"Um..."
The god who had spoken earlier looked distinctly awkward. But, just as Freya had said, they had no choice but to believe this campaign would succeed—otherwise, they would simply start a new cycle of rebirth.
"Freya-sama, he's just a bit flustered. That's why he asked such a question."
Hermes, exasperated with the dim-witted fellow, could only step in and smooth things over.
"Hermes, everyone needs to know their place now."
Freya's face was full of smiles, and her voice was as soothing as a spring breeze. Yet, no matter how gentle or charming her tone, it couldn't mask the rebuke underlying her words.
"Though we are gods, we still stand beneath the 'World.'"
"At this very moment, our fates are completely tied to Hestia's child. I expect you all to understand this."
The gods fell silent.
When had it come to this? They, the gods who descended to enjoy earthly pleasures, now found their destinies bound to a mortal child.
Though these words were harsh, they were undeniably true.
They could no longer maintain their divine pride; they had to accept that their fates were now inextricably linked to that child.
Seeing all the gods calm down, Freya's expression softened slightly.
"Though our fates are now tied to this child, do you truly think this is a misfortune?"
"This is a realm none of us could have reached on our own."
"We are deeply entangled in a colossal game. We were once gamblers, players placing bets. Yet this wager is now inextricably tied to our very destinies."
"We never reached this point before simply because none of us had found that crucial chip. But now, we have witnessed its emergence with our own eyes. Indeed, that very chip is becoming the game itself."
"Is this not the 'unknown' we've been searching for?"
Freya's gentle, alluring voice calmed the gods.
"Indeed, just as Freya-sama has said. We have glimpsed the end of this game, but for us, it's not the end—it's a new beginning."
Hermes' voice brought hope to the gods about the future.
Gods don't have a "future."
This wasn't a foregone conclusion; in the past, they could never have had a "future."
But now, the opportunity to create a "future" had appeared before them. A future they never could have anticipated had materialized—isn't that something to be excited about?
"Indeed, this is truly a brand-new future."
"Everything is a game—Freya-sama's description is quite fitting."
"Indeed. While the lack of control is deeply unsettling, how can we truly grasp the 'unknown'? Reaching this point should excite us all."
"The unknown... the greatest unknown we gods pursue."
The gods' eyes shone with unprecedented excitement and an insatiable thirst for the unknown.
Pleasure is part of what gods seek, but compared to pleasure, the 'unknown' is what they crave most.
For the sake of pursuing the 'unknown,' gods are willing to abandon everything.
Clap clap clap!
Freya's applause drew the attention of the gods.
"Everyone, the unknown is not just this child, but also the future this child will create."
"Therefore, feel no resentment that our fates are bound to this child. This is precisely what we have longed for and prayed for. The response we are receiving now is the best possible answer."
"There are also lives and gods in another world, waiting for this day to arrive. Unlike us, who know something, they are the ones who are truly kept completely in the dark, aren't they?"
Freya's words suddenly made everything clear.
Indeed, compared to the complete unknown of the other world, at least everything here unfolded within their own realm. When viewed this way, their situation didn't seem so dire after all.
Freya's beautiful eyes swept across the room, a hint of amusement flashing in her gaze before she let everyone continue their thoughts.
Bell's strategy was proceeding smoothly, and someone needed to stabilize things on this side as well.
"Not revealing that connection at the start was the right call."
It had initially been a way to avoid trouble, but now it was something that could be leveraged.
Freya's gaze lingered on the projection once more, but this time, the projection didn't pause...
"Shall we continue?"
"Not taking a night to adjust, are you going straight ahead?"
After a moment's thought, Freya understood Bell's intentions.
"Because we won't be facing another Floor Boss soon, you plan to keep pushing forward?"
Having roughly guessed Bell's thoughts, Freya's worries eased.
Though Bell's actions could sometimes be startling, he never truly left her in a bind. He always maintained a clear sense of proportion.
But this time, Freya's assumption was slightly off.
Bell, already venturing deeper, showed no sign of stopping.
The 50th floor's safety zone was too close to their current position on the 59th floor.
Furthermore, the Dragon's Vase and Gugalanna hadn't significantly affected Bell mentally, so he decided to continue with the dungeon conquest.
He aimed to reach at least the 80th floor—the location of the next Floor Boss.
The 80th floor housed the floor boss, meaning Bell was preparing to simultaneously confront two four-digit enemies blocking his path today.
After all, there were no more safety zones beyond this point.
In the dungeon, aside from the designated safety zones, the only other secure areas were the regions where the floor bosses emerged.
Defeating just one of these bosses would make the 80th floor a safe zone.
As Bell continued advancing, a slight headache began to form in his mind.
"The deeper you go, the fewer safe spots there are in the dungeon."
"The area where the floor boss spawns won't have other monsters. No wonder the earlier floors were so different from the later ones."
Bell had pondered this issue before during his dungeon runs.
But since he could avoid most monsters on many floors back then, the lack of safety zones hadn't really affected him.
Now, however, in the midst of the dungeon trial, he was being targeted by nearly every monster. In this state, he couldn't afford to rest in unsafe areas. Otherwise, when he did find time to rest, the outside would likely become chaotic.