After staying by the water pool for about half an hour, Leon and Ais ended this commemoration that held meaning only to the two of them. Sorting out their emotions, they returned to the expeditionary force.
By the time they rejoined the ranks, the rest period happened to have just concluded.
Next, what awaited the Loki Familia expeditionary force would be a rigorous forced march.
Just as Finn had said, after rallying on the 18th floor, they would head to the 50th floor in one fell swoop, making no stops along the way except for necessary rests and setting up camp.
The 50th floor of the Dungeon was also a safe floor, and at the same time, it served as the final safe floor before the 59th floor—the ultimate objective of the Loki Familia's expedition.
Therefore, the expeditionary force would head directly there, establish a base of operations, and then begin planning their descent to the 59th floor to launch their official conquest into uncharted territory.
Thanks to this, Leon, who was keeping pace with the forced march of the expeditionary force, witnessed sights of the underground labyrinth along the way that he had never seen or reached before.
The first area he encountered was the domain spanning Floors 19 to 24—the "Large Tree Labyrinth."
If the rock cavern labyrinth located on Floors 13 to 17 was a closed domain formed of stone and caves, then the Large Tree Labyrinth of Floors 19 to 24 was a wondrous realm composed of tree bark, moss, and vegetation.
The ceiling, walls, and floor here were all formed of tree bark. The lushly growing moss along the paths emitted a blue or green glow, shaping a landscape that resembled a hidden mystic realm. Mysterious flowers dripping with silver water droplets and leaves of all shapes could be seen everywhere. Flora unseen on the surface flourished in abundance here, making it, to some extent, even more spectacular than the 18th floor, which was praised as the "Under Resort."
However, the danger hidden behind this wondrous sight was more terrifying than any prior floor.
The most common monsters here were insectoid and mushroom-type creatures. What they excelled at most was unleashing toxic attacks with massive areas of effect. Their venom was far more potent than that of the Purple Moths found in the upper domains. Even for adventurers possessing the "Abnormal Resistance" development ability, it would be difficult to withstand such virulent toxins if their ability rank was too low.
Troublesome monsters like Bugbears and Firebirds also roamed this area. The former was even more difficult to handle than a Minotaur, while the latter's fire-breathing attacks posed a greater threat than a Hellhound's. Especially in an environment covered in vegetation like this, any stray spark could completely ignite a raging sea of fire. As a result, Finn had to order all members to don "Salamander Wool" that could withstand fire attacks, and placed members with high-rank "Abnormal Resistance" at the vanguard to clear the way ahead.
Those like Leon, who had not learned the "Abnormal Resistance" development ability, were arranged directly by Finn at the rear to be protected by the mid-guards. However, because his Goliath combat suit cloak possessed fire-resistant properties, Leon did not put on the Salamander Wool; he only needed to cooperate with the vanguard by casting magic from behind.
Once inside the Large Tree Labyrinth, the fully integrated expeditionary force had to strictly follow the pre-arranged plans. Leon, who was designated as a rear-guard mage, could no longer rush out haphazardly to draw his sword and hack away like before. Instead, alongside Lefiya and under Riveria's leadership, he used magic to cover and support the team. When necessary, he even had to unleash his full capabilities, erupting with firepower comparable to a Lv.5 to sweep the battlefield clean.
It was also from here that the excessive firepower of Leon and Lefiya finally found its proper use. A single spell from either of them could sweep away a massive horde of monsters, and their battlefield-scorching firepower drew the collective gaze of countless onlookers.
This was especially true for Leon. Not only did his magic possess immense destructive power, but he could also freely adjust the number of attacks. Sometimes he would fire a single meteor, vaporizing all monsters along its trajectory; sometimes he could directly unfold a magic circle above the battlefield to rain down countless meteor bombardments; he could even manipulate his meteors with exquisite finesse, freely controlling their paths to fly all across the battlefield, sniping monsters one by one. The scene, comparable to a grand-scale magical performance, left countless people utterly dazed.
After receiving Riveria's tutelage, Leon's proficiency in magic had indeed improved by leaps and bounds. He was no longer just using it crudely as it came, giving off the impression of a completely transformed person.
"It seems this expedition will be a bit easier," Gareth even offered such an evaluation, causing many members of the Loki Familia to view this newly promoted Lv.3 with newfound respect once more.
"What's so great about that—!" Lefiya, however, threw a tantrum, stubbornly competing with Leon.
Evidently, she did not want to lose to Leon, so she became exceptionally diligent when chanting her spells. As if competing in a contest against Leon, she unleashed one brilliant spell after another.
The aspect where Lefiya was stronger than Leon lay in the fact that her repertoire of magic vastly exceeded his.
Leon ultimately possessed only a single spell, but Lefiya was different. Not only were all three of her magic slots filled, but she could also use other types of magic through her unique third spell.
The title of "Thousand Elf" was not earned for nothing. In terms of the sheer number of spells she could utilize, Lefiya possessed even more than Riveria, who was hailed as the "Nine Hell."
Thus, while Leon displayed technical mastery, Lefiya began to showcase a true feast of magic, unleashing an exquisite and boundless variety of spells that left many people dazed yet again.
But thanks to this, the advance of the expeditionary force became much smoother. Before long, they emerged from the Large Tree Labyrinth and entered the 25th floor.
Starting from this floor, the monsters spawning from the Dungeon increased in both strength and numbers by a whole tier.
Because, starting from this floor, they had entered the lower tiers of the Dungeon.
Currently, the Dungeon was divided into four distinct difficulty tiers.
Floors 1 to 12 were the upper tiers, which Lv.1 adventurers could conquer.
Floors 13 to 24 were the middle tiers, which Lv.2 adventurers could conquer.
Floors 25 to 36 were the lower tiers, which Lv.3 adventurers could conquer.
As for the floors below Floor 37, they were the deep tiers, which required adventurers to be at least Lv.4 to attempt conquest.
Just like how transitioning from the upper tiers to the middle tiers caused a massive spike in danger, entering the lower tiers from the middle tiers similarly caused the Dungeon's danger and conquest difficulty to surge drastically.
Therefore, this place was also hailed as the Dungeon's second line of death, and some thrill-seekers even referred to it as the New World.
This also proved that starting from the 25th floor, the landscape became even more bizarre compared to the floors above.
Floors 25 to 27 formed a domain connected by a majestic, colossal waterfall—the "Water Capital."
There were no forests here, only valleys or cliffs composed of crystal peaks. A waterfall with a width of about four hundred meters and a height at least double that sat grandly here. Due to the reflection of light, the cascading water shone with a jade-blue hue, so breathtakingly beautiful that it could make one momentarily forget that this was a peril-laden Dungeon. Accompanied by a thunderous roar and mist-like spray, it flowed through a massive cavern down to the lower floors, linking the three floors together.
Half-human, half-bird Harpies and Sirens soared through the air, their high-pitched cries echoing loudly, presenting an immense water paradise before everyone, akin to a hidden utopia.
"Full speed ahead!"
Unfortunately, in the face of such a hidden utopia, the Pallum Captain gave only this brief command, directing everyone to cross it at the fastest possible speed.
This was also to minimize the difficulty of this expedition's conquest.
"Before the Floor Boss—Amphisbaena—reaches its respawn period, let's quickly cross the Water Capital and get to the 29th floor!" Gareth also shouted in kind.
This expedition could be considered relatively low in difficulty for the Loki Familia.
The reason was simple: as the strongest sentinels specifically arranged by the Dungeon for invaders, the four Floor Bosses—jokingly referred to by the gods as the Four Heavenly Kings—were currently all in a state where their respawn intervals had not yet finished counting down.
The Floor Boss of the 17th floor, Giant Goliath, had been defeated by Leon a few days prior. Its respawn interval was two weeks, so when the Loki Familia's expedition reached the 17th floor this time, Goliath had not yet completed its regeneration and could not impede the Loki Familia's steps.
Meanwhile, the Floor Boss of the 27th floor, Amphisbaena, known as the double-headed dragon, had been confirmed defeated about half a month ago. Its respawn interval was one month, meaning it had not yet regenerated either.
The Floor Boss of the 37th floor, the bone monster Udaeus, had a respawn interval of three months. The Loki Familia had deployed their full combat strength during their expedition there over a month ago and defeated it, so it was currently likewise in a period before regeneration.
As for the Floor Boss of the 49th floor, the Cyclops Balor, its respawn interval lasted a full nine months. Roughly three months ago, it was beaten half to death by "Warlord" Ottar and subsequently defeated by the Freya Familia. The conflict that had caused the executives of that Familia to collectively internalize their rivalries and engage in a massive brawl was precisely centered around this entity.
In other words, this strongest Floor Boss, categorized at Lv.7, had similarly not regenerated yet.
With all four Floor Bosses currently in their respawn cooldown periods, the Loki Familia naturally would not let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by.
Thus, the Loki Familia's expeditionary force swiftly traversed the 25th, 26th, and 27th floors, passing through the Water Capital to arrive at the 28th floor—the "Under Garden."
This was the second safe floor where no monsters would spawn, following the 18th floor's "Under Resort."
In this floor, which was a vast expanse of colorful and beautiful flower fields true to its name, the forced-marching Loki Familia finally ground to a halt. They began setting up camp, cooking meals, resting, and establishing watch shifts, spending their first night of the expedition here.
On the following day, the Loki Familia left the Under Garden and entered the 29th floor.
Floors 29 to 32 formed a domain featuring a massive jungle distinctly different from the Large Tree Labyrinth—the "Jungle Ravine."
Formidable dinosaur-type monsters, including Bloodaurus, would appear here, requiring a level of at least Lv.3 to subjugate.
Naturally, for the Loki Familia, this place still belonged to a zone that could be easily traversed. Even the most formidable dinosaur-type monsters could not match an ordinary member of the expeditionary force. Aside from the Lv.2 healers like Line, everyone else could subjugate them in a one-on-one scenario. Consequently, it couldn't even be called a close call, and they crossed right through to arrive at the 33rd floor.
Floors 33 to 36 formed a new domain—the "Sand Land."
True to its name, this was a region of boundless desert where complex mazes did not exist. As long as one overcame the sinking sand that made advancement difficult, the monsters lunging out one after another from the dust storms, and the mirages that could defy common sense to disrupt an adventurer's senses and mislead their route, they could arrive at the 37th floor.
The Loki Familia had long since prepared specialized equipment for this purpose. Combined with seasoned adventurers like Finn leading the way, this final domain of the lower tiers was successfully broken through.
En route, the Loki Familia stayed for a night at an oasis zone where rest was possible. It was not until the morning of the third day of the expedition that they stepped into the 37th floor—the true line of death in the Dungeon, the deep tiers.
Starting from this floor, it was utterly impossible for anyone who wasn't a Lv.4 adventurer to attempt conquest. Unless one was like Leon's current situation, accompanying an elite force on an expedition, any Lv.2 or Lv.3 who came here would face a dead end.
Fortunately, the greatest obstacle of the 37th floor, namely the Floor Boss, had not yet regenerated. Therefore, the expeditionary force traversed this floor, known as the "White Palace," with extreme smoothness. The vast labyrinth domain located on the subsequent 38th floor was also successfully breached, thereby leading them to the 39th floor, known as the "Under Bridge."
This was also the third safe floor of the Dungeon.
The Loki Familia recuperated and reorganized here for a bit before entering the domain beyond the 40th floor, resuming their forced march once more.
The domain of Floors 40 to 43—the "Giant's Graveyard."
The domain of Floors 44 to 48—the "Crimson Mountains."
The former was a hell where large-scale giant monsters could be seen everywhere, while the latter was a volcanic zone populated by numerous monsters capable of unleashing fierce explosive flame attacks, spearheaded by Flame Rocks. Upon reaching this point, even the Loki Familia had to slow their pace and conquer with caution, as a careless mistake could cause them to capsize.
In these two domains, the Loki Familia spent a full two days to complete their conquest. They then arrived at the 49th floor, which consisted solely of a single, ultra-massive chamber named the "Moytura."
The monsters roaming this area could only be safely dealt with by first-class adventurers, and this wilderness region was larger than the entire territory of Orario. Even without the Floor Boss Balor, it still forced the Loki Familia to unleash their full firepower, conquering with all their might for a full day before finally arriving at the passage leading to the 50th floor.
Every member of the Loki Familia entered this passage, finally arriving at the ultimate base of operations designated prior to this expedition.
The 50th floor was the final safe floor where no monsters would spawn that the adventurers of Orario could currently reach. It was also the last base of operations that could be utilized by the powerful Familias active at the absolute front line of Dungeon conquest.
This place was a vast grey forest. Everything within sight was a thicket of trees dyed entirely in grey, as if a layer of ash covered the entire space up to the furthest walls. Only the rivers flowing in a pattern resembling leaf veins managed to break away from that somber coloration, emitting a blue radiance and continuing endlessly through the woods.
Phosphorescence glowed on the ceiling. It wasn't dazzling, but it approximated twilight, ensuring that people wouldn't be left unable to see.
The Loki Familia set up their camp on a vast rocky platform ten meters high. Amidst the slight hum of bustling activity, tents began to rise one by one, and cargo boxes were unloaded from the carts in succession. People ran back and forth throughout the camp, busy with various tasks, creating a lively scene of outdoor camping.
"Leon! Over here!"
"Coming!"
At someone's call, Leon, who was currently carrying a stack of equipment, blended into the crowd and slowly walked into the camp.
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