In the week leading up to the expedition, the Hestia Familia trained harder than ever before. Even Hestia herself had taken an interest in physical conditioning, much to everyone's surprise.
At first, Lili and Welf thought it was a joke—what would a goddess need strength for? But as the days passed, it became evident that Hestia was serious. By the time the expedition day arrived, she had reached peak human physical ability, surpassing most deities who spent their days lounging around Orario.
Harry and Bell were another matter entirely.
Both of them were on the verge of leveling up again. Their growth was nothing short of monstrous, and had the Guild known about it, they might have fainted on the spot.
Lili, despite her own limits, was making ridiculous progress as well. She had recently gained a Skill that let her absorb Exilia at an accelerated rate. She wasn't catching up to Bell, but she was at least closing the gap, leveling about a fifth as fast as him. This meant she could reach A-rank stats without too much of a grind.
Welf, who had just leveled up to Level 2, focused on refining his technique instead. He wasn't about to throw himself into a suicidal grind like Harry and Bell, but he aimed to push a few of his stats up to D-rank.
And then, the day arrived.
Harry casually approached Finn, hands in his pockets, and asked where they planned to dive.
"Floor 50, possibly a little lower," Finn replied. "Around 51 or 52."
Harry felt a pang of disappointment. He had hoped for something deeper—something more exciting—but he kept his expression neutral.
"Sounds good," he said.
The group was split into squads.
Squad 1: The vanguard, composed of Finn, Aiz, Riveria, and other high-level elites. Harry was assigned here.
Squad 2: The follow-up team, tasked with supporting the vanguard once the path was cleared. This included Gareth, the Amazonian twins, and some mid-tier adventurers. Bell and Lili were placed here for protection.
The mission was simple: Push deep and clear everything in the way.
Squad 1
As the vanguard, Squad 1 moved first.
The dungeon levels were quickly filled with the sounds of battle. The deeper they went, the more intense the monsters became—but for Harry, this was fun.
Against the dungeon's creatures, Harry fought like a force of nature.
"He's a monster," Finn muttered as he watched Harry rip through a Minotaur with his bare hands.
Aiz nodded. "He's strong."
Riveria, ever composed, simply observed. Harry was still Level 2, but his combat power made that hard to believe.
By the time they reached the Goliath, Harry decided it was time to show off.
The massive monster let out a roar, shaking the cavernous walls.
Harry grinned. "My turn."
Before anyone could react, he vanished—a golden blur flashing across the battlefield.
The next second, Harry appeared directly under the Goliath.
He crouched, tensed his muscles—
BOOM!
With an earth-shattering uppercut, Harry sent the Goliath's entire torso flying off. Blood and mist exploded as the dungeon beast was obliterated in a single blow.
Silence followed.
Finn, Riveria, and Aiz simply stared.
Harry dusted off his hands. "Alright, let's keep moving."
Riveria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be an interesting expedition..."
Rivira
After an intense day of dungeon diving, they arrived at Rivira, the dungeon town on Floor 18.
Despite its ridiculous prices, it was the best place to rest and resupply before pushing deeper. The group set up camp just outside the town.
Bell and Lili arrived with Squad 2 not long after.
Harry stretched, looking around. "Alright, that was fun. Who's ready for tomorrow?"
Bell, still catching his breath, groaned.
Welf, lying on the ground, just muttered, "I hate you."
Lili buried her face in her hands. "We're all going to die."
Harry just laughed.
Tomorrow, the expedition would recommence.
After a well-earned rest in Rivira, the expedition continued.
As before, Squad 1 led the charge, eliminating any immediate threats, while Squad 2 followed behind, picking off the stray monsters that lingered in their wake. It was an effective strategy, ensuring the safety of the lower-leveled members while keeping their progress efficient.
The journey was smooth… until they reached Udaeus' lair.
Udaeus was not supposed to respawn so soon.
Normally, the Monster Rex took weeks to return, yet here it stood, waiting, a menacing titan clad in bone armor and wielding an ominous black blade.
Riveria clicked her tongue. "The Dungeon is responding. This isn't normal."
Her words held weight—such an abnormality meant only one thing: The Dungeon itself wanted them dead.
More specifically, it wanted Harry dead.
Harry, however, was completely unfazed. "Heh. Guess I made an impression."
Finn sighed but didn't question it. Instead, he turned to the lower-level adventurers. "Level 3 and below, retreat."
Most of them obeyed immediately, stepping back.
Yet, four did not move.
Bell stood firm, his determination burning in his crimson eyes. Harry just grinned, already prepared to fight. Lili clenched her fists, unwilling to back down. Welf took a deep breath and steadied his sword.
"...You're staying?" Finn raised an eyebrow.
"We can handle it," Bell said.
"We will handle it," Harry corrected, cracking his knuckles.
Finn studied them for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but don't do anything reckless."
Aiz was the one to finish off Udaeus.
She moved like a blur, golden hair flowing behind her as she weaved between the skeletal giant's attacks. Every strike of her sword chipped away at its bone armor, and in mere moments, she cleaved through it entirely, cutting straight through the core with a single, devastating strike.
The Monster Rex let out a final, echoing cry before disintegrating into blue motes of light.
For the first time in a while, Aiz smiled.
Not a full one—just a soft, almost imperceptible upturn of her lips—but on her usually doll-like face, it stood out.
Harry, ever the gentleman, noticed immediately. "That was amazing, Aiz."
The swordswoman blinked, then quickly looked away, hiding the small smile she had just barely allowed herself.
Finn, watching from the side, muttered under his breath, "Huh… so she can make new expressions."
After the battle, the group pressed forward.
Despite the difficulty, they pushed through, reaching Floor 50, one of the deeper Safe Zones in the Dungeon.
It had been a long journey, but they had made it.
Most of the lower-level adventurers looked exhausted—Bell, Lili, and Welf included—but they were still standing. More importantly, they were completely unharmed.
This was something the Loki Familia's elites took note of.
A Level 2 should not be capable of performing at this level.
Yet here were Harry and Bell, defying common sense.
Their stamina lasted longer than expected.
Their movements were refined, showing expertise beyond their level.
They weren't just strong—they were skilled.
Bete crossed his arms, scowling. "Tch. What the hell kind of Level 2s are you?"
Gareth laughed. "Ye've got talent, lads."
Riveria, while outwardly composed, internally acknowledged that both Bell and Harry were completely shattering expectations.
Finn, meanwhile, simply smiled. "Interesting…"
Harry stretched, sighing contentedly. "Man, this is fun."
Bell nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait to go deeper."
Lili and Welf both groaned.
"Psycho..." they muttered in unison.
The real adventure was just beginning.