After their breakfast, the group had an hour for rest and final preparations before they departed. Using that time, Aika kept swinging her sword as a warm-up, Koneko meditated to store more Ki, and Sona reviewed the maps, monster details, and terrain from 51st floor and onwards while also devising some plans to approach certain problems.
Line also helped them in their preparations, but she was still worried about their participation, "Are you sure you want to take the risk? I know you have your unknown skills, but I heard the 51st floor and below are extremely hard, very different from the floors above." She asked Sona.
"We know the risks, but this is also a good chance to get more knowledge not just about the Dungeon, but also how the top Adventurers of the Loki Familia respond to the dangers around them," Sona replied.
"How Riveria-sama and the others fight? Why do you need to know that?" Line understood that they wanted to know more about the Dungeon via firsthand experience but not about the latter.
"Although our methods of fighting are probably more effective for the most part, it's stupid to think that our way is superior in every aspect. Valuable lessons can be missed if you think that you're better than others."
"...I see." Line's eyes widened slightly at her point of view and she knew that this was the difference between her and them. If she wanted to learn their ways, it looked like she first had to learn about their point of view.
"By the way, how is your progress?" Sona suddenly asked.
"I followed Kisuke-san's instruction and stopped studying magic for now and focused on this 'Natural Science', the chapters 'Basic Physics' and 'Basic Anatomy' in particular." Line answered.
"How is it?"
Line shook her head and said, "I can hardly understand anything. For now, I'm trying to memorize it since Kisuke-san said that he'll clear my confusion later." But then Line's face started to light up, "However, this 'Basic Anatomy' which focuses on the human body is very interesting! I never knew that a body could be this complicated! Although I don't understand most of the used terms, I want to learn it very much!"
Sona's mouth twitched and said, "I-I see. That's good. As a healer, that kind of interest will help you become better." She just hoped that Line wouldn't develop a strange hobby of cutting things up just to see how it worked in detail.
Soon after, Finn called everyone and said his final reminders to those who were staying in the camp to guard it.
Once they set off, Lefiya and Raul started to become nervous, "Lefiya, your breaths are too shallow. Relax." Riveria reminded her, "Y-Yes!!"
"Raul, you too. Stomach in, chest out." Gareth reminded Raul on the other hand, "Y-Yes!!"
"Jeez! Why is Bete together with me in the vanguard?" Tiona complained since it was usually her and her sister's job to partner up as vanguards.
"Shut up, you idiotic Amazoness." However, it was Bete who requested Finn to be put on vanguard since he wanted to fight more.
"Hahaha, the Loki Familia is always so lively," Tsubaki commented.
Smiling wryly, Finn replied, "We've let you see something embarrassing." He then turned to the trio, "It seems that you're not nervous at all."
Sona only smiled and replied, "We're nervous, alright? But it's no use overthinking things as it'll just affect our judgment of the situation in a bad way, instead of helping us."
"I see. That's good. Looks like you have the correct mindset." In all honesty, Finn and the rest were surprised at their calmness. After all, aside from Lefiya, who could use a Level 6's firepower, they were the weakest and also at the lowest priority to be protected.
Sona, Aika, and Koneko knew of their position but they did not mind it as they would have also done the same if they were in their position. But this didn't mean that they would hold back when someone among their party needs help.
The party reached the entrance to the 51st floor. It wasn't their goal to hunt monsters there, but to go through it as fast as possible without affecting their stamina and supplies too much.
Bete and Tiona stepped forward and got ready, "Alright, no more useless chatter from here on out. All hands, prepare for battle," Finn then commanded, "Go, Bete, Tiona."
With his command, Bete and Tiona instantly launched out and the rest of the party soon followed after them, "Head down the normal route as planned! Stay alert for approaching new types!!"
Bete and Tiona immediately cleared the monsters in front of them so that the group could easily go through, "They're spawning from the path ahead," Ais suddenly reminded everyone after seeing a small crack from the distance.
"Vanguard, disregard them, and clear the path beyond! Ais, Tione, deal with them!"
"Yes!" Tione and Ais moved out and started cleaving the Black Rhinos, a rhinoceros monster that walked on two legs, which blocked their path.
Tiona and Bete, on the other hand, assaulted the Deformis Spider. Those were large red and purple colored spider monsters, which were starting to gather from the hallways of the 51st floor.
On the 51st till the 57th Floor was a labyrinth, which was rare on the deeper floors. The walls, ground, and ceilings were flat and the structure made it seem as if it was carefully measured. Many corners and crossroads existed across the floors.
"Bete-san is more awesome than usual..." One of the Loki Familia supporters muttered after seeing Bete being more excited than usual.
"Even though he's just Bete!" Tiona complained after Bete came for the monsters first.
"Yeah, he's even more aggressive than I've heard." Tsubaki also commented as she cleaved through a Black Rhinos using a greatsword.
"Tsubaki-san, why are you so strong even though you're a blacksmith?" Raul, who was near her, asked.
"You've heard of weapon testing, right?" Tsubaki answered as she killed another Black Rhino which was about to come out of the wall, "To find out how effective my products are on the monsters in the Dungeon, I went all the way in, slashing, slashing, and slashing." She then faced Raul with an innocent smile, "So I ended up getting stronger."
Raul swallowed his saliva and thought, 'What's this... She's terrifying.'
"The new types are coming!!" Riveria shouted after seeing a bunch of caterpillar monsters making their way towards them.
"Change formation! Tiona, fall back!"
Just as planned, Bete and Ais moved forward to meet them, "Ais, give me that!"
Ais nodded and shouted her chant, "Tempest!"
Bete, using his Flosvirt, absorbed Ais' magic and ground the monsters along with her, slowing their advances.
"May the land frozen by the captive light, Blast forth the apocalyptic winter might, I bear the name of Alf..."
"All hands, fall back!" Finn shouted.
Riveria then cast her first level attack magic, "Wynn Fimbulvetr!" Freezing the enemies in front of them. Although it hadn't been a long time since she started studying Kisuke's magic, she was able to improve her spells' efficiency and firepower, which even Line wasn't able to do yet, aside from her basic healing magic.
"Wow... That's some 'spell'. If only we could cast this with a magic sword." Tsubaki muttered after passing through the frozen caterpillars.
"If something like that was possible, we wouldn't need mages," Finn replied.
The party reached the entrance to the 52nd floor and stopped for a moment, "It's time to descend to the 52nd floor at last. From here on out, please consider resupplying to be impossible."
"Please don't worry about supplies. As long as these bags are safe, we can go on for a long time." Sona suddenly said.
Finn faced her, "Is that so? That's reassuring. We'll rely on you once ours became dangerously low."
"Please do. We prepared it to help everyone so that they would have an easier time. After all, we're just hitchhiking with you to these floors."
Finn nodded at her before facing forward again, "Well then, let's go."
Most of the people in the party were confused at Sona and Finn's exchange, but they didn't have the time to ask questions since Finn already signaled to them the start of their descent.
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Corner:
28th00: So, they've made it to the high level horde grinding zone to do some power levelling! This'll be a great excellia farm!~
Alexander: Aside from that, I think it will be the perfect spot for some weapon testing. After all, test datas about their new equipment (toys), is very valuable.