Ouranos sighed deeply. "That isn't possible. After its defeat by the gods, the Dungeon was left damaged, permanently."
"No one knows the exact nature of the damage, not even the gods. But ever since then, its power has been leaking uncontrollably. That leaked energy becomes monsters."
"It can't stop the leakage. So instead, it floods the world with beasts, trying to destroy the surface before its own demise."
"That's how the Three Great Quests came into being."
He concluded, "And perhaps, it was this very inability to control its power that made the Dungeon agree to the contract in the first place."
"Because of the continuous leakage of power, the Dungeon itself is no longer stable." Ouranos said with a deep, rumbling voice, the ancient weight of his words resonating throughout the underground altar.
"We used this very flaw as the justification to create falna, to form familias, and to begin nurturing adventurers." He explained calmly, his eyes meeting Fels'.
"So that's how it is." Fels murmured in realization, slowly nodding. "I understand."
"Yes." Ouranos confirmed, then paused as Fels raised another question.
"Then… Ouranos, one last thing."
"The contract signed between the gods and the Dungeon revolves around the Three Great Quests, correct?"
"Will these newly emerged Black Dragon and Behemoth be counted among them?"
Ouranos frowned. "No. That's exactly what I don't understand either."
He leaned forward slightly, as if still trying to make sense of it himself.
"The contract clearly stated that the Three Great Quests were Behemoth, Leviathan, and the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"According to the terms of the agreement, Behemoth and Leviathan have already been eliminated. That leaves only the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"As long as that dragon is defeated, the contract will be fulfilled and we win."
"But then, why has the Dungeon created another Behemoth? And another Black Dragon?"
He shook his head slowly, brows furrowed in frustration. "Summoning monsters of that caliber places a tremendous strain on the Dungeon. Even for it, it's no small matter."
It was because of this confusing turn that Ouranos had decided to wait until Leon and the others returned so he could explore the Dungeon's depths further.
Even with the contract in place, something felt off… deeply off.
"I see…"
Fels crossed his arms, then offered another perspective. "Still, the appearance of Behemoth and the Black Dragon may not be entirely a bad thing for us."
"At the very least, Leon and Finn now have powerful enemies to test themselves against."
"After such an intense battle, Finn's stats must've skyrocketed."
"Perhaps, just from this single expedition, he might even reach S-rank."
He turned toward the screen and nodded lightly. "That's what I believe."
"You're right." Ouranos agreed, eyes narrowing slightly. "But it's only because Leon was present that such a feat was even possible."
A moment later, Ouranos's gaze hardened. "Fels. I need you to do something for me."
"Hm?" Fels raised his head. "What is it, Ouranos?"
"Call Freya for me."
"Freya?" Fels blinked in surprise. "Why her?"
"I want Freya's Familia to accompany Leon on the next expedition."
"Following Leon ensures not only the safety of our adventurers, but also the maximum growth of their falna."
"This is going to be an evolutionary storm. I won't let Freya's Familia be left behind."
"And Leon, he can't be the only one to face the Black Dragon."
"The end of the contract is approaching fast. I want as many adventurers as possible to be ready when the final battle begins. We must bring Freya's Familia into the fold."
"I see…"
"But, are you sure Leon will agree to take them with him?" Fels asked cautiously. "And will the members of Freya's Familia agree to follow someone else?"
"I'll convince them." Ouranos said simply, his voice low but resolute.
There was a rare moment of silence.
"Understood. I'll summon Freya now." Fels replied at last.
Then, with a faint ripple of dark magic power, he vanished into the shadows.
Alone now, Ouranos leaned back slightly, staring at the screen in front of him.
"…I just hope this goes well."
— — —
In the 60th Floor of the Dungeon.
"They're going all out now…"
Leon sat cross-legged on the radiant platform of light above the battlefield, arms folded as he calmly observed the frenzied combat below.
The battlefield had erupted into a blinding storm of destruction and raw power.
"As soon as they found out my Gate of Heaven could neutralize Behemoth's poison, they stopped holding back. They're fighting like they're ready to die."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "At this pace, Behemoth should fall within half an hour."
Though Behemoth was a Level 8 monster, blessed with a monstrous regenerative ability, Finn and the others weren't far behind.
With Leon's Gate of Heaven enveloping the field, their self-recovery capabilities had been amplified far beyond normal. In fact, for every wound Behemoth inflicted, the affected adventurers healed almost instantly.
Leon's prediction turned out to be spot on. Less than thirty minutes later, the entire battlefield fell into silence.
Behemoth, its massive body having endured relentless waves of full-powered magic, skill, and physical assaults, finally collapsed into a pile of ash. The only remaining evidence of its existence was a giant glowing magic stone.
If not for the sheer size of the passage between the 60th and 61st floors and the unnaturally thick ice, the entire structure might have caved in from the destruction wrought by the battle.
Riveria's magic, the shockwaves from Gareth's full-powered strikes, the explosive magic launched by Lefiya and Ais, it was a miracle the tunnel held together.
"Phew, so satisfying!" Alise threw her arms up into the air and let out a euphoric roar.
"Who would've thought? I just got resurrected, and now I've scored a Level 7 and a Level 8 kill."
"I don't know how high my stats will jump, but at the very least, the minimum requirement to rank up from Level 5 to Level 6 should be filled."
"Yeah! That was exhilarating!" Tione added with a shout, but no sooner had the words left her lips than she flopped down on the icy ground.
"Cold, cold, cold!" She yelped a moment later, leaping back up like a startled cat.
"Leon's the one we need to thank." Finn said as he wiped the blood from his spear and smiled. "Without him, we wouldn't have had the courage to go all out like this."
"Hmph… my axe is ruined now." Gareth muttered, inspecting his battered weapon. "Gonna need to retire this one after we get back."
Their weapons had taken a beating from battle after battle. Although still usable, the damage was significant, especially after pushing themselves to the limit to defeat Behemoth.
"Don't you guys carry backups?" Riveria asked, glancing over.
"We do." Gareth admitted. "We'll switch to them for now."
This time, Tsubaki hadn't joined the expedition, so everyone had prepared two sets of weapons in advance. The Loki Familia had spares from the last major campaign, and thanks to reminders from Riveria, Ryuu and the others had done the same.
As for why Tsubaki hadn't joined, the Hephaestus Familia had taken a massive order from the Kali Familia, which had just settled in Orario. Tsubaki had remained behind to manage the forging.
As the group regrouped near Leon's platform of light, Gareth stepped forward with a glowing object in hand, the massive magic stone left behind by Behemoth.
"Leon. This one's for you." He handed it over without hesitation.
"Everyone agrees." Finn added with a smile. "Consider it a thank-you gift."
Leon blinked, surprised. "But I didn't even fight."
"You didn't need to." Gareth interrupted, crossing his arms.
"Your support was more valuable than a hundred swords."
Everyone around nodded in firm agreement. Though Leon had never swung a blade during the battle, his influence was undeniable.
Without his Gate of Heaven, this victory would've come at a far higher cost, perhaps even death.
And so, without protest, the magic stone was placed in Leon's hands, as the team prepared for whatever came next.