Danmachi: The Focalors Familia — Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Loki Poaching Again

From the sudden appearance of a swirling, blue-purple vortex within the Dungeon, to the alien concept of a “Secret Domain,” and finally, the detailed breakdown of the monsters and dropped treasures… Ais recounted it all. When she spoke the words “Adventurer’s Experience,” her usually flat tone carried a distinct, heavy emphasis.

“…Upon use, it can randomly increase a person’s Ability Stats by anywhere from one to one hundred points.”

Though her face remained a mask of tranquil indifference, those who knew her best—like Finn and Riveria—could easily spot the undisguised, burning excitement shimmering within her golden eyes.

Finally, she explained Lefiya’s absence. Unwilling to miss out on such a monumental opportunity, the young elf had stayed behind, venturing into the Secret Domain alongside the Focalors Familia.

An eerie, suffocating silence descended upon the courtyard of Twilight Manor.

Hearing about a “Secret Domain”—a phenomenon entirely undocumented in the Guild’s extensive history—left the members of the Loki Familia utterly bewildered. It was a concept that defied the very laws of the Dungeon they thought they knew.

But the moment the words “Artifact” and “Adventurer’s Experience” hung in the air, the atmosphere shifted violently.

Artifacts were already the most explosive topic in Orario, sparking a city-wide frenzy among adventurers. But an item that could directly and instantly increase Ability Stats? That revelation made every single person present widen their eyes, a ravenous hunger lighting up their gazes.

It wasn’t just Ais. Which of the high-ranking executives of the Loki Familia hadn’t been trapped at their current bottleneck for years, desperately clawing for progress only to meet an invisible wall?

Who wouldn’t yearn for that kind of power?

Finn, Riveria, and Gareth—three Level 6 veterans standing at the absolute pinnacle of Orario—had been anchored to their Rank for what felt like an eternity. Their Ability Stats grew at an agonizingly glacial pace, far slower than Ais’s, effectively stagnant.

“Since we cannot comprehend it from mere words, we will see it with our own eyes.” Finn was the first to shatter the silence.

Despite his diminutive Pallum stature, an unquestionable, towering decisiveness radiated from him.

He immediately began issuing rapid-fire orders. Factoring in the strategic limitation Ais had mentioned—that higher-Level adventurers suffered a drastically reduced drop rate—he summoned a select few Level 3 and Level 2 members to form an improved, highly efficient exploration vanguard.

“Hey, hey, hey! Finn, take me with you!”

Loki, who had been lounging on the sidelines, suddenly thrust her hand into the air, her voice shrill with excitement. “I wanna go see this ‘Secret Domain’ thingy too!”

For a deity whose entire existence revolved around the pursuit of the unknown and the thrill of amusement, the sheer novelty of a hidden Dungeon within the Dungeon was a fatal attraction.

Finn rejected her instantly, not even pausing to blink.

“Loki, have you forgotten the laws of this city? Gods are strictly prohibited from entering the Dungeon by the Guild. If something goes wrong, your presence could trigger a catastrophic Dungeon anomaly.”

“Oh my, what are you so afraid of? I’ll be super careful! Just let me take a peek, just one teeny-tiny look!”

Loki immediately resorted to her usual shameless tactics.

“No means no.”

Finn remained entirely unmoved, his expression hardened like steel.

Realizing that stubborn persistence wouldn’t crack him, Loki deployed her ultimate weapon.

She threw herself onto the dirt with a loud wail, kicking her legs and thrashing about in a full-blown toddler’s tantrum. “Waaaaah! Finn is bullying a goddess! I wanna go, I really, really wanna go! If you don’t take me, I’ll cry myself to death right here on this very spot! Waaaaah!”

Watching their patron deity discard every last shred of her divine dignity, a thick vein throbbed violently on Finn’s forehead. A splitting headache began to pulse behind his eyes.

Left with absolutely no alternative against her relentless wailing, he finally pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, defeated sigh. “…Fine. I will take you. But you must swear to keep yourself entirely concealed the entire time. You absolutely cannot expose a single trace of your Arcanum.”

Loki instantly snapped her mouth shut, bounded to her feet, and dusted off her pants. Not a single trace of sorrow remained on her grinning face.

With the matter settled, Finn finalized the roster.

He ordered Gareth to remain behind and guard Twilight Manor, a necessary precaution for the Familia’s safety.

As for the rest—Finn himself, Riveria, Bete, Tiona, Tione, and a handpicked squad of core members—they were all plunging into the Dungeon.

The allure of the unknown was simply too intoxicating. Every single one of them harbored an uncontrollable curiosity toward this mysterious Secret Domain, their hearts racing at the prospect of the Adventurer’s Experience.

The Loki Familia’s descent into the labyrinth was less of an “exploration” and more of a devastating, one-sided slaughter.

With veteran second-tier adventurers like Raul and Anakitty leading the vanguard, the upper-floor monsters—creatures that would normally pose a lethal threat to average adventurers—were utterly eradicated before they could even register the intrusion, dissolving silently into plumes of black ash.

Finn and Riveria walked calmly in the center of the formation. Between them, they guarded a highly suspicious package—Loki, tightly bundled in a heavy black cloak and slung unceremoniously over Ais’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Occasionally, a stray monster would attempt an ambush from the flanks or the rear. Before it could even close the distance, it would be savagely kicked into a spray of gore by an impatient Bete, or cleaved in twain by the casual, sweeping arcs of the Hiryute sisters’ weapons.

They moved like a squad of max-level veterans storming a novice training ground. The labyrinth’s denizens couldn’t slow their relentless march for even a fraction of a second.

Just like that, under Ais’s unerring guidance, Finn and the vanguard blitzed their way to the entrance connecting the 12th and 13th Floors. There, a surreal sight greeted them.

A massive, swirling vortex of blue and purple energy hovered silently in the air, casting an ethereal, pulsating glow across the cavern walls. Right in front of the portal, a shimmering screen of light rippled, and several silhouettes stepped through, their forms shifting rapidly from translucent phantoms to solid reality.

Leading the group was Noah.

“Yahoo! It’s Brother Noah and Lefiya! You made it out safely!”

Tiona spotted the pair instantly. She excitedly hoisted her massive double-bladed greatsword, Urga, waving it through the air with a bright cheer. “That giant vortex Dungeon thingy… it’s actually real!”

Her crisp, booming voice shattered the heavy silence of the floor.

However, before Noah could even formulate a response, a crimson blur shot out from the center of the Loki Familia’s formation.

“You little rascal! So you were the one who sniffed out this ‘Secret Domain’ first!”

Loki violently threw back the heavy hood of her cloak, revealing her iconic messy red hair and those perpetually squinted eyes.

She closed the distance to Noah in three massive strides, immediately circling him like a predatory shark. She leaned in, sniffing him loudly, her gaze darting suspiciously between his calm face and the swirling vortex behind him. Beneath her narrowed eyelids, an undisguised, piercing gleam of absolute curiosity flickered wildly.

“Goddess… Loki?” Noah was genuinely taken aback, his instincts flaring as he subconsciously took a half-step back. “Why are you down in the Dungeon?”

He had long known that the deities of the Lower World were an eccentric, unpredictable lot who would go to extreme lengths to cure their boredom. But he had never expected one to actually dare set foot inside the Dungeon—a domain notoriously hostile and lethal to gods—just to satisfy an itch for the unknown.

It was the literal definition of dancing on the edge of a blade.

“Heh heh, why did I come? Don’t you already know the answer to that in your heart, kiddo?”

Loki proudly planted her hands on her hips, flashing a wide, fanged grin. “Keep my little field trip a secret for me, yeah? Also, that offer I made you before is still totally on the table! My Lefiya and Riveria are both top-tier, seriously! Won’t you reconsider? Oh, and by the way, I’ve got a whole battalion of Elves back home, every single one of ’em a gorgeous beauty!”

“I must decline, Goddess Loki.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression returning to a mask of cool, unbothered calm as he smoothly stepped out of her personal space. “There is no room for negotiation on this matter. I am the captain of the Focalors Familia.”