Crossover Anime: From DanMachi to Becoming a Garbage Scavenging Master

After the combined training of the two clans, both sides had a clearer understanding of each other's strengths, and thus established initial trust. When Finn proposed a joint investigation, Alphia did not hesitate for long. She quickly weighed the pros and cons—sharing intelligence and sharing risks in an unknown environment was undoubtedly more advantageous than fighting alone. Thus, the two clans naturally reached an agreement to cooperate and began to jointly advance the next operation.

After several days of travel, the group made a temporary stop at the edge of the forest near Lake Lolog. The air was damp, the soil soft, and there was a faint, fishy smell of moisture. The relaxed conversations that had filled the journey gradually disappeared, replaced by a silent but real tension. Everyone knew that from this moment on, the real mission was about to begin.

The silence was broken by Grace. He scratched his chin, his tone thoughtful: "Covered in blue scales, and with webbed hands... it sounds a bit like the legendary lizardmen."

Frozen Snowflake tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: "But I've heard that there's a kind of monster called a mermaid in the dungeon. It has the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, and it looks very cute. If you turn it upside down, would there be fish-men too? It sounds quite similar to Lord Nyod's description."

"A fish's upper body and a human's lower body?" Grace was stunned, then shuddered. "That's really... monstrous. No wonder those fishermen were so scared."

As he spoke, his shoulders twitched slightly, as if he were contemplating some scene, clearly unwilling to think about it any further.

As everyone speculated, Alphia took out a thick booklet from her bag—a dungeon monster encyclopedia that Zheng Tianxing had given her long ago. She quickly flipped through the pages, her fingertips lingering on several marked locations, her gaze becoming calm.

After a moment, she raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet and unfolded the illustrated guide in front of them.

"This is the 'Dungeon Monster Compendium' held by our clan. It's said that Lord Prometheus obtained the information from Orario." Her tone was calm and clear. "Since we're going to enter the area around Lake Lolog next, I'd like to organize the relevant information for everyone first."

She pointed to one of the pages, which depicted a humanoid reptilian monster wielding a weapon.

"If the encyclopedia's description is accurate, the so-called 'lizardmen' should be humanoid monsters covered in red scales, skilled in swordsmanship, and even wielding swords and shields made of what appear to be metal flowers." She paused, then added, "These characteristics are quite obvious. Based on the experience of the adventurers on Lord Njord's side, the description wouldn't be so vague."

Everyone crowded around to examine the hand-drawn illustration and quickly reached a consensus—its color, shape, and behavior patterns were vastly different from the monster described in the current intelligence, so it could be largely ruled out.

Having confirmed this, Alphia turned a few more pages and stopped the encyclopedia at another location.

"In comparison, this type—'fishmen'—" she tapped the page lightly, "is a much better match to the description provided by Lord Njord, both in appearance and habits.

The image depicts a group of fish-like humans moving together, with a larger and more ferocious individual beside them.

"Here's a point that's been specifically highlighted," she continued, "fishmen typically act in groups and have a clear leader. Once the leader is killed, the remaining individuals quickly lose their organization, scatter and flee, and may even cease fighting."

She looked up at the group: "This is significantly different from the instincts of typical dungeon monsters. Therefore, if we confirm that the enemy is a group of murlocs, prioritizing the elimination of the leader is likely the most effective solution."

Riveria nodded slightly, but quickly raised a more realistic consideration: "However, the merman leader's combat strength in water is around Lv.3. If we fight in the water, not only will our mobility be far inferior to theirs, but our attack methods will also be limited. We might easily be dragged into a war of attrition, which would be extremely disadvantageous for us."

"Just lure them ashore," Toga chimed in, her tone decisive. "Once they're out of the water, their advantage will be diminished, and we won't need to worry about the terrain."

The discussion gradually heated up, and everyone's thoughts unconsciously shifted from "confirming intelligence" to "how to hunt down the leader." Just then, Finn suddenly felt a faint stinging pain in his thumb, as if silently warning of potential danger.

He frowned slightly. This strange feeling was not unfamiliar to him—it was this almost instinctive alertness that had saved him from fatal mistakes many times at crucial moments. And because of this, he had a vague feeling that the current situation was probably not as simple as everyone else imagined.

He looked up, interrupting the escalating discussion: "It's a bit too hasty to start discussing killing the leader now."

Everyone's attention immediately turned to him.

Finn's tone was calm, yet carried undeniable weight: "Our intelligence is still limited. Rather than hastily formulating an attack plan, it would be better to conduct reconnaissance along the shore first, confirming whether the anomalies in the waters around Mellen Town are indeed related to Lake Lolog, before deciding on our next move."

These words cooled down the slightly agitated atmosphere.

Alphia looked at Finn. She noticed his unconsciously tightening fingers and the alertness hidden beneath his calm demeanor. Unlike the ferocity he had displayed in the previous battle, the dwarf commander was now exhibiting remarkably composed judgment.

She was somewhat moved. As the leader of her clan, this was her first official operation, and she naturally hoped to achieve a resounding victory to establish her authority within the clan. However, she was also well aware that an inexperienced team, if it became too eager for quick success and underestimated its enemy, might pay an even greater price.

Moreover, even if Master Nanami is powerful, he cannot take the risks for everyone. After a brief moment of thought, she nodded.

"I agree with Finn's assessment," she said. "For the next few days, our focus will be on scouting the forest and identifying the source of the anomaly. If we encounter the merman leader, we should retreat immediately without engaging in combat."

She paused, then added, "How about we split up and each take charge of a different area? We'll agree on a time to come back here and gather all the intelligence, shall we?"

Finn gave a look of approval and nodded in agreement.

The two then quickly divided up the reconnaissance area, clarifying their respective responsibilities and routes. They ultimately agreed to meet at the same location three days later to exchange intelligence and decide on their next move.

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Not long after splitting up with the Loki Familia, Alphia took out a string of exquisitely crafted pendants from her bag and distributed them to everyone.

The pendant has an understated design, with a flame held aloft in the center—the very symbol of the Prometheus Familia designed by Tianxing. While it appears to be a symbol of the Familia's identity, touching it reveals a warm, life-giving energy that gently nourishes the body, making it seem more like a magical artifact.

"This is one of the recent research results of Lord Tianxing and Lady Heita," Alphia explained simply. "Just use it as a symbol of the clan's identity, and don't tell anyone else about it."

The group nodded and accepted the gifts without asking any further questions. They quickly finished their preparations and entered the forest. However, they soon noticed something unusual about the environment.

The soil beneath my feet was noticeably soft, leaving clear footprints with every step, and even a faint seepage of moisture. I hadn't gone far when the ground under the bushes was a mess, covered in scratches—as if something with a hard shell had been slowly dragging across the mud.

The group immediately slowed down, crouched low, and approached to observe, quickly confirming the source of the monster.

It was a batch of blue crabs, more than ten in number.

They are nearly half a person's height, with a dark blue body and a cold, metallic sheen on their shells. As they move, a series of crisp, clicking sounds emanate from their joints, carrying a mechanical, imposing presence. Most striking are their exceptionally large, exceptionally well-developed pincers on one side, almost a third of their body length. The serrated edges create a whooshing sound as they open and close, their sheer presence enough to make one realize that they are not to be underestimated, whether in attack or defense.

Alphia's gaze sharpened. She raised her hand to signal the troops to stop, and then silently gave the order to prepare for battle.

The first real-world engagement at Lake Lolog has officially begun.