About a month later, the subjugation of the "Corrupted Spirit" officially set out.
Making use of the [Elevator] that had long since been repaired.
The Guild had stockpiled a great deal of logistical supplies at the adventurer town on Floor 18, and with the help of the Xenos, had likewise established a small temporary camp on the safe floor of the [Elf Garden] on Floor 28, to serve for support and resupply.
And so.
The "expedition" that would normally have had to begin from Floor 1 actually started, this time, from Floor 29 — which could be said to have saved a tremendous amount of time.
And with the Xenos helping to clear the path and transport supplies the whole way, the Loki Familia did not choose their usual route.
Turning out in almost full force, they assembled a party of over a hundred, relying on a large number of second-tier adventurers (even bringing along combat smiths, healers, and so on), carrying all manner of spare weapons, potions, and other supplies as they advanced steadily and cautiously toward the deep floors.
An expedition like this was extremely safe, but because the party was so large, its rate of advance was naturally painfully slow.
Especially once they reached the deep floors.
Even though the rear-line unit handling logistics was made up almost entirely of second-tier adventurers Lv. 3 and above, it was still very dangerous, requiring constant escort from the front-line adventurers just to earn the right to finally reach the destination.
In this way, past Loki Familia expeditions were usually measured in "years" — not only did the preparations take a long time, but merely traveling back and forth through the deep floors took months.
But now it was much faster.
The adventurers carried their own supplies, then relied on the Xenos to establish temporary Silver Grounds even in the deep floors and secure the routes onward.
There was no need for a rear-line unit below Lv. 5 as support.
Aside from "special members" like Haruhime, Airmid, and Asfi, everyone else was Lv. 5 or above... no, essentially all of them were Lv. 7 high-tier adventurers.
It was practically like slicing through melons and vegetables the whole way.
A week after setting out, the group reached the safe floor on Floor 50.
This place resembled Rivira's Under Resort, its mountain forests stretching on without end; the only difference was that the massive crystal clusters hanging from the ceiling had become glowing, unidentified "orbs of light" — that was all.
Further down was the [Dragon's Crucible].
Then came Floor 60, the floor once occupied by the Corrupted Spirit, which should originally have connected to a "glacial region."
But due to the Corrupted Spirit's reshaping, it had long since become a jungle-like "demonic domain."
The Loki and Freya Familias had already joined forces to deal with the Corrupted Spirit's "clone" there, but that had not been the main body, which was hidden on a floor even further below — and was the subjugation target of this very expedition.
Its estimated level was at least Lv. 8.
By rights, now that there was Isagi's distinctive Dungeon, the high-level adventurers could have kept leveling up first, but the Guild truly couldn't sit still any longer.
Though nominally the Xenos were down in the deep floors gathering information.
But being Lv. 5, they couldn't realistically venture past Floor 60 to check on the situation.
Ais stood atop this verdant cliff, gazing off at the massive cave mouth in the distance — the passage connecting Floor 50 and Floor 51.
What lay beyond.
For the Guild's adventurers, it was all unknown.
The strategy meeting had just ended, and the many adventurers made camp here, working with the Xenos to establish a small logistics base.
After resting for one night, they would officially set out.
[No telling what the situation ahead would be——]
The night passed without incident.
After a full eight hours of sleep, the group gathered their supplies and provisions and prepared to depart.
After Floor 50 came Floor 51.
Ais was fairly familiar with this place, and as a vanguard she walked at the very front alongside Ryuu, Ottar, and Finn.
Unlike the blonde girl, who had been here before during the subjugation of the Corrupted Spirit on Floor 60, Ryuu had never come here herself — she had only heard of it, and so seemed a little curious.
After emerging from the passage.
The verdant mountain forest all faded away and vanished, giving way to ash-gray rock.
The path before them was squared off, as if it had been artificially arranged, making the elf girl even think of the Artificial Labyrinth.
The orange glow of the Magic Stone lamps intertwined with a grayish-white light seeping from who-knew-where, lending the floor an utterly desolate air.
That said. In theory, Floors 51 through 59 were all the [Dragon's Crucible].
But this Floor 51 was fairly safe, with few draconic monsters to be encountered; strictly speaking, it did not really belong to the Dragon's Crucible region, and was more like some kind of labyrinth.
And as the group pressed deeper, following the map drawn up earlier by the Zeus and Hera Familias that the Guild had provided.
Gradually, they could make out the dark green vines clinging to the walls.
As if alive, they were slowly writhing, seeming to want to devour this entire floor.
At the same time, the monsters they had encountered before — resembling great green caterpillars — came surging in as well.
"Careful, these monsters' blood is strongly corrosive. Even first-grade equipment will be destroyed by it."
The Loki and Freya Familias had suffered on this account during their earlier subjugation.
As for the deadly poison these giant worms sprayed, that was actually no problem — which was the very reason Airmid had been brought along.
"Keep moving forward."
Ottar merely said this, and shouldering his greatsword alone, in an instant tore apart every monster before him.
"Don't waste time."
He said softly, and for some reason, into his mind kept surfacing that short figure he had once glimpsed in the deep floors — the one that resembled a Goblin——
On the very day Ais, Ryuu-senpai, and the others set out, Isagi too was preparing to leave the city and go about his own business.
It was serious business.
At present, the city's top-tier fighting strength had all gone into the Dungeon.
The Guild wanted him to head to the [Great Wall] in the north and hold back the Great Dragons emerging from the Dragon Valley — that is, to prevent the [Visiting Dragon] problem over the coming period.
Isagi, of course, didn't mind.
He was all set to depart alone, but then those two — Artemis and Aphrodite — insisted on tagging along.
The hunting goddess was fine; she had been quite familiar with the [Great Wall] to begin with.
The Artemis Familia mainly helped the Guild track the [Visiting Dragons] that escaped the Dragon Valley, and if one happened to be fairly weak, they would even hunt it down themselves.
But the [Goddess of Beauty] simply had nothing to do and wanted an outing.
"We're not going out to have fun, you know."
"It's fine! The moment anything happens I'll run far, far away — no trouble at all!!"
"..."
Gods could be killed by monsters too, but even that merely meant returning to the heavens, so some of them acted especially "brazen" — and Aphrodite was clearly this type.
For her, the chance to go see the northern [Dragon Valley] and [Great Wall] with her own eyes was an important experience one simply had to have upon coming to the Lower World — especially since her own Familia was not suited to combat, this could be called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something worth "risking her life" and "adventuring" for!
Isagi couldn't really say anything, since there was no stopping a god's thoughts and actions.
And so, riding the Ganesha Familia's Wyverns, the boy and the two goddesses set off toward the north, into the blue summer sky.
____
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