Before crossing over, when Renjiro first watched the DanMachi anime years ago, he'd thought the Loki Familia's Expeditions were suspiciously efficient.
A few quick scene cuts, and suddenly, they were already camping in the Deep Floors.
Obviously, that was just a cinematic trick for pacing.
In reality, the production team had cut countless details of what an Expedition actually involved.
For example,
Because the Dungeon's interior was massive, and the deeper one went, the more complex the terrain, the stronger the monsters, the faster they spawned… a Loki Familia Expedition usually needed a full five days just to reach the Safe Floor of the Deep Floors: the 50th Floor.
Meaning: even without doing anything else, a round trip took at least ten days.
And if they encountered unexpected dangers along the way, or accepted high-difficulty Guild¹ or allied-Familia requests, the time would only stretch further.
Thus, the limited stockpile of supplies was always one of the greatest obstacles to Expedition efficiency.
For years, Loki Familia had attempted to reach the 59th Floor.
But every time they got to the 58th Floor, their supplies ran dry.
Finn, factoring in the need for a safe return, had no choice but to retreat, again and again.
They'd refine their Expedition plan, build up experience, or simply wait for a member's power to leap high enough to break the stalemate.
That was why, though they'd never cleared the 58th Floor, they never abandoned Expeditions either.
And so, here they were today…
"Finn and his group left a while ago. Time for us to move as well."
"Right."
At the plaza before Babel Tower, the Second Group, under Riveria's command, had been waiting for some time.
At her crisp order, the chatting members quickly gathered, Renjiro (Aether) and Lumine among them.
Together, they stepped into Babel Tower's lower floors.
Not far away, near a flowerbed, the Third Group, led by the last of the Three Captains, the dwarf Gareth, was still resting.
Finn had split the Expedition into three groups for a reason, based on years of hard-earned experience.
The Dungeon, one of the world's Three Great Mysteries, was shaped like an inverted cone; the deeper the floor, the larger the area.
This expansion followed a steady pattern.
For perspective: the 5th Floor was already as large as the entire plaza before Babel Tower. And the earlier floors were even smaller.
Furthermore, the first nine floors resembled narrow mining tunnels.
With only a few-meter-wide passages, cramming too many adventurers in at once would just hinder combat effectiveness.
A prime example: Tiona, the angel.
Every dive, she'd whirl her giant double-blade, nearly twice her height, like a high-speed propeller.
Whirr, whirr, whirr!
Any monster that came close was instantly shredded to paste, disintegrating slower than her blade moved.
And if a teammate got too close by accident… Yeah. That'd be a very gory scene.
Finn wasn't just strong, his calm analysis, precise planning, and flawless command were legendary.
His plans were reliable, sometimes even brilliantly unexpected.
As proven in the brutal "Seven Days of Death" incident years ago.
Now,
"Our group has more rear-guards, ranged fighters, and healers. So, according to Finn's plan, Aether, Lumine, you two will take points."
Riveria's voice was steady, commanding.
"Alicia, Lefiya, Line, you'll hold the middle, ready to support."
"Anna and I will cover the rear."
She halted at the base of the stairs leading downward, her supreme-class magic staff in hand. Her emerald gaze swept the group.
"Is everyone clear?"
"Yes."
They nodded as one.
Renjiro inhaled deeply.
Finally. It begins.
This trip will be the perfect chance to test the efficiency of "Starry Abyss" in real combat. Let's see just how broken it is.
With that thought, he and Lumine summoned their blades, the Traveler's Sword and the Sword of Dawn.
Side by side, they stepped first into the Spiral Corridor of Babel Tower's base.
Babel Tower wasn't just a divine gathering place; it was also a seal, a lid over the Dungeon.
Its lower floors were fortified with walls of Orichalcum, impenetrable by anything below Level 7.
At the center stood a raised stairway, leading into a massive, spiraling mine-shaft-like corridor.
Should monsters break through, they'd first face the Ganesha Familia, always stationed here.
Most members were Level 4, with their captain, Shakti Varma, a top-class Level 5 adventurer.
Against Upper Floor monsters, they could wipe them out in an instant.
And if a Monster Riot ever erupted, the Freya and Loki Familia elites would be summoned immediately.
This place was known as the last unbreakable line of defense on the surface.
Rock-solid. Probably.
Today, nothing unusual happened.
The Second Group entered smoothly.
With the Twin Stars' unmatched efficiency at the front, they reached the Middle Floors in just half a day.
Later,
"Formation stays the same. If you two feel you can't keep up, Anna (Lv.4) will take point," Riveria said as they reached the 13th Floor.
Renjiro answered firmly:
"No need. We can keep going. At least until we reach the 17th Floor, no problem."
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