(Freya POV – Tower of Babel, 50th Floor)
Dust clouds the Divine Mirror, hiding Riven from view.
I rise from my seat without realizing it, my heart pounding violently against my ribs. My eyes pierce through the haze, seeing beyond dust and stone, fixated on the soul burning within it.
The room is deathly silent, and even Ouranos stands now, his expression grave.
With a solemn motion of his hand, numerous Divine Mirrors bloom into existence around us, each reflecting a different floor of the Dungeon.
Chaos… is too minor a description for what we see.
The Dungeon's walls burst open like rotten flesh as monsters pour out in screaming hordes. They flood corridors like an unstoppable river, surge up stairways, and overwhelm entire parties of adventurers.
From the first floor to the sixteenth, battle erupts everywhere.
Adventurers scatter in panic, or unite in desperation and face off against the beasts.
Some fall and are trampled.
Some are torn apart.
But I do not look at them.
I do not care.
My gaze never leaves Riven.
More precisely, his soul.
The regal blue within him surges, flaring brighter than before. His body is hurled through the air and crashes into the cavern wall, blood spraying across stone.
And I…
…smile.
"Ariel…" I murmur, recognizing the magic instantly. "Since when did you have that magic?"
My fingers tremble as they brush the surface of the mirror.
'How are you using another's magic?'
'What does the change in your soul mean?'
'What else are you hiding from me?'
So many questions arise, but only one matters.
'How much more will you show me?' My breath grows shallow, pulse quickens, and heat blooms behind my eyes as the dust clears and his battered body comes into view, embedded in the wall.
Bloodied, almost broken, and severely injured…
Yet he's calm.
"…Why are you so tranquil?" I whisper. "Even now… facing an irregular Monster Rex."
His soul remains undisturbed, like a lake, untouched by circumstance.
It makes my chest ache with curiosity and tension. Just as my anticipation peaks, a deep voice cuts through the air.
"This ends here, Freya." Ouranos states gravely, but I don't even bother to turn and face him.
"The Dungeon's condition now mandates the guild's intervention." Ouranos continues seriously. "I can not stay here to monitor you."
A faint frown touches my lips.
"If your concern is the Dungeon and the danger this poses Orario…" I reply calmly. "My Familia will purge the monsters."
Only then do I glance at him.
"They'll ensure none of them reach the surface."
Ouranos studies me in silence, his expression heavy.
"Do you understand what you're doing?" He asks. "If your Familia fails, the responsibility will be yours alone. Will you take accountability for any deaths that might arise?"
"My children are strong." I muse. "This much is nothing to them."
"…Very well." He says after a pause.
In truth, exterminating monsters is not difficult.
Level Four and Five adventurers…
I possess them in abundance.
But that isn't the real reason I offered.
On one hand, I want to continue watching Riven, and see his battle through to the end. And on the other…
'No one will interfere with him.'
There'll be no rescuers or reinforcements.
Only Riven.
Only his trial.
'Shine for me.' I think, my smile widening. 'Prove yourself.'
I clasp my hands together, cheeks warming as excitement coils in my chest.
"He will surpass it." I murmur, eyes fixed on the mirror. "He must." A soft giggle escapes me.
Because I already know as Black Goliath makes its move…
'Riven has no choice but to fight…'
And Riven…
…Is about to bloom.
(Riven POV – Dungeon, Floor 17)
'Well… that sucked.'
I can't even say it out loud.
Blood pours from my mouth as I cough violently, spattering against the stone beneath me. My ears ring. My vision swims. The world tilts as the dungeon shakes and quakes around me.
Even though I don't feel pain…
Fractured ribs.
Internal bleeding.
Concussion.
Burst eardrums.
I don't need GS to tell me how fucked my body is.
When the attack came, I dodged, dispersed the force, shielded myself with Sword, and even used Ariel to block part of the blast…
'And I still got folded.' I sigh. 'That's a Level 5 for you.'
'Thanks for the assist, GS.' I think, and get no response. One isn't needed.
Blue Papilio Powder floods my veins, muscles and bones, the magic burning hot as it accelerates my healing. I force down high-grade recovery potions appearing in my mouth straight from Stomach, even releasing the liquid all over my body. They work in tandem, as I quickly recover.
The ceiling finishes collapsing as Black Goliath drops from above with a thunderous crash, the impact rippling through the entire floor.
By the time it straightens, I've managed to peel myself out of the wall.
My boots scrape against the stone as I stagger upright.
"Fuck the dungeon." I mutter hoarsely. "How do you justify dropping a Level Five Monster Rex on a poor, innocent Level One like me?"
The Monster Rex stands seven meters tall.
Skin dark as obsidian.
Hair white as snow.
Eyes sunken and hollow, a bloody glow burning deep within.
It's not just a stronger Goliath. It's a beast born to purge those the dungeon considers a threat… me.
I watch its muscle ripple beneath its skin like steel cables, and with a quick scan from GS, I get it's stats.
Strength and Endurance well into Level 5.
Dexterity and Agility at Level 4.
"…Yeah. Fuck that." I exhale slowly.
'I promised Hestia I wouldn't die, or do anything too stupid.'
And fighting this thing is definitely one of the two.
'It's just a monster.' I tell myself. 'I'll just leave, and it's too big to follow me up the stairs.'
And just as I turn toward the stairs, Black Goliath rips a fallen boulder from the ground effortlessly and hurls it at the exit.
It smashes into the stairs, slightly collapsing the passage, then it roars.
A blast of sound obliterates what remains as the stone crumbles, collapses, and completely buries the only path to the surface.
I barely have time to register that before it does the same to the opposite tunnel.
Another roar… another collapse… and the passage to the 18th Floor is gone as dust chokes the air.
"What the hell…" My eye twitches.
'Is the dungeon plotting against me? What did I even do to it?' I think helplessly. 'I'm not the first to kill Goliath.'
[Answer: Absorbing Goliath alive likely triggered a hostile reaction, posing a significant threat to the Dungeon. Reasons unknown.]
My eye twitches.
'Comparable to two gods sneaking in?'
[Answer: Affirmative.]
"…Wow. I'm so flattered." I say sarcastically.
I activate Thought Acceleration, the world around me grinding to a halt. The Black Goliath is still mid-step, stone cracking beneath its foot.
'What are my odds of winning?' I ask.
[Answer: 0.213%.]
'I'm impressed it's not actually zero. Maybe I underestimate myself.' I muse. 'And my odds of dying? Including the backup plan?'
[Answer: 1.341%.]
'That's much better than I expected.'
Even if it collapsed the passages, I can just absorb the debris into Stomach. Ariel boosts my speed, so I can dodge relatively fine…
'And in the worst case, I'll just use my contingency.' I think calmly. 'It'll piss Hestia off, but I'd rather her be mad, than sad I'm dead.'
'Still…' My gaze drifts back to the monster, its burning gaze fixed on me.
A dangerous thought slips into my mind.
'Hestia can't blame me if I was forced into this, right?' I think dangerously. 'I wanted to run… but it blocked the exits.*
My heart beats faster.
Not from fear, but from the realisation of what I stand to gain. From the excitement and thrill the battle would give me.
'Black Goliath's regeneration and Roar. Those abilities are so tempting…'
And at that moment.
[Notice: Skill: Goliath's Roar, acquired.]
'Right on cue.' I think, as though GS agrees with me. 'What do you recommend?'
[Answer: Retreat.]
'I appreciate the advice…' I thank GS. 'But I'll ignore it.'
I slow Thought Acceleration down, but keep it active, and the world begins to move again.
The Black Goliath shifts its weight, stone cracking beneath its feet as it charges towards me.
'Where did Sword end up?' I quickly scan the area, and find it embedded high in the dungeon wall.
"Alright." I murmur.
A grin creeps onto my face.
"I guess we're doing this the hard way."
'And I have a job for you, GS. If you succeed… I think we can actually win.'
The monster's crimson eyes lock onto mine.
And I step forward.
'Ariel.'
Wind current surge around my body.
The dungeon blurs as I launch forward, my feet barely touching the ground before I'm airborne again. Stone cracks with each step beneath me as the air screams past my ears.
And yet—
Black Goliath manages to track me.
Its head snaps toward me instantly.
"ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR—!"
The roar tears through the floor like a tidal wave.
"That won't work twice!" I shout, twisting sideways.
I leap, farther than I'd need to dodge the initial blast… and still, the shockwaves clips me. The stone behind me implodes into a crater, chunks of rubble blasting outward like shrapnel.
I hit the ground and drop into a slide just as its foot sweeps overhead in a brutal kick.
The pressure alone drags me along the floor.
I flip, palms scraping stone as I spin upright, and a fist obliterates the spot I was standing on.
'That was close.' I smile.
I dash beneath its legs, Stomach already having formed a second blade from adamantite. I swing for its Achilles tendon, and sparks burst.
The blade screeches uselessly against its skin, leaving a shallow scar that closes instantly.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
I raise the sword just in time to block a kick.
The impact surges into my arms, and I'm launched across the room like a bullet.
Following me is another roar.
I don't think, reacting instinctively.
My sword swings downward as I use Ariel to lift myself with a burst of wind. The sonic blast shreds the wall beneath me instead, carving a canyon into stone.
'Three… two… one—' I time myself, and…
I land high on the dungeon wall, right beside Sword.
My fingers close around the hilt as I slide it free and leap—
BOOM!
Black Goliath crashes into the wall where I stood a heartbeat ago, stone exploding outward.
"This bastard's fast." I hiss.
It doesn't slow.
It never stops.
It charges through debris, through broken walls, through collapsing pillars. It pushes through with brute force, power, and relentless rage.
Thought Acceleration let's me follow it.
Sun Breathing burns through my lungs, giving me unending stamina.
GS predicts its movements in advance, letting me dodge.
Blue Papilio Powder floods my blood, and potions fill my stomach, keeping me running.
I dodge rocks fired like bullets.
I twist past sonic blasts that devestate the earth.
I'm thrown into walls.
Dragged across stone.
Clipped by shockwaves.
Every second screams death.
And yet—
I strike back.
Slashes scrape along its hide.
Stabs bounce off its skin.
Every wound vanishes faster than I can cause it.
My heart pounds like a war drum.
My lungs scream.
My Muscles tear themselves apart to keep me moving.
Adrenaline replaces my blood.
And suddenly…
I laugh.
"This is fun!" I shout, spinning through the air as another roar sends me flying.
The feeling is insane. What lunatic finds nearly dying fun?
But it's true.
I tighten my grip on Sword.
"Chain."
Black smoke erupts from my arm as an Adamantite chain forms in real time, wrapping around Sword's wrist guard, before I hurl the blade forward—
It strikes true.
A sharp metallic clang rings out as it slams into Goliath's eye.
Its eyelid snaps shut just in time.
I bark out a wild laugh as I yank the chain back, Sword embedding into the wall mid-flight. I swing around it, using the tension to fling myself sideways as another roar tears through the space I occupied.
Wind screams past my face.
Dust fills my lungs.
Stone rains from above.
And through it all—
I feel it.
Not just the rush of barely surviving.
Not the thrill of the fight.
'I'm growing.'
My mind tears through possibilities.
New movement.
New angles.
New ways to live another second.
While it tries to kill me…
I'm learning how not to die.
A wide, sharp, utterly unhinged grin spreads across my face.
Wind licks my skin as I never stop moving.
[Notice: 5 hours remaining until task completion.]
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
...I must say, I feel like I cooked this chapter🙂↕️. At least let me feel cocky for a bit🤣.
So, Freya felt like herself, which I loved. She's crazy, definitely, but she's crazy hot, so I like it? As for Riven... That's how he truly is. I'm glad I could display his more... Wild persona. Hestia, despite all the stress he causes her, actually keeps him relatively calm. He's a true psycho.
How was the fight? I thought it was good. To be fair, I like OP MCs, and this does not feel like an OP MC, but a level 1 is fighting a Level 5 Monster Rex🤣. He's OP, but his opponent is ridiculous. Fights need to be entertaining 🙂↕️. There's so much foreshadowing, and I'm setting up so much stuff. Being mysterious is super fun, but I'm a transparent dude, most of the time. And this time is not one of those times😜.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed it. Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁.