Chapter 435: Cadmus Spring Water

"Wow, you really can't tell just by looking! To think the 'Molten Knight' tearing through that monster horde is actually this soft, adorable girl!" Tiona chimed in, having wandered over at some point. She looked Firefly up and down with intense curiosity, marveling at the contrast.

In combat, Firefly's ferocity rivaled her own, surpassing even Ais in sheer recklessness and out-brawling Bete. But the moment she left the battlefield, she was incredibly quiet and gentle. This extreme contrast led the Loki Familia members to secretly speculate if Firefly suffered from a split personality, much like the famous "Dáinsleif" of the Freya Familia.

"Now that you mention it, pretty much everyone in your Focalors Familia is a monster, aren't they?" Tione walked over, a note of awe in her voice as she glanced toward the other side of the camp. "That 'Shut-in Princess' over there too... a revival skill? That's just absurd."

Following her gaze, they saw Castorice surrounded by a group of girls from the Loki Familia, looking entirely overwhelmed. Thankfully, the highly sociable Hyacine was by her side, helping to field her enthusiastic comrades.

One of the girls in that group had suffered a fatal blow to a vital organ from a Fomor during the previous monster tide. Just when everyone thought she was beyond saving, Castorice's [Shelter of the Lunar Cocoon] skill had forcibly dragged her back from the brink of death. Overjoyed at her second lease on life, the female adventurer had brought her closest friends to express their most sincere gratitude to Castorice.

Because of this logic-defying revival skill, this massive joint expedition force hadn't suffered a single casualty thus far, despite braving the perilous Deep Floors. Everyone had survived. Finn had long since classified Castorice as their most vital strategic asset, ordering Gareth to stick by her side at almost all times.

Even though Castorice was a Level 3 adventurer and hardly weak, Level 3 self-preservation was heavily limited down here. Therefore, Finn had assigned the Level 6 Elgarm, Gareth, as her personal bodyguard. Not a single person in the expedition raised an objection to this arrangement. After all, Castorice being alive meant every single one of them had an extra life. If they encountered a truly insurmountable threat, they were more than willing to trade their own lives to ensure her survival.

"Ais, aren't you going to eat?" Seeing that Tiona had already latched onto Firefly like a curious child asking a million questions, and that Firefly was patiently answering them all, Aiden chuckled and turned his attention to Ais, who was sitting alone at the edge of the camp.

"Mm, I'm not hungry," Ais shook her head gently. However, a highly distinct growl emanated from her stomach, ruthlessly betraying her.

Noticing Aiden's teasing gaze, Ais's eyes darted away uncontrollably, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.

"Eating a little won't hurt." Aiden offered a block of portable rations and a steaming bowl of stew. The rich aroma of the Meat Fruit and herbs acted like an invisible hand, continuously prodding at her appetite.

Ais's resolve wavered visibly at the smell, but with a sheer iron will, she sharply turned her face away. She firmly believed that overeating negatively impacted her combat readiness, so she fought to the bitter end against the smiling man and the fragrant bowl of soup.

"Alright, I guess I'll just eat it myself." Aiden shrugged helplessly. He sat down next to Ais, eating the food and drinking the soup himself, intentionally letting out exaggerated sighs of satisfaction to tempt her. But he had underestimated the Sword Princess's willpower; even after he finished, Ais never once turned her head.

Once the aroma of the food had largely faded and the cauldron was packed away, the camp's atmosphere turned serious once more.

"Let's finalize our plans moving forward," Finn's voice rang out clearly. Aside from the members pulling guard duty on the perimeter, everyone else formed a tight circle, fixing their solemn gazes on the Prum commander.

"The ultimate goal of this expedition remains the same: exploring uncharted floors. However, before we push toward the 59th Floor, we have an adventurer commission to fulfill."

"An adventurer commission... That's the one we got from the Dian Cecht Familia, right?" Tione confirmed.

"Correct," Finn nodded at Tione. "The objective is to gather a specified amount of water from the Cadmus Spring on the 51st Floor."

The moment he finished speaking, Tiona, standing next to her sister, groaned loudly in annoyance. "Cadmus Spring... Ugh, that sounds like a pain. Why do we have to take a commission like that?"

"Because the payout is incredibly substantial," Riveria answered calmly. "Furthermore, it concerns diplomatic relations between factions. It's not a request we can just carelessly decline."

"Seriously, those guys who just play with bottles and jars are always putting out the most annoying requests..." Bete grumbled viciously from the sidelines.

Right then, Hyacine raised her hand and spoke softly. "If possible, I would also like to collect some water from the Cadmus Spring."

As a top-tier healer, she knew full well that this spring water was an exceptional ingredient for crafting high-quality healing potions. Unlike the Dian Cecht Familia who couldn't delve into the Deep Floors themselves, she could simply tag along with the main force and collect it for free, saving an astronomical amount in commission fees.

"Of course, that's not a problem," Finn agreed without hesitation. "In a moment, I will split the group into two. We'll send two small elite teams to the 51st Floor. Remember to avoid unnecessary expenditure of weapons and items. Once you've collected the water, return to this base camp immediately. Any questions?"

"Over here, over here!" Tiona raised her hand enthusiastically. "Why do we have to split the team into two groups? Isn't that just dividing our combat strength?"

"The sheer volume of water they requested adds an extra layer of difficulty for us," Gareth explained this time, his deep voice carrying clearly to everyone. "Under normal circumstances, the amount of water you can draw from the Cadmus Spring is limited. To meet the commissioned quota, we have to visit two separate water sources."

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