Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal Chapter 56 56: The Girl’s Resolve

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Ti slipped away unnoticed.

The next morning, sowhere else in the city, Liliruca Arde left her shabby slum hideout. She wasn't the sa broken girl as before. Now, her eyes showed only one thing: determination.

She took one last look at the cramped, filthy room that had been her prison.

"Goodbye."

Lili turned away and headed for her Familia's compound. She was nervous, breathing quickly, but she didn't slow down. She kept going until she reached the Soma Familia's tavern.

As soon as she opened the heavy wooden doors, the drunken mood in the room disappeared. The thugs sobered up the mont they saw her in the doorway.

"Traitor."

Soone shouted the word from the back of the room. To the Soma Familia, Liliruca Arde was a traitor.

The accusation ignited the room. The Adventurers started shouting, hurling curses and threats at her.

But Lili didn't even flinch.

"I am here to officially withdraw from the Familia. I need to see Lord Soma."

She faced the angry crowd. Ignoring their insults, she spoke calmly and clearly. She was here to cut ties and talk to their Patron God.

"..." The Soma mbers suddenly stopped. They had bullied and taken advantage of her for years, but now she was looking them in the eye and boldly asking for her freedom.

Were they furious? Absolutely.

But did a single one of them dare draw a weapon? Hell no.

By now, everyone in the city knew who was supporting her. She was with the monster rookie, the one who had easily defeated thousands of enemies, including a group of [Level 2] Middle Floor monsters. He was known for being ruthless, and nobody in the tavern wanted to risk their life.

Even with their own [Level 2] captain, fighting soone who could defeat monsters so easily was too dangerous. No one wanted to be his target.

From a dark corner of the tavern, an older beastman set his mug down and studied Lili's posture.

"Follow ."

The beastman respected the determination in her eyes. It took real courage for her to co back into such a dangerous place.

"Chandra, what the hell are you doing?" another mber barked, furious that soone was helping her.

"Tch." The beastman nad Chandra clicked his tongue in disgust. "You're all too scared to attack or stop her. Are we just going to stand here and do nothing?"

"She's backed by that monster rookie. I'd rather not get blown to pieces the next ti I cross paths with him in the Dungeon."

Chandra understood the situation. The Soma Familia was deeply corrupt, but for survival, he wasn't going to challenge soone that dangerous... Even the big factions avoided August, so people like them would just get hurt if they tried anything.

Taking her to Soma was the safest choice. As long as she t the requirents to leave, he had no reason to interfere. Leaving the Familia was between her and Lord Soma.

"Ugh..." The rest of the tavern fell awkwardly silent.

Chandra was right. They only acted tough in their own place. If they really tried to hurt August's Supporter, they would be in serious danger. Staying alive mattered more than pride.

"Let's go," Chandra gestured for Lili to follow.

"Right." Lili nodded, falling into step behind him.

They made their way through the compound and reached the main headquarters. Lili looked at the run-down building where she had grown up. Over ti, it had beco a place she wanted to escape.

Now, she had returned to finally put an end to it.

"Arde. What the hell are you doing here?"

Zanis Lustra, the captain of the Soma Familia, glared at them. He was furious to see Chandra bringing her in. How could she dare show up here? And why would Chandra bring her straight to the main room? If he couldn't control his own people, what was the point of being captain?

Chandra just looked at Zanis, who was full of himself. Zanis might be the captain, but Chandra cared more about his own safety than about Zanis's pride.

"Captain, Arde is here to officially withdraw from the Familia."

"She needs to see Lord Soma."

Chandra ignored Zanis's anger. The captain always looked down on others, and there was no real loyalty between them. Chandra turned his attention back to Lili.

Lili nodded. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a heavy tal key.

"This is a safety deposit key for the Gnos' Bank. I have secured the necessary funds for my withdrawal."

The rule was simple: pay the high exit fee, and you could leave the Familia. Everyone knew this, which is why many tried to steal Lili's hidden money. But now, she had enough and was ready to leave.

"Arde, you..." Zanis sneered, caught off guard.

The exit fee was ant to be impossible, just a trick to keep her working. He never thought she would actually pay it and use it to leave.

Lili tossed the key directly at his feet. It landed with a sharp clink.

"Don't think you're better than us just because you're with that monster, Arde," Zanis said angrily.

August's sudden arrival had destroyed his control. Even his own followers were refusing to listen to him now.

"That's none of your business." Lili spat on the floor, glaring at him with disgust. To her, Zanis Lustra was the lowest of the low.

"Let's go." Lili walked past the captain and headed for the stairs, with Chandra following close behind.

Zanis gritted his teeth and followed. If he sat this out, his authority within the Familia would crumble entirely.

The trio ascended to the top floor, arriving at the heavy wooden doors of Lord Soma's private brewery. Standing before the entrance, Lili reached out and pushed the doors open herself.

Inside, the air was thick with the intoxicating scent of ferntation. Standing over a massive brewing vat was their Patron God, Soma.

"Lord Soma." Lili gave him a stiff but respectful bow. "I am here to officially withdraw from the Familia."

Soma, who had been thodically stirring a vat of wine, suddenly froze. He hadn't expected the child he had essentially raised to walk in here and sever their bond.

"Arde! Have you lost your damn mind??" Zanis imdiately stepped in, playing the loyal attack dog.

He needed to maintain his authoritative facade. He had to crush this rebellion right here, right now—or he would beco a total laughingstock.

"I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING!" Lili shouted back.

With that fierce declaration, she locked her eyes onto Lord Soma.

"And this is my resolve."

Lili knew exactly where the finished product was kept. She walked straight over to a sealed bottle of the legendary Divine Wine, popped the cork, and lifted it to her lips.

This ti, nobody forced it down her throat. She drank it willingly.

The danger of the Divine Wine wasn't just addiction. It was the taste. The feeling and flavor were so intense that it was beyond what anyone could imagine.

As soon as the wine touched her tongue, the glass fell from her hand and broke on the floor. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed, her body limp. The overwhelming pleasure from the wine made her senses shut down and her mind go blank.

Soma watched her fall into a trance, his eyes showing no emotion. He wasn't surprised, only indifferent. This was what he expected from his creation, so he didn't even look at her again.

Chandra sighed as he watched her fall. He disliked Zanis, but seeing Lili lose to the wine made him feel disappointed. Deep down, he had hoped she would succeed and get back up.

But Zanis Lustra, the captain, was full of smug satisfaction. He grinned with a cruel smile.

No one ever escaped the Divine Wine.

"You stupid brat. You are going to be my pawn for the rest of your miserable life," Zanis mocked her broken form. "You exist solely to fuel my ambitions."

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Inside Lili's mind

Her consciousness was floating in a sea of boundless euphoria. There was no pain, no anxiety, no fear... Only bliss. The wine's illusion wrapped around her soul, drowning her in a suffocating comfort.

But in the middle of that overwhelming feeling,

"Lili!"

A silhouette waved at her from the distance. It wasn't so grand heroic tale or a sweeping romance. It was just the image of a pragmatic young man walking forward, throwing a casual glance over his shoulder.

And in that brief, vivid mory...

Lili rembered their conversation in the Dungeon. She had asked him a very specific question.

"August, if you were ever exposed to the Divine Wine... would you sink into its illusion too?"

The sudden question had made him pause. But instead of giving her a direct answer, he hit her with a much heavier counter-question.

"Lili. If this world ever reached a point where every race was equal—no oppression, no slaves, absolute equality—would you be ready to sacrifice yourself to achieve it?"

Back then, she couldn't answer. But now, drowning in the wine's euphoria, she finally understood what August ant.

Everyone has their own answer, and each one is different, but in the end, they all point to the sa truth. August was making her think about herself. If she wanted to know if he could resist temptation, she had to know if she could stand up for her own beliefs.

The answer had always been locked in her heart. She might have lacked the confidence before, but the truth never changed. Just as August had told her:

"Life is a chessboard. Once you make your move, you don't look back."

She had her answer.

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Back in reality

"I'm going... forward." Lili mumbled, her voice trembling.

The Divine Wine was stunningly powerful. It urged her to remain asleep, to keep dreaming forever. But a dream is just a dream. She had spent her whole life dreaming, and every ti she awoke, the harsh reality of her despair crushed her anew.

Soma, about to return to his brewing, froze.

He slowly turned his head, his eyes widening in disbelief as the Pallum girl spoke.

"Lord Soma... I know... I know exactly what you are searching for."

"But I have finally found my own purpose... and that is why... I have to keep walking forward!"

Lili clenched her trembling fists. Tears stread down her face, cutting through the gri.

"I refuse to stay stuck in this place!"

"I am sick and tired of living a life where I wake up every single day just to make the exact sa mistakes, year after year!"

"My whole life has been one giant mistake, but this ti... this ti it's different!"

"I want to see the beauty this world has to offer!"

"I refuse to believe this world is nothing but pain and cruelty! There is good out there, and I want it!"

Fighting off the paralysis, Lili forced herself onto her feet, screaming her lungs out at the God of Wine.

She wanted to see what was beyond. If she stayed in place, she would just repeat the sa unhappy cycle, watching others move on while she stayed stuck.

But not this ti. She wouldn't let the darkness take her. Even if things got worse, she would fight to escape.

"..." Soma stared at her, paralyzed.

For years, all he had seen were the pathetic, degenerate forms of his children after they consud his wine. They always broke... They always surrendered to the blissful rot. Even the children he had personally raised succumbed to the addiction.

But this ti was different.

For the first ti in decades, the God of Wine watched one of his mortal children shatter the illusion and stand back up on her own two feet.

She fought with all her will, refusing to give in. She accepted her past mistakes instead of running from them. Looking her Patron God in the eye, she said the world wasn't only full of pain—there was beauty too, and she was going to find it.

"Impossible... Arde, what the hell do you think you're doing??"

Zanis panicked. Rejecting the Divine Wine ant rejecting his authority... A pawn standing up against the ultimate leash was a direct threat to his power. He couldn't let this happen.

"Do not listen to her, Lord Soma!" Zanis shouted, desperately trying to keep his God from wavering. He needed Soma to remain detached.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, ZANIS."

Soma dismissed the captain. His wide, stunned eyes remained locked on the shivering Pallum girl. His divine core was shaken. Why was this broken, discarded child able to stand?

Then, it hit him.

He had almost forgotten the entire reason he started brewing the wine in the first place.

Wasn't this exactly what he was searching for? To witness the ultimate spark of a mortal soul? To see a human push past the limits of divine temptation and shine with the radiant, miraculous brilliance of free will?

The limitless potential that Gods longed for was right in front of him.

Yet, witnessing the very miracle he had chased for decades, it felt almost too surreal to grasp.

"Unforgivable... Unforgivable."

But then—

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