Chapter 135: Alliance between Man and God?
After agreeing to the commission with the Guild's Magus Fels, Arthur returned to Rivira Town and headed straight for the hidden tavern beneath the cliffs—the Golden Cellar Pavilion.
Here, an adventurer party that had also accepted the commission for the 24th Floor was waiting.
Following the crooked steps carved into the cliff face, Arthur entered the rough rock cave, which didn't even bother with a door.
The air was filled with the sour smell of cheap ale and damp mildew, mixed with the boisterous shouts of adventurers.
The most striking feature inside the cave was a pale yellow crystal pillar growing in the center.
Its glow reflected on the surrounding dark walls, creating a hazy atmosphere.
Four or five tables were haphazardly arranged inside, and behind the long bar, a dwarf owner with a wrinkled face and an impatient expression was wiping glasses.
Arthur's gaze, sharp as a hawk, swept across the entire room, ignoring the small groups of drinkers, and directly locked onto the solitary figure outside the bar.
"Lulune, has everyone from your Familia arrived?"
To the beast-girl, this voice was like an ice-cold steel needle, instantly piercing through the clamor, freezing the blood in her veins!
Her tail behind her 'swished' and straightened, every hair bristling with terror.
The dog-girl's neck turned stiffly, like a rusty gear, as she looked up at Arthur, who had a smile on his lips, forcing out a smile uglier than a cry.
"Ah… Ah hahaha~ Isn't this Lord arthur? What brings you here?"
Arthur looked at the timid dog-girl in front of him, her ears pressed tightly against her head in fear, and the smile on his lips grew even wider.
"Didn't I say? I came specifically to find your Familia."
Lulune, realizing the situation, suddenly stood up, her face filled with disbelief.
"You're the reinforcement sent by the Guild? An abnormal situation on a mere Middle Floor requires your intervention?"
Before Arthur could answer, the atmosphere in the tavern suddenly changed.
The adventurers who had been drinking and playing cards all stood up, casting wary and guarded glances.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly: "So that's it, everyone has arrived. But what is this? A welcoming ceremony?"
Boom—!
Before he finished speaking, an invisible pressure, centered on Arthur, erupted with force!
It wasn't a gale, but it was stronger than one; tables were violently overturned, and the entire rock cave hummed!
A tangible mental pressure, like a mountain, crashed down, firmly restraining the actions of everyone in the Hermes Familia!
"My deepest apologies, please calm your anger!"
A steady female voice came from outside the crowd, and an intellectual woman with short aqua hair walked forward, pushing up her silver-rimmed glasses despite the pressure.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Arthur. My name is Asfi, the captain of the Hermes Familia."
Arthur retracted his magic, subtly observing the renowned 'All-Rounder', and his mind filled with more conjectures about the Hermes Familia's situation.
"A pleasure, Miss Asfi. Time is pressing, so let's first confirm the details of the commission."
Asfi also ignored the previous conflict, nodding lightly.
"Of course. The commission we received is to assist the main force in investigating the cause of the abnormal situation."
"The Hermes Familia, including myself, has a total of fifteen participants, with most of our abilities around LV3."
Arthur chuckled noncommittally: "The commission I received is to completely resolve the abnormal situation. One participant, LV4."
Lulune, who was silently cowering to the side, trying to minimize her presence, covered her ears and mumbled in a low voice.
"Shattering half of Rivira Town with one blow, only a fool would believe you're LV4; you must have hidden your level like us."
Arthur and Asfi both glanced sideways at the talkative dog-girl, exchanged a knowing smile, and continued to confirm the mission.
Before long, after purchasing supplies and dividing into three teams, everyone left Rivira Town and rapidly advanced towards the deeper 24th Floor.
…
At the same same time, in front of the Twilight Manor's main gate.
Loki, with one hand on her hip and undisguised annoyance on her face, scoffed at the handsome god in front of her.
"Oh, you good-for-nothing who reaps without sowing, why are you bothering us again?"
Dionysus, however, showed no anger, maintaining his aristocratic standard smile. He took a step forward, his voice very low.
"Information you will definitely be interested in. About the Guild, about the Dungeon, this is not the place to talk."
Upon hearing this, Loki immediately narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
She was about to tell the thick-skinned fellow to leave, but her gaze was firmly caught by the special-grade wine he produced, so she reluctantly let him into the headquarters.
Arriving inside the courtyard of the intertwined towers, Loki snatched the bottle of rare vintage, which was no longer available on the market, without a word, and asked without looking up.
"Speak, what information is so mysterious?"
Dionysus's smile did not diminish; he raised a hand and pointed towards the distant Tower of Babel.
"The Guild's recent actions are very strange."
He succinctly recounted the bizarre situation on the 24th Floor, then changed the subject, specifically highlighting a key piece of information.
"Moreover, I once heard of something similar on the 30th Floor."
'The 30th Floor?'
The mention of a key floor made Loki, who was savoring the fine wine, raise an eyebrow.
She remembered that the place where Hashana carried out a secret commission and obtained the Orb Fetus was precisely the 30th Floor.
"When was this? We haven't heard a peep about it."
Dionysus pondered for a moment: "Roughly… three weeks ago. Because it was a brief incident that occurred on a lower floor, it was rarely mentioned among higher-level adventurers."
He looked at Loki, who was still drinking on her own, tapped the table with his finger, and emphasized.
"Loki, twice in a row, the Guild has been controlling the outflow of information."
"You believe Uranus is innocent, and I have nothing to say, but…"
Uranus cannot fully represent the Guild.
Loki completed his unfinished thought in her mind, narrowing her long, crimson eyes, and waved her hand with a slight tipsiness.
"It's no use telling us this; our children are all preparing for the expedition, and we don't have enough people to investigate the 24th Floor."
Dionysus frowned slightly, about to persuade her further, when a small parchment scroll fell from the sky.
Thump!
Loki, clutching the back of her head where she'd been hit, looked up only to see an owl flapping its wings into the distance.
"A messenger familiar?"
"It seems so."
Dionysus elegantly picked up his black tea, signaling for her to attend to her business first.
Loki picked up the scroll from the ground, glanced at the Guild emblem's wax seal on the closure, and unfurled it decisively.
After quickly scanning the contents, her expression instantly became peculiar.
"How interesting, our supernova has taken a Guild commission and is heading to the 24th Floor."
Dionysus: щ(ﾟДﾟщ)
"Precisely when we were discussing this? Loki, this cannot be a coincidence!"
"…Are you saying someone wants to target us?"
Loki casually shook the scroll, a standard joyful smile playing on her lips, her tone as light as if she were discussing the weather.
"I'm just wondering which unlucky fool, with no sense, would set their sights on that little monster?"