Chapter 218 - Ryuu: Orsted, how do we defeat it?
"You were absolutely right, Orsted."
"The roar just now... that was the Juggernaut! That thing has appeared again!"
They were somewhere in the Water Capital. Ryuu, whom Orsted had brought along, also heard the roar. Her expression changed drastically; she was clearly recalling the tragedy of the past.
"Ah, I know." Orsted nodded slightly. "Now we have to find it. Our opportunity lies with the Juggernaut."
'My heartbeat, which had calmed down, accelerated after the explosion.'
'Yet, when the roar came, it slowed again.'
However, Orsted's premonition was growing stronger.
'Whether I can trigger my Miracle and help the Astraea Familia depends on the Juggernaut.'
"Let's go, Ryuu!"
After calling out to Ryuu, Orsted began to run.
Orsted had been to the 27th Floor before, but he hadn't explored the entirety of it. Even with Instant, he couldn't simply go wherever he pleased. Besides, no one knew exactly where the Juggernaut was.
The monster's roar resounded throughout the entire Water Capital, making it impossible to pinpoint its location by sound alone.
If they wanted to find it, they would have to search methodically.
Fortunately, the Juggernaut's purpose was to purge adventurers from the Dungeon, so it was bound to make a lot of noise. It wasn't hard to track; as long as they followed the screams and destruction, they would find it soon.
Ryuu did not speak. She simply took a step and followed Orsted closely, her heart pounding with growing excitement.
It's almost time. Alise, Kaguya, Lady Astraea... everyone. We will see each other again soon.
Ever since Alise and the others had left with Astraea, Ryuu had not seen them. She missed them constantly. She knew where they were, yet she dared not meet them.
But as long as she succeeded this time, she could be reunited with Alise and the others. This was what Orsted, who had appeared five years ago, had told her.
Just as Orsted predicted, the Juggernaut began its purge immediately upon appearing, tracking the scent of the living to clear out the adventurers on the 27th Floor.
Continuous explosions caused many passages to collapse, but Orsted and Ryuu were powerful and lucky.
While clearing the debris and running, they encountered the Juggernaut, which was in the middle of slaughtering adventurers.
This was to be expected. After all, Orsted's luck was maxed out.
They saw the monster, its entire body composed of specialized magic stones. When Orsted and Ryuu found it, the beast was chasing fleeing adventurers with terrifying speed. One by one, the adventurers were reduced to sprays of blood by the Juggernaut.
Without hesitation, Orsted's figure flickered out of sight. In an instant, he appeared beside the Juggernaut and slashed it with his sword.
The Juggernaut is incredibly fast and agile. Born on the 27th Floor, it possesses the strength of a Level 5. As a specialized monster, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to rate it as Level 6.
In the original timeline, Alise was no match for this thing.
However, it was now facing Orsted. No matter how agile or cunning the Juggernaut was, it could never match Orsted, whose all round abilities had reached Level 7.
The creature couldn't dodge Orsted's attack at all. With a single strike, Orsted bisected the monster's incredibly hard body and sent it flying.
The surviving adventurer panted heavily, watching the destroyer fly backward with lingering terror. Orsted ignored him, his eyes fixed on the Juggernaut, which was not yet dead despite being cut in half.
"You there, get out of here quickly!!"
Ryuu arrived at that moment. Filled with her sense of justice, she immediately shouted at the dazed adventurers to flee.
Snapping out of their stupor, they ran frantically, clearly traumatized by the massacre.
"Lord Orsted, thank you!!!"
One of the escaping adventurers recognized Orsted and shouted his gratitude.
Meanwhile, the moment the Juggernaut appeared. In the Guild's Chamber of Prayers stopped.
"That monster has appeared again..."
"I wonder if that man will show up this time."
"However, even if he doesn't, with Orsted present, the situation won't be too dire."
The god Ouranos muttered to himself, his expression gloomy. Slowly, he sat back down on his throne.
Five years ago, when the Juggernaut first appeared, Ouranos was the first to sense the anomaly in the Dungeon. But he hadn't known the specifics.
It wasn't until Astraea came to him that he learned of the monster's existence and the danger that had nearly wiped out the entire Astraea Familia.
He also learned from Astraea that someone had saved her familia, though she couldn't confirm their identity. He was curious about the adventurer who had saved them, but with no clues, he deemed an investigation a waste of time.
Instead, he spent the years studying the monster's origin. He learned of the Juggernaut's existence within the Dungeon and the conditions required for its birth: it is summoned to clean up anomalies when the Dungeon is severely damaged and cannot regenerate in time.
He had originally thought the Dark Era of Orario had passed, and that without the unscrupulous Evilus faction, this monster would not appear again. He hadn't expected it to return.
"Orsted, I'll leave that monster to you..."
...
Orsted looked at the Juggernaut, which had been sliced in two and smashed into the ground in front of him. He muttered in a low voice:
"So that's how it is! Is that it?!"
The next moment, a golden torrent of light swept out.
Exxxxcalibuuuuur~!
BOOM!!!
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Sorry for the long hiatus. I'm back! You can add this to your libraries again!!