The Joint Expedition assembled in short order.
On the surface, only members of the Loki and Astraea Familia stood in formation. From the Hephaestus side, Tsubaki alone appeared in the open; the rest of the smiths had, as expected, entered the Rest Space to recuperate.
There was no need for craftsmen during the direct push through the upper Dungeon. Their role would begin later—repairing weapons and armor for the expeditionary force from within the Rest Space as the advance progressed.
The massing of the host drew every god's attention.
Of course, their eyes searched the ranks for one figure in particular. Loki's and Astraea's children were all familiar faces; they were looking for the one who wasn't.
Finding an unfamiliar adventurer amid a crowd of well-known ones was easy. In an instant, divine gazes locked on a stranger among the ranks.
Across both Familias, only that single adventurer felt new—and the vitality around him felt… wrong. Not like a human, but like an empty shell without its own will.
The gods shared the same conclusion—puppet.
"He's put his puppet on the front line. So Loki's child really has no intention of stepping forward personally."
"If it were your child, would you throw a power like that onto center stage?"
"Of course not. I'd keep a kid like that hidden until their level and strength were sufficient. But Loki is using the puppet and space to draw fire away from the more important part of the child's power. Thanks to space, we still haven't even seen the kid's real face. Infuriatingly enticing."
The curiosity of the unknown tugged at divine minds. Aside from Loki, Astraea, and Hephaestus, likely no one had seen the child directly. Until they did, that anticipation would never fade—regardless of what the face beneath actually looked like.
At the Dungeon's gate, the main members of the Loki and Astraea Familias stood ready.
Finn took his place at the fore. He lifted his gold-trimmed spear and, instead of grand declarations, simply spoke.
"Everyone has their own goals for this Joint Expedition. With our preparations, I believe each of you can reach the targets you've set. Our purpose this time is clear: exploration of the unknown."
"Do you have confidence?"
"Yes!"
From both Familias, the answer rang out, steady and firm.
Each adventurer held personal aims—especially those hungry to advance. The goal was to amass deeds enough to cross into a higher tier. The deeper floors held countless chances; if they were willing to fight with everything they had, "great deeds" would not be a mirage.
Fire burned in every eye. Expectation for the Joint Expedition ran hot.
The blaze in their hearts even drew soft exclamations from the watching gods.
"As expected of Loki's brood. Their presence alone outstrips my entire house."
"Truly. Do they even understand what an expedition means? How are they all this excited?"
Expeditions were never safe. The Dungeon's mutations were many; the cruelest surprises came at the worst times. Even veterans bled. Death's hand often brushed every shoulder.
"Move out!"
Finn led the assembled force into the Dungeon.
They split into teams at once.
Before reaching the eighteenth floor, the plan called for rapid advance in squads of three. Any enemy that appeared would be handled with maximum efficiency. Two in front, one in back—the formation let front and rear flow together seamlessly.
It worked beautifully, especially against roaming monsters.
"Hah!"
A dual-blades adventurer surged ahead, ghosting up to a goblin and opening its throat before it could register motion.
"Screeee!"
Three more goblins rushed in. The dual-blades fighter slid sideways instead of charging. A shield-bearer stepped into the lane, met the charge head-on—
Shield Bash!
He drove the greatshield forward with brutal momentum. A dull crack, and all three goblins went airborne.
Twang!
Behind the shield came three readied arrows. They leapt from the bowstrings together and pinned the tumbling goblins cleanly out of the air.
Four kills, finished in a breath.
The trio withdrew at once, clearing the path for the team behind them.
Group after group kept the rhythm. On the upper floors, this was all warm-up, but the relay pattern was designed for what lay ahead—sharing the burden, saving strength, and rotating the line to meet ever more enemies in better condition.
The first floors were trivial. But with every level down, both numbers and strength swelled. By the tenth floor, even ordinary monsters were far stronger than at the start, and a fast push meant higher stamina drain.
This method kept command simple in small engagements: advance by practiced instinct, cover by reflex, fight by trust.
(End of Chapter)
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