Of course, compared to the tedious troubles Fron faced, the pressure Finn had to shoulder was even greater.
The situation had deteriorated rapidly. Now, not only the Loki Familia, in order to respond to the upcoming decisive battle, the adventurers group needed a unified command system for efficient coordination and information transfer.
Therefore, aside from his own familia, the Hero now also had no choice but to serve as commander of the entire party.
Sitting in this position meant that every step had to be taken with extreme caution and steadiness, and it was precisely this factor that made him maintain a calmness surpassing anyone else.
He had to be strict with himself, and then display a firm attitude to guide those beneath him.
Although within the familia a general consensus had formed, that Fron, was regarded by everyone as the strongest in the Loki Familia, even so, Finn's influence and leadership were still far beyond anything Fron could compare to.
One reason was that Fron's rise had simply been too recent, lacking the foundation and the test of time.
Another… was that the impression of Finn in everyone's mind had already taken root deeply. This was the key reason the old members trusted him.
Would Fron have any complaints about this?
No, quite the opposite. He was perfectly happy with it. Someone like Finn barely even had personal free time and carried the heavy responsibility of leading the familia's growth. Just looking at that pile of documents on the office desk made a certain someone's heart shrink.
He loved studying the unknown, loved learning, but that didn't mean he enjoyed tying himself to an office doing things he wasn't interested in, like handling various administrative papers for the familia, which clearly had nothing to do with his research or interests.
....
On the other hand, the two people beside him, Riveria and Gareth, noticed the deeply hidden change in Finn's heart.
"It seems… from the moment he learned about the Xenos, to contacting their group and gaining some understanding, the rigid part of that honest heart of his has softened a little."
Riveria glanced at the upright Finn, then at Fron, who seemed to be listening to the report but was actually drifting elsewhere, and secretly shook her head while thinking.
In truth, Finn himself was also faintly aware of his change.
It wasn't growth of the body, nor something that could be displayed through the Falna, but something internal, an evolution of the heart.
Is this also the 'growth' the gods spoke of? He almost let out a self-mocking thought.
Of course, aside from that, the total failure of this expedition weighed heavily on him. Though he appeared calm on the surface, in reality Finn's inner turmoil was intense.
The facade was merely a mask. His heart held guilt, frustration, regret, but all of it was tightly suppressed, hidden away.
Yet things had already happened. No matter how much one regretted or resented it, it was useless now.
As the leader, he understood: one must look toward the future. Since defeat had already come, then they just had to win it back in the next battle.
Thus he organized everything within himself, ready to prepare for the next fight.
Finn, hailed as the Braver, had an exceptionally clear head. He knew exactly what things required immediate action, what stance needed to be displayed.
It was to rally the morale of the members whose spirits had fallen sharply, and also because the already-planned "Second Assault" required a finalized strategy.
Noticing Finn's posture, Fron slightly restrained his own casualness, giving his boss some face.
"These reports can end here. Let's talk about the situation in the Knossos."
The losses were already a settled matter. What they could do now was get everyone to regain confidence.
And the most important issue before them was the artificial labyrinth that had become a "demonic pit", this was the priority of priorities.
"At present, the opening between the artificial labyrinth and the huge hole connected to the Dungeon is being cleared under the lead of the Ganesha Familia. They're removing the 'green flesh' that has filled the passages. We've also sent our members to assist, but…"
At that point, Riveria's expression stiffened in distress.
Fron shrugged, as though he already knew the result.
"Progress isn't great, right? As far as I know, that 'green flesh' isn't some dead matter, but, just like the Dungeon, it has the properties of a living organism. It has its own will, and the moment it judges you as an enemy or intruder, it immediately launches an attack."
"Having to stay alert for sudden strikes from the green flesh while carrying out excavation… naturally the progress won't be optimistic."
The three looked toward Fron and asked:
"You went there to survey?"
"Mm. It was just on the way, really. Speaking of which, the biggest headache is still the old man. I have to…"
"…Yeah, definitely a headache."
Listening to their discussion, Finn began to think.
The "First Assault" conducted to capture the artificial labyrinth.
In the planning stage, the "power reconnaissance" targeted the remnants of the Evilus and the monster faction in the underground forces.
With Fron's vanguard unit's penetration and distraction, the overall situation was always one where the Loki Familia and the adventurers held the advantage openly. Not to mention the Hermes Familia performing their sneaky tactics in the shadows.
Under Finn's blitzkrieg strategy, adventurers, healers, and fighters from every faction fought bravely.
They drove out the Evilus remnants entirely, and seized a temporary foothold.
With a stable foothold everything became easier, and the opposition finally collapsed entirely.
But no one expected, just when complete victory was within reach, even when a checkmate piece had been placed on Thanatos, and their victory was instantly flipped over by the enemy's vicious and merciless move.
No, Finn felt that calling it "flipped" was too gentle. "Split the entire gameboard in half" was more accurate.
The activation of the "green flesh."
That grotesque mass devoured all the passages inside the artificial labyrinth, swallowing adventurers indiscriminately.
As a result, the Dionysus Familia was unfortunately engulfed as well, essentially equivalent to being wiped out.
....
In their eyes, Knossos, stuffed full of green flesh, could no longer be described as a simple "man-made dungeon."
It had become a true bone-chilling death trap.