Chapter 80 - The Beginning of the Expedition!
As the expedition was scheduled to take place in three days, during this time, members of Loki Familia were primarily engaged in preparing for the upcoming venture.
Luke's daily life didn't change much; the only difference was that the time spent in the dungeon was relatively reduced, leaving him with some time to rest and recharge.
On the other hand, Ais, upon learning that she would participate in the expedition with the team, appeared exceptionally excited.
She was always more enthusiastic than anyone else about delving into the dungeon and defeating monsters.
...
The three days passed quickly.
The final number of participants in the expedition was confirmed to be 29.
The target of this expedition was located on the 37th floor: Monster Rex Udaeus.
"Finn, with the current strength of our team, challenging Udaeus, isn't that a bit rushed?"
While on the way to the dungeon, Gareth walked beside Finn and asked him.
Finn nodded at first, then shook his head.
"I know Udaeus has a potential ability value as high as level 6, and as a Floor Boss, its strength far exceeds that of an ordinary level 6 monster."
"However, we indeed need to pick up the pace."
"I heard that Vice Captain Ottar from Freya Familia might be close to leveling up."
"What?"
Finn's words made Gareth inhale sharply.
Now, Loki Familia and Freya Familia, jointly considered the strongest factions in Orario, were so designated because they had more than one first-class adventurer.
Freya Familia had two, one level 5 and one level 6, serving as the Familia's captain and vice-captain, respectively.
Loki Familia also had three, which were Finn, Gareth, and Riveria, all at Lv5.
(PS: They became level 6 7 years before the start of the storyline. So, let's assume they're only level 5 now.)
Loki Familia and Freya Familia, both consisting of a small but elite group of members.
Therefore, a change in high-end combat strength indicates a shift in the Familia's overall power.
If Ottar, serving as vice-captain, were to upgrade to level 7 while Finn and his group remained unchanged, it might not pose an immediate concern.
However, over time, their status as one of the strongest could be at risk.
The challenge against Udaeus this time was Finn's plan for the trio to level up.
...
The expedition team quickly entered the dungeon.
With their large numbers, the movements and noises they made during their journey attracted a multitude of monsters.
Facing these monsters from the novice and even upper floors, Finn and his group had no intention of fighting.
Not even the level 3 adventurers in the team were eager to fight these small fries.
After all, one of the main objectives of the expedition was training.
Luke's current task was simple– slicing through these monsters.
As he observed Ais charging into the monsters with emotionless determination, he followed closely behind her.
Swoosh!
With two swift slashes, Luke cleared out the approaching monsters and joined Ais.
Finn had instructed him to keep a close eye on Ais, ensuring she wasn't emotionally stimulated and stayed connected with the team.
The monsters from the upper floors were no match for Loki Familia's expedition team.
In less than half a day, the team advanced to the 10th floor.
However, their seemingly unstoppable progress began to slow down here.
Upon entering the 10th floor, a dense mist covered their vision.
The reduced visibility made the entire team more cautious.
As they proceeded carefully, a colossal silver-white gorilla suddenly crashed into the center of the group with a deafening roar.
Elite Monster: Silverback Ape!
Roar!!!
Accompanying the appearance of the Silverback Ape were several imps surrounding them from all sides.
The sudden attack by Silverback Ape resulted in the team's first casualties, followed by a sense of unease and panic.
Fortunately, Finn's orders came in time:
"Don't panic! Level 3 adventurers, intercept the Silverback Ape and prevent it from disrupting the team's formation."
"Level 1 adventurers without injuries, form groups of three and prepare to counter the imps."
"Level 2 adventurers, escort the injured out of the battlefield, then come back to assist. Give priority to eliminating the Silverback Ape."
Finn's commands, echoed on the battlefield, instantly restored order.
The entire team began to operate according to Finn's instructions.
Luke didn't pay attention to the team's situation; instead, he focused on the spot where the Silverback Ape had come from, sensing something amiss.
Finn had positioned Luke close to their core members, and until the mid-floors, Luke didn't need to intervene in the battle and only needed to keep an eye on Ais.
However, Finn's separate order synchronized with Luke's premonition:
"Luke, go check the place where the Silverback Ape jumped from. If anything seems off, come back immediately and report."
"Gareth, temporarily watch over Ais."
"Riveria, go call the mage team and prepare for chanting."
Upon hearing Finn's command, completely in line with his premonition, Luke didn't hesitate.
He activated his Prana and instantly rushed outside the team.
Within seconds, Luke traversed the thick fog and arrived on a nearby rocky peak.
There, he saw one of the dungeon's most powerful monsters in the upper floors, a dragon-type monster called 'Infant Dragon.'
"Roar!"
As soon as Luke noticed it, the Infant Dragon also spotted Luke.
Recalling the situation the team faced against monsters earlier, Luke decided to slay this Infant Dragon here.
If let go, it might cause unnecessary casualties within the team.
Dragon-type monsters possess massive bodies.
Even the lowest-class Infant Dragon was much larger than the Silverback Ape.
As it charged towards Luke, it seemed like a gigantic truck was rushing at him.
Swoosh!
Unfortunately for the Infant Dragon, Luke's strength far surpassed that of a dragon-type monster that can only dominate the upper floors.
In the first strike, he directly severed its right leg.
In the moment it lost balance, Luke appeared above it, nailing it to the ground from top to bottom.
Bang!
Crunch!
Easily dealing with the Infant Dragon, Luke not only heard the sound of the monster dissipating but also another crisp noise.
Following the sound, he looked at the standardized weapon Loki Familia had given him.
Normally, it would be impossible for such a standardized rookie weapon to penetrate a dragon-type monster's scales.
However, under the additional bonus of Luke's sword qi, it effortlessly achieved what seemed impossible.
The cost, though, was the shattered blade due to being unable to withstand Luke's strength.
Luke looked at the now unusable weapon in his hand with a touch of helplessness.
He had anticipated that an ordinary standardized weapon wouldn't be able to handle his excessive strength, so he had tried his best to reduce his strength.
Otherwise, dealing with upper-floor monsters like this Infant Dragon would be as easy as cutting through butter.
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