body, the limb moved faintly in sync, despite his lack of intent.
"It's just like when it was first severed. No strength, no feeling when I try to move it."
"I see..."
Finn glanced at Bete's phantom limb and shook his head slightly. He didn't fully understand the principle behind it either.
"Maybe Loki knows. But knowing her, if it's something she doesn't want us to know, she'll never say a word."
"Yeah, she is Loki after all."
Bete didn't expect Loki to reveal the workings of the Rune Stones so easily. It was likely something that touched on knowledge they weren't meant to access.
With a small grunt, Bete sat on the infirmary bed, arms folded across his chest.
"That woman's always been like that. If it's something we should know, she'll tell us. If not, she won't say a damn thing. According to her, 'some things are better left unknown.'"
Finn and Riveria both understood—and accepted—that logic.
"And with Loki working together with that guy, I'm starting to think that taking down the Spirit was just a piece of their larger plan. Honestly, I think Loki only gave the greenlight because she already calculated our chances of survival were high."
Bete wasn't some hot-headed fool. His rough personality masked a sharp and observant mind—very much like Gareth in that regard.
After feeling the Spirit's bizarre aura firsthand, he'd become certain of one thing.
They'd been played.
The moment that overwhelming presence swept over them, Bete's Beastman instincts screamed at him—there was no way they could win!
It wasn't just fear or pressure from the Spirit's aura. It was the calm, clear conclusion he reached after analyzing that aura while temporarily enhanced to Level 6.
And yet… they had won.
By sheer coincidence.
"Yeah..."
Finn understood exactly what Bete had sensed. He too had gone into that battle fully prepared to die. But the way things ended… it had been almost absurdly dramatic.
"Loki must have had her reasons for making that decision."
"Her aim wasn't for us to pass the trial itself. The trial was simply to see whether we were capable of laying everything on the line—to fight with everything we had for even the slightest chance at hope."
"Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence that Bete's magic hit the core of the Spirit. What Cassandra foresaw was probably the real outcome we should've faced. Only when we were pushed to our absolute limits did a chance for victory appear."
"A 'chance' that was handed to us."
Bete added with a disgruntled tone. Finn let out a sigh, unable to refute him.
"So, in Cassandra's prophetic dream, Bell-kun appeared on the 59th floor—not to let Loki and the others witness the fight, but purely to turn the 59th floor into a proving ground."
Even though they'd guessed as much, the Spirit they had faced wasn't some weakling. At the very least, it had demonstrated power far beyond their level.
Level 7—maybe even approaching Level 8.
Just thinking about what kind of trial that was, even Finn couldn't help feeling a sense of powerlessness and defeat.
"I overestimated Bell-kun's capabilities… but I didn't expect him to handle even the Spirit issue. He even used the Spirit to set up such a grand stage for us. Honestly, we ended up feeling like clowns on that stage."
And calling them clowns might be giving them too much credit.
At least a clown knows they're playing the fool. But in this case, they didn't even realize they were playing a role—just like stand-ins shoved onto the stage, reacting purely on instinct in front of an audience...
It was a bleak way of putting it, but those words echoed some of the frustration buried deep in Finn's heart.
Riveria, however, didn't share Finn's emotional response. She was more adept at looking at things from a neutral perspective.
"Finn, you're being a bit too emotional. From the results alone, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement. It wasn't charity—it was a deal."
"Bell-kun probably had his reasons for setting it up this way. For example, Freya."
"!?"
Finn froze for a moment, then immediately understood what she meant and let out a helpless sigh.
"I completely forgot… Hestia and Freya are at odds. And Freya's been keeping constant watch over Bell-kun. No wonder he was so desperate to strike a deal with Loki."
"He wants us to grow stronger—he wants Loki Familia to be capable of standing against Freya Familia."
That answer left Finn rubbing his face in exasperation.
Of course. No wonder things had felt off this whole time.
He'd wondered why Bell was so invested in this expedition. So it was all to avoid Freya.
But considering who Freya was, Finn could hardly blame him.
That goddess wasn't the type to give up easily. Even if she had made a promise to Hestia, she would definitely find another way to approach Bell.
Faced with someone as overwhelming as Freya, Bell's decision was to build up a Familia that could rival hers.
Now Finn finally understood why this expedition had felt so intense. The truth was, it had been loaded with buffs right from the start.
"Man... even if we were being toyed with, at least the result was worth it."
With a weary sigh, Finn finally let go of his lingering frustration.
Just like Riveria said—it was a deal.
Whatever the case, Bell's setup had allowed them to take a vital step forward.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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