"We'll rest for today. At first light tomorrow, we take on the 17th-floor boss, Goliath."
Since everyone had chosen the same path, Finn knew what to do. The plan from here would no longer follow a normal "expedition" rhythm—it would follow the pace of an "abnormal-state" response. With that, Finn decided they would rest today.
"After we defeat Goliath, we won't stop in Rivira. We go straight to the second safe floor. The key will be the transport team."
Finn called the "transport team" out by name.
"On the 17th, you can destroy half of the transports. The other half must remain—enough for Rivira to see them with their own eyes. We won't linger there; they just need to see us pass through. According to intel, it's not yet the time for Amphisbaena to revive—if we push now, we'll likely encounter it."
"Understood?"
"Understood!"
With Finn spelling it out, no one missed the point. Rest today; tomorrow, blitz straight through Rivira and rush for the 28th-floor safe zone.
"Good. Transport team, move all cargo into the warehouse by the great tree-house. Leave just enough in the wagons for people to assume they're loaded. The rest of you, head inside and pick your rooms. Besides personal rooms, the tree-house also has a bath for cleaning."
A bath, too! The girls' eyes lit up. Cleanliness mattered a lot to them. Since Finn hadn't mentioned it earlier, they'd assumed there wasn't one. A bath here was a big deal—water in the Dungeon was precious, and places to wash were basically nonexistent. This was an important amenity.
"Lady Riveria, will you be free later?"
"Mhm. For bathing? We can go together."
Faced with their hopeful looks, Riveria hesitated, then agreed. She didn't like being placed on a pedestal by her own familia members, but so long as it wasn't Loki's handsiness, she wouldn't refuse a proper invitation.
The familia split up at the entrance: those handling cargo went to work; the others entered the tree-house to choose rooms and rest. Tomorrow they had to tackle the 17th-floor boss and then make best speed for the second safe zone.
As everyone dispersed, Bete focused on Tsuna, who'd been sitting quietly off to the side.
"Talk?"
"Mhm. Sure."
Bete didn't waste words. He turned into the tree-house, and Tsuna followed. With everyone else hunting for rooms, nobody paid them much attention.
They chose a room on the first floor. The interior was quite spacious—about twice the size of a typical room in Twilight Manor.
"Rookie. Those training tools you gave the two women and Ais—do they really work?"
"They work. But the strain on the body is significant."
"Strain is what training's for."
Training is supposed to be heavy—like real combat. Bete didn't care in the least; it was obvious to him. He hadn't grown by much precisely because his training had been too easy.
"In training, you don't fear 'strain.' You take it to build power—so you don't crumble when you actually need strength."
No one knew a weakling's misery better than Bete. When you desperately need strength and don't have it, you only end up losing the person most important to you. Beyond strength, he still held a private wish in his heart.
"And… that other thing. I want to ask about 'resurrection.'"
"I can guess why. You must have lost the most important person in your life—and you want them back. But the crux of 'resurrection' is whether you can shoulder the burden that comes with pulling the dead back."
Bete asked, awkward and hesitant. Seeing that, Tsuna didn't dodge the topic.
"This world has reincarnation. I can say that for certain. The ones who hold it aren't anyone else—it's the gods themselves. To resurrect someone is, in effect, to snatch a soul from a god's hands. Doing that is basically suicide."
"Because you can't compare to the gods—you can't bear the consequences if they decide to pursue it. So you'd better not think about 'resurrection.'"
"…"
He's right. Bete's mouth opened, then closed. He knew Tsuna wasn't lying. The problem wasn't him; he was only a Level 4 adventurer, nowhere near that threshold.
"So it's strength again…"
Bete drew a deep breath. Just like he'd thought before—if you can't get power when you need it, you only lose what matters most. Wasn't this exactly that situation?
"Exactly. Without that power, you're not qualified to even talk about it. Let's drop it. I'm not qualified to discuss it yet either. When I am—then we'll talk."
He had a new goal now—even if it was farther than he'd imagined. Bete inhaled, not disappointed by the distance. Before today, the topic had been unrealistic anyway. Only because hope appeared did the thought take root.
That wish needed strength to support it. In the end, everything came back to power. Bete grasped the Dungeon's deeper logic: whatever you want to do depends on how strong you are.
"Let's talk about the gravity bracelets. They do increase bodily load, which boosts training effect. Judging by those two and by Ais, that's how it works. If it didn't, Ais wouldn't have gotten chewed out."
So you do get it. Tsuna almost laughed. He knew how rough Ais's morning had been—Loki had described it all too vividly.
"Also… is there any way to significantly boost my growth?"
"Uh…"
Seeing the urgency in Bete's eyes, Tsuna hesitated.
"Ais asked me the same thing. She got pinned by Tiona and Tione before I could answer. I can make beasts tailored exactly to your abilities."
"That'll do!"
Tailored to him? Bete couldn't help grinning—broad and bright. On the road to strength, what he needed most was personalized training. Otherwise, how could he get real results?
(End of Chapter)
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