In front of the Tower of Babel, at the Central Plaza.
In this open space at the heart of the city where all eight of Orario's main streets converged, a massive throng of adventurers had gathered early in the morning, creating a swelling wave of heat.
Fully armed adventurers arrived one after another, representing every race imaginable. Today, however, they rarely refrained from immediately heading down into the space beneath Babel to enter the Dungeon. Instead, they stood along the periphery, pausing to look toward a specific group of people.
That group was the Loki Familia, who had marched down all the way from their headquarters at the northernmost end of the city.
Traveling via North Main Street, they arrived at the Central Plaza and halted a short distance from the front of Babel's northern gate. Several large cargo crates overflowing with equipment and supplies had been wheeled out to this spot, each bearing the standard of the Loki Familia—a flag emblazoned with the image of a clown, famous throughout the Lower World.
As that flag paraded along the path, it drew the gaze of nearly everyone present.
To say nothing of the pedestrians on the streets, people popped their heads out from the alleys on every corner to watch them from afar. Inside the windows of row after row of buildings, figures could be seen moving about as well. Some were ordinary citizens, some were adventurers, some were adults, and some were children. In short, every single resident of the city was paying close attention to these dozens of individuals.
They chatted among themselves, looked up in excitement, or cast envious and jealous glances, putting the entire spectrum of human nature on display.
"The Loki Familia's expedition is about to begin again—"
"It's finally starting."
"Do you think they can successfully reach the unmapped floors this time?"
"Who knows? Anyway, during their last expedition, the furthest floor they reached already matched the Freya Familia."
"The 59th floor. In all of Orario, only the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia are capable of reaching such ultra-deep regions."
"If the Loki Familia's expedition succeeds in reaching the 59th floor this time and enters the unmapped territory, they'll be one step ahead of the Freya Familia."
The crowds gossiped back and forth like this. Even the figures of gods could be seen among the discussants, chatting away with great enthusiasm as if they were the best of friends with everyone.
Of course, a greater number of gods were searching for the human youth who had recently taken all of Orario by storm.
"Where is he? Where is that child named Leon?"
"He's the boy standing next to the Sword Princess, right?"
"Is he Leon Eligos?"
"Tsk, tsk. Jumping up two entire levels to reach Level 3 in just a month and a half, and even managing to solo Goliath when he was only Level 2—"
"Why isn't a child like that in our Familia?"
"Exactly! That bastard Loki has entirely too much good luck, doesn't she?"
The gods climbed to the tops of trees or scaled the upper floors and rooftops of surrounding buildings, peering from afar at Leon, who stood beside the blonde, golden-eyed female swordsman. Their eyes were filled with a mixture of burning fervor and intense desire.
Apart from the deities, many citizens and adventurers were also focusing on Leon, whispering and gesturing toward him.
"I didn't expect the rumored Leon Eligos to be so young."
"Didn't the Guild publish his data long ago? He's only sixteen this year!"
"A sixteen-year-old soloing a Floor Boss? That's entirely cheating, isn't it?"
"What's the big deal? Look at the executives of the Loki Familia. Aren't the Sword Princess, the Amazonian twins, and Gareth (Elgarm) all sixteen? They're already Level 5!"
"No, there's absolutely no comparison there, is there?"
"Yeah, those three received their Divine Grace when they were children. I heard those Amazonian sisters were already Level 2 at five years old, and the Doll Princess became a Level 2 at eight. They've been training for nearly a decade to reach their current level. How can you compare them to Leon Eligos? He jumped two levels in a month and a half. His growth rate is utterly ridiculous."
"He hasn't received a title yet, right?"
"Right. I heard that before he received his grace—which was a month and a half ago—the most recent Denatus had just concluded."
"Then he'll have to wait another month and a half before he can get a title, right?"
"I wonder what kind of title he'll get?"
"To be Level 3 and still not have a title, this whole situation is just bizarre."
The people marveled in this manner, casting glances at Leon that were filled with curiosity, envy, skepticism, scrutiny, and even ill intent.
Leon naturally sensed those gazes, his brows knitting together almost imperceptibly.
"Are you all right?"
Seeing this, Ais asked in a low voice.
"I'm fine," Leon shook his head, saying, "I'm just a little unaccustomed to being stared at by so many people."
"I understand," Ais nodded in deep sympathy, adding, "I've never gotten used to it either."
In a sense, Ais was far more prominent and eye-catching than Leon, so it was no wonder she felt that way.
But it couldn't be helped. The aura surrounding this blonde, golden-eyed girl was not inferior to Leon's in the slightest; in fact, it was even more dazzling.
The city's strongest female swordsman, a first-class adventurer, possessing beauty that could rival a goddess—each of these traits was a hallmark of immense popularity, let alone all of them stacked together.
Therefore, even though it was far from the first time she had been stared at, Ais still felt uncomfortable.
"We shouldn't stand together too much, otherwise it's just too conspicuous," Leon said with a wry smile. "Tiona and the others should be coming to find you soon anyway. Go ahead and return to your unit first."
The Dungeon possessed a defining characteristic: the further down one went, the larger the area of the floors became.
The area of the 5th floor was roughly as wide as the Central Plaza, but once one reached the 40th floor, the area there was vast enough to equal the entirety of Orario.
There might be a few floors along the way that didn't strictly fit this rule, but in principle, the Dungeon could still be viewed as a conical structure—wider at the bottom, and narrower closer to the surface.
In light of this, when a large Familia embarked on an expedition, they often needed to divide their forces. They would split the group into multiple units and enter the Dungeon in separate batches to avoid bottlenecking on the cramped upper floors. Such congestion was not only restrictive but also turned fighting monsters into a major chore.
Furthermore, moving in a massive, single-file line within the enclosed spaces of the Dungeon was considered a major breach of etiquette. Therefore, whenever the Loki Familia went on an expedition, they followed standard protocol by dividing their forces into two groups entering the Dungeon one after the other. Once they reached the wider floors, they would rendezvous at a pre-designated level and reform their ranks.
For this expedition, Leon and Ais had been assigned to different units.
Ais was assigned to the first unit, which was the vanguard. This unit was responsible for handling any anomalies that might occur along the route, scouting the path ahead as much as possible for the members following behind.
Leon was assigned to the second unit, the rear guard. This unit had more personnel than the vanguard and was responsible for transporting supplies and spare weaponry.
The first unit typically comprised the primary combat force, as they needed to ensure that the rear guard and the necessary expedition supplies could advance safely. Led by Finn the Captain and Riveria the Vice-Captain, it included first-class adventurers like Ais, Bete, Tiona, and Tione, making for an extremely powerful lineup. Aside from them, many core members of the second tier, such as Raul, were also included.
The second unit was led by the remaining first-class adventurer, Gareth. Rear guards and supporters consisting of mages or healers like Lefiya and Line were integrated into this group, and Leon was likewise among them.
As mentioned previously, for this expedition, Leon had been integrated into the team specifically in the capacity of a dedicated rear-guard mage.
Consequently, he, Lefiya, and Line were all in the second unit, scheduled to depart half an hour after Ais's first unit entered the Dungeon.
"—Then I'll head over first."
Ais looked at Leon, speaking softly.
"I'll wait for you on the 18th floor."
The rendezvous point for the two units was precisely on the 18th floor, which served as a safe floor.
At the same time, it was also the place where Leon and Ais had first crossed paths.
"All right."
Leon looked back at Ais, his gaze gentle.
Ais felt a bit bashful under his gaze. She actually ran off in a slight fluster, causing a wave of silent amusement to rise in Leon's heart.
"Hmph!"
In the next second, a cold snort sounded right beside Leon, causing his internal amusement to manifest directly on his face.
"Flirting with Miss Ais there again, how utterly detestable."
An elven girl clutching a long staff had materialized at some point, muttering under her breath in a way that sounded rather harsh.
"Mr. Leon."
Line came over as well, offering Leon a timid smile. Her attitude was vastly superior to that of a certain elven girl.
"I'll be in your care for the rest of the trip, you two."
Leon smiled and greeted the girls.
He was a mage in the rear guard this time, Lefiya was also a mage in the rear guard, and Line was a healer and supporter who needed protection at the back. Therefore, even after they reunited on the 18th floor, the three of them would be operating from the same general position.
Lefiya in particular had her position in the formation right next to Leon; the two of them were completely side-by-side.
Clearly, Finn and the other Familia leaders had arranged this intentionally.
After all, both of them were mages whose fire power reached Level 5, making their importance as rear guards second only to Riveria, who was Level 6.
Once a battle commenced, their positions would be closest to Riveria, effectively serving as Riveria's left and right hands, acting as the team's secondary firepower.
"I-I will cheer for Mr. Leon from a position further back!"
Line balled her small fists, declaring so.
"—I'll be in your care."
Lefiya, on the other hand, responded with a hint of vexation.
The moment she remembered that this man was now a Level 3 just like her, and that he had even caught up to the firepower she took the most pride in, Lefiya felt as though a lifetime had passed.
Just a month and a half ago, this man hadn't even received a status yet!
A month and a half, and she had been caught up to just like that?
As expected, this man was her fated rival!
Lefiya felt both gloomy and indignant, to the point where her cheeks puffed up unconsciously.
Watching this scene, Leon found it entirely amusing. He couldn't resist reaching out with a finger to poke the girl's cheek flat.
"Kya!" Lefiya immediately let out a small shriek, before snapping angrily, "Don't just go touching a girl's face whenever you please! You rude fellow!"
"What? Do you have the same fastidious aversion to being touched by people you aren't close to as other elves?" Leon became thoroughly entertained, saying, "Aren't you a socially adept elf?"
"Who is a socially adept elf!" Lefiya grew even angrier, glaring fiercely at Leon as she shouted, "I don't want to be social with you at all!"
Leon wanted to tease Lefiya a bit more, but Finn's voice suddenly rang out.
"Attention, all personnel!"
Finn stood at the very front of the forces. His unexpectedly booming voice caused everyone to turn and look toward him.
The noise in the plaza diminished significantly in an instant. Not only did the members of the Loki Familia cease speaking, but the other adventurers also lowered their volume instinctively, listening to the Pallum captain's speech.
"This expedition is about to officially commence! Next, the vanguard led by Riveria and myself will depart first. The rear guard will follow closely behind Gareth, ensuring all supplies are secured, and will enter the Dungeon in half an hour!"
"According to our initial estimates, we will rendezvous on the 18th floor, and immediately afterward, we will make a straight dash for the 50th floor. We will not halt along the way, except for mandatory rest and setting up camp!"
"We have only one objective, and that is a floor that has never been reached until now—the 59th floor!"
The Pallum captain departed from his usual calm and gentle impression, delivering an impassioned declaration.
This declaration acted like a spark hitting tinder. It not only caused every member of the Loki Familia to quietly tighten their fists, but even the onlookers were struck with awe.
Seeing the fire ignited in everyone's eyes, Finn smiled faintly before reverting to his calm demeanor.
Within the Familia, he was not only the captain but also the commander and the strategist. He was a brilliant tactician whose intellect could easily rank within the top three, if not the top two, in all of Orario.
Ordinarily, he could be gentle and kind, but during an expedition, he had to remain calm and rational. When necessary, he even had to become detached and cold, otherwise a single lapse in judgment could lead to severe casualties.
Now, he had donned the mask of the "Familia Leader" and assumed the crown of the "Captain," displaying the aura of a high-ranking leader.
"You are all elites of the Loki Familia, forces that rank among the very best even when looking across the entire Lower World!"
"Even if the path ahead is fraught with difficulties, it will never halt our advancing steps!"
"Follow me, and let us conquer the Dungeon together!"
Finn raised the spear in his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!!!"
In the next instant, every single adventurer of the Loki Familia roared in unison.
That was the signal for battle.
That was the clarion call of inevitable victory.
"Move out!"
Having galvanized their morale, Finn led the primary combatants of the vanguard to part the crowd, striding forward with powerful steps into the Tower of Babel.
Ais was within the ranks. She stole a glance at Leon, who was sending her off with a smile, before she too donned the mask of the "Sword Princess," stepping coldly into the colossal white tower.
"It's finally starting—"
"Yeah—"
Lefiya and Line murmured beside Leon, their expressions tensing simultaneously.
"Everyone, get ready! We move out in half an hour!"
"Yes!"
Behind them, Gareth was likewise bellowing orders, causing the remaining members to respond in a loud, resounding unison.
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