Soon, in full view of the crowd, Goliath, a Level 4 monster rex, was defeated by Lili and the others.

Before turning to ashes, Goliath dropped a magic stone, and a massive drop item.

Killing a monster rex indeed yielded rich rewards.

The item were top-quality, worth tens of millions if sold, even if not used by the Familia.

"Oh!"

Seeing Goliath slaughtered like a lamb by Lili and the others, the adventurers from the safe floor, led by Bors, were thrilled—more excited than the Hestia Familia themselves—and swarmed around them.

"Well done, Hestia Familia!"

"You're the first to defeat Goliath without a single Level 3, using just a few Level 2s and over twenty Level 1s, and with no resistance!"

"Yeah, the disbanded Apollo Familia fought Goliath with their whole group. They succeeded but took heavy losses—not as effortless as you!"

"Hey, Lili, is Lady Hestia really set against recruiting new members? I'd join and just smash stuff!"

"Sorry, Lady Hestia says no new members for now. Maybe later," Lili replied.

"Really? Then I'll apply to my god when you do recruit."

Lili: …

"Aerith, you were so heroic! That stick swing pierced my heart!"

Aerith: …Thanks, I guess.

"Tifa, your punches were incredible. Interested in a coaching commission?"

Tifa: Sorry, I'm focused on adventuring to grow stronger, not taking heavy commissions.

"Elenoir, how do you combine magic without it exploding?"

Elenoir: Sorry, it's a Familia secret.

"Where's Orsted? Why isn't your captain here?"

Eina: Sorry, Orsted's on a deeper floor for a task.

"I'll write today's events into a biography so all of Orario knows the Hestia Familia's heroic deeds!"

Everyone: …

"What did you do before adventuring?"

"Huh? Me? I was a bard."

"!"

The adventurer wasn't joking. After returning to the surface, he wrote and spread the tale of what he witnessed.

This propelled the Hestia Familia to fame again, becoming the number one Familia in the hearts of many rookie adventurers.

But that was later.

On the safe floor, Lili and the others were mobbed by adventurers, chatting eagerly.

"Congratulations," Naaza said, approaching with Daphne and Cassandra to offer their regards.

Lili's team had insisted on facing Goliath alone, so Naaza and the others stayed back, observing from afar until the fight ended.

"Thank you, Naaza," Lili smiled.

At Bors and the others' warm invitation, Lili's group headed to the 18th floor's safe area for a brief rest.

Meanwhile, Orsted and his group neared a parallel path to the monster incident site.

The path was teeming with monsters from floors beyond the 18th, their numbers shocking Lulune and the others.

Hundreds filled the visible stretch, with more likely out of sight.

"Get ready," Asfi said after observing.

"No, let us handle it," Orsted interjected.

Ais leapt down without a word.

Tempest surged forward, her aerial magic unleashed.

Fierce winds erupted on the path, and monsters turned to ashes under Ais's assault.

Orsted followed, drawing Excalibur Proto, becoming a shadow that cleared the monster army alongside Ais.

"Watching them fight, they seem so in sync," Lulune mused from the cliff, an odd thought striking her.

Asfi, beside her, rolled her eyes.

In minutes, Orsted and Ais cleared the path, leaving magic stones scattered on the ground.

Monsters that would trouble Level 2 and 3 adventurers were fragile as tofu in their hands.

"Ais, Orsted, you're amazing!" Lulune exclaimed, bounding up to them as Asfi and the others descended.

It was her first time witnessing such a devastating fight—so many deadly monsters reduced to ants.

"Don't pick those up now; they're too much to carry," Asfi advised Orsted, who was collecting magic stones.

"No issue," Ais replied, also gathering stones.

Asfi: …

"I have the Hestia Ring. It can hold plenty," Orsted said, raising the ring with a smile.

"Hestia Ring?" Asfi frowned, puzzled.

Then, seeing a magic stone vanish into the ring, she understood and gasped.

"You! You can craft spatial magic items!"

---

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