The group fell into dead silence.
Just recalling the "Inferno Storm" magic they had endured earlier sent chills down their spines.
The power of that spell was terrifying—even the strongest defensive magic from the city's top mage couldn't withstand it. Had Eiji not granted them a group buff at the last moment, that single strike would have left them severely injured!
If that female-form monster had completed its metamorphosis on the surface and unleashed such a wide-area annihilation spell...
Needless to say, Orario would have suffered catastrophic casualties!
"And let's not forget—there's more than one Jewel Fetus!"
Finn's words landed like another bombshell.
Indeed, counting the Jewel Fetuses that had appeared so far on the 18th, 24th, and 59th floors, there were at least three. Who knew how many more clones that corrupted spirit could split into?
What would happen if multiple summons were completed on the surface?
Even a single one required the full might of Loki Familia to defeat.
But Loki Familia was one of the city's strongest forces, matched only by Freya Familia.
In other words, the two combined could handle two or three at most. Even if every other adventurer pitched in, the difference wouldn't exceed four or five.
What if five, six, or even more appeared at once—
"Orario would be destroyed!"
Finn declared gravely.
The group froze, not daring to breathe. Even Eiji couldn't help but click his tongue in dismay.
Such a scenario would be nothing short of hell!
If multiple corrupted spirit clones emerged on the surface, Orario's destruction would be imminent!
"This must be why the remnants of the Evilus and the aberrant Revis allied themselves. The Evilus have always aimed to destroy Orario, and the corrupted spirit perfectly aligns with their goals!"
Amid the heavy atmosphere, Finn continued sharing his insights.
"The only reason we haven't seen that scenario play out yet is likely because the enemy's preparations aren't complete, or some condition hasn't been met... But we can't afford to sit back and wait!"
To deduce so much from mere fragments of information and scarce clues—Finn's wisdom was truly remarkable.
Yet the bombshell he dropped left everyone too unsettled to marvel at his intellect.
As the city's largest familia, they had a duty to eliminate such a dangerous threat.
Even if they didn't take the initiative, the Guild would force them to act.
The Guild held the authority to issue compulsory quests, and once assigned, participation wasn't optional.
"But we know nothing about how many corrupted spirit clones exist or where they're located!"
Riveria frowned deeply, her elegant brows knitting together in frustration.
Even the most capable hands couldn't work without materials.
Without sufficient intel, there was no way to thwart the Evilus' scheme.
"Which is exactly where we need to focus our efforts next."
This didn't come as a surprise to Finn.
He paused, then spoke in a solemn tone.
"Once we return to the surface, let's conclude our dungeon exploration for now. Next, we'll focus our efforts on Orario. Have our subordinates search the city for any abnormal locations as thoroughly as possible. If our enemies truly intend to destroy Orario, their movements can't possibly be small—they're bound to slip up!"
"Fair point, indeed."
"Seems there won't be any chance for rest."
"You sure know how to boss people around, you cocky little prum."
Hearing this, everyone present wore bitter smiles.
After the meeting concluded, the executives left the tent one after another, leaving only Finn and Miss Tsubaki alone inside.
Tione shot murderous glares their way, but Riveria explained that Finn likely wanted to secure Hephaestus Familia's support for the search operation, which somewhat placated her.
"But why would a corrupted spirit avatar appear on the 59th floor?"
After leaving the tent, Eiji suddenly thought of something.
There was no particular reason—just a random thought that struck him.
Of the three appearances so far: the 18th floor incident occurred because Hanza of Ganesha Familia stole the orb fetus from the lower floors, sending Revis to pursue him, where she encountered Ais and transformed into the female-type monster after going berserk.
It's said Hanza went to the lower floors after accepting an adventurer's request. This suggests others in Orario must know about the corrupted spirits' existence—something Finn's intelligence would surely deduce too.
Eiji hadn't participated in the 24th-floor food depot incident, so he knew little about it. Apparently, Lefiya and the others wanted to gather energy required for the orb fetus's metamorphosis.
But what did placing one on the 59th floor signify?
What were the enemies plotting with this arrangement?
Did they want to eliminate the troublesome Loki Familia here?
That didn't make sense. Before this, they hadn't even known about the corrupted spirits' existence. Rather than revealing themselves, wouldn't staying hidden in the shadows be more advantageous?
Was the corrupted spirit trying to devour Ais?
That was certainly possible, but the same question remained—why specifically the 59th floor? If they wanted to consume Ais, any floor would suffice. Why appear at Loki Familia's current expedition destination?
"Pure coincidence?"
Eiji couldn't understand.
Revis's words—"If you want to understand everything, go to the 59th floor"—now seemed suspicious upon reflection.
...
"How boring!"
The location was the 13th floor of the Tower of Babel.
"So I'll be presiding over this godly gathering!"
In the center of this temple-like, opulently bright hall stood an enormous round table where about thirty divine beings sat in various postures.
Each radiated an extraordinary aura, making it clear they were beings fundamentally different from those of the lower world.
Indeed.
They were all gods—noble, exalted deities.
"Ooh! Lady Freya!"
"Amazing!!"
"Lady Ishtar is here too!"
"What a feast for the eyes! A feast!"
"I am Ganesha!"
Yet these gods bore no resemblance to the dignified figures the surface dwellers imagined. Instead, they cheered for the two goddesses, wearing sycophantic grins indistinguishable from those of fawning admirers.
Occasionally, a male god wearing an elephant-head mask would shout something incomprehensible.
The two goddesses worshipped by numerous deities, one with silver hair and the other with purple, both possessed voluptuous and alluring figures that drew everyone's attention. The flushed faces of the gods around the table showed they could barely contain themselves.
Some crossed their legs, while others clenched them tightly.
"My familia has been under your care lately, Freya."
The purple-haired, brown-skinned beauty exhaled a long stream of smoke from her pipe, casting a hateful glare at the silver-haired goddess beside her.
A goddess's resentment was truly unbearable.
But the silver-haired goddess paid no heed, merely covering her mouth with graceful poise, her expression caught between a smile and a smirk.
"Oh? These past few days, my familia has often been ambushed by masked Amazons while exploring the Dungeon. I suppose that must have been quite troublesome for you as well."