Chapter 596 - 596: Turned Into Gacha?! - 596

Given what happened, Furina could no longer feel at ease letting Liliruca return on her own.

This was especially true now that she had come to regard Lili as a companion; even if Lili hadn't quite earned her full approval just moments ago, she still couldn't just let her walk away.

After giving the shield-bearing adventurer another sharp reprimand, Furina finally sheathed her sword and brought Lili back to the Focalors Familia.

Focalors, having bid farewell to Hestia not long before, spotted them returning.

She was just about to mention that Sushang would be tied up for the next few days when she saw a hooded Pallum trailing behind Furina.

A look of bewilderment crossed Focalors' face.

It wasn't curiosity about the Pallum herself—after all, they had been operating in the city for over a week; it was impossible for the two of them not to have shared that they'd each recruited a supporter, even if they hadn't personally met each other's choices yet.

It was just… why bring her back so suddenly? And why did they look so grave?

Furina didn't waste time on pleasantries. She gave a concise, clear account of the situation that had just unfolded in the Dungeon and proposed that they provide shelter for Lili for the time being.

Afterward, she asked about Sushang's whereabouts, intending to discuss the matter in full once everyone was present.

Focalors' reply, however, gave her a headache. "Sushang won't be back for a few days. She should be deep in the Dungeon right now—exploring the lower floors, if I'm not mistaken."

"Sushang isn't here..." If they were to initiate a War Game without Sushang's help, it would be nearly impossible to win on her own.

There was no joking around when it came to sheer numbers; she might be able to take on three or even ten opponents, but what about dozens, or hundreds?

Even with the development abilities and skills of a Level 2, Furina couldn't confidently say she had a guaranteed victory.

Unless... unless she could pair those combat capabilities with a true grasp of the state of "Still Water" within her heart. If she could reach that point and no longer have to worry about the drain on her magical energy, she would be far more confident.

After all, the Soma Familia consisted of one Level 2 and a mob of Level 1s.

Nearby, Focalors finished processing the situation, her brows knitting together in thought.

This wasn't good news.

It wasn't good news, but it was an opportunity...

A War Game... linking war to a game seemed to downplay the cruelty and gravity of the words, but in reality, those who fell in a War Game truly died.

To humans, this was no game at all.

This was certainly an opportunity for the Focalors Familia to make a name for itself and seize a massive amount of resources in one fell swoop... but...

"However, a War Game requires the consent of both deities," Focalors noted.

"We don't know the current state of the Soma Familia," she continued, "and Soma himself never shows his face. Setting aside the odds of winning, even if we were to unilaterally propose a War Game, the other side might not even accept."

"This..."

Focalors' words hit on an awkward truth. The fact that a War Game required the agreement of both gods was something Furina hadn't fully considered.

After all, she had been focusing more on the "War" aspect of it.

Once it's a war, how could there be any sense in the idea that one side could just refuse to fight?

But... if there was a rule requiring mutual consent, then that path was unlikely to lead anywhere...

"Th-there... there might still be a chance..."

Suddenly, Lili, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, spoke up.

Her voice drew the attention of both women.

"Lord Soma... if we can just gain Lord Soma's approval... perhaps it could work..."

Lili kept her head bowed, her voice trailing off into fragmented whispers. Because her expression was hidden, neither could judge where her complex emotions were truly directed.

It sounded like she was saying nothing at all, as it was almost identical to what the two had already discussed.

But, a flash of realization crossed the faces of Furina and Focalors. Furina leaned in and asked, "Lili, are you saying you know how to gain the god Soma's approval?"

"Yes..."

Lili's mind drifted back to the past.

Her parents had barely paid her any mind since her birth. The reason she had survived her infancy was entirely because of Soma.

Years ago, some time after her parents had passed away, a starving young Liliruca had stumbled upon Soma. He had given her a few potato croquettes to stave off her hunger and watched over her as she drifted off to sleep. From that day on, Lili had visited Soma's room frequently.

When she was six, the greedy Zanis Lustra took over as the Familia captain, and the chaos within the Soma Familia deepened.

That year, Zanis coerced Lili into drinking the divine Soma wine. Having tasted its exquisite, intoxicating flavor, she—like her parents before her—began a frantic, near-obsessive pursuit of the brew.

From that day on, Lili stopped going to Soma's room.

She didn't dare. She was certain Lord Soma would hate her for what she had become; she was certain he would be incredibly disappointed in her.

What hurt even more was that after that point, Soma almost never appeared in public again. Even if it were a bit self-absorbed to think so, Lili felt it was because she had failed to resist the temptation of the wine, causing Lord Soma to lose all faith in his Familia.

"If... if someone could drink Lord Soma's wine and not fall into depravity because of its taste... perhaps that would be enough to earn Lord Soma's approval and make him agree to the War Game."

It was less about gaining approval and more about reigniting Soma's hope in humanity—making him willing to personally manage his Familia again, rather than pouring all his focus solely into brewing his wine.

"...I see." Focalors sighed internally.

A god who had lost faith in humanity...

"At the very least, we finally have one plausible method," Furina said. "Before we put this into action, I need to find a way to grow stronger... I have to reach Level 2 before Sushang gets back."

She didn't want to be a mere sidekick who could only do the chores. Attempting a War Game at Level 1 would inevitably lead to that.

Even if Sushang could clear the entire War Game by herself, a void of loss would remain in Furina's heart, because she knew that wasn't a result that would satisfy her once Sushang returned.

Just like in the Dungeon, Furina wanted to be the primary combatant, with Sushang providing only light support.

To reach that state, Level 2 strength was a necessity.

This War Game shouldn't be a guest appearance where she played a minor role; it should serve as her grand debut after reaching Level 2.

"There are empty guest rooms on the second floor. Lili, just pick one you like. We'll go get something to eat in a bit," Furina said to Lili. She was now desperately eager to find out if she had finally achieved the heroic feat required to rank up to Level 2.

Lili could sense the determination in Furina's mind. Feeling rather dejected herself, she simply nodded and headed toward the second floor with her large bag on her back.

Furina, meanwhile, joined Focalors to head to the soundproof room designated for updating their status.

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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL