Chasing the MinOttarur's footsteps, the members of the Loki Familia continuously ran upwards. However, due to the presence of branching paths, everyone quickly dispersed. Ais, Bete, and Shirou kept running upwards, eliminating all MinOttarurs they encountered along the way. By the time they chased the last MinOttarur to the fifth floor, the three of them had completely split up, each searching individually.
Suddenly, a miserable scream echoed from afar. Shirou immediately ran towards it, but it was too late. What he saw was a white-haired boy, soaked in blood, running out with a smile on his face.
"Hahaha!"
"That kid, Ais actually scared him off!"
In the corner, Bete, clutching his stomach and trembling, laughed frantically, almost gasping for breath. Ais, meanwhile, had flushed cheeks, glaring at Bete like a normal girl. Seeing this scene, Shirou couldn't help but chuckle.
Noticing this, Ais pouted slightly and said angrily, "Brother, you're mean!" Shirou, rarely seeing such a rich expression from Ais, was curious and reached out to pinch her cheek. Ais, feeling annoyed, quickly reached out and slapped Shirou's hand away. But Shirou quickly pinched her again. Just like that, one pinched, one slapped, both having a grand time. Bete, who had been laughing loudly, had already stopped smiling. Looking at the two frolicking, he felt a wave of sourness well up inside him.
Tsk!
Bete clicked his tongue and left with a disgruntled expression. Standing there, he felt like a dog.
"Finally, we're back!"
Emerging from the Dungeon, under the gaze of numerous adventurers, the Loki Familia's expedition party successfully returned to their Familia's base.
"We're back! Open the gate!"
"Yes!"
Hearing Finn's command, the guards on duty slowly opened the gate to the Familia's headquarters. As the gate opened, everyone was about to walk in when a figure suddenly darted out from inside the Familia and pounced on Ais.
"Welcome back! Aaaaaah!"
Looking at Loki, who was in mid-air with outstretched, claw-like hands, constantly giggling, Ais, Tiona, and Tione skillfully dodged her attack. Only the innocent Lefiya was hit by Loki.
"Ah! No!"
Amidst Lefiya's cries of despair, everyone expertly bypassed the two and walked into the Familia's interior. Watching Lefiya being hugged and mercilessly played with by Loki, Shirou really wanted to save her, but ultimately didn't. After all, he had inadvertently turned Loki's harem into his own. Although he hadn't intended to, nor did he have such thoughts. But if Loki found out, he definitely wouldn't escape her harassment. So, it was better for him to temporarily avoid Loki's presence. Thinking this, Shirou stealthily hid within the group and returned inside the Familia.
As for Lefiya, she could only pray to the gods for protection. What? The one bullying her was a god? Then, never mind! She should pray for her own blessings!
After a comfortable bath, Shirou returned to his room and lay down on his soft bed. He couldn't help but sigh, "My own room is truly comfortable!" Just like that, Shirou squinted his eyes, alleviating his fatigue. After more than two weeks of continuous combat, Shirou had accumulated deep exhaustion. Lying on his bed, he quickly fell asleep. He only woke up when Raul's call from outside the door sounded.
"Shirou, it's time for dinner!"
"Wait a moment, I'm coming!"
After a quick tidying up, Shirou left his room and walked to the dining hall with Raul. Due to Loki's policy of eating together, all members, except those on patrol, ate together. Therefore, at this time, the dining hall would be packed to the brim. Sitting with Raul, Shirou didn't bother trying to squeeze in with Ais and the others who had already arrived. He and Raul ate and chatted.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow, Shirou?"
"For me, it'll probably be maintenance work on equipment and such. After all, I'm a high-level blacksmith, so Finn wouldn't possibly not assign me work."
"Indeed! Especially since so much equipment was lost during this expedition. If you forge them, it should save a lot, right?"
"Of course! We're all Familia comrades; I definitely won't rip anyone off. What about you?"
"I'll probably convert materials into Valis."
"Hehe, then you'll need to be more careful. I heard you once lost money."
"That was just a fluke; it won't happen a second time!"
Hearing Raul's assurance, Shirou couldn't help but laugh. After every expedition, there were many troublesome things to deal with: converting the magic stones brought back from the Dungeon into money, repairing and maintaining weapons and armor, repurchasing them, and restocking items. The tasks after returning from an expedition piled up like mountains, and almost everyone was mobilized due to the large quantity. Therefore, the first day back from an expedition was always a busy one. Of course, the Loki Familia's customary celebration banquet would also be on that day.
As the two chatted, more Familia members gathered around Shirou, mostly elites from the second-string like Anqi and Alicia. Everyone enthusiastically discussed various matters and heard many surprising revelations, such as the surprising fact that Raul, the seemingly honest guy, had once spent all his savings on a prostitute. Hearing this, everyone around burst into laughter. Only the "persecuted" Raul kept stuttering explanations. His appearance caused constant teasing from the others until Loki spoke, finally putting a stop to the "persecution convention."
"Almost forgot, if any of you kids want to update your abilities today, come to my room! It'll be tiring to do it all tomorrow anyway, so that's it. Ten people tonight, first come, first served!"
Hearing Loki's words before she left, everyone couldn't help but discuss.
"Do any of you plan to update your abilities?"
"I don't want to go!"
"Me neither, I just want to sleep now!"
Listening to the buzzing conversations around them, Raul asked Shirou, who was drinking water, "Shirou, what about you?"
"I'm flexible; I can update myself anyway!"
Casually uttering words that made Loki's blood pressure spike, Loki, who hadn't left the dining hall yet, immediately roared.
"Shirou, you must come tonight!"
Giving Shirou a fierce glare, Loki huffily left the dining hall. Faced with Loki's demand, Shirou helplessly sighed, "What a hassle!"
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter