Chapter 78: Camping and New Weapons!
Dungeon, 50th Floor.
On this safe floor, the Loki Familia had set up camp.
It was a rare chance to rest after the expedition began.
The adventurers quickly seized the opportunity, setting up tents and placing a large pot over the fire as they began camping.
"What's wrong with that werewolf?"
Liliruca sat beside Torajirou Shiro and looked at Bete in confusion.
He was stalking back and forth through the camp with a fierce expression, looking extremely restless.
Lily remembered that when the expedition set out, he had been full of energy.
How did he suddenly end up like this?
And it was not just Bete.
Tiona was also pacing back and forth in the same area, while Tione kept spinning in place with her kukri in hand.
"They're probably getting impatient," Shiro said as he followed Lily's gaze and looked toward Bete.
The reason went back to the day the expedition set out.
During an expedition, there was usually a vanguard made up of the main fighting force that advanced first.
This time, the vanguard was led by Finn and Riveria.
It included seven first-class adventurers, such as Ais, Bete, and Tiona, while second-class adventurers like Shiro and Raul also joined as support.
In other words, aside from Lefiya and Gareth, nearly all of the Loki Familia's high-end combat power had been gathered in the vanguard.
While exploring the 9th Floor, they had witnessed one person's adventure together.
Bell Cranel.
Bete still remembered his name.
The person he had once mocked had defeated a Minotaur with the potential of Level 2 using only Level 1 ability values, right in front of the Loki Familia's vanguard.
Bete knew very well that it had not been luck.
The white-haired boy had used everything he had in that battle.
The tactics he had learned, the skills he had grasped through adventuring, the weapons he could use, and every bit of strength he possessed.
In the end, he had overcome the trial before him.
When Shiro was the only one growing at an abnormal speed, they might still have comforted themselves by saying he was a special case.
But after seeing Bell challenge a stronger opponent across levels, the people who had been stuck in place for years could no longer stay calm.
The anxiety they had felt after being caught up to by Shiro also erupted all at once.
"Lily really doesn't understand how adventurers think."
After listening to Shiro's explanation, Lily shook her head and stopped caring about the Loki Familia executives.
The troubles of Level 5 adventurers were still far too distant from a tiny supporter like her.
After the camp was set up, the adventurers gathered around the pot and began eating.
They mixed the meat brought by the Familia with fruit picked from the Dungeon, cooking it into a delicious meat soup.
"Shiro-san, do you have some time right now?"
While Shiro was sipping his soup, Tsubaki quietly approached from behind with a bowl in hand.
The moment Shiro saw her sneaky expression, he knew she was still thinking about his weapon.
"Here. But don't break it."
"Ohhh...! So it really is made of magic!"
Shiro summoned his sword and handed it to Tsubaki, whose eyes were practically shining.
If he did not let her see it now, who knew how long she would keep pestering him?
Still, to stop her from doing anything reckless with the weapon, Shiro gave her a warning first.
Although a Device was almost impossible to destroy, what if she suddenly got carried away and pulled out a magic sword to blast it?
"Can I hit it with a hammer?"
"No."
"Can I burn it with fire to test its heat resistance?"
"No."
"Can I use—"
"Anything that might damage the sword itself is forbidden!"
Shiro helplessly rubbed his brow.
He had still underestimated Tsubaki's obsession with weapons.
Once she heard that she could not deeply study the weapon's material, Tsubaki lowered her shoulders in disappointment.
Fortunately, her obsession with weapons quickly brought her energy back, and she began focusing entirely on studying the Device.
After the meal, the Familia members cleaned up the pots, bowls, and utensils.
Then Finn led everyone in discussing the plan from here on.
Tsubaki also returned Shiro's weapon to him.
From her disappointed expression, it was clear that her research had not produced very satisfying results.
"As I said before, starting from the 51st Floor, the selected members will take part in the assault."
Finn spoke while naming several Familia members.
"The remaining personnel will stay here with the Hephaestus Familia and defend the camp."
Every person he named was among the Loki Familia's strongest combatants, and Shiro was included as well.
From the 51st Floor onward, the monsters became extremely troublesome.
Even the weaker monsters there were close to Level 4 in potential, so the Loki Familia's Level 2 and Level 3 members naturally could not take part.
The only Level 3 who could participate was Lefiya, and that was because her magic had reached Level 6 standards.
"For tomorrow's battle, let's hand these out now so everyone can get used to them ahead of time."
Tsubaki's tone suddenly grew excited.
After hearing her words, the Hephaestus Familia adventurers took out weapons wrapped in white cloth from their bags.
"This is the [Roland] series made by yours truly. Every weapon has the unbreakable attribute."
She puffed out her chest proudly as she introduced them.
There were five weapons in total, each with a different shape.
Unexpectedly, Tiona's weapon was not the huge double-bladed weapon she usually preferred, but an ordinary double-edged sword.
Aside from Ais and Riveria, who used a staff, the other first-class adventurers were each assigned one weapon.
Although they had the unbreakable attribute, the weapons would still grow dull after long, intense battles.
That was why they had not been handed out at the start of the expedition.
Instead, they were given to everyone right before the true focus of this expedition—the 51st Floor.
When the white cloth was pulled away, a sharp white glow immediately stole the eyes of the first-class adventurers.
As expected of weapons made by the finest smith of the Hephaestus Familia, they had plenty of power while still maintaining a beautiful appearance.
The surrounding Familia members could not help praising the weapons as well.
"Thanks, Tsubaki. Having these for this expedition will be a huge help."
Finn directly rested the silver-white spear on his shoulder as he spoke.
Tsubaki crossed her arms and looked at the batch of weapons with satisfaction.
"I pay close attention to materials. While keeping them light, I pushed their power as close to the limit as possible. I can guarantee that every weapon has at least the power of a second-class armament."
Finn had asked Hephaestus for this commission only a week before the expedition.
Making five weapons with the unbreakable attribute in such a short time was already extremely rushed.
Even so, Tsubaki had still managed to maximize their power while ensuring that the attribute remained intact.
After hearing Tsubaki's words, Tiona and Tione tried swinging their weapons a few times.
The blades cut through the air with sharp whooshing sounds.
"Then we'll disband here. Guards will rotate every four hours. Everyone else, rest well and prepare yourselves for tomorrow's challenge."
While everyone was still excited, Finn gave his instructions.
The members dispersed on the spot.
Some went to guard the camp, while others went to find the smiths and have their weapons sharpened.
Without exception, everyone was preparing for the day that was about to come.
…
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