Finn accepted Liliruca's response, and though his face remained composed, there was a trace of approval and reassurance in his expression.
"Lili, your strength may not compare to Daphne's, but your judgment and decision-making are on par with hers."
"Your assessment was sound. Once your team ran out of resources, its core weaknesses would've started showing. Instead of pushing forward blindly, you made the wise—and difficult—choice to withdraw."
Faced with the captain's praise, Liliruca looked a little flustered.
"No, Captain, I just..."
But Finn gently shook his head, signaling for her not to continue.
"For many strong-willed adventurers, choosing to give up is one of the hardest things. No one wants to watch something within reach slip through their fingers."
"But even so, staying calm and making that call is rare and commendable."
Finn's face softened into a smile full of warmth and satisfaction. He clearly saw potential in Liliruca, and his praise reflected that.
"As a commander, you can't afford to lose your ability to think clearly or judge rationally just because of the emotions of those around you. Your job is to act for the sake of the team—not the other way around."
"That's why I believe your decision was the right one."
"You've got talent for command. It's worth nurturing that further."
Finn's acknowledgment meant the world to Liliruca. The excitement and pride welling up inside her were hard to contain.
Still, her sense of self-control kept her composed.
"Thank you for the compliment, Captain."
Finn clearly approved of this junior adventurer. Then he cast a quick glance toward Bete.
"Don't take Bete's words to heart—he's gotten used to playing the villain lately."
"When you were clearing the hive in the Great Tree Labyrinth, that guy was running faster than anyone else."
Liliruca's eyes widened as she looked over at Bete. She hadn't expected the same Werewolf who had been so harsh to them to have actually been trailing behind their group during the hive cleanup.
Caught red-handed, Bete looked visibly annoyed.
"Tch! I was just checking things out. Don't think I was babysitting these small fry."
Even with his sour tone, Liliruca couldn't help but get a better read on him.
That Vanargand had a tsundere streak after all.
In response, Liliruca set aside her bias toward the Vanargand and offered her thanks sincerely.
"Bete-san, thank you very much for what you did."
"Hmph!"
The werewolf gave a haughty snort and didn't respond.
But Liliruca understood now—this was just how Vanargand communicated.
She knew he wasn't a bad person. If he were, he wouldn't have done any of what he did. He just had a sharp tongue, that was all.
She gave a slight bow and left.
Watching her go, Finn's expression softened with approval and quiet amusement.
"What do you think of Lili's potential, Bete?"
A flicker of respect passed through the eyes of the prideful wolf. For someone to say what she did in a situation like that—it was enough to make him take notice.
"Just passable."
Coming from Bete, who was usually scathing, even "just passable" spoke volumes.
Riveria also watched Liliruca's retreating figure. She had seen everything.
"She may not be exceptionally gifted herself, but she's able to inspire others, to draw out their full potential."
"That clarity of will brought out the best in her team—maybe... it's a kind of 'sign'."
"Looks like we're thinking the same thing."
As adventurers grow, they develop special skills and magic through the blessings of their gods. What kind of abilities awaken depends entirely on talent and luck.
Those who possess such skills or magic are the chosen ones—gifted by the world.
And Liliruca, without a doubt, was one of them.
Compared to the magic she already possessed, perhaps this expedition would lead to a new awakening.
Finn was already looking forward to seeing what kind of magic and skills Liliruca would develop next.
"And now it's Daphne's turn."
With Liliruca's team halting at the 25th floor, the next stretch—two more floors—would depend on Daphne.
Their rest didn't last long.
Thanks to the recent Monster Feast, no new monsters were currently spawning on the 25th floor, so the break was unusually peaceful.
Soon enough, the team was geared up and ready to move.
This time, Daphne's team took the lead, while Liliruca's stayed back to rest.
The 25th and 27th floors of the Great Fall were connected by a waterfall—a rather unique structure.
That connection also applied to the monsters. Aside from rare creatures and the floor boss, these three floors were primarily inhabited by Blue Crabs and flocks of Iguazu living in specific habitats.
Maybe all of Loki Familia's bad luck had been spent earlier, because the 26th floor only had a few Blue Crabs—and not a single Iguazu. They passed through without incident.
Eventually, they reached the base of the Great Fall. Like the previous levels, the area was filled with interlinked caverns. But unlike before, they were now surrounded not by dizzying waterfall cliffs, but by the basin pools formed at the very bottom.
This was where the Mermaids resided.
However, Mermaids were a rare spawn in the Great Fall. They rarely appeared—and when they did, it was usually to target a few adventurers, not during moments with large groups moving through.
With few monsters in their way, Daphne's advance went smoothly.
"Sniff... sniff..."
Bell, with his sharp nose, caught the scent of multiple corpses as soon as they reached the 27th floor.
The odor wasn't overwhelming—it seemed to be masked by another plant's fragrance, making it difficult to detect.
'Were the corpses hidden?'
A faint, invisible ripple spread out from Bell, quickly covering the area.
Soon, he "saw" a monster lurking nearby, disguised in a bizarre shape within one of the caves. It had been spying on the team the entire time, completely still like a rock.
The sight made Bell grin.
'I see... a special intelligent variant.'
His thoughts immediately jumped to the unique monster native to the Great Fall—a creature made entirely of moss.