Because the tents used by Freya and Loki's familia members weren't far apart, Lumine soon arrived at her destination, unaware of Hogni quietly nodding behind the scenes.
Otherwise, she would have found it truly terrifying.
Of course, for now, she didn't need to worry about that.
Looking ahead…
"Lumine!"
"Lumine-san."
==========
As Lumine entered the tent used by Loki's familia, adorned with a "jester totem" flag on top, she immediately felt an atmosphere completely different from her own familia's tent.
Its name was: warmth.
Surrounded by familiar faces, and with Riveria and Grace standing not far away, smiling at her…
"Haha, I was just thinking when this little girl would come to visit."
The dwarf veteran, having removed his battle armor, walked over alongside Riveria, laughing heartily:
"These days at the border defense, I've been thinking about the food over at your place, drinking has lost all its taste."
"Today, I suppose I'll get my fill?"
His words didn't feel distant at all.
It was hard to believe they were from different familias.
And it wasn't just old Gareth, look around…
"Lumine-san, I heard that both you and your brother have reached Lv.3."
"And you did it by defeating the 'Amphisbaena'?"
"Really? Can you tell us the details?"
"Yes, yes, that's the floor boss! How did you manage to take it down?"
==========
Alicia, Anakitty… these were the "second army" non-officer members who had missed Lumine during the previous visit to the Twin Stars at the Twilight Manor. They had become quite familiar with her during the initial expedition, and the conversation now flowed joyfully.
When some topics came up, everyone was relaxed and open.
Lumine shared some tricks she used while defeating the Amphisbaena. Of course, she didn't mention Paimon or the Fireflame Stone.
After all, the former's existence needed to remain secret, and the latter was a forbidden item.
Even if everyone tacitly understood, sensitive topics like these shouldn't be casually discussed.
After some casual chatting…
"Riveria-sama, Gareth-sama I have two important matters to handle here."
Lumine's expression turned serious.
"First, I want to share detailed intelligence regarding this monster uprising… and just how severe the situation has become."
"Then…"
She looked stern.
"I hope this time the Loki familia can fully cooperate with the Freya familia to resist the enemy together."
Hearing this…
Many of the surrounding members fell silent.
Gareth stroked his beard, also thoughtful.
Riveria, however, with her sharp mind, quickly spoke:
"From the look of you, it seems you're aware of a very troublesome situation."
"If possible, tell us the specifics… something that worries you this much cannot be ignored."
Her words helped ease the previously awkward atmosphere.
Lumine gave her a grateful glance, then summarized the traits of Antares, the ancient monster, and the fact that it had already devoured gods.
Not long after…
"This…"
"An ancient monster capable of using 'divine power' in the lower realm?"
"If we delay further, could it destroy the entire world?"
"Its danger level rivals the One-Eyed Black Dragon?"
==========
One terrifying piece of information after another sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"You must be joking?"
Lefiya couldn't help but self-deceive.
"Lumine-san, that's the One-Eyed Black Dragon, one of the Three Great Quests. Even the former Zeus and Hera familias couldn't handle it… Could this Secret Realm Scorpio really match it?"
Lumine replied bluntly:
"If it hadn't previously devoured gods, perhaps not. But now, Antares's danger level may very well exceed that of the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"Saying its threat rivals the latter is already very conservative."
She knew most gods coming to the lower realm were forbidden from using divine power, and many misbehaving gods often acted erratically. So even if Lefiya had heard of the legendary all-powerful divine ability, she couldn't really grasp its magnitude.
Furthermore, after Antares was sealed by the ancient elves, it had been hidden deep in history.
Yes, it had no reputation. Naturally, its deterrence couldn't have been strong.
In contrast…
The One-Eyed Black Dragon had a terrifying track record, a nightmare incarnate.
It had truly destroyed the pride of Orario.
It's like watching countless gory R-rated movies but realizing the shock of witnessing it on the battlefield firsthand is incomparable.
Lefiya and others might not understand, but Riveria did.
She knew exactly what it meant for a being to use divine power in the lower realm.
Even without going into details, the effects of Falna, permitted by the heavens, illustrated its power:
Falna could fully unlock mortal potential.
But divine power… was the ultimate might even capable of being wielded by the King of Celestial Spirits.
If Antares could truly use it, then Lumine's warning that it could destroy the entire lower realm was not an exaggeration.
Moreover…
"No wonder the recent One-Eyed Scorpion groups only reached Lv.1 potential, but now Lv.2 potential individuals are emerging."
Riveria also gathered battlefield intelligence from her peer, Gareth.
Combining the two sources…
"This situation is indeed critical. We cannot delay any longer."
Riveria turned to Lumine, her expression serious.
"On behalf of the Loki familia as vice commander, I approve your proposal."
"However, as for one wing of the Twin Stars…"
She addressed Lumine by her title, not her name, in a formal tone.
"If our two familias are to truly cooperate, you must also convince your own familia's officers."
"Otherwise, all subsequent plans will be empty talk."
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Note:
Hi everyone, I sincerely apologize for the mix-up with the recent chapters. Some chapters from another fanfic were accidentally uploaded here in this story because I scheduled posts in advance while being busy and unfortunately didn't double-check everything properly before they went live.
I know this may have confused or frustrated some of you, and I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience. I'll be more careful moving forward to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Thank you for understanding