Chapter 45: Lili
There were no unexpected incidents in the subsequent exploration. It was just that when exploring alone, after familiarizing himself with the environment, he finally found the path to the 11th floor. The exploration supplies he carried were already completely exhausted.
After experiencing high-intensity exploration and training, Liam didn't choose to continue adventuring but instead followed the markers he had made on the current floor beforehand.
He managed to return the way he came without getting lost.
The "Monster Party" he encountered earlier meant that today's Dungeon exploration already had a minimum guaranteed harvest.
The Sword Soul template's class level had risen to 24 relatively smoothly, but there was still some distance to go before learning and mastering new methods.
The magic stones dropped from killing monsters had almost filled his pack.
Leaving the mist-shrouded 10th-floor area, feeling the world before his eyes gradually become clearer, his mood also progressively lightened.
Liam's gaze swept over the familiar, faint blue cave passage before him.
He was currently estimating the limits of his stamina, slowly retreating, and casually clearing out all the monsters along the way back to Orario.
He should be able to hold out.
Ability scores could only be known after a god updated them; he could only use the values from the status update two days ago as a reference.
Yesterday, he encountered the rare species Blue Butterfly; today, he used a Monster Party as a means to improve his ability scores.
Ending the exploration and returning to Orario, low-intensity monsters could also provide some stat points, doing his utmost before the status update.
"Apart from the magic stat, maxing out all others to S-rank shouldn't be a problem?"
"."
Compared to previous explorations, returning to the surface from familiar floor environments, the overall process was smoother than Liam had imagined.
Encountering monsters like One-Horned Rabbits and Poison Algae.
Clearing them out posed no difficulty whatsoever. It was probably like not being able to rest immediately after strenuous exercise – the same kind of principle.
During the return process, Liam maintained low-intensity combat.
However, the former was to prevent heart problems, while the latter was purely because he was idle and wanted to chop some monsters to relieve boredom.
Passing through the starting floors, when he returned to the surface via the spiral staircase.
Night had already enveloped Orario. The moon, mostly covered by dark clouds with only a sliver showing, sprinkled down a bit of pale white moonlight.
"It's actually..."
"So much time has passed?"
In the central plaza before Babel, not many adventurers were gathered here anymore. Even the night breeze brushing past him.
Liam could feel a slight chill.
It couldn't quite be described as a world away, but his subsequent arrangements were completely disrupted. The Adventurer's Guild would be closed by now.
Today's adventure earnings could only be exchanged at another time.
Before heading to the Dungeon, he had left Hestia a lot of Valis; her meals today would definitely not be a problem.
Then, he would first solve his own dinner.
Secondly, update his status, undergo level sublimation, return the weapons borrowed from Tsubaki, and treat the half-elf Guild employee to a meal.
He estimated that for tomorrow's dinner, he would also have to celebrate breaking through his adventurer level with Hestia.
"Why does it feel like a rare break is even busier than Dungeon exploration?"
Thinking about tomorrow's completely packed schedule, Liam's mood couldn't help but tense up, but feeling fulfilled was also quite good?
It wasn't a time of turmoil in Orario. With the Ganesha Familia maintaining order, there was basically no need to worry about safety at night.
But when he walked onto a dimly lit street, a strong feeling of being followed enveloped him.
"."
This wasn't Liam's mental state being constantly tense; to be precise, the other party's disguise was too crude. Speeding up his pace slightly.
He could hear the other person also speeding up, the sound of their light running footsteps.
During this period in Orario, he hadn't had friction with any adventurers. As for the person tailing him.
Honestly, he was indeed quite curious.
Passing by this dim area caused by closed shops, he paused his steps and decisively turned around. And what finally came into view.
Was a short figure wearing a grayish-brown cloak. They habitually kept their head down while walking, their brown hair tips falling to their cheeks. Without even needing to ask, he guessed the other party's identity.
"Lili."
A supporter from the Soma Familia. Liam remembered their last meeting was two days ago, when he encountered the rare Blue Butterflies.
That time wasn't intentional.
To be precise, it was an unintentional act that made Lili, who was constantly oppressed by Familia members, proactively choose to change her own destiny.
And clearly seeing through her "Cinder Ella" magic, for her, had a full deterrent effect.
Then tonight's clumsy tailing probably wasn't malicious. He estimated that he was the only one who could help her escape her suffering?
"Speak."
Liam's attitude was as usual. He lifted his eyes to look at Lili, who had stopped not far away, his tone crisp and decisive, "What do you want from me?"
She had collected enough Blue Butterfly scale powder. Tomorrow night was the Soma Familia gathering, and many members would be present.
Including, naturally, Captain Zanis Lustra.
The specific plan was already in motion. She found the restaurant they often ordered from and used "Cinder Ella" magic to change her appearance.
The divine wine was controlled by Zanis; there was simply no opportunity to tamper with it.
Disguising herself as the restaurant's delivery person increased the possibility of tampering during the process. As for the specific effect of the Blue Butterfly scale powder.
Lili had tried it; just a little would cause unconsciousness.
Paired with the divine wine, they would sleep soundly until the next morning. The truly difficult problem to solve was the captain, who would never touch the divine wine or food.
A Level 2 adventurer, Zanis.
The power difference between an adventurer and a supporter could render all her efforts futile. She had to find a cooperative partner.
Towards adventurers, Lili always held a prejudice.
If there was someone she felt relatively neutral about… it would probably be Liam, whom she had met in the Dungeon, who could ignore magic and see her true appearance.
Her magic being seen through.
Lili had spent the last two days in agony, worried that Liam would spread the word, causing adventurers she had cheated to come looking for trouble.
As it turned out, he hadn't!
It was because of this that she suddenly realized Liam might be someone she could cooperate with on her plan. He hadn't directly refused back then.
That meant there might be a turnaround!
Precisely because of this, harboring the vision of leaving the Familia, compelled Lili to make a choice. She had waited outside Babel for a long time during the day.
But hadn't seen Liam appear.
Tonight, she was even thinking of giving up when Liam finally left the Dungeon. She had made many plans in her mind before.
But when contacting this powerful adventurer who made her instinctively feel fear…
Lili could only constantly console herself, wait for a suitable opportunity to talk. Yet, she hadn't expected her tailing to be directly discovered by Liam.
"Um…"
"I don't have any ill intentions. There's... there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Facing Liam's calm inquiry.
Lili looked up, unable to hide the turmoil in her heart. After seeing those eyes as calm as an ancient well.
She finally mustered her courage and said proactively, "It's still about that matter from two days ago, but I hope you don't refuse right now."
"I can pay a reward…"
This was one of the few things she could offer. After being robbed by Familia members, she didn't have much Valis left.
If she was rejected again, Lili really didn't know how to execute her plan.
Noticing the anticipation in the young woman's eyes, actually, if Lili had offered to pay a reward earlier.
If Liam even hesitated, it would be disrespecting Valis. Without refusing, he pointed towards The Hostess of Fertility restaurant ahead and said casually.
"Talk after dinner?"
(End of this chapter)