An expedition was never a simple matter. Pushing deeper into the Dungeon required not only strength but manpower—lots of it. The Loki Familia's force was divided into three groups: the main vanguard squad, the mid-tier squad, and the logistics squad in the rear.
The mid-tier squad handled weaker monsters, providing fire support and assistance for the vanguard. In essence, they were the "second team," made up mostly of adventurers between Level 2 and Level 4.
The vanguard—the "first team"—was composed of the Familia's strongest: Finn, Gareth, Riveria, Tiona, Tione, Bete, and Ais. They were the core assault unit, known for their exceptional talent, aggression, and potential. Of course, the lineup wasn't absolute—if someone in the second team proved capable enough, they could be moved up.
As for the logistics squad, they rarely engaged in direct combat. Their role centered on support: transporting supplies, collecting Drop Items, extracting Magic Stones, and setting up temporary bases.
Even so, members of the logistics team could still grow through steady experience. With enough effort, anyone in the Loki Familia could earn the Excelia needed for advancement. It was a slow grind, but as long as one worked hard, opportunities were everywhere.
That was the Loki Familia's strength—it attracted ambitious adventurers. The bar for entry wasn't low, of course; talent was still a requirement. Even "that exceptional kid" wasn't without gifts. He might lack innate skill or magic, but his growth rate was remarkable.
Take Raul Nord, for instance—now a Level 4 adventurer. He'd been with the Familia for four years, and he'd leveled up almost once per year. That kind of pace spoke for itself. His combat ability might not be the most dazzling, and he tended to fumble under pressure, but he was consistent. Reliable.
"Woooo!"
Tiona cheered as she charged ahead, tearing through the upper floors like a whirlwind. The monsters that spawned barely even qualified as obstacles—she crushed them effortlessly.
"Tiona, don't move too far ahead," Finn called out. "This expedition's different from before. We need to collect all the Magic Stones and Drop Items."
"Got it~!"
She stomped down hard, pinning a Shadow lurking in the wall back into the stone before it could slip away. Then she stopped, obediently waiting for the others.
"Tch. What's she so hyped about on the upper floors?" Bete muttered, clicking his tongue.
"Heh~ you wouldn't get it anyway," Tiona said without even looking at him, cheerfully resting her hands on her head as she waited for the logistics team to catch up.
Bete narrowed his eyes. Something was definitely up. Both Tiona and Tione were acting strange today.
The first thing he'd noticed was their outfits—those red outfits were completely different from their usual gear. And those crimson cloth bracers wrapped around their arms… he'd seen them glance at them more than once.
What the hell were those? Some kind of new equipment? Bete couldn't recall seeing anything like that in Orario. And knowing those two amazons, they wouldn't bother changing their usual combat gear unless there was a good reason.
"More excited than usual… must be the new gear, huh?"
Good question, old man, Bete thought dryly, glancing toward Gareth. If the dwarf asked, he'd definitely listen in.
"Fufufu~ you noticed, huh, Gareth?" Tiona grinned proudly. "Let me tell you something awesome. These new clothes Tione and I are wearing? They're Tsuna's latest creations! We're helping him run field tests for their functions. The defense on these things is stronger than heavy armor!"
"Oh-ho, now that's interesting," Gareth said, stroking his beard.
New creations? Bete's ears perked up. So it was that freak ability again—Tsuna's power to create things out of imagination. That absurd skill of his that could produce conceptual constructs without relying on magic power. It was ridiculous… and terrifyingly powerful.
"That thin layer of fabric's tougher than plate armor, huh?" Gareth said, intrigued. "Sounds like something only that kid could pull off. How strong are we talking, exactly?"
"Hehehe, don't be too shocked, Gareth," Tiona said, grinning ear to ear, eager to brag. "When I swung Urga at Tione, she said it hurt—but there wasn't even a scratch! The cloth completely blocked it! It can withstand first-class weapon attacks. And it's not just physical defense—it's got strong resistance against magic too, though we haven't tested that part yet."
"Urga, huh?" Gareth's eyes widened slightly. Urga was a massive weapon forged from super-heavy metal—both razor-sharp and unbelievably dense. Even a grazing blow from it packed destructive force. For Tione to take a direct hit without serious damage… that was absurd.
Even Gareth wasn't confident his full set of metal armor could handle a clean strike from Urga. Survive a moment, maybe—but completely negate the damage? Not a chance.
"Excellent physical resistance and potential magic resistance…" Gareth nodded thoughtfully. "If its magical defense matches its physical toughness, it could block most standard-level spells."
He turned to Riveria, the group's authority on such matters. The high-elf had been silently observing the twins for a while before giving a slight nod.
"Indeed. If the magical resistance is comparable to the physical, it could easily block most basic spells. That level of defense even surpasses my own attire."