"Monster"
Magic Stone are a resource that can only be obtained in Dungeon, and a unique product that can only be exported from Orario.
The Magic Stone brought out from the Dungeon are eventually made into various Magic Stone products and distributed all over the world to make huge profits.
Therefore, the guild has always monopolized the buying and selling of Magic Stone, stipulating that Magic Stone brought out by each exploration-type clan from the Dungeon can only be sold to the guild and cannot be sold privately to other merchants; violators will be severely punished.
Under these circumstances, when Finn returned from the Dungeon with those colorful magic Magic Stone, his first thought was naturally to consult the guild.
With all Magic Stone monopolized, no one in the world understands Magic Stone existence better than the guilds.
Since Finn wanted to investigate the Magic Stone in order to uncover the details of those new monster species, he naturally had to go to the guild.
But when he brought the colorful Magic Stone to the guild, the guild not only failed to provide any information, but also forcibly confiscated the colorful magic Magic Stone.
If there weren't some problems involved, no one would believe it.
"At first, we even suspected that there might be a conspiracy by the guild behind this, and that the appearance of these colorful magic Magic Stone and new monsters was closely related to the guild."
Gareth said this to Leo.
"But after the attack on Rivira Town on the 18th Floor, we basically gave up on that idea." Riveria Ljos Alf picked up where Gareth left off, saying, "That mysterious woman was clearly the mastermind behind those monsters, or rather, one of their manipulators. And someone was opposing her, which is why they commissioned someone to bring back the green orb that could create female-shaped monsters from the Dungeon. As a result, the person who accepted the commission was chased by the mysterious woman and eventually ended up on the 18th floor."
The layer that triggered that incident.
"Therefore, we reasonably suspect that the person who knows about the existence of the Green Orb and opposes the mysterious woman is the guild." Finn said with certainty, "After all, the guild is the administrator of Orario and the Dungeon. They have no reason to create chaos here and in the Dungeon. On the contrary, their identity as someone who knows the inside story and opposes the one who creates chaos is more in line with their position."
Of course, this is just speculation, and there is no real evidence to prove it.
The guild system is vast. Even if they don't intend to cause trouble in Orario or the Dungeon, there's no guarantee that some people with ulterior motives won't use the guild's power to do evil.
However, Finn and the others ultimately ruled out the guild as a suspect.
The reason is simple.
"After the incident in Rivira Town concluded, we focused our investigation on the two people who retrieved the green orb from the Dungeon —the pick-up and recipient you mentioned in your letter."
Finn calmly pointed this out.
"The recipient's identity is now clear: Lulune Louis, a member of the Hermes Familia."
"The name of the person picking up the goods is Hassanal Dorria."
"His rank is Lv.4, and he belongs to the Ganesha Familia."
After these words were spoken, the entire office fell silent.
The Ganesha Familia —this is no ordinary family.
It is one of the most powerful clans in the entire Orario, with a particularly large number of members. They are deeply trusted by the guild and have a long-term cooperative relationship with the guild. They are a major faction that also serves as the city's guards.
How powerful and large is this clan?
To put it simply, firstly, its membership far exceeds that of the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia. It can even be said to be the largest and most populous Familia in the entire Orario. Factions that can compare with it in terms of membership and scale are few and far between in the entire city.
Furthermore, its strength rivals that of the Loki Familia, placing it firmly in the top three in the entire Orario.
In other words, it is the second largest family after the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia, and the strongest faction below the two kings of the city. Even the Loki Familia dares not underestimate it.
In Orario, there are only three Spring Familia with an S-rank rank: the Loki Spring Familia, the Freya Familia, and the Ganesha Familia.
While the Ganesha Familia doesn't have Lv.6 members, which are second only to Lv.7 in the city, like the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, this clan boasts a total of eleven Lv.5 first-level adventurers. In terms of the number of first-level adventurers alone, it even surpasses the Loki Familia and Freya Familia.
This demonstrates the true strength of the Ganesha Familia.
Therefore, it is not surprising at all that Hassanna Dorria, as a member of the Ganesha Familia, is only at level 4.
Such a strong second-level adventurer is qualified to accept the commission to delve into the Dungeon and secretly retrieve the green orb that can give birth to female-shaped monsters. He is then to secretly meet with Lulune Louis, the recipient, in Rivira Town on the 18th Floor and hand over the green orb to her.
Unfortunately, before he could leave Rivira Town after completing his mission, he was murdered by a mysterious woman who had come to search for the Green Orb.
It was precisely because Hassanal Dorria's identity was confirmed that Finn and the others concluded that the entity opposing the mysterious woman was the guild.
"The guild and the Ganesha Familia have always had close ties, so it's understandable that they would entrust Hashana Dolria, a member of the Ganesha Familia, to retrieve something from the Dungeon."
Hassanna Dorria is a Level 4, second-tier adventurer, and comes from a powerful clan. If someone were to secretly commission him for some shady mission, he wouldn't accept it without any suspicion. After all, the Ganesha Familia isn't like the Hermes Familia, which handles all sorts of business, unless the commissioner's background is enough to make him feel at ease.
"In conclusion, we suspect that the entity that commissioned Hassanna Dolria as the pickup person and Lulune Louis as the receiving person is actually the guild."
Finn dissected the secrets one by one, analyzing them logically and clearly.
Leo had to admire this.
Because Finn is right.
As someone familiar with the original work, no one understands the intricacies of the story better Leo.
The person who commissioned Hassanna Dorria as the pickup person and Lulune Louis as the receiving person was indeed a guild, or rather, a very important figure within the guild.
The guild does indeed know the origins of some of the colorful magic Magic Stone and the new monster species, so they are not enemies of the Loki Familia, but rather enemies of the mysterious woman and the entity behind her, and are actually on the same side as the Loki Familia.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this person from within the guild has confirmed information about the mysterious woman and the entity behind her, and is currently devising a strategy to deal with them.
As a family that has become associated with these beings, the Loki Familia has now been chosen by this person.
According to Leo's calculations, the other party should contact them soon.
Or perhaps—they came to make contact with him and Ais.
Thinking of this, Leo knew that he might soon meet that mysterious woman again.
"This time, it won't be the same as the last time we fought."
Leo silently chanted in his heart, his eyes burning with fierce flames.
Unsure of what Leo was thinking, Finn and the others held another discussion about the matter.
In Finn's words, this mysterious woman and those new monsters could all become their enemies in the future.
"Last time, we had to turn back because of those monsters, but next time, we'll have to fight our way back."
That's what Finn said.
He was almost certain that they would encounter those monsters in the Dungeon again on their next expedition.
Those that initially appeared on the 51st Floor and later climbed to the 50th Floor, it's hard to guarantee that they might still exist on lower floors, just not yet having climbed up.
If they encounter these monsters again on their next expedition, they will definitely have to fight them.
Finn and his associates were already making preparations for this.
There's no way around it; if we don't prepare properly, we'll just repeat the same mistakes, like last time when we were driven to a dead end by the dissolving liquid of those new monster species.
It was one thing to let it go last time, but if it happens again next time, they'll really suffer heavy losses.
Therefore, Finn and the others have been discussing how to deal with those new monsters.
Now that it has been confirmed that there are manipulators like the mysterious woman behind these monsters, they can no longer afford to be careless.
Just because we didn't encounter these manipulators last time doesn't mean we won't next time.
At that time, the two sides will inevitably have to fight a major battle.
Based on this alone, Finn and the others could confirm that the mysterious woman was an enemy.
As for the other party's identity----
Finn and his team had already investigated, but found nothing.
There are very few beings who can control such a large number of mysterious monsters, and who can fight on equal terms with Ais, who uses "wind," and who even Leo couldn't defeat despite his best efforts.
The opponent is someone who can rival a first-level adventurer; their level is at least Lv.5, and possibly even higher.
Even at level 5, there are fewer than forty people in the entire Orario, and among these fewer than forty level 1 adventurers, not a single one can match this mysterious woman.
Could the opponent not be an adventurer from Orario, but a powerful figure from outside the city?
Or perhaps—the other party isn't an adventurer at all?
Finn and the others immediately recalled the characteristics Leo had used when mentioning the other person.
"They are very strong, with high ability stats, and their fighting style is extremely brutal. It's not that they lack skill, but rather that they rely more on their powerful abilities to charge around recklessly."
"When she swung her sword, it looked like she was waving a claw; when she charged, it looked like she was pouncing and biting; and the way she looked at others wasn't like she was looking at her own kind, but more like she was looking at inferior prey."
"Her physical body is incredibly strong, not just in terms of strength, but also in its unusual structure."
If Leo gained his powerful protective abilities by wearing a suit made from Goliath's hide, then the mysterious woman possessed defensive capabilities comparable to a monster's hide simply from her own skin and flesh.
That's a level of skin toughness that humans can't achieve.
Therefore, rather than saying she is like a human, it's more accurate to say she's more like a monster.
Monsters in the Dungeon.
The thought flashed through the minds of Finn and his two companions, but they quickly suppressed it.
It's not that they're afraid to have doubts, but rather that they don't want to.
Because it was too shocking.
It's one thing for monsters in Dungeon to have the same appearance as humans—after all, humanoid monsters aren't uncommon in Dungeon —but to be so similar to humans and be able to talk and communicate is another matter entirely.
What does that count as?
A monster that looks like a human?
"Wack."
Leo suddenly said that.
"Perhaps that's how you should address her."
Leo's words brought a second silence to the entire office.
"A weirdo—?"
Finn narrowed his eyes, his eyes flashing with emotions that others couldn't decipher.
"A very fitting title."
After saying that, Finn seemed to want to shake off the chilling connotation behind the name and changed the subject.
"You've just leveled up, so take some time to adjust to your current strength. An expedition isn't far off, and we'll need your help then."
That concludes our discussion.
Leo nodded, gave a slight bow, and then left the office.
As Finn and his two companions watched him leave, they couldn't help but sigh.
"The thought that he's already reached Lv.5 so quickly still feels unreal."
"Ais is already level 6, Tiona and the others should be close to that, right?"
"I really don't know how long it will take us to take another step forward."
The three of them were reflecting on their situation, but they were mostly gratified.
Although they were overtaken by those who came later, as long as their clans prospered, it was all worth it.
Meanwhile, Leo had already left the northern tower and returned to his room.
He first put on the Giant Battle Suit piece by piece, then went to the table and picked up the Dragon Fang Sword that was sheathed.
After the fierce battle with Udaeus, the sword developed many cracks.
Clearly, that battle and the week-long conquest of the 37th Floor had caused considerable wear and tear on the sword, to the point that it needed repair.
It's not just the Dragon Fang Sword; the Emerald Staff is also suffering from severe damage to its magic gems due to the constant exposure to Leo's Demonic Power, which far exceeds its current level. It's on the verge of breaking and needs to be replaced with new magic gems to continue using it.
However, even if the pair of swords and staffs were repaired, given their level, they would likely be unable to withstand Leo's power again.
So, Leo touched the cracked blade of the Dragon Fang Sword in his hand, put it away again, and placed it together with the Emerald Staff.
He has no intention of fixing them, nor does he intend to use them again.
"Keep these as a memento. If any new members join the group in the future and I like them, I'll give them to them as a parting gift, just like the seniors who helped me back then."
After making this decision, Leo turned his gaze to the corner of the wall.
There, leaning against a sword.