A Survivor's life in the dungeon (A Danmachi Fanfic.)

Chapter 97

"It's deep, and he needs a day or two of rest to recover," Katty answered plainly, tying a bandage around Ozwald's back. "I doubt we can go any deeper from here."

"W-What?!" Ozwald snapped his head towards Katty, making him wince in pain at the sudden movement. "I can still go! I'm not one of the fighting force at the front; I can just stay in the back and chant spells!" He argued, trying to act strong, but his face told a different story. "And we have potions; I can just drink some and recover in a few minutes!" he continued.

"Then we continue," Helga interjected. "He's right. He can stay in the backline and support us with offensive spells."

"No!" Denki answered firmly. "It's too risky."

Denki's tired eyes scanned the dimly lit surroundings, his mind heavy with the burden of responsibility. The recent battle had taken its toll on the entire familia, and Denki couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that they were pushing their luck too far.

"Look around you Helga, it's not just Ozwald who needs time to recover, this dive is already over, our luck was bad for meeting a mob this deep, we were lucky to get out of that without any casualties," Denki said, his voice carrying the weight of his concern. "We need to head back to the surface, regroup, and come back stronger. Ozwald's injured, the others are battered and tired, and we can't afford any more risks."

Helga, however, wasn't ready to yield. Her gaze hardened, and she squared her shoulders, her determination shining through. "We can't back down now," she argued, her tone resolute. "We've haven't even met our quota, our average in all of our dives is at the 27th floor. We've faced tougher challenges and emerged victorious. We can't let fear dictate our actions."

The tension in the air was palpable as the two leaders clashed in their beliefs. Denki, rooted in caution and practicality, knew the dangers that lurked in the depths of the dungeon. Helga, fueled by her unwavering confidence, was willing to bet on their familia's strength and resilience.

"We can't underestimate the dungeon," Denki countered, his voice firm. "Every step we take here is a gamble with our lives. We need to retreat, heal, and come back prepared. Our familia's safety comes first."

Helga's eyes narrowed, her resolve unyielding. "We can't afford to appear weak in front of the other familias," she argued back, her voice edged with frustration. "We're Heracles familia, even now the others looked at us with pity, and I for one am tired with those looks. If we retreat now, we lose even more face. We need to press on. We can't afford to look weak in front of the other familias!"

The other familia members watched in silence, their loyalty torn between their two leaders. The weight of the decision hung heavy in the air, each heartbeat echoing the magnitude of the choice before them.

Until another voice joined in. "Well I for one vote to go back up." It was Katty, he was done with bandaging Ozwald's wounds. "Denki is right you know, we have encountered such a bad luck facing a mob at this floor, if it was on the higher ones then it would've been easy to deal with, but as we stand now we only have two level-3s, the rest of us are tired and beaten, and the two strongest member of this party are arguing like fucking children's."

Katty's words hung heavy in the air, piercing the tension between Denki and Helga. The other members of the familia glanced at each other, their eyes reflecting a mix of uncertainty and relief. Jugo, the level-2 adventurer, nervously cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had settled over the group.

"I-I agree with Katty," Jugo stuttered, his voice surprisingly steady given the circumstances. "We've pushed our luck far enough. It's not just about meeting quotas anymore; it's about survival. We can't afford to let our egos blind us to the reality of our situation."