"!?"
Alise jolted upright in bed, gasping for breath.
Was that… a dream?
That purple-black monster had chased her endlessly. No matter how fast she ran, it was always right behind her. The moment she lost sight of it, her right arm had been severed.
Her chest heaved violently as she sucked in air. Her heart pounded, blood rushing through her veins. The dizziness that came with panic blurred her vision until the world swayed and bent.
It took her a long while to steady her breathing, to calm the trembling in her body.
Only then did she dare look down at her right arm.
It was there. Whole. Unbroken. Not the bloodied stump from her nightmare.
"It's still there… it's really still here…"
"Bad dream?"
Alise turned her head. Kaguya sat curled up in the corner, hugging her knees. Her eyes were red, like she hadn't slept at all.
"Kaguya…" Alise's voice cracked as she spoke.
"Was that all just a nightmare?"
"Yeah," Kaguya said softly. "A horrible one. It took everything from us. But we were lucky—Lady Astraea saved us."
"Lady Astraea…"
The mention of that name made Alise's thoughts finally line up. Her memories returned—last night hadn't been a dream. It had been a trap set by the Dark Faction.
They should've all died to that purple-black monster. But for some reason, just as it was about to strike, it suddenly changed course—and an Adventurer appeared, pulling them into a strange, colorless world.
He'd carried them away from the brink of death.
In that gray-white space, as long as he moved, they moved with him—safe, untouchable.
Then they'd arrived in an even stranger place.
A space quieter and more peaceful than anything she'd ever seen in the Dungeon. For the first time in ages, she'd felt no sense of danger.
That was where they'd met Riveria—and, through some strange black construct, they'd seen both Lady Loki and Lady Astraea.
"That wasn't a dream?"
"For us," Kaguya said quietly, "it might as well have been."
She lifted her right hand, gazing at the limb she had once lost. It was precious, yes—but she knew exactly what that miracle had cost.
"What we lost… Lady Astraea traded her freedom to get it back."
As her memories pieced together, Alise recalled Loki's words—something about a 'subordinate goddess.'
The full realization hit her, and she sat numbly on her bedding.
"Kaguya… how are we supposed to face Lady Astraea now?"
"Don't ask me that," Kaguya replied. "I didn't figure it out all night either."
They had wanted to make Astraea proud—to make her Familia's name echo across Orario as a symbol of justice. But in the end, it was Astraea who had saved them.
"They're probably still lost right now," Riveria said, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. "After everything that happened last night… who wouldn't be?"
"For the Astraea Familia, that whole ordeal was a nightmare," Finn said grimly.
No one had expected the thirtieth floor to turn into such a bloodbath—not with nine level 4 Adventurers there.
"The Dark Faction's remnants really know how to cause trouble. And to think they discovered a countermeasure built into the Dungeon itself…"
"What about Astraea's decision, though?" Riveria asked, concern flickering across her face. "She agreed to become Loki's subordinate goddess—and her Familia's now officially attached to ours."
Finn shook his head immediately. "No, that's not a problem."
"Loki's decision is a good one—for both sides. She just pulled the Astraea Familia under our protection. For Astraea and her children, that's not a bad outcome either."
He crossed his arms.
"Remember, Astraea and Eris's Familias are the ones who maintain Orario's order. They've made plenty of enemies because of that. The Dark Faction probably targeted them precisely because everyone's sick of their 'righteous meddling.' Even if someone attacked them, no one would've stepped in to help."
"But now that they're under us," Finn continued, "those same Familias won't dare act rashly. And if Astraea's decisions fall under Loki's name, she can always shift the responsibility. No one's foolish enough to point their blade at Loki."
Riveria smiled faintly. "Of course not. That would be the same as declaring war on the second-strongest Familia in Orario."
"Exactly. And even if someone was stupid enough to try…" Finn's voice turned sharp. "Do you really think they'd live long enough to regret it? Where do you think Tsuna fits into this equation?"
Riveria went quiet. She didn't need him to elaborate.
If anyone dared to provoke Loki, Tsuna would act—and when he moved, no one ever even realized what had happened until it was over. He'd rescued the Astraea girls from the edge of death without anyone noticing.
If he decided to erase someone, there wouldn't even be a trace left behind.
Riveria sighed softly. "Then what about the expedition?" she asked, changing the subject. "Do we continue?"
"We stop," Finn said firmly.
"We already know the Dark Faction's been stirring up chaos in the Dungeon. They ambushed the Astraea Familia and nearly wiped them out. If we keep pushing the expedition now, we'd just be marching our own people to their deaths."
He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.
"Thankfully, we prepared before setting out. Our original goal was to find the cause of the Dungeon's 'abnormalities.' Now that we have our answer, we've got enough to report back to the Guild. No need to waste more time."
Finn's focus had already shifted. The expedition was no longer his priority.
The Dark Faction was.
"From here on," he said, voice hardening, "we'll make their extermination official."
Riveria nodded. "Astraea will want to see it through. And Loki…"
"She'll never let those bastards walk free," Finn finished.
His eyes narrowed.
"We have our own score to settle with them too. And this time, we're not holding back."
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Note: Alright chat that's all for today.
But I'll give you a challenge: if we reach rank 30 or below, I'll upload 10 chapters again tomorrow!
Also, you can read up to chapter 105 on Patreon.com/NiaXD.
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