After the end of the expedition.
In the Loki Familia's headquarters, the grand manor known as the "Twilight Mansion."
In the conference room, all the core members of the Loki Familia were waiting, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
The Three Elders: Finn the "Brave," Gareth the "Heavyweight," and Riveria the "Nine-Demon Princess."
The New Generation: Ais the "Sword Princess," Tione Hiryute the "Furious Serpent," and Tiona Hiryute the "Great Cutter."
And some core Level 4 executives—all gathered.
Except for one person: "Hateful Wolf" Bete Loga.
"Hmm... The Firebreather, huh..."
"I don't have a single clue, wah."
In the main seat of the hall, which usually belonged to Finn, a woman with red hair and narrow eyes, whose chest and back were indistinguishable, was sighing.
She was Loki, the "God of Mischief" in the Danmachi world.
Upon hearing that her beloved little Ais was attacked, Loki, who had a girl's appearance but a lecherous old man's soul, wished she could drag that person out and grind him to dust!
What? You ask about Bete?
Ah, well... victory and defeat are common in war; countless adventurers die in the Dungeon...
Just kidding.
Anyway, Bete still had a breath, didn't he? Not dying is a victory!
"In short, this expedition was not successfully completed."
"We didn't reach below the 50th floor as originally planned because of the new Monster types."
"And two members were attacked on the way back."
"The accumulation of these events makes it hard to believe it's just a coincidence."
Finn analyzed the connections between the events.
He believed it was highly likely related to the Dark Familia.
During the Dark Age, the Loki Familia was a core force fighting against the Dark Familia, achieving numerous victories while also attracting a great deal of hatred.
In recent years, the Dark Familia had been lurking in the shadows, making no move.
But the Loki Familia, especially Finn, had never relaxed their vigilance against them.
"Do those people have the power to reach the 50th floor?" Gareth the Heavyweight voiced his doubt.
The Dark Familia had "Beast Tamers," but they could only control Monsters from the middle floors at most.
The 50th floor was a place the Loki Familia had only just reached for the first time; could their defeated foes reach such a place and cultivate numerous giant poisonous insect Monsters?
"On their own, certainly not," Riveria's lips slightly parted, "but these people are very good at finding allies and absorbing outside forces."
The most tragic battle during the Dark Age happened seven years ago.
At that time, led by Erebus the "Dark God," they had enlisted two Level 7 powerhouses as aid.
The "Gluttony" Zard of the Zeus Familia and the "Silence" Alfia of the Hera Familia.
After the decline of the once-dominant Zeus and Hera Familias, these two were influenced by Erebus and joined the Dark Familia, becoming his left and right hands.
The ability to bring former heroes under their banner showed how strong the Dark Familia's power of persuasion was.
If not for special circumstances in that battle, Orario would have long been annihilated.
"That's why I believe the Firebreather and the mysterious enemy are both helpers the Dark Familia found from the outside."
Riveria glanced at the distracted Ais, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, showing a motherly concern: "That Firebreather seems to have an interest in Ais, too."
"We need to be highly cautious."
"What!!" Loki perked up at this, and the Goddess immediately jumped up: "Ais-tan was harassed by that scumbag?"
"Unforgivable!"
"Ais-tan, did that guy do anything inappropriate to you?"
At the mention of this, Ais snapped back from her recollection, her eyes innocent, her slender fingers rubbing together.
"We just had one fight."
"He... spat a mouthful of fire at me."
"Yes, it was just a mouthful of fire." Riveria gently stroked Ais's hair, feeling a pang of heartache, while recalling the scene she had witnessed:
"He trapped Ais in a corridor, depriving her of space to dodge, and then unleashed a powerful fire breath at her."
"Based on the residual magic at the scene, it is estimated that even a Level 4 would be instantly reduced to ashes if they took it head-on."
!!
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.
A person with such devastating firepower was unheard of among Orario's powerhouses.
It could be confirmed that this "Firebreather" must have come from the outside!
His origins and purpose were highly suspicious.
Loki was emotionally agitated. Her beloved Ais, whom she pampered as a treasure, was nearly burned to a crisp. How could she tolerate this?
That flowing golden hair, snowy skin, cute face, graceful figure, and round... ahem... any damage to any part of her would be a tremendous loss for the Loki Familia!
"Go capture him! Give him the heavy torture treatment!"
"That's probably not possible." Finn and the others mostly ignored their unreliable head Goddess.
"So, should we issue a reward to the Guild?"
This topic instantly captured Ais's attention, and her usual calm expression showed a slight flicker of hesitation.
Is that person really a bad guy?
She looked at her palm, feeling as if she had grasped something new.
It was something she couldn't get from the warmth of her family, and that person had given it to her on their very first meeting.
Fortunately, I didn't tell everyone that I had seen his face.
In this atmosphere full of hostility, Ais secretly congratulated herself.
I want to see him again, and I want to fight him again!
If I do that, I can grasp even more!
After a lengthy discussion, the final decision reached was to handle the matter discreetly.
The issue would be officially shelved for the time being, with Familia members conducting the investigation in secret.
Since the opponent's identity was unknown and their strength was formidable, mobilizing unnecessary personnel would likely be fruitless.
They could only temporarily task the executives with the responsibility of investigating in the dark.
Regarding the Firebreather's ability, the "Fire Spirit Cloth" provided by the Guild offered excellent flame resistance and could effectively reduce the opponent's threat.
Furthermore, Bete was not yet awake.
His information was also crucial.
"Well, that's the plan for now."
"Hoo..."
Just as Finn's voice fell, a long sigh echoed in the room, and the relief in the tone made everyone freeze.
It was Ais.
???
What's wrong with you, Sis?
After everyone threw a look of astonishment her way, the doll-like, gold-haired girl's pretty face turned slightly flushed.
She stiffly stood up, forgetting what she wanted to say, and hurried out of the hall.
The remaining people looked at each other, utterly bewildered.
What scheme is this girl plotting now?
Meanwhile, Riveria the "Mother" and Loki the "Lecherous Goddess" exchanged even more shocked looks.
That reaction wasn't just embarrassment, was it?
Could it be...!!!
The mansion's windows reflected the setting sun's afterglow. Ais rushed through alternating patches of light and shadow without stopping.
She kept running, but she couldn't shake the heat in her heart.
So strange.
She had never felt this way, nor had she ever had such an obsession.
The girl couldn't help but recall the frivolous, smiling man once more.
"Ngh!"
Her heart gave a heavy thump.
It wasn't the heart of an unbeatable warrior, but the daughter's heart that had been sealed for sixteen years.
...
The same evening.
In Loki's room.
The flat-chested Goddess, whom people described as a boy but was a girl, was holding up her hands, lecherously looking at the person in front of her.
Ais had swept her golden hair aside, exposing her smooth, porcelain-like back.
Although the sight was highly alluring, Loki managed to resist the urge to grope her.
Firstly, Ais's iron fist was merciless to anyone, even a Goddess.
Secondly:
She could barely recall the last time this girl had so earnestly and urgently requested a status update.
...
She reached Level 5 in three years, and then was stuck at Level 5 for another three years.
From the initial anticipation to the later disappointment.
Loki had seen all of Ais's reactions.
But upon returning from this expedition, the girl seemed to have received a completely new revelation, and that long-dormant drive had resurfaced.
Drip.
A drop of blood radiating divine light slid down her beautiful back, immediately summoning a dense array of text.
Below the clown face symbolizing the Familia emblem were her personal status, skills, and magic information.
She must feel she has improved.
With that thought, Loki brought up Ais's status.
A large, floating screen composed of "Divine Script" hovered in the air.
Level 5 [Strength]D549 [Endurance]D540 [Dexterity]A823 [Agility]A821 [Magic]A899
She remembered these were Ais's stats before the expedition.
Triple-A stats, with one of them being the rarest, Magic, was already excellent.
Based on past experience, Ais's status updates never fluctuated by more than ten points at a time.
Most of the time, it was even just 1 point.
How much will it be this time...
...
Curiously, Loki bypassed her own data lock; personal information was very important.
She opened her narrow, fox-like eyes full of anticipation.
The next second.
The Goddess's gaze froze.
"This, this, this..."
She stammered and stuttered, opening and closing her mouth. Even for an eternally living, well-informed Goddess, this time she was utterly shocked!
"What in the world is going on!!!"
The head Goddess's scream pierced the quiet night and startled the Three Elders who were having a drink on the roof.
They moved quickly, and within a few breaths, they had reached Loki's room.
"What's wrong, Loki!"
"Ah, wait, wait! You can't come in!"
Loki, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly recovered. She hastily took out a piece of paper and pressed it onto Ais's back, using this method to record the updated status.
After Ais, still full of confusion, put her clothes back on, the three elders stepped inside the room.
"Is it about Ais?"
Loki sat cross-legged on the bed, nodding with a serious expression.
Riveria glimpsed the piece of paper and guessed the situation: "Could it be that Ais's abilities have significantly improved this time?"
If that were the case, she would be genuinely happy.
Everyone often focused too much on her strength, neglecting the inner world of this girl who lost her parents at a young age and was single-mindedly devoted to becoming stronger.
Although she appeared outwardly calm, she had her own joys and sorrows.
For three years, no matter how hard she fought and trained, Ais couldn't break the limit. Now, she was finally making progress, which was a cause for celebration.
"The situation is indeed as you say..."
Loki affirmed the fact but still looked troubled.
She scratched her head and handed the paper to Ais.
The latter took it with anticipation.
Immediately, her brow furrowed sharply!
"This is..." the girl murmured, unable to believe her eyes. She pressed her fingers hard, wrinkling the paper.
The lines of text had undergone a complete transformation.
The former DDAAA was gone.
Replaced by CCAAS!
[Strength]D549 -> C614
[Endurance]D540 -> C600
[Dexterity]A823 -> A898
[Agility]A821 -> A896
[Magic]A899 -> S950
Total Five Stats Before Update: 3632
Total Five Stats After Update: 3958
A total increase of 326 points! An average increase of over sixty!!
This was more than just improvement!
It was a qualitative leap!!
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