As one descended deeper into the Dungeon, its scale expanded accordingly.
The reason was simple.
The Dungeon's overall structure was conical.
The uppermost floors were extremely small-some were even narrower than the central plaza beneath Babel Tower. But by the time one reached the thirtieth or fortieth floor, the Dungeon's area already rivaled that of Orario itself.
Deeper still, the space exceeded Orario entirely.
This was also the fundamental reason large Familias like the Loki Familia always split into multiple teams during expeditions.
The upper floors were far too crowded.
Not just in terms of monster density, but space itself.
Many passages were so narrow that they could only accommodate a single person at a time. Once expedition supplies were added into the mix, failing to split up would result in severe congestion.
Movement would slow.
Formations would collapse.
Efficiency would plummet.
Therefore, when embarking on long expeditions, large Familias would always advance in separate teams, then regroup at the safe zone on the Eighteenth Floor.
That was standard practice.
At this moment, the second team of the Loki Familia was moving through one such narrow passage.
Shirou was part of this team.
Unlike the first team-which consisted of the Familia's absolute main force-the second team was composed primarily of mid-level adventurers.
Raul.
Anchi.
Cruz.
Elvie.
Alicia.
All Level 4.
Shirou was familiar with every one of them.
As one of the Familia's emerging backbones, he interacted with them frequently.
However, the most important member of the second team wasn't any of these Level 4 adventurers.
It was a human girl.
Her name was Lene.
Her level was only Level 2.
Yet her importance far surpassed what her level suggested.
She was a healer.
And not just any healer.
She was one of the extremely rare members of the Loki Familia who possessed healing magic.
In an expedition-
What could be more valuable than a healer?
The amount of medicine an expedition could carry was always limited.
But a healer's recovery potential was effectively infinite.
The two were not comparable.
"Mr. Emiya... please take care of me."
Lene greeted Shirou softly, her voice carrying a trace of nervousness.
Standing beside him, she felt an invisible pressure.
After all, Shirou had already become the secret crush of more than a few girls within the Familia.
Being assigned to the same team as him made her heart uneasy.
Seeing her tense expression, Shirou misunderstood slightly.
He assumed she was worried about the dangers ahead.
So he raised a hand, gently patted her shoulder, and spoke calmly.
"Don't be nervous, Lene. I'll protect you."
The moment she heard that, Lene felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
Although she was only Level 2, her healing magic had allowed her to accompany the Loki Familia on countless expeditions.
She was, by all measures, a senior.
And yet-
She was being comforted by a newcomer.
Mr. Emiya... isn't he the newbie here?
As a senior, being reassured by a junior...
Is this what they call academic collapse?
Lene looked at Shirou, who wore a gentle and reliable expression.
She wanted to say something.
But in the end, she didn't know what to say at all.
So she simply nodded.
"...Mm."
Behind them, Anchi, Raul, and the others-who had been quietly eavesdropping-couldn't help but chuckle.
Dungeon Floor 13.
Once again accompanying the main force down to the middle floors, Shirou once again experienced the true power of a large group.
The middle floors, which normally demanded extreme caution, now felt like a leisurely stroll.
Every monster that appeared was swept aside.
The team advanced with overwhelming force.
With a lineup where everyone was Level 2 or above-and the majority were Level 4 and Level 3-facing Level 2 monsters was effortless.
Walking near the back as a rear guard, Shirou found himself with little to do.
Occasionally, he fired a few ordinary arrows.
That was it.
The frontline and midline were simply too strong.
"So this is group combat strategy..."
Shirou observed quietly.
"It feels completely different from party mode."
Every role was clearly assigned.
Every position supported another.
The entire formation moved like a single organism.
Efficiency was absurdly high.
Before long, the second team-led by Gareth-arrived at the Eighteenth Floor and successfully regrouped with the first team.
The moment Shirou saw the light overhead, he stopped involuntarily.
The Sky Crystal embedded in the ceiling emitted a gentle glow, illuminating the entire area.
"The Dungeon really is incredible..."
He couldn't help but voice his amazement.
This was still underground.
And yet here, the crystal acted as a sun.
Even more astonishing, according to records, the crystal would dim at night, simulating a day-night cycle.
It was like a complete world.
"Haha," Gareth laughed, patting Shirou on the shoulder. "This is only the beginning, kid. The Dungeon has many more wonders."
Shirou's face warmed slightly.
On this expedition, he was the only true newcomer.
Everyone else here had years-sometimes decades-of experience.
"Why do I feel like some country bumpkin seeing the city for the first time..."
He stopped talking and instead began observing the Eighteenth Floor more carefully.
The last time he had come here, he'd been alone and pressed for time.
There had been no chance to truly look around.
Now, he finally could.
Dense forests stretched in all directions.
Crystals of various shapes and sizes grew naturally from the ground and walls.
That was his first impression.
"As expected of a fantasy world..."
After a brief rest and final preparations, the Loki Familia-now clad in Fire Spirit Weave-began moving again.
According to the expedition plan, the goal for the first day was clear.
Advance to the Twenty-Fourth Floor.
Rest at the entrance leading to the Twenty-Fifth Floor.
Then continue on the second day.
After that, the pace would increase to five or six floors per day until they reached the safe zone on the Fiftieth Floor.
"Loki Familia," the command rang out, "move out!"
As the teams advanced once more, Shirou adjusted his position.
He remained part of the rear guard, but shifted closer to the center, joining the mages in providing ranged support.
After all, Broken Phantasm functioned effectively as a magic attack.
While it couldn't deal fatal damage to enemies with Level 5 durability, monsters below that threshold were easily handled.
In addition, Shirou could act as a secondary guard.
If monsters broke through, he could immediately step in to protect the mages around him.
His close-combat capability was more than sufficient.
As the expedition progressed, the Loki Familia quickly reached the Nineteenth Floor.
The environment changed instantly.
The ceiling.
The walls.
Even the ground beneath their feet.
All of it was made of thick, layered tree bark.
According to Guild records, Floors 19 through 24 were collectively referred to as the Great Tree Labyrinth.
Massive plant life grew along every path leading deeper.
Moss clung to surfaces, emitting faint blue and green light.
The entire area was bathed in an eerie, mysterious glow.
Only now did Shirou truly understand why this place was considered special.
The Great Tree Labyrinth was not only vast-it was rich.
Countless rare plants grew here.
Many high-grade potion ingredients sold on the market originated from this very floor range.
At the same time, the monsters here were notoriously troublesome.
Firebirds that spewed flames.
Mimic-type ambush monsters like Bloody Hive and Fatal Hornet.
Toxic threats such as Dark Poison Mushrooms.
Large-scale dangers like the Green Tree Dragon.
And most infamous of all-
Poison Maggots.
Individually, they posed little threat.
But once they gathered in swarms, they became exceptionally dangerous.
Because of this, ordinary adventurers who entered the Great Tree Labyrinth had to remain on constant alert.
One mistake could mean death.
However.
That rule applied to ordinary adventurers.
This was the Loki Familia.
On an expedition.
"Bete," a voice called out, "Tiona. These are yours."
"Hmph," Bete snorted. "I've been waiting."
He surged forward immediately.
Tiona followed close behind, her usual competitive grin already in place.
The moment they charged, the battle began.
-----More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter