The Aberrant Amphisbaena was dead. The 30th floor fell silent, save for the sound of rushing water. The Xenos and Astraea stared at the boy's silhouette. Holding his sword, looking up at the sky, he stood tall on a mound of debris. That unyielding will transcended race, making even monsters and gods tremble.
Before him was a canyon-like fissure stretching for a kilometer. No one would have believed a single sword strike caused this if they hadn't seen it.
The group gathered around. Lyd approached and gasped, "He's lost consciousness!"
Roy stood like a statue, eyes closed, breathing shallow, yet he didn't fall. His legs were locked like pillars. Astraea's hand covered her mouth, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Did he swing that while half-conscious?" Gros asked in disbelief. The Xenos swallowed hard.
"It's his skill," Astraea explained with pride. "It returns the enemy's attack. Until that goal is achieved, no amount of damage will make him fall..."
The Xenos found it ridiculous—a skill that forces a counter-attack even if the user is unconscious. Anyone wanting to kill Roy would have to survive his dying vengeance first. He was a human-shaped bomb.
With the last of his strength spent, Roy's body finally tilted back. Astraea caught him, and he sank into a soft "lap pillow," though he was too far gone to enjoy it.
"You did so well," she whispered, stroking his face. How much had he suffered to save her? She couldn't even count the wounds. How could she ever repay this debt?
His injuries were severe. Just as the Level 5 Xenos were about to carry them up, a goblin sentry ran up. "Lyd! Adventurers are coming down!"
The Xenos tensed. But Astraea looked up and saw familiar figures. "Thank you for your help. Do not worry, those are my members and guards."
Roy's gamble had paid off. The collapse had drawn the world's attention. A god in danger had even mobilized the Guild. Ryu, Finn, Riveria, and a host of Loki elites appeared at the 27th floor, looking down at the massive crater and cascading water in shock.
"Look!" Riveria pointed. "It's Lady Astraea and the Sprout of Justice!"
"They're surrounded by monsters!"
Seeing the Xenos, the elites' expressions changed. Finn barked, "Everyone, assault!"
They leaped down, crossing three floors like falling boulders. High-level adventurers were truly a different species. BOOM! Before the elites landed, the Xenos retreated into the shadows of the 31st-floor passage, moving with perfect discipline.
"Goddess," Lyd shouted back, "give little Roy our regards when he wakes up!"
Astraea nodded firmly. Without the Xenos, Roy would never have had the chance to fire his final strike.
"Lady Astraea!"
Ryu sprinted over, her eyes wet with tears. The agony of the last few hours had nearly broken her. "Ryu, it's okay now." Astraea pulled Ryu into her arms, a sight of two beauties that was truly breath-taking.But no one was in the mood to enjoy the scenery.
The Loki Familia quickly formed a defensive perimeter to prevent any monster ambushes. To their surprise, however, there were no monsters to be found. The Dungeon was so preoccupied with repairing the catastrophic terrain damage that it had no spare capacity to spawn new threats. As far as the eye could see, there was only rubble and that staggering, canyon-like fissure. The Jungle Gorge, once lush and green, had been stripped of almost all its life.
The collapse of three consecutive floors, the wasteland that was once a forest, and the massive scar across the earth... all signs pointed to the fact that something truly extraordinary had occurred here recently.
A small team from the Loki Familia was assigned to escort the heavily injured Roy and Goddess Astraea back to the surface. Those left behind could only stare in disbelief.
"The Sprout of Justice did this?"
After hearing the account from Lady Astraea, the crowd gazed at the destruction with shock. The path had been blocked, Astraea had released her Divine Aura to draw a "God-Killer," causing the Dungeon to trigger a massive collapse to open a path back up. That God-Killer was an empowered version of the Water Capital's Floor Boss—Amphisbaena, elevated to Level 6.
Astraea kept the existence of the Xenos a secret, skillfully omitting their involvement and stating only that Roy had used his skill to one-shot the Aberrant Amphisbaena at the end.
A Level 3 killing a Level 6 Aberrant Floor Boss!
Finn, Riveria, Gareth, and the others could only manage bitter smiles. The feat was so preposterous that they wouldn't have believed it if they weren't standing in the middle of the wreckage of the 30th floor. On paper, he was a Level 3; in terms of maximum firepower, he exceeded Level 6. It was a miracle.
By the time this news reached the surface, the gods and adventurers of Orario were going to lose their minds.
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Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (393 Chapter – Ongoing)
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