Loki's Renard

Arc 3 Chapter 5 - Expedition to Floor 17

Hey guys, Striker777 here with the next chapter of Loki's Renard. Be sure to favourite and follow, and today is the beginning of the Expedition Arc, where Akihide will be joining some members of the Loki Familia as well as Alise and Kaguya on Floor 18 to gain experience in the Dungeon.

Also, be sure to read the end of this part, as there is a huge decision I want you guys to make. I can go either way at this point, so I'll leave the choice to you.

Anyway, onto the story!

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Babel was swamped with adventurers from the Loki Familia. With their gear packed, the provisions made and everyone pumped, it was time for the Loki Familia to go down to Floor 50 to gather their quest materials for the various Familia of Orario once more. Their list was quite extensive, with herbs and plants from as low as Floor 32 from the Dense Forest Ravine, but both the Hephaestus and the Gonibu Familias were looking for some rare materials that spawned as low as Floor 49. All in all, a hectic mission for them, but nothing they weren't used to.

The other important part of their mission was a collection of Monster Rex Subjugations, having all the Monster Rex from Floor 17 to 49, Goliath, Amphisbaena, Udaeus and Balor. This was a good chance to get some of their other members to Rank Up. There were several members of the Familia looking to increase their skills through a Rank Up, and this expedition gave them the perfect opportunity to.

That also included their two special guests, Kaguya and Alise from the Astraea Familia. The two had reached their peak at level 2, and were looking to Rank Up to level 3. After what Akihide had pulled (unintentionally) at the Stardust Garden, Finn had been more than willing to include Alise and Kaguya in their party for taking down the Goliath, now 8 people strong. This group would also be staying on the 18th Floor whilst the rest of the Loki Familia went further down.

Speaking of staying on Floor 18, amongst the mass of bodies at the entrance to the Dungeon was Akihide, sticking close to Alise and Kaguya. Amongst the hundred or so members of the expedition force, Akihide hadn't had all that much interaction with the other members of his Familia, and was much more comfortable with his teacher and her Captain, who he had gone on patrol with and trained under for the year and a bit he has been in Orario. He knew how the fought, how they operated, and was confident he could match their wavelength and fight well alongside them in the Dungeon. That was why he was pleasantly surprised when the two showed up for the expedition and told him how they'd be staying with him and his party on Floor 18 for the time they were there.

Speaking of, Akihide turned to the members of the Familia that made up his party. There were four humans and two elves, all of them seeming pretty close. Akihide imagined that they were a regular Dungeon Party, or at least worked together often enough that they knew how to work well with each other. He personally knew a few of them in passing, but he didn't know any of them on a personal level. But he hoped that would change over their journey on the expedition, as did the members of the Loki Familia executives. Despite how Akihide was a part of the Familia, he hardly spent any time with anyone other than Finn, Riveria or Gareth, otherwise he was with his party or training with the Astraea Familia. He needed to make friends in the Loki Familia, and this was a good chance to do just that.

Akihide turned his attention back to Alise and Kaguya, the two of them going over their gear, as well as the usual Alise being Alise and Kaguya having to put up with it. Akihide smiled as he watched the two and their antics, a refreshing sense of calmness washing over him as he imagined the journey ahead.