"First off, let's begin with Belle Cranel from the Hestia Familia."
As Loki finished speaking, nearly every deity reached for the paper containing Belle's information.
"Wow, she's really cute."
"Her hair looks so soft and fluffy... I want to pet her head."
"She looks so pure. She'd make a wonderful wife."
"Hehe... I wonder if she has a boyfriend?"
"White hair and red eyes... she looks just like an almiraj."
"A month and a week to reach Level 2? That's remarkably fast."
As the deities chattered amongst themselves, Freya, the goddess of beauty, studied Belle's picture with quiet interest and found herself smiling.
'A pure and transparent soul... she is an intriguing one, full of potential. I would have loved to bring her into my familia... but unfortunately, she is the niece of that terrifying woman. Silence.'
She thought, acknowledging her interest before shaking her head and placing the paper down.
'A shame.'
Belle's soul was unique, certainly.
But compared to Judas'... which blazed like the sun itself... it was no longer something she would obsess over.
Hearing Belle's name being called, Hestia took a deep breath to steady herself.
'That's right… all I need to do is get her a decent name. It doesn't have to be anything flashy or cool.'
Hestia thought, her eyes filled with determination.
"Burning Fighting Fighter!"
"Quickshot Rabbit!"
"My Girlfriend!"
"No, My Cutiepie!"
Hearing the ridiculous suggestions, the color drained from Hestia's face.
Eventually, she started shouting at everyone in anger, throwing a tantrum, only to be held back by Hephaestus.
In the end, with Hephaestus' help and influence, Hestia managed to secure a normal-sounding title.
"Little Rookie."
Hestia exhaled slowly with relief.
With that settled, and having thoroughly enjoyed watching Hestia get worked up, the deities turned their collective attention to the last name on the list... the one they had been anticipating since the moment the meeting began.
"The Record Holder."
"Judas Spade of the Loki Familia."
"Four days to reach Level 2. Roughly three weeks to reach Level 3."
"If it weren't for him, Belle Cranel would be holding the record right now."
Just as they were about to begin throwing out absurd title suggestions…
Loki's palm came down on the table with a sharp crack, drawing every eye in the room.
"Veneratus Est."
An alias she had settled on herself, drawn from his skill, [The Venerated One].
"That is his alias. If anyone wants to argue with me about it, I'm perfectly happy to settle it with a wargame."
She said, her tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
A handful of gods looked as though they wanted to push back, visibly unhappy with being cut off before they even had the chance to speak.
But when they caught the look in Loki's eyes, they held themselves back and stayed quiet.
A wargame against the Loki Familia was no different from signing their own death warrant. It simply wasn't worth it.
Almost instinctively, the room's eyes drifted toward Freya... the only deity present who could realistically stand toe to toe with Loki.
"What a wonderful name. It feels strangely fitting."
Freya said with a graceful smile.
Though in the back of her mind, she had her own preference.
Freya said with a gentle smile. Though in her mind, she would have preferred Judas' alias to be Vanadis Odr, a name that carried the meaning of Freya's husband.
With both of Orario's top factions in agreement, the matter was closed before anyone else could get a word in.
It didn't take long for the news to spread.
As people gathered around the announcement boards displaying the results of the Denatus, adventurers and civilians alike made sure to remember the names written there.
It was at this moment that Judas' name began to spread beyond the walls of Orario and out into the wider world.
Veneratus Est.
A title that every country, every city and every person on the surface world would come to associate with the adventurer known as Judas Spade.
...
Among everyone in the expedition, Judas had the least experience when it came to exploring the dungeon, especially the deep floors.
Because of that, he studied everything he could about them, making sure he wouldn't be caught off guard or left clueless.
When he once asked Raul about the area below the 50th floor before the expedition began, Raul had replied with this:
"Below the 50th floor is hell. Everything you think you know from the floors above stops applying down there."
He had said it with the most genuinely terrified expression Judas had ever seen on Raul's face.
'Interesting.'
Judas was curious about what lay beyond.
A dungeon that was alive, possessing a form of sentience, endlessly spawning monsters.
'What's actually down there? How deep does this dungeon even go? Is there something stronger than the Black Dragon waiting at the very bottom?'
Those were the questions running through his mind.
For now though, his attention snapped to the group of Black Rhinos that had spawned the moment the party set foot on the 51st floor.
'Right off the bat?'
Normally, the dungeon would take some time before sending monsters their way.
When he glanced at the others, none of them showed any change in expression, as if they had expected this.
"Bete. Tiona."
Finn gave the word, sending the two vanguards ahead.
As the pair tore through the Black Rhinos, carving them into pieces, the party continued advancing without slowing down.
"Stick to the planned route."
They pressed forward, encountering more and more monsters along the way.
Compared to anything above the 50th floor, everything here was on a different level.
Anything weaker than a Level 4 simply didn't exist.
Even so, with the majority of the party being first-class adventurers, nothing they encountered slowed them down for long.
"The new species, they're here!"
The Virgas appeared... the very same monsters responsible for the failure of the last expedition.
Not particularly powerful on their own, but capable of spewing acid that dissolved weapons, armor and supply lines alike.
"Bring out the durandal weapons!"
This time, they had come prepared.
"Tempest."
The Virgas were dealt with swiftly and efficiently, the acid rendered a non-issue.
Wave after wave of monsters came and were cut down just as quickly.
The Loki Familia's teamwork was seamless to the point that Judas barely found an opening to contribute.
"So this is the power of the Loki Familia…"
Tsubaki commented, clearly impressed.
Eventually, following the pre-mapped route, they located the stairway leading to the 52nd floor.
However, unlike the 51st floor, an ominous presence emanated from below.
Even a glance at the stairway was enough to make the atmosphere feel heavier.
From this point onward, even the Guild's information became scarce.
"My instincts are telling me this floor will be different from the rest."
Tsubaki said quietly, a bead of sweat running down her face.
This was the deepest she had ever gone.
"It's time to descend to the 52nd floor at last."
Finn said before turning to Judas with a serious expression.
"Judas… from here on out, you will lead us."
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