You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
"Udaeus can use a sword!?" Riveria couldn't help but exclaim in shock at the sight.
The Loki Familia, who had defeated this Floor Boss multiple times, had a deep understanding of Udaeus's behavior patterns.
Summoning Spartoi and unleashing spike traps were supposed to be its main attack methods. At most, it would use its giant palms for powerful slams, but they had never heard of it wielding a sword!
"Is it because it's being challenged solo?" Riveria tried to analyze the difference, but her anxiety steadily grew.
The Dungeon's secrets are endless. Even on known floors and with known monsters, new patterns and abilities could suddenly appear at any time. This unpredictability was part of the Dungeon's allure, but also one of its deadliest features.
Even a first-rank adventurer could lose their life to one unknown variable.
"Ais, fall back! Don't engage it head-on!" Riveria shouted from the rear.
Even Ryoji was momentarily distracted by Ais's dangerous battle. That lapse in attention caused him to become surrounded by Spartoi, and he had to burn through a large portion of his Holy Spirit Veil to escape.
He could only afford to fight twenty Spartoi thanks to Riveria's defensive magic; normally, just two would be a major challenge for him (without using his special ability). But Ais completely ignored Riveria's warning and charged straight into Udaeus's sword range.
She was choosing a head-on battle with the Floor Boss!
"Clack Clack---!"
Ryoji stomped the ground hard.
With a swift 'Sword Step', he dashed forward and decapitated three Spartoi in a row. Then, he quickly disengaged, luring the rest with kiting tactics. Once they lined up again, he'd turn and strike down several more with precise blows.
Given his current magic reserves, one Sword Step barely consumed 10% of his MP, at least, when fighting Level 4 monsters. If he were up against a Level 6 adventurer, the consumption would still be significant.
His special ability's MP usage scaled with his speed boost, the faster he went, the more MP it burned.
"Yo, Udaeus, you're weak!"
"ROARR!!"
With another furious roar, twenty more Spartoi emerged from the ground. While Ryoji continued harvesting the Spartoi's lives, he also kept a close eye on Ais's battle, ready to jump in the moment she was in real danger.
After Udaeus pulled out that massive black greatsword, Ais's fight became dangerously intense.
"BOOM!"
"Ais!!" Riveria cried out in anguish.
Ais failed to dodge in time, the greatsword struck her directly, sending her flying like a cannonball into the wall.
Her vision began to turn blood red.
Blood from a head wound dripped into her eye, blurring her right vision and making it hard to keep that eye open.
'So strong…'
'This was worthy of being a Floor Boss, especially one exhibiting new and unknown behavior patterns.'
That full-power blow shattered what little was left of her Holy Spirit Veil, and dealt severe internal damage. She could feel her organs shifting inside her.
"But that's exactly why... I can't give up so easily..." Ais stood up again.
Ryoji's fighting figure entered her blurry vision.
His strength, so far beyond anything she'd ever known, once again appeared in her mind, stirring her intense competitive spirit, which crushed the creeping sense of fear and hesitation.
"I have to keep getting stronger. Only then... can I fulfill my sorrowful wish, " Ais murmured in her heart.
She saw Ryoji glance over at her, gripping what looked like a blade, seemingly hesitating whether to intervene.
Ais stopped him with just a look. Ryoji hesitated for a moment, and in that split second, he was once again surrounded by Spartoi. He had no choice but to shift his attention back to his own battle and quickly escaped the encirclement.
"Whew---!"
The wind howled.
Ais, with terrifying willpower, squeezed out all the Magic Power within her body and gathered it into a single point on her sword tip.
She used the force from Udaeus's greatsword swing to rebound herself off the ceiling. Her slender legs and waist twisted to their limits, and then, she dove straight down with a devastating sword strike toward Udaeus's left shoulder!
In their earlier skirmishes, she had discovered Udaeus's weakness.
It couldn't swing that black greatsword continuously.
Sure, each swing held fatal power, but even for Udaeus, those attacks weren't something it could execute lightly, it seemed to require gathering strength from all its bones.
In other words, after each full-power swing, there was a moment of vulnerability.
As long as she could avoid the spike traps from the ground, she'd have a window to deal a serious blow!
"----Lil Rafaga!"
A spiral strike of wind.
Udaeus raised its greatsword to block, but in an instant, it was overwhelmed by tremendous pressure. The erupting wind vortex swept across the entire hall, and at the epicenter of the storm, Ais's finishing blow knocked the black greatsword clean out of Udaeus's hands.
Immediately after, a thunderous crash echoed out, and Udaeus's left arm was severed at the joint, crashing heavily to the ground.
After that...
The death battle continued for a full hour. Even without its arms, Udaeus continued to give Ais a world of trouble. Only after a full hour did the girl's silver slash finally land a fatal blow.
Its jaw was shattered, multiple ribs broken, and its horned skull cracked… but the final blow came when she severed the spine at its tail.
With overwhelming reluctance, the towering black monster toppled backward, kicking up a cloud of dust as it collapsed.
Ais stepped up to its chest and delivered the final sword strike, ending its life.
"Congratulations." Ryoji walked over and handed her the last few healing potions.
"What about you?" Ais was battered, her armor and clothes torn, exposing much of her body. But she didn't care about her exposed appearance, her only concern was for Ryoji.
Ryoji was panting much harder than she was, and his body bore multiple cuts from Spartoi weapons, wounds sustained during his overly aggressive charge. Still, he had wiped them all out, so it was worth it.
"I'm fine." Ryoji shook his head. Ais's injuries were worse than his.
"Alright, both of you, sit down. I'll help you recover!" Riveria walked over with a dark expression.
She looked like she was right on the verge of exploding. Ais instinctively shrank her neck. This girl, fearless in the face of dragons or gods, only ever looked meek and guilty when being lectured by Riveria.
"You two are really something! Ais, and you too, Ryoji...!"
Ais had completely disregarded her own safety and stubbornly charged into Udaeus's danger zone. And Ryoji, after clearing the first wave of Spartoi, could have rested easy, but no, he had to taunt Udaeus, causing it to summon several more waves!
Just reckless little brats!
Riveria cursed them in her heart, scolding the two of them nonstop, but mixed into her anger was a touch of relief.
At least… neither of them was seriously hurt.
If anything had really happened, she wouldn't have been able to face Finn and Loki.
(End of Chapter)