Fairy Tail: Igneel's eldest son in Anime Multiverse

Charles and Tsubaki sat with the elites of the Loki Familia, all eyes drawn to the strange, grotesque crystal orb on the table—the one encasing a fetal monster.

Finn began to explain, "Not long after the Monster Festival, a murder occurred here in Rivira. We just happened to be on the eighteenth floor, so we got involved. We discovered that the killer was a red-haired woman who could control a new species of monster—just like the white-haired ghost."

He continued, "While fighting her, we realized her true goal was this: the Orb Fetus, the embryonic form of a special-type monster. Ganesha Familia found one during the chaos on the thirtieth floor. The red-haired woman killed to retrieve it."

"Unfortunately, in that case, the fetus fused with a man-eating plant and became a humanoid monster. But this one here—Bete obtained it during an encounter with remnants of the Dark Factions on the twenty-fourth floor."

Charles couldn't help but reflect on the terrifying reach of the butterfly effect. In the original timeline, Bete never got his hands on an Orb Fetus.

Originally, the Dark Factions were supposed to partner with the white-haired ghost to turn the twenty-fourth floor into a breeding ground for new species.

Hermes Familia and Ais eventually broke into the Food Storage there, with Bete, Lefiya, and Dionysus Familia's Filvis arriving just in time to assist.

That event ended with the white-haired ghost slain by the red-haired woman, who then cryptically told Ais to seek answers on the fifty-ninth floor.

But now, the white-haired ghost had already been slain by Charles, and the Fallen Fairy's clone on the fifty-ninth floor had been purified.

Most importantly, Charles had shared a wealth of intelligence with Loki Familia—crucial information that brought Finn closer to the truth.

At the very least, Finn now had a clear path to investigate, and Charles was certain that Dionysus had likely adjusted his own plans as well.

Still, regardless of how he changed tactics, his ultimate goal wouldn't shift. And knowing that was enough to prepare accordingly.

Finn went on, "Combining what we know so far, the ultimate goal of the Fallen Fairy and the Dark Factions is the destruction of Orario."

He continued, "And part of their plan—what we're aware of—is that they're transporting these Orb Fetuses to the surface. However, we don't yet know how many have already reached the city."

He turned to Charles. "Charles, have you thought of anything?"

Charles chuckled. "Finn, are you testing me?"

Finn just smiled without answering. Charles continued, "The question is obvious. Why would the Fallen Fairy cooperate with the Dark Factions? In other words, what does the Dark Factions bring to the table?"

Finn nodded. "I figured you'd see it too. It's that alternate exit from the Dungeon that the Dark Factions know about."

He added, "I suspect that exit is located in one of two places—either the eighteenth floor or the twenty-fourth."

"The eighteenth floor because it's a safe zone, which would make it easier for them to operate. The twenty-fourth floor because we recently received a request from a mysterious figure to investigate anomalies there."

"Plus, Bete spotted remnants of the Dark Factions and new-type monsters in the area, so it's definitely worth looking into."

"This is why I called everyone here—one team to search the eighteenth floor, and another to launch an assault on the twenty-fourth."

"Charles, since you can sense these new-type monsters, we're hoping you'll lend us a hand."

Charles replied, "Can't just sit back while they stir up trouble—I'll do what I can."

Tsubaki added, "Count me in too!"

Finn nodded. "With both of you onboard, I'm even more confident. Let's split up now. Riveria, Bete, Lefiya—you'll lead the search on the eighteenth floor. Gareth, Ais, Tione, Tiona—you're with me, Charles, and Tsubaki. Let's get moving."

Everyone gave their acknowledgement and quickly dispersed.

While moving toward the twenty-fourth floor, Charles learned more from Finn about what was happening.

Apparently, for the past few days, monsters on the twenty-fourth floor had been gathering and migrating in unusual patterns. The black-robed man's request—directed specifically to Ais—was to investigate this anomaly.

Because Ais had been out hunting with Finn and the others when the request came in, there was no way Finn would let her go alone.

And since it tied directly into the matter they were already investigating, Finn mobilized the whole Loki Familia task force to handle it.

Based on his analysis, the Dark Factions and the new-type monsters were most likely gathering near the Food Storage.

Because all monsters are birthed by the Dungeon, there's no real predator-prey relationship between them. The Dungeon doesn't have a true ecosystem, and it's even questionable whether monsters are "living beings" in the strictest sense.

But one thing was certain: no matter what form a monster took, movement consumes energy.

To replenish that energy, monsters must eat—though their food is also provided by the Dungeon.

Certain floors contain special chambers equipped with massive quartz pillars. These pillars secrete a nutrient-rich fluid that monsters consume.

These chambers are known as Food Storages, and monsters feed there on a regular basis.

The current theory is that something has obstructed access to the Food Storage, causing the monsters' irregular migration behavior.

As they advanced, Charles moved closer to Finn and whispered, "Don't you think something's off? If the goal of the Fallen Fairy and the Dark Factions is just to transport Orb Fetuses to the surface, why stir up such a huge mess on the twenty-fourth floor? It's almost like they're baiting us into investigating."

Finn kept his head down. "I've thought the same. But regardless of whether they're trying to mislead us or pursuing some other goal, this is one of the few solid leads we have. The moment they act, they reveal themselves. That's better than if they stayed hidden."

He added, "Still, you're right—we'll have to be extra cautious during this mission."

Charles asked suddenly, "By the way, have you identified the person who gave that request to Ais?"

Of course, Charles already knew the answer. The only person it could've been was the Sage Fels—Uranus' agent.

But he was genuinely curious if Finn had uncovered anything. After all, Fels was known to hold the highest-level Mystery ability, the only person known to have created a Philosopher's Stone and resurrection magic.

Finn shook his head. "Not a clue. But I'm guessing they're connected to the Guild. Looks like there's a lot they're keeping from us."

Perhaps because Charles mentioned her, Ais came over.

It was a familiar sensation—just like when they first met, she stared at Charles without blinking.

After a while, Charles sighed. "If you've got something to say, just say it."

Ais said, "Bell Cranel has gotten stronger."

Charles blinked. "Okay… and?"

Ais replied, "I want to get stronger like him too."

Charles said, "You're already level six, aren't you? I saw you solo Udaeus. That's impressive."

But Ais didn't hesitate. "Not enough. I want to grow the way Bell Cranel does. You trained him, right? So please—help me become stronger."

Charles looked into her eyes and sighed again.

Bell and Ais couldn't be compared. Bell was a total novice with the cheat skill Argonaut, which let him grow at an abnormal rate.

Ais, on the other hand, was already a first-tier adventurer—each step forward from here was exponentially harder.

But the sincerity in her eyes made it impossible for Charles to refuse.

"Alright," he said. "Once this is over, I'll help you. But you'd better be ready—getting stronger isn't going to be easy."

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