Damien sat on a rock, quietly scribbling notes into his journal while the two infant dragons rested nearby. One of the Hellhounds padded closer, nudging for attention. Damien smiled and reached out, rubbing its head.
"Who's a good boy," he said, indulging it for a moment.
He then turned his gaze to Igris, who stood beside him, tall and unmoving, sword planted at his side as he looked ahead. Following Igris's line of sight, Damien observed the newly acquired shadow soldiers, those taken from Ishtar's forces, as they harvested mana from monster corpses that slowly dissipated into nothing.
"It seems as long as I'm around, monsters die slowly, huh," Damien muttered.
His eyes drifted to the remains of Deadly Hornets scattered around the area. He made sure their shells were collected as well. They sold for a decent price back in Orario.
Still, that was insignificant compared to what he had discovered today.
"So… it seems our theory is correct, isn't it, Igris," Damien said, glancing back at him.
Igris pressed his sword firmly into the ground and gave a decisive nod.
"Then we report this to Loki," Damien continued. "I think this will make the expedition much easier. We might even go further than Floor 59."
Ever since retrieving his armor from Tsubaki, Damien had wasted no time returning to the Dungeon. This time, it was a mock expedition. One undertaken alone to test limits, observe patterns, and gather information. The results had surprised him.
Without his shadows, his limit rested around Floor 20. With them, he had reached Floor 29.
Now, he sat near the water, resting.
Fortunately, the Monster Rex of this floor, Amphisbaena, was already dead. A week earlier, it had been slain by Ottar of the Freya Familia during a training expedition. Looking at the deep waters and recalling the strength of the monster that ruled them, Damien felt genuine respect.
To defeat a Monster Rex alone, in its own territory, was no small feat.
"My guess is we can push to Floor 30," Damien said, writing as he spoke. "The Lizardmen are the real problem. They're organized, disciplined, and intelligent. They know when to retreat, which makes them dangerous. Bloodsaurus is manageable, but only one at a time. More than three, combined with Lizardmen attacking our flanks, becomes an issue."
He added the final notes, then stood and stretched.
"I guess that's it. We head back now. We've spent a week down here gathering information. This should be enough."
At his words, Igris slammed his sword into the ground, the signal to move out. The shadows stirred immediately.
Damien let out a quiet sigh.
On his way to Floor 29, he had encountered several powerful monsters. He chose not to turn any of them into shadows. He understood his current squad well, and he believed that deeper floors, especially during the upcoming expedition, would unlock more capacity for his shadow army. Stronger monsters could come later.
More than that, he had grown attached to his current shadows. Sending them away simply because stronger options existed did not sit right with him.
In the end, he had only added six new shadows. All of them were tall, heavily armored Lizardmen. Disciplined, coordinated, each wielding a spear and a small shield.
And with that, Damien's solo expedition came to an end.
He and his shadows began their return to the surface.
…
Two days later, Damien found himself back on the surface, his mind restless as it raced through everything that lay ahead.
If his calculations were correct, his recent solo expedition would push him to Level 4 soon. That, however, was not his main concern.
There were three problems he could not ignore.
The first was Haruhime. Ishtar was still actively searching for her, and Haruhime was, on paper, still a member of the Ishtar Familia. That alone made using her in battle impossible. The risk of her being spotted was simply too high.
The second issue was the System Dungeon and his next mission. Ever since clearing the Igris Dungeon, the system had gone silent. No keys. No missions. No prompts. Damien had no idea what triggered its attention, or how to draw it again.
And finally, there was the expedition.
A long one. A dangerous one.
He would need to prepare thoroughly, because this time, there were many people he intended to bring back alive.
"Well… looks like our schedule's going to be full," Damien muttered as he stepped into Twilight Manor, heading straight for Loki's office.
Inside, Loki was already waiting, seated alongside Riveria and Lefiya.
"Oh? Look who finally showed up," Loki said with a grin. "I heard you've been training in the Dungeon for a while now. How was the trip?"
"It went quite well, honestly," Damien replied as he sat down across from them. He pulled out his notebook and placed it on the table. "I gathered additional information during my time down there. Information that could fundamentally change how this expedition is planned."
Loki raised an eyebrow. "That's a bold claim. We've been planning this expedition for years, Damien. We know how the Dungeon behaves, and we've accounted for most variables."
She gestured casually toward Riveria. "Riveria herself is one of the main planners."
Riveria nodded, but she did not dismiss him outright. "I doubt there's something we've completely overlooked," she said calmly. "Still, I am curious. What did you find?"
Damien smiled. "It's not something you could overlook. It's something you had no way of discovering."
He slid his notes further onto the table. "Let's assume an expedition made up of two Level 3 adventurers close to Level 4, ten Level 2s, and around eighteen Level 1s. How far do they get?"
Riveria thought for a moment before answering. "Reaching Floor 18 is very realistic. Floors 19 and 20 are dangerous, but still manageable. Between Floors 21 and 24, the Dungeon begins to recognize them as an expedition and actively interferes. Even under ideal circumstances, Floor 25 is likely their limit. The Level 1s and 2s would not survive beyond that."
"I see," Damien said. "And that's because the Dungeon itself intervenes, correct? It actively tries to sabotage expeditions."
Riveria nodded. "That is correct."
"Then what about a solo adventurer?" Damien asked.
Riveria tilted her head slightly. "Someone like you… perhaps Floor 21. Alone, the Dungeon wouldn't escalate as aggressively, but the monsters themselves would require the status of a Level 4 or higher to pass safely."
Damien smiled faintly. "What if I told you that an expedition like the one I described could reach Floor 30? Maybe even beyond. With relative ease."
"That's impossible," Riveria replied immediately. "Even with perfect planning, high intelligence, and no mistakes, Floors 28 through 30 are extremely dangerous."
"Well," Damien said calmly, "I did it."
He placed several items onto the table. Among them was a Bloodsaurus heart.
Riveria's eyes widened.
"How?" she asked.
Loki stood up sharply. "You didn't buy this, did you?"
Lefiya leaned in, inspecting it closely. "This… this is fresh. It's like it was taken moments ago."
Damien gave her a small wink.
"This expedition was done by me alone," he said. "Me and my shadows. Assume Igris is at my level. Ten Level 2 shadows taken from Ishtar, and the rest Level 1. Together, we reached Floor 30."
Loki burst into laughter. "I see… so that's how it is?"
Riveria stared at Damien, realization slowly dawning. Her breath caught.
"Oh… oh my god…"
"Hahahaha!" Loki laughed even harder. "One man. Just one man. I can't believe I lost you to Hestia!"
Riveria finally spoke, her voice steady but filled with shock. "The Dungeon… it considers you a solo adventurer, doesn't it?"
Damien remained silent.
"That means," Riveria continued, "you are the only adventurer in the world who functions as an entire Familia by himself. A walking expedition. And the Dungeon doesn't even recognize it."
Lefiya frowned. "I don't understand. What does that mean?"
"When a Familia enters the Dungeon in force," Riveria explained, "the Dungeon responds. It spawns additional monsters. Mutants. Outliers. Anything it can to disrupt the expedition. But with Damien… it's different."
She looked at him again. "Your shadows aren't recognized as an expedition. The Dungeon sees only a powerful lone warrior. So it doesn't escalate its countermeasures."
Damien nodded.
"But how does that help us?" Lefiya asked.
"Simple," Damien replied. "I go first. Alone. I scout ahead."
He leaned forward slightly. "The Dungeon won't treat me as an expedition, so I can move freely. For example, if I advance to Floor 32 and hold position while you move from Floor 29 to 30, the Dungeon will deploy its forces against you. Those forces won't account for me."
His eyes sharpened. "When you clash with them, I strike from behind. We trap the Dungeon instead of the other way around."
Riveria smiled slowly. "Damien is the perfect scout. One who can predict and dismantle the Dungeon's sabotage before it happens."
For the first time since the meeting began, the room fell silent.
And then, quietly, the future of the expedition began to change.
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