The morning sunlight slanted through the gaps in the curtains, spilling into the room, which was not filled with the noise like it was when she lived in the Communal Dormitory.
Lili slowly opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. Looking at the luxurious room decorations around her, a flash of bewilderment crossed the depths of her heart.
Thinking back to the days in the Soma Familia, she had to hide her magic sword under her pillow when sleeping to prevent those scumbag Familia members from breaking into her room in the middle of the night to extort money.
Her sleep was so light that any slight disturbance would wake her up. Let alone sleeping peacefully until dawn, even being able to get fragmented rest in the room she rented was a luxury for her.
But now...
Lili's fingers, which were gripping the corner of the quilt, slowly relaxed.
Turning her head, she saw a familiar face lying stiffly on the bed, his expression clearly questioning his life choices. Although he didn't speak, his stiff expression betrayed an unmistakable exhaustion. Something was very wrong.
"Why did you wake up so early?"
Hearing her question, Zephyr turned his head.
He couldn't exactly say that he actually missed the days of sleeping on the floor in the Communal Dormitory, where at least he didn't have to deal with such intimate, same-bed contact with Lili. After all, he was at an age full of youthful vigor.
According to Zephyr's original assumption, sharing a bed with Lili shouldn't have been a psychological burden. But the problem was, he knew Lili's actual age, and yesterday at noon, he had also realized what the surging emotions in her eyes truly meant.
"I'm thinking."
Last night's sleeping posture had left a deep impression on Zephyr. Lili had clung to his arm tightly like an octopus. He had woken up several times in the middle of the night. Each time, he had to move with extreme caution, terrified of waking the soundly sleeping girl beside him.
"Let's get up."
"Okay."
—
After a quick wash, Zephyr stretched his limbs. He hadn't fully adapted to his new strength after his Level Up.
Meanwhile, Lili, having changed into her Supporter attire, draped a cloak over her shoulders once more and hoisted her massive backpack.
"Then, shall we head out and start exploring?"
"No problem."
Leaving the room, Zephyr followed the route in his memory along the corridors of the Familia headquarters, heading toward the stairs.
But as he passed the parlor, he realized something was off. The door was ajar and faint voices and the soft clinking of teacups could be heard from inside.
Lili's footsteps paused as well. She looked up, her eyes filled with the same confusion.
Loki wasn't resting?
Just as they were hesitating over whether to just walk past, the wooden door was pushed open from the inside.
"Oh. Good morning."
Loki, wearing loose, light gray loungewear, noticed Zephyr and Lili getting ready to head out, and waved with a smile.
Then, she turned around and called out, "Lefiya, Zephyr and Lili are ready too. They're about to set off, so hurry up. You guys can help each other out in the Dungeon."
"Okay." Lefiya's soft reply came from inside.
Zephyr saw Lefiya walking out of the parlor. She had changed out of her usual red-and-white School District uniform and was wearing a light pink dress. Wilver patterns were stitched along the hem of the dress and her hair was braided into a low ponytail.
"G-Good morning."
The moment Lefiya saw Zephyr, her face flushed red and her fingers tightened around her skirt.
After all, the things she had said while chatting with Eina yesterday were still vivid in the depths of her memory, impossible to forget.
She quickly averted her gaze from Zephyr and turned to Loki. "Then we'll head out to explore the Dungeon first."
"Be safe." Loki waved nonchalantly.
But when her gaze landed on Zephyr's face, the look in her eyes grew complex, mostly filled with curiosity about the unknown.
After returning to her room last night, she had thoroughly read the entire description of Outsider.
Altering the terrain of the Dungeon.
Gourmet Creatures never seen before would appear.
As a goddess who had lived for hundreds of millions of years, even Loki had never personally witnessed the specific effects of such a skill, making it hard for her not to look forward to it.
"Zephyr, when you go exploring the Dungeon today, if you run into any particularly special Gourmet Creatures, remember to bring some back for me to taste."
"You got it. I'll definitely bring back some great flavors for you to try."
Zephyr was equally filled with anticipation for today's Dungeon exploration, which could be called a brand-new chapter, and for the unknown ingredients that were about to appear.
At the very least, the issue of raising his attributes would definitely be resolved.
—
The gathering spot was at Orario's Central Plaza.
Zephyr, Lefiya, and Lili had just walked to the edge of the plaza when Charles waved and shouted as he approached, "Good morning!"
He hadn't forgotten what Zephyr had said when they parted yesterday. If nothing went wrong, he was already an official member of the Loki Familia.
Upon reaching them, he reached out and patted Zephyr's shoulder. "You've really made it, huh? Quick, tell me, how does it feel to join the Loki Familia?"
"It's pretty good. Loki-sama is easier to get along with than I imagined, and the benefits for Familia members are beyond anything I could have dreamed of." Zephyr answered honestly.
"That's good then." Charles nodded in satisfaction.
At least this way, he could leave Orario with peace of mind. Seeing a friend find a place to belong was the best thing. Besides, Zephyr had joined the Loki Familia, one of the absolute top factions in Orario.
He shouldered his axe, his eyes scanning the other members of the group, his voice tinged with uncontrollable excitement. "Let's go! Let's begin today's Dungeon exploration!"
Zephyr naturally had no objections. But remembering the effect of Outsider, even though he couldn't explain everything completely, he needed to give his party members some mental preparation.
"Charles. I have a feeling that today's Dungeon exploration might not go as smoothly as before. You guys should pay more attention and stay cautious."
"Huh?"
Hearing Zephyr's warning, Charles waved his hand dismissively, his eyes filled with utter indifference. "I specifically asked those senior Adventurers last night. That kind of monster was most likely driven up from the lower floors. It was just bad luck. Both Lefiya and I are Level 2 Adventurers. Reaching the 18th Floor safely definitely won't be a big issue."
He stretched out his arm, showing off his robust muscles. "I feel like the exploration difficulty won't be that high. As long as nothing unexpected happens."
Before Zephyr could even retort to this flag of Charles's, Lefiya raised her head and, gathering her courage, proactively corrected him, "Um... To be precise... it's three Level 2 Adventurers, you know?"
Who is that remaining Lv. 2 Adventurer?
Charles scanned the companions at the back of the party with a scrutinizing gaze, his gaze finally landing on the boy standing beside him. Then, upon noticing Zephyr's calm expression, his mood gradually became complicated.
No wonder he kept feeling that Zephyr's overall aura this morning was slightly different compared to before. So it turns out he had already ranked up to Lv. 2.
Wait, how long has it even been?
There is no doubt that Zephyr has great talent. Otherwise, there is absolutely no way he could have grown to his current level in such a short time, but... this is just too fast!
"Well... alright then. In that case, you will take the lead today. After we return to Orario this afternoon, I must make you pay for a meal."
"No problem."