The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

Chapter 170 Ais Makes a Move

"Idiot, stop joking!"

A disdainful voice rang out. Bert, with short silver hair and wolf ears, sneered maliciously, "Those guys are just LV.2 and LV.1 trash. Taking them on the Deep Expedition? They'll only be a hindrance. Do you want us to be their babysitters?"

"Huh?! What did you say? You stupid werewolf!"

Tiona immediately became annoyed and bared her teeth at Bert.

"Alright, alright, calm down."

Seeing the two start arguing again as usual, Finn shook his head helplessly and stopped them, saying, "I've considered this matter, but as Bert said, their level is still too low. Inviting them to the Deep Expedition will only harm them. Let's wait until they grow stronger."

"I see—that makes sense, the deeper levels are still too dangerous for them."

Tiona looked regretful, put her hands behind her head, and sighed.

The other members also looked disappointed. After all, it was a rare skill that could accelerate experience gain, and it was an aura that was effective for the whole team. Who wouldn't want to experience the feeling of "leveling up like a rocket"?

And so, after a brief mobilization, the Loki Familia departed their encampment in a grand procession, heading towards the underground city to begin their expedition.

"That's Loki's Familia; they're going on another expedition."

"My goodness, this is quite a sight. No wonder they are one of Orario's strongest clans."

"I wonder how many floors they'll be able to clear this time. I'm really looking forward to it."

The people and adventurers along the way were all talking about the large-scale Loki clan's expedition, casting admiring and awe-inspiring glances.

With Ais, Bert, and other first-level adventurers leading the way, the main force of the clan advanced rapidly and soon reached the sixteenth floor.

"I wonder if the Goliath Giant has respawned yet. Its magic stones can fetch a good price. I still haven't finished paying off my debts to Urga."

Tiona said leisurely, brandishing her massive, door-like double blades.

"If the adventurers in Rivera Town hadn't been cleared out beforehand, based on the time of our last raid, today should be exactly the time when the floor master respawns."

Lefia, standing to the side, counted precisely on her fingers.

"—? Are we too late?"

As they descended, nearing the entrance to the seventeenth floor, Tiona keenly heard the sounds of fierce fighting and the constant roar of magic coming from below. She immediately realized that other adventurers were already attacking the floor master, and a look of disappointment appeared on her face.

However, when they officially stepped onto the seventeenth floor and saw the chaotic scene before them, everyone was stunned.

The imagined Goliath was nowhere to be seen; instead, they encountered an unknown monster that exuded a terrifying aura, unlike anything they had ever seen before.

Within the vast floor, hundreds of adventurers were battling against all sorts of bizarre monsters, while in the center of that chaotic battlefield, a soft golden barrier of light illuminated the entire seventeenth floor, providing shelter for all the adventurers.

"Loki's Familia, Finn, help! If you don't come soon, you'll only be able to collect our corpses."

Perth also saw the arrival of Loki's Familia immediately. As if grasping at a last straw, he jumped up and waved his hands without regard for his image, letting out a pig-like scream.

"Ais!"

Just then, Finn, the leader, suddenly changed his expression and shouted sharply without thinking.

—Wake up!

Ais, standing beside him, reacted instantly, drawing her rapier "Sword of Despair" from her waist. A gentle, emerald-green breeze enveloped her as she unleashed her signature magic.

The next moment, Ais transformed into a green afterimage, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow through the chaotic crowds and monsters. Her target was Bos, who was standing still, completely oblivious to the danger, and behind him, the Dead Road Butcher, who had raised a huge road sign high, ready to strike.

Only then did Perth realize the terrifying shadow behind him, as heavy as a mountain. He turned around in horror and saw the enlarged road sign hurtling toward the top of his head.

"You son of a bitch...!"

"It's too late!"

Ais frowned, and her speed increased again.

"boom--!"

Just as Bos thought he was about to be smashed into a pile of mincemeat, a crimson flaming sword suddenly extended from the side, heading upwards and precisely meeting the road sign that carried terrifying wind pressure and immense force.

Fen Yu gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, his muscles tensed to the limit, veins bulging.

The unparalleled, terrifying power flowed through the sword, instantly tearing open his tiger's mouth. Blood gushed from the hilt, only to be instantly evaporated by the sword's high temperature, emitting a strange red mist.

He nearly ground his back teeth to dust before barely managing to withstand the deadly butcher's powerful blow.

Then, Ais arrived.

Her figure was like a butterfly flitting among flowers, rapidly dancing around the Dead Road Butcher's massive body. The slender sword in her hand transformed into a rain of swords, leaving one fine wound after another on the Dead Road Butcher's body at a speed invisible to the naked eye, bursting out a series of sparks.

"Why aren't you running? Are you waiting to die?!"

Fen Yu felt as if he had lost all feeling in his arms, and roared at Bo Si, who was still in a daze.

"Oh, I owe you my life, Xin Yan!"

As if waking from a dream, Perth snapped out of his fear of death and scrambled away towards Finn and the others.

As Fenyu sheathed his sword and retreated, he turned to look at Ais, whose attacks were like a raging storm, completely overwhelming the Butcher of the Dead Road.

Ais's attacks were swift and fierce, each strike precise. However, her rapier, capable of easily slicing through steel, could only leave tiny scratches on the Dead Road Butcher's black carapace. These scratches were almost instantly healed by the writhing flesh and flashing green light.

In contrast, the Dead End Butcher seemed to be gradually adapting to Ais's rapid and intense attack speed.

At first, it was just passively taking hits, but soon, its claw strikes, the movements of wielding its giant weapon, and the timing of its stomping on the ground all became more precise.

It no longer swung wildly, but began to anticipate Ais's attack trajectory, forcing Ais to interrupt her combo and dodge with heavy attacks.

In an instant, a symphony of wind and iron resounded in the center of the battlefield. Ais's elegant sword dance was gradually suppressed by the raging brute force, and she went from actively suppressing the enemy to dodging in a dangerous situation.

"Wow, where did this monster come from? It can't even take down Ais?"

Seeing that Ais failed to take down the Dead End Killer immediately, Tiona's eyes lit up. She picked up the huge double-bladed "Ulga" and looked eager to try.

"Boss, what's going on?"

On the other side, Finn asked Burst, who had stumbled and crawled to his side.

Bos replied, panting heavily and looking frustrated, "I was about to ask that too. We were just here to hunt down the respawned Goliath according to plan, but who knew that this thing would crawl out of the wall? If the Fukaros Familia hadn't arrived at the same time, we would probably be wiped out by now, waiting for you to come and collect our corpses. It's really unbelievable that the dungeon has changed even the floor master due to the incident."

Upon hearing Perth's words, Finn and the others immediately understood the situation.

He nodded, then ordered Raul behind him, "Raul, take the raid members and help clear out the nearby spawning mobs."

"yes!"

This wasn't about stealing monsters; rather, it was because Perth and the others had sent out a clear distress signal, and Loki's Familia's intervention at this time was only a matter of course.

"I see, barrier magic and large-scale healing magic—and Fireball."

Finn's gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the golden barrier that enveloped the entire area, feeling the "healing wind" permeating the air and continuously restoring everyone's injuries, and seeing Fenyu who had just withstood a blow to save Boss at the crucial moment. Instantly, he understood the situation.

"No wonder we've managed to hold out until now without large-scale casualties."

At the same time, he also keenly noticed that even when facing such a powerful enemy, the adventurers, who were at a significant disadvantage, did not fall into chaos and managed to maintain their formation.

This clearly indicates that a skilled commander is secretly maintaining the situation.

"Finn, that monster's potential stats should be LV.5, a whole level higher than Goliath, and it's a specialized monster in terms of strength, defense, and durability."

After observing for a moment, Riveria gave an accurate judgment.

"Yes, don't worry, Ais can handle it."

Finn's gaze shifted to the green gust of wind in the center of the battlefield. "And isn't there Xin Yan there to hold things up?"

""