After discussing what had happened the previous day with Astraea, Elise finally brought up her own thoughts.
"Lady Astraea, I'd like to try something..."
Seeing Elise suddenly become serious, Astraea also put away her playful demeanor.
"What is it?"
"A solo expedition."
Although that was how she phrased it, in reality it would be Elise and Est together.
However, Est existed as a sword in Elise's hands and rarely took on a human form within the Dungeon. Moreover, her race was not human.
So... it should still count as a solo expedition, right?
"..."
After hearing her answer, Astraea did not respond immediately. Instead, she let out a sigh.
"I figured you'd suggest that..."
During this time, Astraea had come to understand just how abnormal Elise truly was.
Although she was indeed human by race, there was a vast difference between her and ordinary humans.
The most obvious example was that Elise did not possess a normal human metabolism.
She didn't need to eat, nor did she need to... relieve herself.
Simply resting was enough for her to recover her stamina.
Of course, she could choose to eat, which would speed up her recovery—but even then, she still didn't need to use the restroom.
Her figure also showed no change because of it.
Where did all the food she ate even go?
To that, Elise would only respond: beautiful girls don't need to go to the bathroom—neither for number one nor number two!
A being so strange that even gods would find it incomprehensible.
Was she really human?
Elise herself had admitted she was, and Astraea could tell she wasn't lying.
Which only made it all the more puzzling.
Even so, since Elise was her Familia member, Astraea chose to trust her.
And Est as well.
The goddess of justice chose to believe in their sense of justice.
However, a solo expedition was no simple matter.
In the Dungeon, what was the most terrifying thing?
Many would answer: the unknown.
You never knew what kind of monsters would appear, when they would appear, or where they would emerge from...
There were simply too many unknowns within the Dungeon. One careless mistake, and you would fall.
Most importantly—you only get one chance to make a mistake.
The price is your life.
But aside from the unknown, there was something equally terrifying.
Numbers. Endless numbers.
The Dungeon was the birthplace of monsters. Adventurers in Orario relied on it to form an entire economic chain, and the foundation of that system was the endless supply of monsters.
With infinite monsters came infinite magic stones.
But chasing profit with your life was never wise.
To obtain greater and more valuable magic stones, adventurers had to descend to deeper floors.
And their greatest obstacle... was rest.
Because the deeper you went, the less the Dungeon provided.
There was a lack of food. You couldn't fight forever on an empty stomach.
There was a lack of water. Without it, you might not last even three days.
There was a lack of safe sleep. The moment you dared to sleep, monsters could kill you in your dreams.
The endless waves of monsters forced adventurers into constant high-intensity combat, placing immense strain on both body and mind.
Ordinary adventurers simply could not endure it.
Because this was nothing short of courting death.
The monsters in the deeper floors were already far stronger. Without food, water, and rest, you were essentially stepping halfway into death's door.
And even if you somehow managed to reach the deeper floors alone...
What about the journey back?
The path from the surface to the depths was just as dangerous as the return trip.
Monsters wouldn't stop spawning just because you were tired.
That was why every Familia made extensive preparations before embarking on an expedition.
They brought spare weapons, ample food and water.
They organized shifts for rest, preventing exhaustion and guarding against monster ambushes.
Even now, the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia had not explored particularly deep into the Dungeon—let alone with Evilus interfering from the shadows.
But all of these problems... were rendered meaningless in the face of Elise.
Food and water?
Lack of rest?
Heh.
Elise simply didn't need them.
She only needed to sit down, close her eyes, and rest for a little over an hour—without even sleeping—to recover enough energy for an entire day.
Monster ambushes?
Creatures that could be instantly killed by Elise wouldn't even be able to break through her Prana barrier.
And don't forget—
Her spatial storage could even hold magic stones from floor bosses several stories tall. Would she really be foolish enough not to bring supplies?
"...Well, fine. I suppose I'm used to it by now."
Astraea's helpless tone made Elise feel a little embarrassed.
"Your abilities have completely exceeded the understanding of anyone—even gods. I can no longer view you as an ordinary human, Elise..."
Elise had brought Astraea countless surprises, showing her many fascinating things.
Even as a goddess, she believed Elise could accomplish this.
"So I won't stop you from attempting a solo expedition."
"But!" Astraea's tone suddenly shifted, becoming extremely serious.
"Even if I've said this many times before, I will say it again, Elise."
"Your safety must always come first."
"If you encounter danger, prioritize your own life above all else."
"Every night, I will be waiting in the Familia for your triumphant return."
At that moment, divine radiance filled the room. Even without looking, Elise could feel Astraea's goodwill.
And the goddess' current form overlapped slightly with the saintly image Elise had always pursued.
Honestly... this is making me lose a bit of confidence...
Though that was what she thought, Elise's smile was bright.
Her future path as a saintess—or even as a goddess... seemed to have gained some direction.
"Then... thank you, Lady Astraea?"
"However, before you depart, I've prepared a special... ritual for you," Astraea said with a smile. "Just look forward to it."
A ritual?
What kind of ritual?
Elise was quite surprised. But since the goddess told her to look forward to it... it should be interesting, right?
That very night, Elise once again bathed together with Astraea.
It seemed the goddess had realized that ordinary methods wouldn't make Elise act more like a cute girl. So this time, Astraea's actions were even bolder than before.
Forcing Elise to resist... and in the end—
She defeated the goddess.
For a human, this was nothing short of a great feat.