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"Mika, have you been concealing your Familia's true levels?"
Finn's question struck a chord within Mika, causing his heart to pound. After all, this was a closely guarded secret within their Familia.
"What makes you think that?" Mika asked, feigning curiosity while maintaining a calm facade.
"Intuition, of course!" Finn replied with a knowing smile. "I've observed your battles, including Airmid and Mellie's. The three of you always seem to fight with such effortless grace."
"Even during your battle with that Level 4 adventurer, when I arrived to assist, I didn't detect the slightest hint of someone truly teetering on the brink of death."
"That's when the thought first crossed my mind. Later, I looked into the time it took for you to level up, and it didn't quite match Riveria's assessment of your abilities."
Mika suddenly understood.
Because Mellie was Riveria's apprentice, Mika and his companions were acquainted with the High Elf. Riveria had also assessed their talents.
So, when they intentionally disguised their rapid leveling progress as merely "above average," it was easily discernible to someone like Riveria.
However, it wasn't Riveria who saw through their deception, but Finn.
"Yes, we have been concealing our true strength," Mika admitted frankly.
They had initially hidden their strength to avoid attracting the attention of adventurers from the dark faction who might seek to eliminate them.
But now, Mika was confident in his ability to protect himself, Airmid, and Mellie.
Since the commander of their allied forces was inquiring, there was no need for further deception.
Moreover, Mika didn't believe Finn's intention was to punish them on behalf of the Guild.
"While it may sound boastful, the three members of our Familia are no less capable than Ais from your Familia. Since we're not a large Familia like yours, we had to conceal our strength to avoid being targeted by the dark faction."
"I understand your concerns. We will recommend to the Guild that your punishment be waived."
According to Guild regulations, concealing a Familia's true strength was punishable.
This was because the Guild needed to accurately assess the strength of each Familia to assign them appropriate ranks.
Based on these ranks, the difficulty and number of Guild-assigned quests varied.
This was the responsibility of every Familia.
Therefore, concealing one's level in Orario was akin to tax evasion in Mika's previous life.
"Thank you, Finn," Mika said gratefully, relieved to avoid punishment.
"It's nothing. In these times of conflict with the dark faction, every capable fighter is essential, especially considering the valuable information you've provided."
Finn dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, then returned to his previous question.
"So, what are your actual levels?"
"I've reached Level 4, and both Airmid and Mellie are at the peak of Level 3, only needing one final grand achievement to level up."
"..."
Finn was stunned into silence by Mika's revelation.
While he had suspected that Mika and his companions might have reached Level 3 like Ais, he hadn't anticipated that Mika was already a Level 4, and Airmid and Mellie were on the verge of reaching the same level.
Seeing the astonishment in Finn's eyes, Mika offered a casual explanation. "I have a unique skill that accelerates the growth of my Familia members."
This was the excuse he had prepared in advance.
After all, they couldn't reveal their ability to travel between worlds and train in accelerated time.
That would cause an uproar among Orario's gods.
Of course, he couldn't claim it was a shareable skill either, as that would attract unwanted attention from other Familias.
So, he attributed it to a unique, Familia-specific skill.
This way, any prying eyes would focus on him alone, sparing Airmid and Mellie from unwanted scrutiny.
Now, as a Level 4 adventurer, Mika was no longer the weakling he once was.
He no longer feared any unwanted attention.
He could escape at any moment if needed.
"Is that so?" Finn remarked, intrigued by Mika's explanation.
"It makes me want to steal you away for the Loki Familia."
Mika simply smiled, offering no response.
He knew Finn was joking.
In this time of conflict with the dark faction, Finn, as the commander, wouldn't do anything to create internal strife.
As for after the "Great Feud"?
By then, Mika would likely have grown strong enough to fear no one.
Seeing Mika's smile, Finn shook his head and shifted the topic back to the matter at hand.
"Level 4 and Level 3, huh?"
"It seems the entire Yahweh Familia will need to participate in this mission."
Finn said with a slight smile.
"What do you mean?" Mika's expression turned serious upon hearing that his entire Familia was required.
"Don't worry, it wouldn't be any fun to spoil the surprise just yet."
Finn stood up from his chair.
"Let's go. The other Familias should have assembled by now."
"It's time we joined them."
"You'll learn about our destination when we get there."
With that, Finn led Mika out of the meeting room and down a corridor to a much larger conference room.
Numerous individuals were already waiting inside.
Mika recognized them all at a glance.
Riveria Ljos Alf and Gareth Landrock from the Loki Familia.
Ottar from the Freya Familia.
Shakti Varma from the Ganesha Familia.
Alise Lovell from the Astraea Familia.
Even Tsubaki Collbrande from the Hephaestus Familia was present.
Along with Finn and Mika, who had just arrived, these were all the attendees in the conference room.
"Finn, you're finally here," Riveria said with a serious expression as she approached Finn.
"Apologies, I was having a chat with Mika."
"If this matter is confidential, let's proceed quickly. Our prolonged absence from the banquet will raise suspicions," Shakti suggested, her tone equally serious.
Meanwhile, Alise beckoned Mika with a playful wink.
Mika immediately joined Alise and Shakti.
"Don't worry, Loki should be giving a speech at the banquet right now, capturing everyone's attention. No one will notice our absence."
"However, just in case, I won't waste any time."
"Let's get straight to the point."
"There's only one reason I've gathered you all here today. I intend to organize a joint expedition comprised of elite members from all the Familias present."
"We will explore the dungeon together!"
---
"A joint expedition into the dungeon!"
Finn's words were met with silence. However, the room was filled with the captains of Orario's most prominent Familias, each a shrewd and calculating individual.
As they pondered Finn's proposal, various thoughts and theories began to form in their minds.
"Finn, are you suggesting our current fighting strength is insufficient, to the point where we need to organize an elite team to level up?" Shakti asked, surprised.
In their battles against the dark faction, the Guild-led Familias had always held the upper hand.
Though the threat posed by the dark faction was significant, it hadn't reached a critical level.
Furthermore, as time went on, the danger posed by the dark faction had diminished considerably, and their influence was expected to continue waning. After all, hidden in the shadows, they couldn't develop as smoothly as the established Familias.
"That's right," Finn confirmed. "This is related to some intel we've received."
He then gestured towards Mika.
Instantly, all eyes in the room turned to him.
"Does this have something to do with you, Mika?" Shakti asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
"Indeed," Mika replied. Inwardly cursing Finn for shifting the spotlight onto him, he explained, "I encountered Zald and Alfia near Orario's outer walls."
"Zald and Alfia?!"
The mere mention of those familiar names caused a stir in the previously quiet conference room.
"Mika, are you certain it was them?" Shakti pressed, her voice laced with disbelief.
The Ganesha Familia had a long and storied history, and their archives contained records from various eras.
As the recently appointed captain of the Ganesha Familia, Shakti was well-versed in the legends of Zald and Alfia. They were legendary figures who had conquered two of the three great trials.
"Yes, it was them," Mika affirmed. He reached behind him and removed the shield bearing the Hera Familia's crest.
"Actually, my parents were members of the Hera Familia."
"I see. You're a descendant of the Hera Familia," Shakti said, a hint of concern in her voice. She knew that neither Mika nor Finn would fabricate such a claim.
"Finn, are you saying that you're certain these two will be our adversaries?"
"It's highly likely," Finn replied with a wry smile.
"Judging by the dark faction's recent actions, they must have found a definitive way to gain an advantage over us."
"And yet, these two individuals have secretly infiltrated Orario."
"I can't think of any other possibility besides them being the dark faction's trump card."
The others nodded in agreement.
After the Zeus and Hera Familias' failed expedition to slay the Black Dragon and their subsequent departure from Orario, the dark era known as the "Great Feud" had begun.
That period was the dark faction's heyday, coinciding with the weakest point of Orario's other Familias.
However, with the passage of time, Orario's Familias gradually grew stronger, driving the dark faction back into the shadows.
Considering the disparity in resources, the dark faction's power was expected to dwindle. They had gradually lost the ability to directly challenge Orario's might.
Now, they could only resort to petty schemes and ambushes, inflicting minor setbacks and losses upon the established Familias.
They were incapable of truly crippling their opponents.
Yet, despite this, they had become increasingly bold in recent times.
It seemed as if the dark faction, once driven back into obscurity, was showing signs of resurgence.
This perplexed the leaders of Orario's Familias.
Where did they find the courage?
However, the presence of Zald and Alfia explained everything.
They had gained the power to challenge Orario's strongest Familias.
These were heroes of the past.
Zald, the "Glutton," and Alfia, the "Silence," both Level 7.
In the current era, where most of Orario's high-ranking adventurers were Level 5, with only Ottar having achieved Level 6, the combined might of two top-tier Level 7 adventurers was immeasurable.
Without proper preparation, encountering them unexpectedly would likely result in certain death.
As the room fell silent, Finn clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
"Our destination is the 49th floor of the dungeon, the domain of the Floor Boss, Balor."
"Balor, the Floor Boss of the 49th floor!"
The mere mention of that name sent shivers down their spines.
Floor Bosses were powerful, monstrous beings residing within the dungeon. Their immense strength and massive size made them formidable opponents, even for adventurers of comparable levels.
Defeating a Floor Boss required a coordinated effort from a large, organized group of adventurers.
What was even more terrifying was the unpredictable nature of a Floor Boss's location.
They didn't always reside on the floors corresponding to their level.
The first Floor Boss encountered in the dungeon was Goliath on the 17th floor.
The twelve floors between the 13th and 24th floors were typically the domain of Level 2 adventurers.
Yet, Goliath, a Level 4 monster, resided within this range.
Further down, on the 27th floor, was the Amphisbaena, a Level 5 Floor Boss.
On the 37th floor resided Udaeus, a Level 6 Floor Boss.
And Finn's target, Balor, a Level 7 Floor Boss, dwelled on the 49th floor.
It was worth noting that these levels referred to the Floor Bosses' potential ability levels.
Their actual combat strength far surpassed that of adventurers of the same level.
Battling a Floor Boss was a test of endurance.
They possessed massive bodies that could withstand conventional attacks and seemingly limitless stamina.
Even the combined magical firepower of multiple mages wouldn't be enough to quickly defeat such an opponent.
Unless the adventurers' levels significantly exceeded that of the Floor Boss, any tactical approach would inevitably devolve into a war of attrition.
In the future, even a seasoned expedition team from the Loki Familia, comprising three Level 6 adventurers, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, along with four other Level 5 adventurers, had to rely on attrition to defeat the Level 6 Udaeus.
Even then, they relied heavily on Finn's exceptional leadership and strategic prowess.
However, Finn's current target was the Level 7 Balor, and the team he could assemble now was far less powerful than the future Loki Familia expedition.
Furthermore, the most crucial factor was the dungeon's depth.
The 49th floor was uncharted territory, a depth no Familia had reached in the current era.
...
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