Astrea closed her eyes, carefully sensing that connection originating from divine blood and Falna.
"I can feel... the Falna is moving."
She slowly opened her eyes, her emerald pupils carrying worry. "That child... she keeps going further down. We... we might not be able to catch up."
As a god, she could clearly sense the general direction in the Dungeon of the "Falna" she had bestowed upon Alise.
But that signal was constantly moving toward a deeper, more dangerous descent.
Throughout their pursuit, the distance between them hadn't closed; instead, there was a trend of them being left further and further behind.
"If we truly can't catch up, we can only wait for next time."
Aiden looked at her, speaking earnestly, "Lady Astrea, you shouldn't mind, right?"
His tone was calm, but carried resolve.
As the Captain, he had to be responsible for everyone's lives.
"That's how it should be."
Astrea immediately nodded. There wasn't the slightest disappointment on her face; instead, she wore a slightly relieved smile. "Of course, I cannot have you continue to risk danger for my sake. I can wait."
She wanted very much to see Alise immediately and confirm that child's state.
But she wasn't the kind of goddess who liked to act willfully and recklessly.
For Aiden and the others to bring her here, they had already put in a tremendous amount of effort.
If she forced them to enter the lower floors, it would not only be irresponsible to their lives, but also to her own.
"Besides," she shifted the topic, looking at Aiden with a smile, "you're about to level up too, aren't you?"
"Mm, yes, very soon," Aiden admitted frankly.
"Then let's do this," he pondered for a moment before making a decision. "Tomorrow, we'll go down to the 25th Floor and take a look, just to familiarize ourselves with the environment of the lower floors. Then, we will return to the surface."
Aiden had his own selfish motives.
He also wanted to find that red-haired girl and confirm her condition.
But he wasn't as anxious as Astrea. He knew better how to assess the situation and proceed gradually.
Familiarizing themselves with the lower floor environment in advance to prepare for the next expedition, while simultaneously pushing for Level 4—this was the safest choice currently.
The campfire crackled. The dancing flames didn't come from mundane firewood, but from Magic Stones.
The air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and the unique energy aura of Magic Stones, mixed with the enticing aroma of food, creating a bizarre yet reassuring atmosphere unique to Dungeon adventurers.
Tifa had already prepared the ingredients. A large pot was suspended over the campfire, rich meat stew boiling inside.
Using spices gathered from the upper floors and vegetables they had brought along, she stewed dried cured meat. The rich aroma was enough to make any starving person drool.
She was currently stirring the bottom of the pot with a long ladle, her expression focused and gentle. The firelight outlined the beautiful profile of her face, making her look less like a martial artist who had just experienced a life-and-death battle, and more like a gentle housewife preparing dinner for her family.
Not far away, Daphne and Cassandra had worked together to pitch several tents, enough for everyone to rest in.
Daphne's movements were crisp, driving every tent peg in quickly and steadily, while Cassandra carefully organized the sleeping bags and blankets nearby.
Jeanne sat quietly leaning against the entrance, keeping watch.
Hyacine hugged her beloved little Pegasus, Ica. While humming an unknown tune, she pulled special nutritional biscuits from a small pouch and fed them to it. Little Ica happily rubbed its head against her cheek.
"Dinner's ready." Tifa's crisp voice broke the tranquility.
She served hot soup for everyone one by one, and brought out the dry rations.
The group sat around the campfire, enjoying this hard-won peace and delicious food.
Their exhausted bodies gradually relaxed under the warmth of the hot soup, and their taut nerves soothed.
"Speaking of which," the first to break the silence was the always pragmatic Daphne.
She took a sip of the hot soup. The warmth spread from her stomach throughout her body, also making her thoughts clearer. "Although our descent this time was relatively smooth, it also exposed quite a few problems."
Everyone's gaze focused on her.
"We still have too few people."
Daphne set down her soup bowl, her expression serious. "Although an elite system makes moving around very convenient and teamwork seamless, it's fine for handling small-scale monster swarms in the middle floors. But if we want to continue our expedition downward and enter the true lower floor areas, just the few of us is absolutely not enough."
She glanced at the supply backpacks piled to the side and added, "The most glaring issue is our carrying capacity. Medicines, food, spare weapons, and most importantly, loot... the supplies we can carry are limited. During an expedition, the vast majority of our stamina must be spent fighting monsters. If we also have to divide our attention to manage and transport a large amount of supplies, our efficiency will drop drastically."
These words were very realistic and hit the nail on the head.
Even Aiden and Robin, who had just been enjoying the food, turned serious.
"Therefore, I propose that the Familia should continue recruiting new members," Daphne stated her core point.
"Indeed..." Tifa nodded in agreement. "A reliable logistics team is crucial for long-term expeditions."
"Then... what kind of companions do we need to recruit?" Cassandra asked softly, always habitually thinking ahead about problems.
The moment this question was asked, Daphne immediately took over the conversation. As the former commander of the Apollo Familia, her understanding of team composition far exceeded ordinary people.
"First, a vanguard."
She looked at Jeanne, who was sitting nearby, her tone carrying respect. "Miss Jeanne's barrier magic is exceptionally excellent. That wall of light is even more reassuring than any shield I've ever seen. However, having only one vanguard is not enough."
She raised a finger and emphasized, "The monsters in the Dungeon—the further down you go, the greater their numbers and the more bizarre their varieties. In those places, the word 'infinite' is not a metaphor, it's a fact. It's impossible for us to kill all the monsters. In many situations, what we need is a solid defensive line capable of withstanding pressure from several directions, or even all directions. With only one pivot point, the defensive line can easily be torn apart."
Hearing this, Jeanne also nodded solemnly. She knew very well that in the battle just now, if Tifa and Daphne hadn't efficiently cleared the perimeter, relying solely on her barrier against the tidal wave of monsters would have eventually depleted her Mind.
"Second, there's a shortcoming in our firepower composition."
Daphne's gaze swept over Aiden, Tifa, and herself. "Captain, Tifa, and myself—the combat styles of the three of us lean more toward the mid-guard. Whether it's rushing in, slashing, or skirmishing, we are more adept at handling high-threat single targets or small-scale enemies. But when facing a true 'monster banquet', our clearing efficiency isn't considered high."
She paused, looking at Robin and Hyacine. "Hyacine is a healer. And although the Vice-Captain can also provide attack support, your core duty is command and support. So, we are actually in extreme need of a rearguard artillery mage capable of outputting wide-area magic damage—a bombardment-type mage who can act as a stationary turret and clear out an entire area with a single spell."
"Doesn't Ai-dear have a wide-area annihilation magic too?" Hyacine asked, somewhat puzzled. She had personally seen that holy bell that destroyed everything.
"It's different."
This time, it was Robin who spoke. She set down the map and explained softly, "While the power of the Captain's magic is undeniably strong, most of the time he fulfills the duties of a mid-guard, needing to pin down and kill strong enemies on the frontlines. Having him stand in the backline safely performing long chants is a tactical waste, and also a luxury. Furthermore, magic of that caliber consumes a massive amount of Mind and cannot be used as a routine field-clearing method."
Aiden also nodded in agreement. "That's right. I can fill in occasionally, but if I have to act as the rearguard mage all the time, the pressure on our frontline would be too great."
Astrea, who had been listening with great interest, also smiled and joined in.
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