Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Their Abilities Aren’t Enough (Review Campaign End!)
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📊 Review Campaign Progress
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Chapters Released: 100
Thanks, everyone! As promised, we hit the goal of 62 reviews in record time and completed the mass release of 100 chapters. I really appreciate all the support for the novel!
From now on, I'll be keeping a steady pace of 3 chapters per day—and who knows, if I build up a chapter stockpile again, I might run another campaign in the future too!
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"The conclusion is that neither Captain Finn, Vice Captain Riveria, nor Gareth has the strength to defeat a Level 7 opponent in one-on-one combat. Each of them excels in a different area, and only when they fight together can they rival a Level 7."
Loki had no choice but to seriously consider what the kid in front of her was saying.
It was true—whether it was Finn or Riveria, none of them had the power to take on a Level 7 alone.
Not because they lacked ability, but because they weren't versatile enough.
Focusing on a single attribute might give an advantage early on, even allowing someone to bridge the gap between levels. But the higher the level, the less that mattered. Weaknesses in other areas became glaring, and that imbalance was the real issue.
That was why Finn and the others, despite their overwhelming strength, had been unable to move forward.
So if they wanted to advance, they had only two options: either become more well-rounded or challenge monsters so overwhelmingly strong that victory was almost impossible. Only that kind of ordeal could help them accumulate the Excelia needed to reach Level 7.
"If you're suggesting I send Finn and the others to fight something they can't possibly beat, forget it. I'm not throwing them into a suicide mission for some short-term gain."
Bell had expected that reaction, so he continued without pause.
"If you consider exploring uncharted territory a suicide mission too, then there's nothing more to say."
Loki raised an eyebrow. Wasn't he just talking about an expedition?
"Clarify what you meant just now. What do you mean, exploring unknown territory is also suicide?"
Bell glanced at Loki and allowed a faint smile to curve his lips.
"Every Adventurer knows the dangers of the Dungeon. Any unexplored area presents a serious challenge. Right now, the Dungeon is filled with all sorts of unpredictable threats—like those Violas from yesterday."
"Judging from the battle between your Familia and those monsters, it's clear those giant flowers were lower-floor creatures. Yet they had such tough hides that even a First-class Adventurer couldn't crush them with a punch. Honestly, even with First-class weapons, most Adventurers would struggle against monsters like that."
Loki's eyelid twitched. She had a hunch where this was going—and then she heard it.
"Where do you think those monsters came from?"
"Probably from deeper levels, or maybe even from areas no one's ever explored before."
"Then tell me—do you think those Violas were heavyweight monsters?"
Yes...
Loki wanted to deny it, to lie to herself—but she couldn't.
As the Goddess of Lies and Trickery, Loki would never lie to herself when faced with undeniable truth. Especially not with the shorty and Hephaestus right there watching. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
"They're just a bunch of small fry. To a real heavyweight monster, they're nothing more than weeds... That's what you mean, isn't it?"
Bell only shrugged slightly, offering no rebuttal.
"So, if these 'weeds' already have enough strength to trouble a Level 5 adventurer, what level would the main body that spawned them be?"
Loki crossed her arms, clearly irritated at being led down this line of reasoning, but she still answered.
"Level 7... or even Level 8."
That was exactly the answer Bell had been waiting for.
"Then don't you think continuing the Loki Familia's expedition under current circumstances is nothing short of suicide?"
"Sure, you could halt the expedition. But would Captain Finn—who's poured everything into the rise of the Pallum race—accept that?"
Damn it. He got me.
Loki grit her teeth in frustration, but she had no way to argue back.
Even a fool could see that Finn would never agree to such a retreat.
He had already done a great job fulfilling his mission to revive the Pallum, but he still wanted to do better. He had to keep climbing.
Seeing the conflicted look on Loki's face, Bell knew he was just one step away from winning her over.
"And there's one more thing. Those monsters... they're clearly from the deeper levels. So why were they showing up beneath Orario? Don't you think someone deliberately brought them here?"
"Maybe they weren't just trying to smuggle up a few dangerous beasts. Maybe they're planning to bring something even worse to the surface."
"When that happens, sure, Loki-sama's Familia might get away unscathed. But what about everyone else? Will they be so lucky?"
That shattered the last of Loki's resistance.
Because she knew he was right.
The rats from Evilus had already crawled out of the sewers, and hoping they wouldn't act was nothing more than wishful thinking. She still hadn't forgotten the trial that one evil god had brought down on Orario.
Back then, at least the enemy used Orario's living forces as stepping stones to train up the next generation.
But what if this time it really was some lunatic god of destruction? What if their goal was nothing less than to burn Orario to the ground?
From the beginning, she'd never had a choice.
She might be able to limit how deep her Familia went during expeditions, but there was no way to stop the bastards in Evilus from crawling up out of the sewers.
At this point, there was only one thing she could do.
"...Fine. Let's hear your plan first."
Right now, Bell's plan was already halfway to success. Only by making Loki see the severity of the situation herself could he get her to even consider something this risky.
"What those three lack isn't combat experience. What they're missing is the Excelia they need to reach Level 7. But because their current strength already edges close to Level 7, they can't overcome it through normal means. And if they fight with larger teams, the achievement gained won't be enough to push them past the Lv.6 wall. So what they need is a more extreme ordeal."
"But realistically, sending them to take on a Level 8 monster is out of the question. That's why I came up with a different idea. What if I could control certain monsters—temporarily enhance their abilities by burning out their lifespans, and maintain some level of control over them in the process? If I send those three, leading a team, to take down those monsters under such conditions... wouldn't that give them the 'Excelia' they need?"
Loki fell silent, sinking into deep thought.
It wasn't that this plan was impossible. On the contrary, the odds of success were actually pretty high. But now only one question remained.
"Do you even have the ability to pull that off?"
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(100 Chapters Ahead)
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