The next morning, the camp was alive with activity long before the sun would have risen on the surface.
After bidding farewell to the main force stationed on the 50th floor, Leon's vanguard set off. They charged straight into the 51st floor, initiating a "mowing-down" style of combat.
This expedition's first-tier team was significantly bolstered, both in sheer numbers and raw power. They tore through the 51st all the way to the 58th floor without Leon ever needing to manifest the Gate of Heaven.
Faced with swarms of monsters, the group cleared every level without taking a single point of damage. Even the infamous long-range artillery fire from the 58th floor posed no threat.
In a display of overwhelming force, Finn and the executives launched a counterattack, striking the incoming projectiles mid-air and knocking the force of the blasts right back at the Valgang Dragons that had launched them.
After trivializing the 58th floor, the group stepped onto the 59th floor once more.
The environment mirrored the 24th floor—a dense, suffocating prehistoric forest. The towering tree from before was gone but the monster spawn rate was incredibly high, providing the perfect training ground.
As they entered the 59th, the intensity spiked. Leon finally activated the Gate of Heaven, and the white light began to pulse over the vanguard.
"This is exhilarating!" Allen shouted.
He was a blur of silver, skewering enemies with total disregard for his own safety. He didn't care about being grazed or struck, the light mended him faster than the monsters could tear him. For a man who usually relied on extreme speed to avoid damage, this was the freest he had ever felt in combat.
The rest of the Freya Familia followed suit, their morale reaching a fever pitch.
Argana and Bache were similarly possessed, fighting with a reckless joy that bordered on madness.
It took the group only three hours to break through the 59th floor. After donning their Salamander Wool, they descended into the 60th floor. From this point on, their progress slowed to a steady crawl, with each floor demanding roughly three hours of intense, non-stop slaughter.
The group finally halted on the 65th floor. To access the 66th, they faced a unique obstacle: the "Key."
This was a defense mechanism designed by the Dungeon itself—a loophole in the ancient contracts that the gods were powerless to bypass. The Dungeon would spawn a special monster specifically to hold the "key" to the next floor. These creatures were masters of evasion and camouflage, making them nearly impossible to find even with standard detection magic.
For any other Familia, this would mean weeks of scouring a massive floor inch by inch while being constantly harassed by spawns.
But for Leon, it was just a minor inconvenience. His detection magic could sweep the entire floor in an instant.
While he pinpointed the target, the group took a much-needed breather.
Tsubaki was a whirlwind of motion, constantly polishing blades and hammering out dents to restore their gear to pristine condition.
"How's it going, Leon? Did you find it?" Finn asked, tearing into a piece of bread as he sat by a small localized fire.
Ottar stood nearby, also eating in silence, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.
Leon replied with a faint smile, "Found it. It's under my surveillance now. No rush, though. Everyone should rest and replenish their energy first. We move when you're ready."
Finn nodded. "We've been fighting at high intensity for hours. It's better to enter the new floor at our best. We don't know what the Dungeon has waiting for us down there."
Leon added, his expression turning serious, "Speaking of which, according to the records of the Zeus and Hera Familias, the next level is the Lava Floor. Molten rock flows everywhere, standing room is scarce, and the heat is extreme. Before we step through that passage, everyone needs to switch to the Undine Cloth and ensure your defensive gear is reinforced for heat resistance."
With Leon present, securing the keys to the next floor was no longer an ordeal. For any other group of adventurers, the 65th floor would have been a nightmare of hide-and-seek. The sheer danger of the environment made searching for a camouflaged monster nearly impossible.
But with Leon's surveillance covering every inch of the floor, the "Key" monster was pinpointed instantly. It had nowhere to run and no shadow deep enough to hide in.
Once the group had finished their rest, Leon led them straight to the target, reclaimed the key, and opened the passage to the 66th floor.
The transition was jarring. Just as the records of the Zeus and Hera Familias had described, the 66th floor was a subterranean hellscape. Rivers of molten magma carved through the obsidian ground, and the air itself shimmered with lethal heat.
The moment they emerged, Riveria didn't hesitate. She unleashed her Fimbulwinter spell, the sudden blast of absolute zero flash-freezing the lava to create a stable, safe landing zone for the vanguard.
However, before the group could even fully deploy onto the newly formed ice, a massive torrent of white-hot flame roared toward them from the distance.
Leon met the attack with a flick of his wrist, unleashing a beam of concentrated light that shattered the incoming fire into harmless sparks.
As the smoke cleared, the attacker revealed itself. It was a gargantuan dragon, its body plated in scales of a crimson so deep it looked like fresh blood—far more vibrant than the pale red of the Valgang Dragons found on higher floors.
This was a "True Dragon," complete with massive wings, obsidian horns, and two powerful, clawed arms. It exuded a terrifying pressure that sat firmly at Level 7.
But it wasn't alone. As Leon's light dissipated, the molten ground began to crack. One by one, more crimson dragons surged out of the lava. In a matter of seconds, the count rose from one to nineteen.
Faced with nearly twenty Level 7 monsters, the group remained remarkably composed.
In the past, such a sight would have put even the strongest adventurers on high alert, but this expeditionary force was built differently.
"As expected... once you pass floor 65, even the common mobs are Level 7 beings." Finn said, a fierce glint of excitement in his eyes.
He tightened his grip on his spear, his fighting spirit ignited.
"Level 7 or not, it's just another target!"
Allen snapped, already leaning forward in a starting crouch. He was ready to vanish into a silver blur the moment the order was given.
Allen hadn't necessarily come to "respect" Finn, but a clear chain of command had been established before the descent: Finn held absolute authority over battlefield tactics, with Hedin as the secondary strategist. In a clash of this magnitude, everyone waited for the General's word.
"Indeed. No complex plan for this one. We take them head-on." Finn smiled, his eyes scanning the formation.
"Each Level 7 combatant takes one dragon solo. The Level 5s and 6s will form teams to bring theirs down. Ais, Tiona, Tione—you three are the vanguard. Take on two each."
"Do it!"
With that roar, the front line exploded into motion. Leon, Riveria, Lefiya, and Haruhime stayed back.
Leon had no interest in these "mobs," as they offered him zero training value.
Riveria and Lefiya took up their positions as rear-guard artillery, waiting for the perfect opening to provide magical support.
"Leon-sama... do you need me to use the Hero's Power?" Haruhime asked softly, standing at Leon's side as she watched the battlefield turn into a whirlwind of blood and fire.
"How many can you enchant at once now?" Leon asked.
"Twenty people." Haruhime replied confidently.
"Twenty?" Leon pondered this for a moment.
"Then enchant everyone currently ranked below Level 7. We need to clear this floor quickly. I don't want to waste time on the upper-deep floors, we need to reach the Corrupted Spirit and the Black Dragon as soon as possible."
"Yes, Leon-sama"
Haruhime was practically vibrating with enthusiasm. She had been following the team for floors without contributing much directly, and she was eager to prove her worth.
She closed her eyes, her tails swaying as her golden magic power surged outward, blanketing the battlefield in a shimmering heroic aura.
The effect was instantaneous. Alise and the other vanguard members felt a sudden, violent surge of strength and speed.
Alise murmured, feeling her physical limits stretch, "What incredible power. My current strength feels almost on par with Ryuu's. The Hestia Familia has truly found a treasure."