Although the sight of the dead returning to life was incredibly shocking, more than enough to rouse anyone's thirst for exploration, Finn's cool-headed mind arrived at a conclusion in an instant—that, in all likelihood, was not the real Alise Lovell.
Otherwise, given the personality of the "Crimson Flower of Justice," she would never have attacked Bete without a word, nor would she have chosen to flee without hesitation upon seeing them, her former allies.
Therefore, this incident most likely had nothing to do with the Loki Familia.
Of course, if their patron deity, Lady Loki, took an interest in it... then it would become their business.
By this time, Tiona, Lefiya, and the others had finally learned the true identity of the red-haired girl from the visibly shaken Raul and Anakitty, and all of them revealed expressions of absolute shock.
"W-Was that... the legendary 'Crimson Flower of Justice,' Miss Alise Lovell?"
Lefiya, in particular, had her mouth shaped in a small "O", her eyes filled with disbelief.
After all, the name Alise Lovell had been solemnly inscribed into the heroic epics used as textbooks in the School District.
She was the hero that countless young boys and girls idolized, the embodiment of light and justice, and her positive image was so deeply ingrained in people's hearts that she was universally recognized throughout the world as the "Sword of Justice".
The gods only know what a massive shockwave it sent through the entire lower world when the news of the Astrea Familia's annihilation arrived four years ago.
As an honors student from the School District, Lefiya had similarly been filled with admiration for that radiant Familia of justice.
Had the Astrea Familia not already tragically fallen by the time she arrived in Orario, and had the Loki Familia not been home to Riveria Ljos Alf, the Elf Royal whom she revered most... she might have wanted to join the Astrea Familia above all else back then.
"Bete, get back here!"
Finn called out to stop the "Vanargand", who still wanted to recklessly give chase, and led the party to continue their journey home.
For them, the most important thing right now was returning to the surface to get some proper rest.
All remaining mysteries could be discussed once they had recuperated.
"Tch!"
Bete stopped in his tracks, cursing under his breath, clearly having nowhere to vent the raging fire in his chest.
Irritated, he viciously kicked a rock the size of a human head. The stone shot out like a cannonball, smashing violently against the distant rock wall with a loud crash, sending crushed stone flying everywhere.
His fierce "don't mess with me" demeanor made most of the surrounding Familia members instinctively give him a wide berth; only a few who were familiar with him dared to get close.
Soon, under Finn's steady command, the party safely returned to the 27th Floor of the Dungeon without any further mishaps.
This was the final stop of the lower-level "Water Capital," and the lair of the Floor Boss, Amphisbaena.
To the Loki Familia, who had already conquered the much deeper zones, this monster—viewed as a natural disaster by ordinary adventurers—was nothing more than a minor obstacle to casually clear away on their way home.
After a brief and highly efficient battle, the colossal two-headed dragon let out a mournful wail and collapsed into the lake in front of the waterfall.
However, just as the Familia members relaxed and skillfully began gathering the Floor Boss's massive Magic Stone and precious drop items...
A sharp, needle-like burst of pain shot out from Finn's right thumb without the slightest warning.
He instinctively brought his stinging thumb to his mouth and licked it, his smiling blue eyes instantly turning sharp as he vigilantly scanned their surroundings.
His gaze quickly locked onto the base of the "Great Fall," the massive waterfall cascading down from the 25th floor like an inverted galaxy.
There, in the center of the massive lake shrouded in mist from the crashing water, a bizarre, ethereal blue flower—seemingly formed from pure magic—was silently, slowly blooming.
What's going on? Magic power is converging?
At almost the exact same moment, Riveria, Orario's strongest mage, furrowed her brow intensely.
Her magic perception, far surpassing that of an ordinary person, clearly caught an abnormally massive surge of magical energy frantically converging around a single fixed point.
She looked in the direction the magic was gathering and also saw that blue flower of magic blooming eerily beneath the waterfall.
"What is that?"
It wasn't just Riveria. Every mage in the party sensitive to magic, including Alicia Forestlight and Lefiya, noticed this unnatural, heart-palpitating fluctuation of magic power at the exact same moment.
"Everyone, attention! Abnormal situation!"
Finn's voice turned incredibly grave at that moment, completely devoid of his usual calm.
"Full alert. Bring out the vigilance you use during deep-floor explorations, or else... I'm afraid we won't be going back."
The stinging pain in his thumb didn't subside; instead, it intensified fiercely.
His sixth sense, famously known as "Divine Intuition," was frantically screaming a warning at him—something terrifying, something far beyond their imagination, was coming.
"Captain?"
Tione turned her head in shock, looking at the small figure.
When she saw the expression on Finn's face, her pupils violently contracted.
It was a kind of expression she had never seen before—an expression of utmost gravity, as if he were facing a mortal enemy.
In her mind, Finn had always been the kind of commander who wouldn't bat an eye even if the sky were falling, forever strategizing and remaining effortlessly composed.
Even when facing monsters in the deep floors that would make First-Class Adventurers despair, he could still smile and draft a perfect battle plan, leading them to victory.
But this time, Tione acutely realized that Finn's expression was entirely wrong.
She had never seen it, but Riveria and Gareth Landrock had.
Six years ago, during the "Great Feud" that engulfed all of Orario, when facing the absolute existence known as the "Necessary Evil" that pushed the entire city to the brink of despair, Finn had worn this exact same expression.
In a split second, the two executives understood the severity of the situation.
They knew better than anyone just how accurate Finn's intuition was; it had never been wrong.
"Vanguard, form a shield wall centered on me."
Almost the instant Finn's words fell, Gareth unleashed an ear-splitting roar.
He ruthlessly slammed his massive tower shield into the ground, and alongside the other vanguard adventurers, used their own flesh and blood to construct an indestructible steel defense line between the lake and the mages and supporters behind them.
"Elf unit, gather around me!"
Riveria gave the order at the same time. The elven mages under her command quickly assembled, surrounding her, ready to unleash their maximum firepower magic at a moment's notice.
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