Chapter 62: The End of Expedition

Chapter 62: The End of Expedition In the desolate and uninhabited safe floor, beneath a rocky wall, Loki Familia's expedition party gathered. Some were packing their meager belongings, others were tending to the injured, a few were running back and forth, and some occasionally glanced into the distance, their faces revealing a lingering anxiety. In the direction they frequently glanced at, a massive crater, seemingly struck by a meteor, lay there. The crater emitted black smoke, a foul odor, and some purple liquid dripping and flowing, continuously corroding and dissolving the surroundings, enlarging the crater. This was the aftermath of the explosive demise of the female-like worm monster. When its entire body was pierced, it self-destructed. A significant amount of corrosive acid sprayed from its body, ultimately leaving behind a crater on the 50th Floor, resembling a volcanic vent or a meteor crater. Just the thought of that moment sent shivers down everyone's spine. As a result, their grateful and respectful gazes were directed toward a figure in another direction. Riezel sat there, surrounded by numerous familia's members. "Here, take this; it's water." "Here, use this; it's an elixir." "Dumbass, Mr. Riezel isn't injured. No need for an elixir; stamina recovery potion and mind recovery potion are enough." "No, I heard Mr. Riezel has Healing Power and Spirit Healing development abilities, so stamina recovery potion and mind recovery potion are completely useless." "Then just drink water!" "No, eat something!" "Please use it, Mr. Riezel!" The members of the familia argued one after another, offering items to Riezel in succession, which he found somewhat overwhelming. "Everyone, you don't have to be so polite. You're all my seniors; there's no need for this, okay..." Riezel helplessly uttered these words. After defeating the female-like worm monster, Riezel, upon returning, received polite and warm treatment from everyone. This made him feel uncomfortable and awkward. He could only lower his posture and gesture to the others. Unexpectedly, the lower his posture, the more enthusiastic their attitude and the more respectful their gazes. "Don't worry about such things, Mr. Riezel." "Yeah, while seniority is important, strength matters more. You're already the familia backbone comparable to an executive. It's only natural for us to respect you." "Rather, even though we're a senior, being surpassed by you, we should feel embarrassed, no?" "Yeah, don't mind us, and take a good rest. You were on the verge of collapsing when you just got back, y'know." The members spoke one after another, completely ignoring Riezel's words and instead praising him even more. This left him unsure of how to react, so he could only cast a pleading glance at some familiar faces. Unfortunately, that didn't change anything; instead, the scene became even more lively. "I think you should just accept your fate, y'know?" Tione stood to the side, wearing a smirk that seemed to revel in other people's misfortune as she looked at him. "Who made you perform so well, Riezel?!" Tiona bounced over, happily wrapping her arms around his arm. "You were just like a hero a moment ago!" "Umu, umu!" Lefiya nodded repeatedly, her eyes and expressions surpassing those of the surrounding members. It left no doubt that if it weren't for her somewhat reserved personality, this elf would have come forward to show concern like the rest, probably even more excessive. Even Ais approached, casting a brief glance at his face before speaking. "You should take a good rest for a while; otherwise, you might not be able to move later." "It seems it's not just about strength and personality. Riezel and Ais are also competing in popularity with the opposite sex, fufufu..." Riveria laughed. "The more outstanding he is, the less pressure we'll have in the future... That's a good thing, no?" Finn remarked and turned his attention back to the main topic, after glancing at Riezel for a moment. "Seeing Riezel like that, there shouldn't be any major problems. But what about the other members?" At Finn's question, Riveria and Gareth spoke in succession. "We've already checked. Although many are injured, and quite a few were affected by that corrosive liquid, luckily, they all received timely treatment, and it's currently not life-threatening." "Yeah, with a little rest, they should be able to continue moving." Their answers made Finn nod with relief. "If that's the case, then let's inform everyone and get ready to return." While Riveria and Gareth understood Finn's decision, they also felt a bit helpless. "What a disgrace, we didn't even make it to the 58th Floor this time..." Gareth sighed. "There's no other way when facing something unexpected like this, we'll just have to leave it for next time..." Riveria gazed at the corroded crater, speaking as if lost in thought. "Where on earth did these monsters come from...? We still haven't figured that out..." The sudden appearance of new species of monsters caught the expedition party off guard. "They're all strengthened species, not just a few, but plenty of them..." Gareth said solemnly. "Given this situation, there's no guarantee we won't run into them again next time." "Then let's be prepared..." Finn said calmly. "We lagged behind this time, but we can't allow this to happen again." "Guhahaha, obviously!" Gareth laughed. All three of them were Level 6 experts. If it weren't for being unprepared this time and hindered by that corrosive acid, it would be impossible for them to end up as mere spectators and leave everything to their juniors. Not to mention Finn's group, even Bete, Tiona, Tione, and others were all holding back their frustration. When the order from the captain was given, despite feeling unwilling, everyone could only accept it and start the journey back. About half an hour later, all members of Loki Familia's expedition party arrived at the entrance to the 49th Floor, officially beginning the journey back. Riezel, who was at the back, took a last look at the 50th Floor. 'The expedition is over, huh...' In his heart, an inexplicable feeling of emotion was growing. For two weeks, his first expedition ended with a fierce battle. 'Not bad.' Riezel suddenly smiled, not feeling regret in his heart. Having defeated that female-like worm monster and engaged in a deadly battle with such a creature, he naturally gained a massive amount of high-rank excelia. 'Going back this time, I should be able to reach Level 5, right?' With such expectations, Riezel set out on his journey home. The 50th Floor soon returned to its state of obscurity, sinking into silence once again.