Giants, furnaces, flames.
When all these fragmented pieces of information from Cassandra came together in Ron's mind, the imagery suddenly became strikingly vivid.
It was practically triggering the "burn the tree" keyword…
The problem was—there was no Erdtree in the world of DanMachi for him to burn!
"I understand."
A mere Fire Giant.
As long as he could run into that thing, Ron was confident he could die to it. And when it came to a Floor Boss that fit the Dungeon's Soulslike transformation, one candidate immediately came to mind.
Goliath, on the 17th Floor.
So… was this the formidable enemy their expedition would have to face next?
Without outside support from the Loki Familia, relying solely on the current Hestia Familia would make this an exceptionally troublesome challenge.
But with two Lv.5 adventurers backing them up—
Looking at the gloomy girl whose expression had darkened, Ron nodded seriously.
"Don't worry. For this expedition, we have two senior adventurers accompanying us."
"No matter what…"
"I won't allow that kind of situation to happen."
"…"
When facing the ancient dragon Lansseax, Ron had not broken his promise—he had turned the situation around with unimaginable strength.
And now… having received another assurance from their captain, and with the long-suppressed dream in her mind finally finding an outlet, the worry lingering in Cassandra's brows gradually faded.
There was no blame.
Only unconditional trust.
Even though she hadn't been part of the Hestia Familia for long, the girl seemed to have found that sense of belonging—one where members shared both honor and disgrace together.
"Captain."
"I believe in you!"
...
Cassandra's prophetic dream did not disrupt the expedition's progress.
And after learning that they would be facing a Fire Giant—to be precise, Ron was filled with anticipation. The prayers he had gained from slaying the ancient dragon had already brought a comprehensive boost to his current strength.
Facing another Soulslike Boss again—it was hard not to look forward to the rewards.
"Let's move."
A Familia expedition could receive assistance from other Familias.
But Ron had no intention of making it too obvious. After all, they were only heading to the 24th Floor. Judging by normal difficulty standards, the Hestia Familia didn't need it at all.
Yet the Loki Familia had still gone to great lengths to dispatch so many high-level adventurers to assist—something that would easily arouse suspicion from Guild members.
The best option—was naturally to rendezvous at the starting floors of the Dungeon.
After passing identity verification at the entrance with the Ganesha Familia guards, Ron led his companions down the spiral staircase into the open floor below.
Waiting there in advance were members of the Loki Familia.
Especially Lefiya.
The moment she saw Ron—fully armed, carrying a greatsword and a brass heavy shield—she waved enthusiastically.
"Mr. Ron!"
"We're over here!"
"…"
"Good morning."
After a simple greeting with the golden-haired elf, Ron's gaze shifted to the pair of dark-skinned Amazon sisters, Tiona and Tione.
After all, they were offering assistance for free.
With a warm tone, he took the initiative: "For this expedition, we'll be relying on you two seniors. I'm glad to be traveling together with you."
"That's what we were going to say too."
Compared to Tiona, the dark-skinned girl beside her had a noticeably more impressive figure. Her smile was composed, and her eyes were filled with curiosity.
After all, when Captain Finn mentioned Ron, he had worn a troubled expression—something even more severe than when Ais used to cause trouble years ago.
However—when her eyes landed on Ron's equipment, the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch.
Compared to this boy, who clearly carried many secrets, Tione herself only brought two curved blades that could double as throwing weapons.
Respect.
He must have his own reasons for doing things this way.
Her gaze swept past Ron and the several girls behind him, who were standing on guard, before she got to the point: "About the supplies you mentioned."
"Captain Finn allocated ten All-Healing Elixirs."
"That should be enough for this expedition. Before you encounter life-threatening danger, Tiona and I won't step in."
"Please thank Captain Finn for me."
Each bottle of All-Healing Elixir cost five hundred thousand Valis.
Ron hadn't expected such a generous contribution. In other words, it also proved just how important Lefiya was.
There was no need for introductions.
In Orario, it was rare to find adventurers who didn't recognize members of the Loki Familia.
However, when Ron's gaze landed on a brown-haired girl—he felt a bit unfamiliar.
No impression at all.
But thanks to her lively personality, Elfy didn't need Lefiya to introduce her. Her bright eyes were filled with curiosity as she stepped forward and extended her hand.
"Mr. Ron."
"You can call me Elfy. I'm Lefiya's roommate, and also a support member for this expedition. Please take care of me."
"Of course."
"We're comrades fighting side by side. Helping each other is only natural." Ron nodded lightly. Hearing that she was Lefiya's roommate, he didn't find it strange.
Since Lefiya had been specifically requested to join the expedition, it made sense for her roommate to be brought along as well. As for anything else that needed to be arranged—the Loki Familia would definitely handle it.
"Exactly."
"By the way… Ron, I'll just call you that."
With her naturally friendly personality, and since Ron looked about the same age, Elfy had no trouble talking to him.
In other words, she was extremely curious about the adventurer who had broken Ais's record and created so many miracles in Orario.
Tilting her head, she asked: "I want to ask—are we heading to the Lower Floors for this expedition?"
"Why do you ask?"
"If we're not going to the Lower Floors, then with your Familia, wouldn't it be easy to reach the expedition's destination?"
Her tone was matter-of-fact.
For Tiona and Tione to be involved, the expedition floor should at least be within the Lower Floors. As for the specific reason… perhaps it was some kind of deal made with Captain Finn?
"…"
It wasn't exactly a rigid assumption.
In the eyes of most adventurers, this was simply normal.
The problem was—Ron's Dungeon was anything but normal.
Facing Elfy's direct gaze, he rubbed his nose and nodded.
"This expedition's objective is the 24th Floor of the Middle Floors."
"…"
After hearing the exact answer, Elfy hesitated to speak. The curiosity in her eyes gradually faded.
If they were truly just Lv.3 adventurers—then why would such a simple expedition require assistance from another Familia?
So—perhaps the rumors in Orario were never that impressive to begin with, only exaggerated through repeated retellings?
Of course, she wouldn't say something so tactless out loud.
But—the suspicions that had always existed in the depths of her heart were now gradually being confirmed.
How could there really be an adventurer who could break through repeatedly in such a short time and reach Lv.3?
Watching the expedition team move forward—after finally meeting Ron, the so-called miracle-making adventurer of Orario, Elfy found that after a brief conversation, he felt… somewhat ordinary?
At that thought, her mood immediately worsened.
'So boring. Feels like I wasted my precious vacation!!'
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---