"I must say, the Hestia Familia is filled with monsters."
Joining the conversation, Gareth brought a hand to his chin; none of these monsters were easy.
But for the Hestia Familia, who could traverse these floors with overwhelming strength in a single day, no... they could go through these floors in a matter of hours.
This said a lot about how broken they were...
"They can't be considered normal adventurers; their excellency alone could take down those monsters."
"You're right... If we compare ourselves to a world power, we are quite weak... Loki was right; there's simply no comparison between us."
Smiling bitterly, Finn and Riveria sighed. It was a harsh blow for them, considered some of the strongest adventurers. Now, with monsters like Yuki and Kurumi, they were mere novices. Their reputation as some of the strongest adventurers in Orario was no longer impressive.
However, they were also somewhat satisfied because the children of the Freya Familia suffered the same fate.
"Don't get discouraged; we won't be left behind. This is temporary; we can still improve. Look at Ais; she's doing it."
Trying to lift their spirits, Gareth patted Finn's shoulder. However, Finn only sighed.
"You're right. Ais is growing faster than all of us. But for now, we need to rest. Floor 34 is a safe zone."
Seeing that all the monsters were defeated, Finn wasted no more time and took the initiative to descend to the next floor.
"Alright."
"I agree."
Both Riveria and Gareth accompanied him.
Still a long way to go for them.
---
Labyrinth City Orario, Adventurer's Guild
"Is this expedition necessary? The Loki Familia won't be able to break through those walls on floor 45."
Extending a hand, Fels couldn't help but doubt all of this. They already knew that anomalies were due to the Champion, and soon, war would knock on the city's doors. Instead of aimlessly searching, it would be more logical for all these adventurers to train and prepare.
"It is. Someone needs to see this, and who better than the Loki Familia?"
"I see... It's a facade, huh?"
On the other hand, Ouranos wasn't worried. All of this was necessary. Even though the Hestia Familia reported the increase in difficulty, most of the population didn't know Yuki's strength. They knew he was powerful because of the gods and the little disturbance when he fought Kurumi, but they didn't know how much the dungeon floors' difficulty had increased. That's why the Loki Familia was better in that sense. With a great reputation, they would speak up and present statistics, preparing adventurers for it. As for whether the Loki Familia would make it through floor 45, Ouranos didn't care. As long as they did their part, Ouranos didn't worry about anything else.
"The Xenos must stay hidden for now. We won't risk the Loki Familia finding them."
"Don't worry; I have an eye on them."
---
Dungeon, Floor 34, Orario
Being the only safe floor in the lower levels, the Loki and Hephasteus Familias decided to rest. After all, they had been fighting monsters all day, and their stamina was not infinite. Even for Ais, signs of fatigue were showing, and seeing this, Finn didn't hesitate to set up camp on this floor.
Fortunately for them, unlike floor 50, which was now invaded by monsters, this area still retained its original state.
This allowed them to take a break.
"Tell me, Ais... How did you become so strong? What did Yuki-sama teach you?"
As it was a safe floor, the adventurers let their guards down. They sought water to bathe and relax, and luckily, they found a lake that met their expectations. Without hesitation, Tiona dragged Ais into the lake, and all the other women were drawn to it like bees to honey.
"Yes, tell us! What did he teach you? I'm really curious."
Ais, displaying her incredible skill and agility against the monsters, immediately gathered the attention of the surrounding adventurers. As there were rumors that Ais somehow managed to hang out with Yuki, they were naturally skeptical. The gods provided free publicity for Yuki, so for them, he was an almost unreachable being. But with Ais's recent actions, they stopped doubting. Ais wasn't as powerful and agile in the past.
"..."
Ais, on the other hand, didn't know how to respond. The fact that they surrounded her immediately made her blink several times in confusion.
After all, for her, these monsters were just as weak as in the past. She could still kill them with a few hits. But after seeing her companions struggling with them, Ais began to doubt...
It's not that her companions were weak; it's that she had become stronger, just as Yuki had promised. Her training sessions were bearing fruit, but because she always faced Yuki, she thought nothing had changed. After all, she always ended up on the ground and panting.
But she was wrong...
She had changed; her movements were more fluid, and she expended less energy.
Her talent, coupled with her half-spirit body, had propelled her into an entirely new stage.
"Enough already. You're making her uncomfortable."
Pitying Ais, Riveria shook her head. It was unusual for her to be here, but she was also curious, so she joined this small conversation among women.
"Mou~." Pouting dissatisfied, the adventurers stopped surrounding Ais. Likewise, they began removing their armor and clothes. They needed to bathe, after all.
Ais didn't lag behind either. Without the pressure of her companions, she breathed a sigh of relief and sent a grateful look to Riveria. Like the others, she started removing her armor and clothes.
"Ais-san..."
Lefiya, on the other hand, blushed as she watched Ais undress. Ais's skin was whiter than usual, and it looked so tender, like that of a baby.
Her transformation was greater than expected, and not only did she notice it, but even the Amazon sisters and Riveria also saw it.
*Creak
While all the girls were watching Ais's movements, she didn't care and continued to remove her armor. Likewise, the weights on her feet, causing a small sound when they hit the ground.
*Bam
"...?"
Needless to say, the girls tilted their heads and opened their eyes, as they could see the weights creating a small dent when they fell.
"Ais... What is that?"
"?"
Approaching, Tiona stared intently at the metal plates on the floor, while Ais tilted her head, lifting one of them.
"Weights."
"Weights?!"
Responding instantly, Tiona strongly denied it, and not just her; all the others strongly denied it too.
This was too ridiculous...
Who in their right mind would use weights in a dungeon?
"Can I see them, Kenki?"
With her curiosity piqued, Tsubaki approached and enthusiastically looked at the metal plates. As a master blacksmith, her eyes could see that the weights were made of a very rare material.
"Hm?!"
Of course, Ais didn't mind. Passing a metal plate,Tsubaki, upon holding one of the weights, instantly opened her eyes in surprise. Ais didn't mind, and Tsubaki, holding the weights in her hands, was astonished. They were heavier than she had anticipated.
(Kenki... How...?)
Looking at Ais with disbelief, Tsubaki swallowed hard.
(She fought with these on her.)
Ais's agility was already impressive, effortlessly dispatching several Level 4 monsters. However, this woman fought with restrictions on her. The ankle weights weighed 50 kilograms each. For any adventurer, their movements would be hindered, and the weaker ones might not even be able to walk.
But Ais moved with agility even with these weights.
How much strength was required for this?
More importantly, Ais's tenacity was incredible, adapting to this challenge.
As a blacksmith, Tsubaki knew that adapting to heavy things was costly, and it could take years before one's body got accustomed. For example, she took some time before she could use her hammer and forging tools. The same applied to Ais.
But the most important question here is...
(How powerful is she without the weights?)
Tsubaki didn't know, but if she wasn't mistaken, Ais would have no trouble facing Level 6 adventurers. Even hitting them would be possible. After all, with her speed and agility, her opponent wouldn't have time to respond.
---
TN: huehuehue