CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 98: PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE EXPEDITION—FULL FAMILIA WARP!

Ryota had no idea that madwoman Freya was once again brewing some shady scheme down on Pleasure Quarters.

At the moment, he was sitting on a sofa inside Twilight Manor, arms folded, watching a certain high-energy elf girl bouncing around the hall with a helpless expression on his face.

"It’s true! It really happened! Ryota just went whoosh—and boom! Miss Ais and I were instantly transported to the first floor of the Dungeon!"

Lefiya waved her arms excitedly, her eyes sparkling, so thrilled she looked like she might burst.

"And then whoosh again—we landed on the nineteenth floor!"

"You don’t understand! It was all at once! No tunnels, no climbing, no in-between, no traps!"

"It was like... like he tore open a hole in space itself!"

"For real...?"

Even Finn, the Pallum, forgot to chew his thumb. His mouth hung open in a daze, his whole face screaming, Did I just miss the birth of a new era?

"From the first floor... to the nineteenth? Are you sure?"

Riveria frowned, trying to make sense of something that completely broke all known logic.

But she knew Lefiya too well. This overly earnest, magic-charged idiot couldn’t even tell a white lie without blushing. And this time, she’d delivered the whole thing like a practiced speech.

Riveria turned her head to the blond girl beside her.

"Ais. Is what Lefiya said true?"

Ais nodded without hesitation.

As if worried that wasn’t enough, she added softly, "It’s true."

The calmness in her voice somehow carried a weight that silenced the room instantly.

Everyone’s eyes snapped to Ryota, who was currently yawning lazily in the corner, looking as laid-back as ever.

Loki propped her chin on one hand and broke the silence.

"So... you mean you can bring people with you?"

Ryota gave a light hum in response. "Tested it all day—carrying Lefiya and Ais didn’t burden me at all."

He glanced around at the visibly excited core members of the Loki Familia, then added:

"But whether I can take all of you at once... honestly, I’m not sure."

Finn seemed to remember something and immediately asked,

"How did you carry Ais and Lefiya? Did it need a chant or something? Can you walk us through the process?"

As expected of Loki Familia’s captain—always asking the exact questions everyone wanted answers to.

The others leaned in, their eyes shining, clearly waiting for Ryota’s explanation.

But Ais tilted her head slightly, averting her eyes, a faint, barely noticeable blush coloring her face.

Lefiya, meanwhile, went bright red in an instant and flailed her arms.

"Captain Finn, th-that part doesn’t really need to be discussed, right?!"

"Holding them."

Ryota answered plainly.

"Eh?!"

Loki’s hair practically stood on end.

"You what?! You held our dear Ais?!"

The goddess of mischief wore an odd mix of shock, heartbreak, and indignation on her face.

"Wasn’t Captain Finn asking how I did it? I’m just telling the truth."

Loki opened her mouth but failed to form words.

She glanced at Ryota’s utterly unbothered expression, then at Ais’s usually blank face that now had a clear flush to it, and felt something tighten in her chest. She almost forgot to breathe.

Finally, she slumped back onto the sofa in defeat, glaring at Ryota with her signature squinty eyes—the kind of look you give a dangerous animal you’re not sure you should lock up or set free.

Finn blinked, then chuckled.

"Oh, so it’s physical contact teleportation? Makes sense, I suppose."

Tiona lit up with excitement.

"Whoa—then can I hold you and jump to the thirtieth floor?! I wanna try!"

"I wanna try too!"

Tione jumped in immediately.

"Wait, wait, wait!!"

Lefiya darted forward, arms out protectively in front of Ryota like she was shielding a cub.

"You can’t just hug him like it’s nothing!"

"Ohhh~ So Lefiya wants Ryota all to herself now? Our dumb elf’s gotten bold~"

"I-I do not!"

Watching the whole scene devolve into chaos, Ryota simply chuckled and looked out the window.

Time to move forward with the expedition plans.

...

The next three days were the busiest the Loki Familia—or all of Orario, really—had ever been.

Though the War Game had ended, its shockwaves were far from settling.

The Freya Familia was disbanded. Completely. Irrevocably.

And though Loki Familia never explicitly laid claim to Freya’s assets and resources, Orario’s unspoken rule was crystal clear: the victor takes all.

With the Guild’s subtle nudging and silent approval, everything from Freya Familia’s storage depots, training grounds, underground reserves—even their outer business connections and trade contracts—began funneling toward the Loki Familia at breakneck speed.

As for the adventurers who had once served under Freya? They were all flatly rejected—thanks to Ryota’s decisive veto.

And after Lefiya’s passionate, starry-eyed "testimonial"—plus that one solemn nod from Ais—they were now hailed as the Familia’s top "Flying Raijin testers," their word practically law.

Their descriptions were simple, but the unhidden glow in their eyes and subtle shift in tone had completely sold Loki and the core members

So, after a full day and night of closed-door discussion—

The Loki Familia made its decision:

"The expedition resumes!"

This time, it wasn’t just another reputation-building run or a tactical scouting mission for new resource points.

No. This was the real deal.

One goal, and one goal only: reach the fifty-eighth floor!

Back then, Finn and the others had barely made it there before being forced to retreat. A goddamn Valgang Dragon, followed by a logistical collapse, had crushed their ambitious plans.

But now, everything was different.

Freya Familia’s entire resource network was theirs.

Ryota, a one-man powerhouse, had joined their ranks.

And the Flying Raijin? It completely rewrote the rules of Dungeon expeditions.

No more supply issues. Combat strength at an all-time high. Even resupply could be done instantly.

All these seemingly impossible advantages had been fused together by one man.

So from Loki to the Three Captains, down to every last member of the Familia—no one doubted the decision.

This expedition wasn’t just about surpassing Freya Familia’s old records.

It was about smashing through the invisible ceiling that had loomed over all Familias since the departure of the Zeus and Hera Familias—the legendary upper limit.

While the Familia was busy preparing, Ryota—the "hardcore workaholic"—wasn’t slacking off either.

He practically nailed himself inside the forge Hephaestus Familia had provided, catching sleep by leaning against the wall when necessary.

Echoed day and night with the clang of metal.

As for materials? All sourced from the now-defunct Freya Familia.

Rare ores, scales and fangs from deep-Dungeon monsters—each was disassembled, fused, and reforged in Ryota’s hands into powerful, deadly gear.

Hephaestus Familia was Orario’s undisputed master of forging.

And yet, even the red-haired goddess herself had to admit after a few days:

"This kid’s... totally insane."

By now, Ryota’s Kamui space had turned into a full-blown armory, overflowing with weapons and supplies.

With one last hammer strike, the metallic clang echoed through the forge long after it landed.

Ryota exhaled, setting his tongs and hammer aside on a nearby rack, and gazed out the window.

Night had fallen.

Orario’s streets were quiet and dimly lit.

Tomorrow was expedition day.

Without lingering, Ryota slung on his jacket, stored the freshly-forged kunai into Kamui space, and stepped outside the forge.

Click. The door swung open.

Just like the past few nights, two familiar figures stood waiting.

Freya sat on a long bench she’d somehow dragged over, basking in the moonlight and night breeze.

Her smoky-gray eyes, radiating that magnetic allure, locked onto Ryota the instant he stepped out.

Beside her, Ottar stood silent and still, like a living statue.

Ryota glanced at them but said nothing.

Truthfully, he was used to it by now.

Freya, that crazy goddess, refused to eat or drink—just sat there watching his door like a hawk.

Not even Hephaestus could talk her down.

Still, her weird obsession had one upside: it gave the Loki Familia some breathing room.

After all, with a beauty goddess guarding your doorstep, the Guild workers delivering supplies probably tripped over their own feet just walking past.

And honestly, who else but Ryota could make a god and a Level 7 powerhouse willingly stand watch like door guards?

"You two don’t sleep or what?" Ryota asked, his tone laced with mild exasperation.

"We didn’t want to disturb your work, so we waited out here," Freya replied, smiling as she stood.

"Now that you’ve come out, I feel relieved."

"Be careful during the expedition tomorrow, Ryota."

He waved a hand as he walked past, sighing.

"If you’re really that worried, why not just leave Orario already? Watching me all day—it’s kinda creepy."

"I’m not leaving. My business here isn’t done."

That made Ryota pause. He turned his head and asked,

"...What are you planning?"

"You’ll know once you return from the expedition."

Freya’s smile turned impossibly gentle.

Ryota narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling there was more to her words than she let on.

But then again, this was Freya.

Trying to make sense of her logic was a losing game from the start.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

"What about Kali and those two girls? Did you lock them up or something?"

"Nope~ They’re still in Orario. But I have no idea where."

Ryota gave a noncommittal hum.

Better if they stayed hidden. Those three were walking trauma for Tione and Tiona.

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about it and headed toward the Hephaestus Familia’s front gate.

Time to return to Twilight Manor.

Tomorrow’s expedition was the real deal.

Freya stood silently in the night wind, eyes following Ryota’s silhouette until it vanished into the darkness.

Only then did she speak.

"Ottar."

"...What do you think it’d be like if Ryota joined our Familia?"

Ottar blinked and looked at her, hesitation briefly flashing across his face before he murmured,

"...It would be... good."

Hearing that, Freya’s lips curved into a deep, meaningful smile.

She stepped forward and whispered, half to Ottar, half to herself:

"I think so too."

"Only someone like him... deserves me."

...

The night passed quietly.

Dawn broke, though Orario’s streets still slumbered.

Twilight Manor, however, was already fully lit.

Ryota descended the stairs from the second floor, his ever-present backpack slung across one shoulder.

In the main hall, the Three Captains, Tiona, Tione, Bete, Ais, and the other core members had been waiting for some time.

As soon as he appeared, all eyes turned to him.

Loki stepped forward first. For once, she dropped her usual nonchalance and spoke with rare seriousness.

"Ryota, I know you’ve got a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but promise me one thing—"

She paused, her squinty eyes narrowing even more than usual.

"No matter what happens, don’t push yourself too far. If things get dangerous, put yourself first. Got it?"

Ryota looked at her—at that genuine concern in her eyes—and smiled, nodding.

"Don’t worry, Lady Loki."

"I value my life more than anyone."

Loki gave a soft "hmph" and stepped back to make room.

That’s when a flash of gold streaked past her.

Ais had darted straight into Ryota’s arms.

Loki froze in place, mid-step, her brain stalling.

"A-Ais???"

Before she could react, Finn and the others surged forward like seasoned veterans, quickly clustering around Ryota like they’d done this a hundred times.

"All right, everyone grab tight!"

"Hey, who stepped on my foot?!"

"Stop pushing! I was here first!"

"Ryota, are you sure you can carry all of us? Should we split into two groups?"

"..."

Watching this squad of elite adventurers crowd in like kids at a bungee jump station, Ryota’s mouth twitched.

"You all ready?"

Everyone shouted, "Ready!"

"Then hold on."

Fwoosh!

A ripple of golden space distortion spread out like a wave, and in the blink of an eye, the entire squad vanished from sight.

The grand hall of Twilight Manor was suddenly empty, save for one person.

Loki, still frozen in place.

She slumped back onto the couch, blankly staring at the ceiling.

Her mind kept replaying the moment Ais dove into Ryota’s chest without hesitation.

"Ais... You actually did that right in front of me..."

She hugged a pillow to her chest, eyes hollow.

"...Why do I feel like crying but the tears won’t come?"