The deaths of several members of the Soma Familia caused not even the slightest ripple.
Bell had already confirmed through Finn's intelligence that the deaths of multiple new recruit supporters were connected to them. Night had grown deep. Bell looked up at the star-strewn sky and offered silent condolences to those who had met such tragic ends.
"Bell-sama… are we going to keep doing this?"
Lili's face was weary and worn. Those swallowed by the Killer Ants deserved no sympathy, yet witnessing such a sight was far too brutal for a new adventurer. Lili hated those men and could accept their fate—but the boy was different.
He was just an unrelated passerby. Retaliation like this would only carve wounds in his heart. Close his eyes, and he would surely recall the screams of the dying. Lili felt crushing guilt.
"Of course we can't keep doing this forever. It's too inefficient."
Unexpectedly, Bell's line of reasoning ran completely counter to Lili's worries.
"Inefficient…?"
She frowned. Once again, she saw how extraordinary this boy truly was. His abilities were abnormal, but even more frightening—his mental fortitude far surpassed that of ordinary people. What had he experienced to remain this calm…?
"Exactly. The Soma Familia is like a chaotic swamp. Some are sunk deep in it—burning, killing, looting, committing every conceivable atrocity. Others retain scraps of humanity, only daring to dabble in petty scams and swindles."
Bell explained slowly, "Depending on the nature of their crimes, each must be dealt with carefully. If we tackle them individually, the efficiency is far too low."
He had no intention of wasting time on such vile individuals. And if rumors spread, putting the Soma Familia on alert, things would become troublesome.
"Should we report them to the Guild?" Lili asked, already thinking entirely from his perspective.
"Lili, do you know where the highest death toll in the Dungeon occurs?" Bell countered.
"The upper floors… where most new adventurers gather…"
"Right. The guild lady who guided me once said that most of the newbies she trained died in the upper and middle floors. When faced with such reports, the Guild typically hands them over to the familia god for handling."
Familia members were like the children of the gods. The Guild's power was extremely limited. To break the Soma Familia's corruption, the root cause had to be addressed.
"Soma-sama…" Lili murmured softly, recalling the Familia God obsessed solely with brewing Divine Wine.
"Lili, the crucial part comes next. Two paths lie before you."
Bell articulated his thoughts with calm clarity.
"The first: destroy the entire familia, along with the God Soma."
"?!"
Lili shuddered. In Bell's crimson pupils, she glimpsed a resolve as turbulent as a raging storm. The youth was serious. For a moment, Lili could almost picture the shocking scene of the God Soma being sent back to Tenkai.
"This… this kind of thing…"
She didn't know how to respond. The idea that a mere new adventurer could destroy the entire Soma Familia—this madness—she actually believed it.
Bell saw through her hesitation and added,
"This is merely the first path. If possible, I wouldn't choose such extreme measures either."
In Bell's view, Soma's inaction—recruiting followers, corrupting minds with Divine Wine, allowing malice to take root—had already dishonored the name of a god. The solution to eliminate them was straightforward.
The Soma Familia was already fractured, its members intoxicated by the Divine Wine. All that was needed was to use the priceless dagger as bait, and with Lili's transformation ability, let the rumor explode within the Familia.
The first to seize the treasure and turn on their comrades would inevitably emerge. Then, with only minor manipulation of the information flow, the members of Soma Familia would topple like dominoes into an unimaginable battle for supremacy. Once the chaos reached its peak, the God Soma would naturally become the target of everyone's wrath.
Bell wouldn't even need to act. The Soma Familia would destroy itself.
But… this method would likely cause many casualties.
"The second path, though its outcome is favorable, carries far greater risk for the two of us."
Bell gazed at her small, delicate face and spoke softly:
"Lili, do you think the heart of Soma-sama still lives?"
…
Night deepened.
The wine cellar of the Soma Familia lay near Daedalus Street. Unlike the unguarded main headquarters, this repository of Divine Wine was heavily fortified. The god Soma surely brewed the Divine Wine within.
Lili gazed at the distant gate, suppressing her nerves as she murmured softly.
"Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight."
Cinder Ella activated instantly.
This unique magic, exclusive to Lili, allowed her to transform into any being of similar physique, even altering gender and voice completely. Like dust settling over her, a dull gray glow enveloped Lili's head. In an instant, she transformed into the form of a male Pallum—one of the assailants who had attacked her on the Seventh Layer.
Lili took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly.
"Just you today? Must've slaughtered another fat sheep, huh~"
The guard, spotting Lili's arrival, showed no hint of suspicion. Her transformation Magic remained undetected by all except the Familia God, Soma. For someone like that youth to deduce this Magic solely through intelligence was truly extraordinary.
Pushing aside such thoughts, Lili replied:
"The others are drunk. They'll probably sleep until tomorrow."
The guard chuckled softly.
"More like you're craving it, aren't you? Sneaking in this late at night... Just thinking about the taste of divine wine makes me feel the same way."
Lili walked through the door without responding.
The interior was surprisingly spacious. Five warehouses storing divine wine stood on either side, flanked by a watchtower illuminated by Magic Stone lamps. Guided by her memories, Lili headed toward the management tower. The chamber of the god Soma occupied the third floor of this structure.
Lili had to speak with Soma face-to-face.
He devoted himself entirely to brewing, entrusting all matters of his familia—great and small—to an Lv2 adventurer named Zanis. The current state of Soma Familia was entirely this man's doing. Zanis had not only turned Soma into a puppet obsessed solely with brewing, but also blocked Lili's communication with her Familia God.
Lili didn't know what Zanis feared. But she believed that if she could have a proper conversation with Soma, there might still be a chance to turn things around.
This was her only chance. Failure meant Bell would decisively pursue another course of action.
With a heavy heart, Lili ascended the stairs.
Just as she neared the second floor, Zanis appeared at the top of the staircase.
"Stop. What are you doing here?"
He looked down at Lili, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.