Ryou's plan was reasonable and appropriate. Furthermore, there wasn't anyone else skilled in commanding here. His arrangement also perfectly suited the inclinations of the young ladies.
There was no need to mention Ais, the monster-slaying fanatic. Lefiya was eager to showcase her magic in front of Ais, and Filvis, ever since experiencing the total annihilation of her previous teams, had developed an obsessive determination to protect her teammates. Guarding her dear friend closely would allow her to perform at 120% of her capability.
"Proud warriors, archers of the forest..."
Lefiya began chanting the incantation for a large-scale spell. A substantial amount of magic power gathered around her, illuminating her like a spotlight. A complex circular magic array appeared out of thin air beneath her feet.
Sensing the fluctuation of magic chanting, some of the man-eating plants immediately abandoned their assault on the group of adventurers and turned toward Lefiya's location.
Seeing over a dozen man-eating plants rushing towards her, Lefiya grew nervous, nearly interrupting her incantation.
"Purify the enemies! Thunder of exorcism! Supreme God, Bacchus' staff!"
In an instant, a dazzling white lightning bolt shot out like a laser, piercing through the bodies of two or three man-eating plants before hitting the wall, leaving a deep, fist-sized hole.
Two magic stones emitting a dark green glow fell to the ground.
Lefiya looked over in surprise and saw Filvis holding a short staff in one hand and a dagger in the other, standing protectively in front of her.
Filvis then turned around and nodded at her, her eyes conveying a clear message:
"I will protect you!"
With her confidence restored, Lefiya continued chanting the incantation.
The group of adventurers also stepped in front of the man-eating plants, preventing them from approaching the chanting Lefiya.
On the other side, Ais straightforwardly activated her wind magic, sweeping the giant man-eating plant like a tornado.
In just one strike, the giant man-eating plant was pierced through by Ais, leaving a chilling hole.
Olivaz's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He could not fathom that a giant man-eating plant, equivalent to a level 5 adventurer, could be slain in an instant.
"Damn it! I am the favored one of that lord! How could I be defeated here!? Giant man-eating plants!" he shouted like a gambler who had lost everything.
With his shout, three more giant man-eating plants emerged from the ground.
With reinforcements at his back, Olivaz's arrogance returned.
"See that? This is the power of that lord! I told you, all you pathetic adventurers will die here today!"
"You should worry about yourself first," came a mocking voice.
"Who!?"
Olivaz turned his gaze, only to see a figure right in front of him.
It was Ryou himself!
Taking advantage of the monsters being drawn away, Ryou used the ring ability to lower his presence and approached Olivaz, then threw a punch.
"I am the man favored by that lord!!!"
Olivaz shouted, raising his arm to block the punch.
A loud bang echoed.
The arrogance on Olivaz's face instantly turned to horror.
He felt a tremendous force collide with his arm, followed by a crisp crack as his arm bone broke.
But that wasn't the end. The spot where his arm was hit immediately frosted over, and a bone-chilling cold spread through his entire body.
As if triggered by something, the pair of rainbow-glowing gauntlets on Ryou's hands suddenly emitted a deep blue magical light.
With a whoosh, a storm infused with frost magic erupted from Ryou, expanding outward. From above, it looked like a ring made of frost.
"Huh? The effect triggered on the first hit. You must have terrible luck. Did you step in dog shit on your way out?"
Ryou exclaimed, recalling the effects of Elemental Fury and taunting Olivaz.
"Curse you! My power is granted by that lord! How could I lose to you!?" Olivaz broke free from the frost's grip, his body shivering and his breath visible with ice shards, yet still he couldn't help but spew boastful words.
Ryou understood clearly: dealing with such a fanatical, mentally deranged zealot, attacking him personally was utterly meaningless.
"You mean Enyo? Just a minor deity of Ares who destroyed a few small villages, and she thinks she's some kind of primordial god?"
Ryou wore a deliberately jeering expression on his face.
There was no better way to break a zealot than to directly mock his faith.
Ryou's words had an immediate effect.
"Ahhh! I'll kill you!!!"
Olivaz's face twisted and contorted, showing an expression of madness as if his brain had started trembling.
Like a rabid dog, he charged at Ryou with no regard for anything.
Seeing Olivaz almost lose his mind, Ryou smirked and stepped forward to meet him.
Indeed, Olivaz, having lost his rationality, was terrifying. He completely abandoned defense, throwing every punch with lethal intent, as if he wanted to take Ryou down with him.
But unfortunately for him, he met Ryou.
Ryou relished this kind of head-on, do-or-die fighting style. With his formidable defense and self-recovery abilities, he could practically do as he pleased.
To everyone present, it looked like a philosophical-looking man and a boy wearing rainbow-colored gloves was brawling like wild beasts.
You punch me in the face, I hit you on the nose; you kick me in the abdomen, I knee you in the waist.
But as the fight went on, Olivaz started feeling something was off.
His attacks landed on Ryou without causing pain or leaving marks as if hitting a steel plate.
On the contrary, every punch from Ryou inflicted severe damage not only to Olivaz's muscles but also to his internal organs. The rainbow gloves' elemental attacks alone were enough to give him a headache.
And with bad luck, they would trigger even stronger magical effects.
Fire burns, electric shocks, freezing, and petrification—all these Olivaz experienced in quick succession. In just a few minutes, his body was covered in various burns, scorch marks, frostbite, and numerous other wounds of all sizes.
Even though he had fused with a magic stone, turning his body into a half-human, half-monster, and possessed monstrous vitality, he gradually couldn't withstand Ryou's onslaught.
"Impossible! I am the man blessed by that lord. How could I lose to you!" Olivaz shouted, trying to brainwash himself despite his unwavering faith wavering.
"You better shout louder! See if your goddess will come to save you!" Ryou, now having the upper hand, began to mock him.
"Don't get arrogant! You're just a puny human! A puny human!"
Olivaz screamed, throwing another punch.
Ryou's eyes flashed; this time, he didn't take it head-on. Instead, he ducked, dodging the punch, and seized the opportunity to get close, delivering a fierce uppercut to Olivaz's chin.
Bang!
By sheer luck, this punch triggered the 'Explosive Flame' magic effect.
A brilliant burst of fire exploded under Olivaz's jaw. With the combined force of Ryou's punch and the 'Explosive Flame,' Olivaz was sent flying.
He hit the ground with a heavy thud and passed out.
By now, the man-eating plants in the cave had been mostly cleared out. Even the giant man-eating plants Olivaz relied on had been taken down by Ais.
With the crisis averted, the rescued adventurers gathered around.
"Thank you all for your rescue. I am Asfi, the captain of Hermes' Familia," said the blue-haired, bespectacled woman, supported by her teammates, as she approached Ryou and the others.
Ryou and his companions exchanged glances, and finally, he stepped forward. "You're welcome. It's only right for adventurers to help each other in the Dungeon. I am Gudao, and these two are Ais and Lefiya from Loki's Familia. That one over there is Filvis from Dionysus' Familia."
"Loki's Familia?"
"Isn't that the Sword Princess?"
The fame of Ais, known as the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia, was widespread. Not just in Orario, but across the entire world, few hadn't heard of Ais Wallenstein. In terms of Earth, she would be a world-class superstar.
Asfi, the captain, scrutinized Ryou. She had noticed that this four-person team was entirely under his command.
"Saved! We're saved! Thank goodness the Sword Princess and your team arrived; otherwise, we would have all died here!" exclaimed the beastwoman girl named Lulune, greeting them warmly.
Ryou's eyes flashed as he casually asked, "Are you also here to investigate the monster migration on the 24th floor?"
"That's right. If it weren't for the guild's black-robed magician holding something over us, who would want to come here?"
Lulune immediately started complaining.
"Lulune!"
Asfi scolded sharply.
"Eek!"
Lulune instantly straightened up, even her tail standing on end.
"It's because of your big mouth that we've been caught in this mess. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"
Asfi reprimanded her sternly.
But Ryou had already gotten the information he wanted.
He glanced at the three women, who seemed to be deep in thought and chuckled to himself. At least two gods would now be more wary of Uranos, the guild's bigwig.
In the original story, it was subtly hinted that Uranos was the mastermind behind several major events. Ryou always felt that Uranos was no ordinary figure and was scheming something behind the scenes.
Since his plans couldn't be brought to light, they were likely to harm everyone's interests and could even cause chaos in Orario.
With the promising growth of Gudako Hotel, Ryou sought stability. Any entity that disrupted the peace of Orario was his enemy!
Although his current strength was limited, once he became powerful, he would eliminate anyone trying to destabilize Orario, whether it was the dark factions plotting from within or Ares, who had established a military kingdom outside and was eyeing Orario.
He had no intention of being on constant guard against threats.
"Hmm~"
At that moment, there was a slight movement nearby.
Olivaz, who had been knocked out, was starting to stir.
"It looks like this lunatic is waking up," Ryou said, walking over and grabbing Olivaz by the head with one hand, lifting him and throwing him in front of Filvis.
"He's all yours."
"Impossible! I am blessed by that lord! How could I lose to the likes of you!"
Even on the brink of death, Olivaz continued ranting, proving just how terrifying a religious fanatic could be.
"Olivaz!"
The hatred in Filvis' eyes nearly turned to flames. She drew the dagger from her waist and slashed it across Olivaz's neck.
Blood spurted out, staining her pale, clean face.
To everyone's shock except Ryou, the wound on Olivaz's neck began to heal.
"Heh heh heh! I am blessed by that lord! You mere mortals cannot harm me!"
Olivaz laughed maniacally.
"He has fused with a magic stone. You just need to dig out the stone from his chest to kill him," Ryou helpfully advised from the side.
"You!"
Olivaz's laughter abruptly stopped.
Filled with hatred, Filvis wasted no time. She plunged her dagger into Olivaz's chest, ignoring his screams, and began to twist it inside.
A monster's magic stone is akin to a human heart; once sufficiently damaged, the monster immediately turns to ashes.
With a soft crack, Olivaz suddenly stiffened and then shattered like a statue, finally turning to ash just like a monster.
Filvis's hand was covered in blood, and in her palm was a dark green magic stone.
Ding!
The magic stone slipped from her hand with a soft sound.
Though her great vengeance was achieved, Filvis seemed to lose her life's purpose all at once. She stood up with a blank look in her eyes and staggered out like a zombie.
Everyone stared at each other in silence. Lefiya stepped forward with a worried expression.
"I'll go check on Miss Filvis."
Ryou sighed. Filvis's situation was fundamentally a psychological issue. Olivaz had killed her companions, leaving her as the sole survivor multiple times. Now that she had avenged them, her emotions were in turmoil. Unless she was a cold, unfeeling machine, she would inevitably develop some psychological problems.
What she needed now was someone to rely on to warm her heart and time to slowly heal. It would be even better if she could fall in love.
As for her lover being the same gender? Love is what matters. Yuri is the true path, while heterosexuality is... well, if someone has to face hell, let it be me.
Ryou watched Lefiya's retreating figure and thought darkly to himself.
After defeating the boss, it was time to clean up the battlefield.
Seeing the scattered dark green magic stones, Ryou's eyes flashed with an idea, and he quickly spoke up, "Everyone, I have a use for these mutated magic stones. Would you be willing to part with them?"
Ais immediately handed over the magic stones dropped by the four giant man-eating flowers to him.
Seeing how cooperative she was, Ryou quickly patted her head in appreciation and whispered in her ear, "When we get back, I'll make you some cream desserts as a reward."
Ais's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded like a squirrel.
Seeing this, Lulune also casually tossed her magic stone over.
"Well~ these magic stones look so gross. I don't even know if they can be exchanged for money. If you want them, they're yours."
Lulune was so carefree that she completely missed her captain's frantic signaling.
Ryou couldn't help but find it amusing. He had seen many instances of sons and fathers causing trouble for each other, but this was the first time he had seen someone trouble their captain. This girl must have faced quite a bit of backlash from her captain.
With his teammates leading the way and owing Ryou a life debt, Asfi could only remain silent, even if she suspected Ryou had his agenda.
With their captain's tacit approval, the members of the Hermes Familia handed over their collected magic stones to him.
In no time, Ryou had gathered dozens of these mutated magic stones.
"I don't want to take advantage of you. Here are the magic stones we found along the way; they're all yours," Ryou said, seemingly performing a magic trick as he produced a large bag filled to the brim with magic stones.
Aside from Asfi, who remained silent, the members of Hermes Familia couldn't hide their delight. This bag of magic stones was worth far more than what they had given away, making it seem like they had gained a lot more from the exchange.
"We have other matters to attend to, so we'll be going now. Goodbye."
With the matter settled, Ryou didn't linger. He said goodbye to the members of Hermes Familia and returned to the surface with Ais.
...
After escorting Ais back to the Loki Familia, Ryou also returned to his dormitory.
Everything seemed calm, but Ryou knew this was just the last bit of peace before the storm hit.
The Loki Familia was about to embark on an expedition, and who knew how much turmoil it would stir up this time?
Even though Ryou had prepared thoroughly, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
...
On the other side, Ais, who had returned to the Familia, arrived at the leader's office. She was just about to begin reporting the findings of her investigation to the three heads of the Familia and the goddess Loki.
"Ais-tan, that guy didn't do anything to you, right? Did he take advantage of you while you were asleep, doing this and that..."
Loki bombarded her with questions before Ais could even start.
Ais immediately put on a silent expression.
"Loki!"
Riveria shouted to stop her.
"Isn't mom worried at all? Your daughter spent the whole night outside with a strange man..."
Loki didn't stop and instead tried to rally support.
"Who's your mom!"
Riveria snapped angrily.
It seemed like women of any race were most sensitive about their age.
"Alright, Loki," Finn, the captain, had to step in to smooth things over and bring the conversation back on track.
"Ais, wasn't Lefiya with you? Why didn't you come back together?"
"Lefiya is with Filvis."
"That elf girl from the Dionysus Familia..."
Finn smiled slightly.
"It's good for Lefiya to get to know more of her kin."
"Now, please give us a detailed report of your investigation," Finn said seriously.
Ais nodded and began her report slowly.
An hour later, Finn let Ais go to rest after she finished her report.
After Ais left, the leaders of the Loki Familia's expressions turned grim.
"Fusing magic stones with humans, even reviving those who had once died, this is really..."
Finn smiled bitterly.
"That child Ais has also caught the eye of some troublesome characters," Gareth remarked.
"What worries me more is the ambiguous attitude of the Guild. It seems they are plotting something behind the scenes," Riveria said, equally serious.
"Loki, you went to the Guild to probe Uranus. How did it go?" Finn asked.
"That old fox is as cunning as ever. He neither admitted nor showed any flaws," Loki said with her signature squint, devoid of any humor.
"Let's put the Guild on our watch list for now. Our top priority is still the expedition," Finn finally decided as the captain.
"Finally, the time has come," Gareth straightened up at the mention of the expedition.
"Yes, Gareth, how are the logistics preparations going?" Finn asked.
"Rest assured, everything is ready," Gareth patted his chest confidently.
"Riveria, how's the contact with the Hephaestus Familia?" Finn then turned to Riveria.
"Tsubaki will lead the team personally, and the magic weapons have already been crafted in advance."
"Good! This time, we must explore the unknown territories that even the Zeus and Hera Familias couldn't reach and make our names known throughout the world!"
Finn declared passionately.
"Haha! That's what I like about you. Such a small body but with boundless ambition!"
Gareth laughed heartily.
"Thinking back, the three of us have come a long way together," Riveria said nostalgically, noting that only the three of them remained from the original members of the Loki Familia.
"Indeed, and we will keep moving forward!"
...
Soon, Ryou received a notification from the Loki Familia to assemble in three days for the grand expedition.
Upon receiving the news, his eyes sharpened.
The 59th floor, the source of the corruption, the Demi Spirit, here I come!
Ryou immediately began to prepare.
He didn't have much to prepare since items like tents and other materials were provided by the Loki Familia. Weapons and medicines could be directly exchanged from the system.
The only things he needed to prepare himself were the seasonings and cooking utensils required for making food.
Since this was an expedition, complex cooking was out of the question. Ryou planned to focus on grilling, so he needed to prepare plenty of spices.
But even this was simple: just store them in the storage space.
As for ingredients, apart from some supplementary items, the rest could be gathered along the way in the dungeon.
Ryou's main concern was arranging matters at the Gudako Hotel.
Such a large-scale expedition wouldn't be over in just three to five days, so everything needed to be properly arranged.
By the time Ryou finished his preparations, almost three days had passed.
On the day of the expedition, nearly all the members of the Gudako Hotel came out to see him off before he departed.
After all, an expedition into the dungeon wasn't a picnic. Although the female clerks had absolute confidence in him, nothing in life was certain, and they feared the worst...
Even Mama Mia, who usually didn't show him a good face, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Gudao, come back quickly once the expedition is over. I can't manage the Gudako Hotel by myself."
"Gudao-kun, I, the goddess, command you to return. I'm still waiting for you to make me delicious food!"
Hestia said with her arms crossed and a haughty expression. However, she didn't realize that this pose made her chest stand out even more.
The old staff at the tavern were also tearful, looking as if Ryou was heading to the gallows.
Feeling awkward, Ryou quickly waved goodbye to everyone and headed towards the Tower of Babel.