CHAPTER 369: CHAPTER 369: LOKI’S HARSH WORDS

"It’s up to you to decide what to do."

Bell didn’t answer directly—he couldn’t shoulder that responsibility. If Loki Familia made a wrong choice because of him, Loki-sama would despise him.

"Choosing to challenge them is undoubtedly the right move."

"The Loki Familia has held second place in Orario for ages. You, Vice Captain Riveria, and Mr. Gareth have all been stuck at Level 6 for a long time. It’s time to advance—or you’ll be trapped here for life."

"The Spirit isn’t a safe opponent. Its strength definitely surpasses that of ordinary Floor Bosses."

"But it’s also an incredible opportunity."

It was indeed a great opportunity—but it would demand everything, possibly costing them everything.

Deep down, Finn had already made his choice.

As captain, he had to think ahead and cover their backs, but pressing into the unknown was beyond safe control.

According to Cassandra, they faced the threat of total obliteration of the upper ranks of their Familia.

Venturing into unknown floors risked a full-scale wipeout. If even one of them faltered, the consequences would be catastrophic.

’This time, we can’t take the safe route like before.’

Finn inhaled deeply and made a decision that could change their fate.

"Let’s keep pushing through the unknown floors."

It was the natural choice.

Finn refused to stop here. He wanted to push for the revival of the Pallum. He couldn’t just leave the future to the younger generation—he, too, had one last fight in him.

"This might be the decision that shapes our Familia’s destiny. Whether we ascend or perish depends on our actions now."

"Everyone—make your final preparations for this expedition."

Finn nearly said "last testament," though adventurers alone shouldn’t need one. But since this might be his final campaign, he wanted to leave some words behind.

They had only a few days until they reached the 50th floor. This was the final rest before venturing into the unknown.

After speaking, Finn turned to Bell.

"Bell‑kun, if we fail, I want you to bring the others back to the surface."

Bell didn’t hesitate this time. He nodded and replied, "I will."

Finn exhaled a final sigh of relief. Now, all that remained was for him to steady his mind. "Alright, everyone—meeting’s over. Head back to your tents and rest."

They departed under a heavy atmosphere. Everyone returned to their tents, though none could fall asleep. Perhaps this was indeed their final adventure. With that thought lingering, sleep seemed impossible.

Bell returned to the temporary base he’d constructed on the 28th floor, built high on the wall—just like his installation on the 18th. High safety-floor walls rarely spawned monsters, and Bell had placed barriers around the base to prevent any creature from appearing inside.

Once settled, Bell activated the Hestia Familia’s communication channel.

"Loki‑sama, how does it look?"

A projection materialized in the air, showing his homeland. Evening shadows stretched across the scene. Bell could clearly see the sleepless fatigue in Hestia’s and Hephaestus’s eyes—weariness still clouding their gazes.

But Loki‑sama was hardest hit. Her eyes were dark and bloodshot. The events of the meeting had visibly shaken her.

"...Kid, you have a chance to win this, don’t you?" she asked bleakly.

"Of course," Bell said.

"I took the risk of exposing myself to level up beforehand—to improve our expedition’s odds."

"I want the Loki Familia to come out of this intact. That outcome matters most to me."

His tone was steady, confidence radiating.

"Although I can’t guarantee that I’ll bring everyone back, I am confident I’ve controlled everything within reach..."

He continued, "The experiment on the ’Spirit Fetus’ is progressing well. I’ve erased traces of the Spirit inside, turning it into my puppet."

"I also tested potential awakening methods on Minotaur, and we successfully boosted his strength above his original level."

"All preparations are complete."

Bell had prepared thoroughly for this expedition—to ensure the Familia could pass the test.

"Of course, I plan to raise the Spirit’s strength even further. If we want everyone to level up together, Lv. 7 won’t cut it. We’ll need at least Lv. 8."

"Are you insane!?" Loki exploded.

"Even a Lv. 7 Spirit could wipe out my Familia. And you want to power it up to Lv. 8?!"

If Hestia and Hephaestus hadn’t held her back, she might have attacked Bell through the projection.

"Loki, calm down. Bell‑kun is still in control," Hestia said, stepping in, her faith in Bell unshaken.

But Loki still spat in anger, "Enough nonsense! If that kid loses control, it won’t be him who dies—it’ll be my children!"

"He’s right," Hephaestus interjected firmly. "Your children are in danger—and so are mine."

Loki paused. Hephaestus remained resolute.

"Tsubaki is going on this expedition too. She’ll be exploring unknown floors alongside us, facing the same level of danger as your children."

Yes, she knew that Hephaestus’s captain, Tsubaki, would be joining the exploration of the unknown floors, so Hephaestus was also taking on a certain amount of risk.

But Hephaestus still chose to do it.

That was trust—faith, even.

So Loki’s anger subsided slightly for the moment.

But as she looked at Bell in the image, still clenching her jaw and holding back her fury—

"Kid, you’d better bring my child back. If you don’t, I swear I won’t let this go!"