Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Chapter 354

Of course Kiriya accepted.

They were offering him a Grimoire, for crying out loud!

He might not need one himself, but both Jeanne and Esdeath could make excellent use of it.

Neither had filled all her available Magic slots, and awakening another spell could potentially produce an enormous improvement in their overall combat strength.

With benefits like that on the table, why would he refuse?

All he had to do in return was look after Ais during their expedition.

How much trouble could that possibly be?

The girl was already a Level 6 adventurer with exceptional combat abilities.

It wasn’t as though he needed to protect some helpless child.

Riveria nodded in satisfaction when she saw how readily he agreed.

The Grimoire was certainly expensive enough to make her wince, but she considered it an entirely worthwhile investment.

Although Grimoires were precious items capable of awakening miraculous Magic, their effects were not guaranteed.

There was always an element of uncertainty, and the probability of successfully obtaining a useful spell was far from one hundred percent.

Kiriya, on the other hand, had already taught Ais an extraordinary amount.

Afterglow alone was worth more than the Grimoire in Riveria’s eyes.

Its destructive power and enormous attack range were remarkable, and when combined with Ais’s existing Avenger and Ariel, it became an unprecedented finishing move against monsters.

Moreover, Kiriya would personally supervise Ais’s training in the Deep Floors, giving her an opportunity to develop her abilities even further after reaching Level 6.

Compared with those benefits, the price of a single Grimoire hardly seemed significant.

"The Grimoire is at our Familia headquarters," Riveria explained. "Once I return to Orario, I’ll have it delivered to Lady Hestia."

"No need to go through all that trouble. I’ll send a clone back with you to collect it."

Kiriya waved dismissively.

He intended to remain underground for at least another ten days, possibly half a month.

Knowing that a valuable Grimoire was waiting for him while being unable to use it would be frustrating.

He might as well have a clone make the trip, especially since Flying Thunder God would allow it to return almost immediately.

Besides, the clone could deliver a message to Hestia and reassure her that everyone was safe.

Finn understood his intentions perfectly and raised no objections.

After arranging for the promised supplies to be left behind, he departed with Riveria and Ais.

There were still a few matters they wanted to discuss privately with the Sword Princess before leaving her in Kiriya’s care.

...

Orario — The Surface

For the residents and gods of Orario, the day’s events had been an emotional roller coaster.

Not long before, an enormous magic circle had suddenly appeared across the sky.

The moment it materialized, everyone in the city felt an indescribable pressure descend upon them, as though an entire mountain had been placed on their shoulders.

Ordinary citizens and adventurers alike turned pale, their legs trembling beneath the oppressive presence.

"What the hell is that thing?"

The gods who possessed some knowledge of the Sixfold Spirit Ring reacted even more dramatically.

The instant they recognized the formation, their expressions became positively dreadful.

"Isn’t that the ritual for summoning a pillar from Heaven?! Since when did it become a gigantic magical cannon?"

"We’re all going to die! Which bastard did this? I’m going to tear them limb from limb!"

"Limb from limb? I’m going to grind their bones into dust!"

Several hot-tempered gods immediately erupted into furious curses.

Unfortunately, their reactions only made the nearby adventurers even more frightened.

Some of the less restrained adventurers grabbed the gods standing beside them by their collars and demanded answers.

"Hey! Explain yourself! What exactly is that thing? What’s it going to do? Tell me, damn it!"

And when they finally learned that the formation was an annihilation spell powerful enough to reduce all of Orario to ashes, the entire city descended into chaos.

Some people flew into a rage, others cursed whoever was responsible, and still others completely lost control or collapsed into despair.

Fear spread through the streets like wildfire, plunging Orario into an unprecedented panic.

"Wait for me! Please, don’t leave me behind!"

Adventurers with exceptional physical abilities naturally had a considerable advantage when it came to escaping.

Many fled at full speed, leaving ordinary citizens and gods whose divine power had been sealed struggling desperately to keep up.

Their terrified pleas were answered by nothing more than the rapidly disappearing backs of those running ahead.

Under such circumstances, the darker aspects of human nature quickly emerged.

People fought over supplies, attacked one another, robbed shops, and even took advantage of the confusion to settle old grudges.

Crimes erupted throughout the city, placing Orario’s already fragile public order on the verge of complete collapse.

If responsible Familias such as the Ganesha Familia and the Hephaestus Familia had not intervened to maintain order, the entire city might have become a living hell before the spell even activated.

Unfortunately, their manpower was limited. Orario was simply too large for them to protect every district simultaneously, and tragedies continued unfolding despite their efforts.

"What are we supposed to do, Hestia?"

Several gods who were close friends with Hestia gathered around her, their expressions filled with panic.

"Wait!"

Hestia’s answer was immediate and unwavering.

"Kiriya has already gone down there. As long as he’s handling it, we have nothing to worry about!"

The sheer confidence in her voice helped calm her friends somewhat, but the enormous magic circle overhead was still growing increasingly solid.

No matter how much they trusted Kiriya, it was impossible not to feel terrified while staring at something that could erase the entire city.

Every passing second seemed to stretch into an eternity.

Then, after what felt like an impossibly long wait, part of the magic circle suddenly shattered.

Another section followed almost immediately.

Within moments, multiple crucial nodes began collapsing in rapid succession, and the entire formation destabilized before finally disappearing from the sky.

The Sixfold Spirit Ring had been destroyed.

Orario erupted into celebration.

Countless people cheered, shouted, and roared at the top of their lungs, releasing all the fear and tension they had accumulated while waiting for what seemed like certain death.

The overwhelming joy of surviving spread throughout the city, and some residents were already discussing how they should celebrate this extraordinary victory.

Of course, not everyone shared their happiness.

While most of Orario rejoiced, a certain god was in a considerably less pleasant mood.

...

"My, my. You really are something else, Sylvan."

In a secluded corner outside Orario, a handsome blond god shook his head with an elegant smile.

It was Dionysus.

Seven Corrupted Spirit clones and an enormous army of Deep Floor monsters should have been more than enough to delay the three strongest Familias until his final preparations were complete.

At least, that was what he had expected.

Unfortunately, Kiriya had acted with extraordinary decisiveness.

Instead of becoming entangled in a prolonged battle against the six flesh pillars, he had immediately sought out and destroyed the immature Nidhogg, the most powerful of the seven clones.

With the seventh clone eliminated, Dionysus’s plan to bury all three Familias underground had completely fallen apart.

A desire he had nurtured for a thousand years and a scheme he had spent more than a decade carefully preparing had been ruined in a single battle.

To say Dionysus wasn’t frustrated would have been a lie.

Nevertheless, he had not cultivated his elaborate plans and hidden ambitions for so long without developing some composure.

He quickly recovered from the setback and began considering what sort of challenge he should prepare for Kiriya and his companions next.

"My dear aspiring heroes, don’t think this is over just yet."

A mysterious smile returned to his face.

"It’s about time I let that creature get some exercise."

...

After resting and recovering for a day, Kiriya, Jeanne, Ryuu, Esdeath, and Ais formed a small party and continued their expedition into the deeper floors.

Kiriya’s clone, meanwhile, accompanied the Loki and Freya Familias on their journey back to the surface.

The Freya Familia had suffered something of an unexpected disaster.

Their encounter with the Corrupted Spirit clones had caught them without adequate preparation, resulting in considerable losses.

Ordinarily, injuries alone would not have been enough to force them to abandon an expedition.

After all, their daily training in Folkvangr frequently involved battles even more brutal than some of those they had just experienced.

The real problem was their supplies.

They had lost far too much equipment and too many essential resources during the fighting.

Without sufficient provisions to support further exploration, returning to Orario was their only reasonable option.

The Loki Familia’s situation was more straightforward.

They simply had too many injured members who required proper treatment and recovery.

Unlike the Freya Familia, whose members were almost fanatically devoted to their goddess and accustomed to fighting one another with little restraint, the Loki Familia placed considerable importance on looking after its middle- and lower-ranking adventurers.

There was no question of dragging their wounded companions into another dangerous expedition.

And so, the two Familias began their withdrawal, advancing together toward the upper floors in an enormous formation.

Naturally, the Dungeon had no intention of allowing the warriors who had conquered its depths to return peacefully.

Large numbers of monsters emerged on floors such as the 59th and 58th, attempting to obstruct the expedition’s progress.

However, with first-class adventurers such as Finn and Ottar personally clearing the path, those monsters could barely survive a single exchange.

The two captains swept aside their enemies almost effortlessly, preventing the attacks from delaying the expedition by any significant amount.

After several days of travel, the combined force finally reached the surface.

And the moment they emerged from Babel Tower, they were greeted by an extraordinarily enthusiastic welcome from the citizens and gods of Orario.