"With your current strength, taking on monsters solo isn't a great idea. I'd recommend using coordinated teamwork to handle them."
"And absolutely do not fall into the trap of thinking 'I'm an elf, the forest is my home turf, I've got the advantage.' That kind of thinking will get you killed."
"Only do what's within your ability. That's our creed."
"Don't try to be a hero. If you run into something you can't handle, call for backup immediately. Are we clear?"
By the end, Leon's tone had turned grave. Part concern, part warning.
The excitement that had been building in Laurier and Aura, born from finally joining a real Expedition and their curiosity about the legendary New World, was instantly doused by Leon's cold water. Thinking back on how reckless their earlier eagerness had been, both felt a chill run down their spines as they nodded earnestly.
"We... we understand!"
Leon smiled, satisfied. He pulled the Twisted Staff from his back, planted it on the ground, and turned to Jeanne.
"From here on, let's not get in Loki Familia's way. We'll follow quietly at the rear. They'll escort us all the way to the Water City."
"In the meantime, everyone conserve your stamina during combat. The real fight's still ahead."
"You know what I mean?"
Jeanne got it instantly.
Hold back.
They could fight, but they shouldn't reveal their trump cards.
Especially any magic or skills that could decide a battle's outcome.
So... basic attacks only.
...
...
The Dungeon, Middle Floors, Great Tree Labyrinth.
The moment they entered the Great Tree Labyrinth floors, Loki Familia's advance slowed to a crawl.
The Dungeon was spawning more and more monsters as the column pushed forward.
In a slightly open clearing amid the dense forest, the roars of monsters and Adventurers, the clash of steel against natural weaponry, echoed through the canopy overhead.
Fighting spirit and blood mingled together, the very air seeming to burn.
"Vanguard, shields up! Cover the front line's advance!"
"Mid-guard, reinforce the right flank, move it!"
"Rotate the defensive line! Pull the wounded back, healers get on them! Prioritize potions over magic to conserve mental energy!"
"Rear guard archers and Supporters, cover the left flank! Push those swarms and raging bears back!"
Finn commanded from the center, issuing orders with rapid, crystal-clear precision.
"Riveria, have your elf unit begin Chanting. Once spells are ready, hold on standby for my bombardment order!"
Riveria nodded and turned toward the rear.
"Understood."
"Everyone, begin Chanting!"
"Yes, Lady Riveria!"
The moment the words left her lips, shimmering, multicolored magic circles bloomed beneath the elven mage unit's feet.
Among them, Riveria's massive five-meter-diameter magic circle was the most striking of all.
The sounds of combat erupted across the front line as Loki Familia clashed with the monsters in a furious melee.
Dwarf and beastman vanguards raised their tower shields, holding the monsters firmly behind the designated defensive line.
Nimble mid-guard fighters darted back and forth, plugging gaps on both flanks and the center as the situation demanded. Among them was the slightly frenzied figure of the Sword Princess.
Leon's group stayed out of it, standing with the logistics team, keeping a wary eye out for ambushes from sneaky monsters while stealing frequent glances toward the front.
Watching Loki Familia's tight coordination, their formidable organization, and their ironclad discipline, the group marveled.
"This is incredible. So this is the power of one of Orario's two pillars?"
Laurier stared wide-eyed at the massive force that, despite its numbers, showed no sign of chaos. Every member moved in perfect concert. Her understanding of what a top-tier Orario Familia was capable of just jumped up several notches.
The elven mage unit under Riveria's command, especially, left Laurier and Aura completely stunned.
They never imagined a magic corps composed entirely of elven mages could be this powerful.
"Leon, could we put together a magic unit like that someday?!"
Under the full force of Laurier's sparkling eyes, Leon's lips curled up.
"Of course we can."
The Middle Floors, Great Tree Labyrinth. The battle raged on.
War cries from Adventurers, roars from monsters, the thrum of bowstrings, the sharp whistle of blades cutting air... all wove together into a symphony of blood-pumping chaos in the dense forest.
Half a day passed, and the hundred-plus-strong Expedition force had pushed from Floor 19 all the way to Floor 24.
Along the way, as they pressed deeper into the Great Tree Labyrinth, the monsters grew both more numerous and more powerful.
"Fireball!"
The blast tore through the clearing. Leon shook his hand, snuffing out the lingering sparks on his fingers, then looked around.
The entire area was a wreck.
Monster corpses lay scattered across the grass and underbrush. Thick trees had been snapped and toppled by the shockwaves of combat, leaving the ground cratered and torn.
Even the stream trickling through the area had been stained red.
Leon's mouth twitched as he turned to Persephone, who was flicking blood off her blade beside him.
"The scale of these fights... any one of them would count as a massive Monster Party for our little squad!"
Persephone sheathed her sword and took a deep breath of the still blood-tinged air, expression unchanged.
"That's the difference between a large force and a small one."
"When you're solo or in a party of five or six, you might not notice much of a difference. At most, being in a party raises your margin for error. You can handle monsters more comfortably, feel a bit more confident."
"But once your force hits a hundred or more, the entire rhythm of exploration changes completely."
"The most obvious difference is the Dungeon's hostility. Monsters stop spawning in scattered ones and twos. They come in waves, in swarms."
"Look. The whole way through, Loki Familia has barely encountered a lone monster. Every engagement has been against hundreds of them at once."
"That kind of scenario is rare in small-party combat."
"But for large-scale Expeditions? It's just Tuesday."
After hearing Persephone's explanation, Leon watched Finn up ahead directing the logistics team and Supporters through a rapid battlefield cleanup, his expression thoughtful.
"The difference between small-scale infiltration ops and large-scale army operations, huh."
"Looks like I've still got a lot to learn. At the very least, when it comes to large-unit tactics, I'm still pretty green."
Just then, Jeanne, Rose, and Kureha finished their fights and returned to the group.
Jeanne smiled lightly and chimed in. "Large-scale combat really is a completely different beast from the way Adventurers normally fight. But you don't need to worry about it too much. Loki Familia's kind of army warfare is a long way off for us. At the very least... you can wait until our Familia actually has the numbers to match theirs before thinking about it."
What's that supposed to mean? Is she taking a shot at me?
Leon looked at the ladies and their knowing smiles. His eye twitched.
They're obviously hinting that I need to recruit more people!
Thinking back, it had been... probably... definitely... quite a long time since Kureha joined the Familia. No new members since.
But when he considered the reason why...
Was it that he didn't want to recruit? No, this clearly wasn't his fault. It was purely a luck problem, right?
"Ahem... you all know me. Nobody wants to recruit new people more than I do. But the problem is... the gacha just won't drop any!"
...
...
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