Dungeon, 50th Floor.
When the two commission parties returned to this floor, the scene that greeted them immediately signaled that the worst had happened.
*BOOM!*
An explosion echoed from a cliff, its rock surface covered in yellow-green grime.
People were yelling.
Monsters were roaring, destroying, and trampling everything in their path.
"Looks like we're under attack again..." Finn stared at the black smoke rising from the cliff, his expression grim.
"Riveria!" Ais panicked and had an even more intense reaction. Finally abandoning self-restraint, she shot out like an arrow.
"Miss Ais!" Lefiya was surprised.
Almost simultaneously, another form on Lefiya's side turned into an afterimage and leaped out.
"Mr. Riezel!"
Seeing Riezel also charging out, Lefiya couldn't hold back and followed suit.
"Dammit!" Bete cursed and rushed ahead.
Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya, not to mention Finn, Gareth, and Raul, who had just caught their breath, also rushed toward the cliff without hesitation, driven by bad premonitions.
Ais was the first to reach the destination.
She climbed the cliff, dashed through the forest, and soon saw an open plain with a flat rock platform serving as a makeshift camp.
However, the once orderly camp was now almost a ruin. Every member flocked together and engaged in combat with many enormous worm-like creatures attached to the rocks.
"Quick! Raise your shields!"
Riveria, protected in the middle, shouted urgently.
Around her, all the expedition party members formed a circle. Dwarves and beastmen held shields at the forefront, blocking the corrosive acid sprayed by the worm monsters, protecting everyone.
Unfortunately, this wouldn't last.
The acid from the worm monsters was too powerful. Even their thick shields quickly dissolved upon contact with the acid. They could only throw away shields one after another, using this extremely wasteful method to resist the onslaught of the worm monsters.
The rearguard, protecting Riveria, used magic and arrows, occasionally hitting one to two worm monsters, causing them to explode on the spot and spray countless acids, corroding every corner of the camp.
This scene was like a nightmare.
Seeing this scene, Ais charged ahead without hesitation.
*Pu-chi!*
As a silver light flashed, a worm monster, ready to attack, was cut in half by a sword. As it screamed and splattered a large amount of acid, expedition party members defending the camp felt a gust of wind blowing in front of them.
Ais drew her sword without saying a word, flipping through the air several times to skillfully dodge the splashing acid liquid. She soon landed in front of everyone.
"Ais!"
"Miss Ais!"
Riveria and the others exclaimed with delight.
"ARGHHH!"
Just as everyone's attention was drawn to Ais's sudden appearance, a beastman at the corner of the circle of shields was knocked away by a worm monster, exposing a catgirl who was preparing to take out a potion to heal her companion.
"Aki!"
Raul, who had just climbed up the cliff, happened to witness this scene and shouted in panic with cracked eye sockets.
The catgirl was Anakitty.
"...Eh?"
Anakitty didn't even react, only turned her head to look at a massive worm monster that appeared in front of her, her mind blank.
The monster's grotesque mouth opened wide towards her, spraying a large amount of acid liquid that poured down like torrential rain, ready to envelop her body.
"Tempest!"
In the nick of time, a short chanting appeared.
*WHOOSH—!*
A sudden hurricane swept through, and a figure following closely behind Ais exploded, blowing away the smoke and atmospheric dust, and increasing his speed dramatically.
Riezel, like a hurricane passing through, blew away all the worm monsters in his path with his tornado, making it seem like an uninhabited space. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Anakitty.
*Swish!*
As a high-pressured acid shot out, Riezel's Hermit easily sliced through it, causing an explosion of purple liquid. The liquid splashed around but was flicked away by the wind surrounding him.
"Are you okay?" Riezel asked calmly and didn't turn around, only staring at the worm monster in front of him, speaking to the catgirl behind him.
Anakitty didn't reply.
She just stared blankly at the youth's back in front of her, at the swordsman wrapped in a hurricane. For some reason, she had lost her words.
Hearing no answer, Riezel felt strange and wanted to turn his head to her, but the worm monster in front of him took action again.
*AAAKKKKKK—!!!*
It emitted an angrily frustrated scream, continuously spraying acid toward him.
"Be careful!"
Seeing this, Riveria couldn't help but shout, only to find it unnecessary.
Riezel didn't even bother to dodge and just waved his sword casually, one by one cutting away the oncoming acid shots. The splattering liquids were also blocked by the wind enveloping his body, unable to touch his body at all.
Seeing this, not only Riveria but also Finn, who had followed along, instantly understood.
Ariel countered the acid of the worm monster and effortlessly kept them from getting anywhere near Riezel's body.
In other words, anyone using Ariel could easily take on these worm monsters that were the nemesis of close combatants.
"Tempest!"
Ais, realizing it, immediately chanted Ariel, summoning the power of the wind just like Riezel did. Both of them exchanged a glance and, without a word, rode the wind and charged out.
*AAAAKKKKKK—!!!*
Several worm monsters sensed the two approaching hurricanes. One after another, they turned away from attacking other people and instead aimed at Riezel and Ais, spraying countless streams of acid at them.
Faced with the purple acid barrage raining down like a storm, both Riezel and Ais didn't dodge. Instead, they accelerated, letting the wind of their bodies collide with the oncoming acid storm, deflecting them all.
*Swish!*
Finally, the sword light erupted.
Riezel and Ais rushed into the worm monster horde in tandem. Their weapons carried the force of the wind, turning into streaks of sword light, slaughtering the worm monsters one by one without mercy.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
Each worm monster was instantly gutted, cut down by both of them, emitting a piercing scream, and splattering countless streams of purple liquid.
Riezel and Ais were like two wolves charging into a flock of sheep, one on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, like two tornadoes, charging back and forth, killing one worm monster after another with their swords, causing the purple liquid to spray continuously around them.
Not long after, the ground, walls, and the nearby forest were corroded by the splattering acid, emitting black smoke and gradually melting.
Only Riezel and Ais, completely ignoring the acid spraying towards them, charged through with Ariel fearlessly, killing worm monsters one after another, wailing without end.
"Well done!"
"Nice!"
Tiona and Tione couldn't help but shout as if releasing pent-up frustration.
"Mr. Riezel, Miss Ais, amazing...!" Lefiya exclaimed like a fangirl, clasping both hands with endless admiration shining in her eyes as she observed the scene.
"Aki! Are you okay?!" Raul rushed over in a panic, making a big fuss.
"I-I'm fine..."
Anakitty, who had been staring blankly, finally came to her senses. Her eyes were fixed on Riezel's figure, who was slaughtering monsters in the horde, eyes shining with admiration.
"Tch, all the glory's been stolen."
Bete had an extremely displeased look as he gazed at the scene. If it weren't for his weapon being destroyed, he absolutely wouldn't hesitate to join the fray. He would charge up and smash at least one or two worm monsters. Watching Riezel and Ais fight while he just stood helplessly was not something his pride would allow.
"Looks like we've dodged a crisis, huh?"
Finn expressed with relief as he and Gareth approached Riveria. They observed Riezel and Ais effortlessly slaughtering the worm monsters, which somewhat eased their minds.
Need to admit, they were genuinely scared this time. A horde of strengthened species from the deep floors attacked in droves, coupled with their corrosive acid—if it weren't for Riezel and Ais, getting through this crisis wouldn't have been so easy.
As he watched the splattering of acid spreading, almost reaching their side, Finn quickly gave an order.
"Everyone retreat! Don't linger here!"
His command brought unwilling expressions to many faces.
"So, the camp is destroyed, huh?"
"Well, looks like this expedition is done for..."
Tiona and Tione spoke tiredly one after another and sighed with resignation.
Their camp, completely destroyed and corroded by the worm monsters, now showed no signs of anything intact, including food, tools, and equipment.
All supplies, just like Raul's backpack on his back, were dissolved to nothing.
Now that Finn had ordered a retreat, there was no doubt that they wouldn't be able to continue the expedition.
"No choice... Weapons destroyed, supplies nearly gone. Even if we survive this trouble, we don't have the ability to continue to the 59th Floor, and can only retreat." Gareth shook his head lightly.
"A bunch of disgusting shits! Next time, I'll definitely kick their fucking asses!" Bete cursed, expressing what everyone was thinking.
"This time is a failure, but we'll come back next time..." Finn calmly said. "We were unprepared this time, lacking effective means to deal with these new species monsters. But next time, I swear, we will turn the tide."
Just like when they arrived at the 58th Floor last time and were forced back by the monsters of that floor, Finn never feared failure.
If it doesn't work this time, then next time.
If not next time, then the time after.
Make Loki Familia, one of the strongest in Orario, give up?
Make the world-renowned 'Braver' give up?
Impossible.
At this moment, numerous ideas flashed through Finn's mind as he had already outlined the strategy for the next expedition.
However, in the next moment, an unexpected accident happened.
A dazzling array of colorful particles suddenly fell from the sky, landing on Riezel and Ais who were in the middle of slaughtering the worm monsters.
In the next second, those countless particles suddenly lit up.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
A massive explosion suddenly engulfed the horde of worm monsters, along with Riezel and Ais.
""RIEZEEEL—!""
""AIIIS—!""
Shouts of lamentation echoed through the sky from every member of Loki Familia.