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Good lord. A Level 7 openly claiming that a Level 9 wasn't her match. She was another cheat-tier character. It was common knowledge that the higher an adventurer's level, the harder it beca to fight above their rank.
However, Alfia possessed an extrely potent augntation skill, making it entirely possible for her to bridge the gap and defeat the Level 9 Empress. This high-tier augntation technique was known as [Limit Off]. Coincidentally, Alfia's [Limit Off] and her negative skill were two sides of the exact sa coin.
Alfia
Strength: D548
Endurance: G202
Dexterity: S999
Agility: S999
Magic: SS1001
Developnt Abilities: Mage C, Abnormal Resistance E, Magic Resistance E, Spirit Healing E, Over-Light I
Magic: [Gospel], [Silentium Eden], [Genos Angelus]
Skills: [Gifts of Flaws], [Dual Fate], [Cursed Light]
Just like Bell Cranel, her basic abilities had shattered the conventional limits. In other words, Alfia had the makings of a protagonist. Or rather, outside of the main character, so stories featured characters who served as 'background legends'—figures so overwhelmingly powerful that even the protagonist couldn't necessarily surpass them. Alfia was the absolute ceiling among those background characters.
"In that case, I'll accept this as your dical fee," Lucian said. "I will oversee your treatnt until the very end, but aside from this, I have one more condition."
"What condition?" Alfia raised an eyebrow.
Judging by his reaction, while he was surprised by the extravagant gift, he hadn't been overly ecstatic. It was clear he had higher ambitions. He had barely batted an eye at the grimoire, which ant his magic slots were likely already full. There was a high probability he possessed the 'Mage' Developnt Ability. Truth be told, Lucian's uncompromising attitude, coupled with his sheer mystery, had earned him a very high evaluation from Alfia.
"After I seal your negative skill, I want the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia to take on a Dungeon expedition," Lucian stated.
"Are you planning to harvest rare materials from the Deep Levels?" Alfia asked thoughtfully.
For a smith to personally venture into the lower floors, it usually ant they needed a specific material that had to be harvested and processed on the spot. Although Lucian was only Level 1, the fact that he had won over Hephaestus proved his competence. However, keeping him safe in the Deep Levels wouldn't be easy. After all, fatal accidents were an everyday occurrence in those extre depths.
"That's part of it," Lucian replied nonchalantly. "As for my other reasons... that remains a secret for now."
His 'other reasons' were quite simple. Lucian had created a [Party Function], which allowed him to passively absorb the experience points—Spirit Status origin—from monsters killed by other party mbers. This would allow him to maximize the utility of his secondary experience system, which operated entirely independently of Falna.
Considering that farming alone—even while maintaining a high output of Annihilation Maker constructs—wouldn't yield that much experience, Lucian had hatched the brilliant idea of having the world's strongest Familias power-level him. On his own, he could maybe reach the middle floors. If he really pushed it, he might hit the lower floors (floors 25 to 36). But the two great Familias had already conquered all the way down to the 71st floor.
The 'origin' essence dropped by Deep Level monsters would be vastly superior to that of the middle floors. A single expedition could very well provide enough experience for him to level up in a state of absolute perfection. More importantly, there were the hidden benefits of mapping coordinates, gathering rare materials, and collecting intel. The Dungeon was a natural, inexhaustible treasure trove of resources. Now that he had the opportunity, he had no intention of letting it slip away. And this wasn't just a one-sided benefit. Lucian planned to reveal his spatial inventory and teleportation network, completely solving the biggest headache of any Familia expedition: logistics.
"I will need to discuss this with Hera, but it shouldn't be an issue," Alfia mused after a mont of consideration.
"It would be best to do this before the Leviathan subjugation quest. If your skill is successfully sealed, you'll need High-Quality Excelia to level up, won't you?" Lucian added. "Not to ntion, if any complications arise during the expedition, I'll be there to make adjustnts on the fly, preventing any catastrophic failures when you face the Leviathan."
"Agreed," Alfia nodded.
Throughout their negotiations, teria remained silent, sitting quietly to the side and listening attentively with the pristine grace of a noble lady.
"The seal has faded a bit... It'll probably only last another week," Lucian noted, glancing at teria before turning back to Alfia. "My ntal strength is too weak. Even if I go all out, my magic alone won't be enough for a permanent cure. And if you engage in combat, the surge from your negative skill might shatter the seal completely."
"Do you have an alternative?" Alfia asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Lucian nodded. "Can the two of you free up your schedules for a week?"
"Not a problem," Alfia agreed without hesitation.
"I need to acquire a specific material located outside of Orario," Lucian explained. "It's highly likely to be a divine artifact left behind in the Lower World. It is called the Spring of Life, and its waters must be harvested directly on-site. I don't know the exact coordinates, but a small country nad Beltane once issued a quest to Orario regarding it—a quest that was never resolved."
As long as a quest had been officially submitted, the Guild would have records of it, which would naturally include Beltane's location. Lucian's intent was clear: he was outsourcing the intelligence gathering to the Hera Familia. If Lucian were to look for it himself, he'd have to abuse his system chanics to track it down.
"Understood. I'll have soone look into it imdiately." Alfia stood up.
With her authority, retrieving the location of Beltane would take a few hours at most. Facts progressed exactly as Lucian predicted. By the ti he finished lunch, the relevant intel had already been secured. Furthermore, the paperwork for exiting and re-entering Orario was completely handled. Leaving Orario was notoriously difficult for adventurers. Thanks to the unparalleled resources of the Dungeon, even a Level 2 adventurer from the city would be hailed as a powerhouse in the outside world—it was the stark difference between a thriving tropolis and a rural backwater.
Lucian, Alfia, and teria, along with an adventurer acting as their driver, boarded a carriage bound for Beltane. Although there were faster modes of travel, teria's fragile constitution couldn't handle them. It couldn't be helped.
Sitting inside the carriage with the two sisters, teria gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. A faint, bashful blush dusted her cheeks, making her incredibly captivating.
"Care to explain the situation in Beltane?" Alfia asked, shooting a side-eye at teria.
What are you getting so flustered for?
"The citizens of Beltane suffer from the sa illness as you two," Lucian began.
His opening sentence instantly caused both sisters to stiffen.
"The sa illness...?" teria's breathing quickened.
"A similar terminal disease. Even after receiving Falna, it manifested as a negative skill," Lucian elaborated. "It's less of a country and more of an oversized village. Several hundred people, all afflicted with the exact sa symptoms. Despite enduring imnse suffering, they've stubbornly managed to survive—all thanks to the vitality granted by the Spring of Life."
Spring of Life... So that's why it bore that na. Their negative skills constantly chipped away at their health. The Spring of Life acted as a continuous heal, restoring their vitality and severely mitigating the damage caused by the curse. It was vastly superior to standard healing magic. The only drawback was that once the water was removed from its source, it rapidly lost its potency. If it weren't for that limitation, greedy factions would have plundered the spring long ago. And even if a Familia did clear out the monster guarding it, there was no guarantee the native citizens of Beltane would still be allowed to use it.
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