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Chapter 319: Hermes's Fanaticism
Crimson flames erupted fiercely from Aiden's body, entwining around his limbs. The next moment, he transformed into a swift streak of red light, initiating a proactive charge.
The Juggernaut's hardened tail, acting like a steel whip, morphed into a pitch-black spear. Emitting a screech that tore the air apart, it launched a lightning-fast thrust right at Aiden's head.
Aiden's pupils contracted sharply, but he merely tilted his head. The fatal tail-spear grazed past his cheek by mere millimeters, whistling as it flew by. A single line of bright red blood slowly surfaced and trickled down his cheek.
Such terrifying speed, such absolute precision... even with his currently elevated, repeatedly ascended reflexes, he couldn't completely evade it.
But, in the exact moment he dodged the strike, Aiden also unleashed a godspeed sword slash so fast the naked eye couldn't track it.
Slash! The red sword light accurately and ruthlessly tore through the Juggernaut's reverse-jointed right knee—its primary anchor point.
The Juggernaut's right leg buckled inward, forcing its massive body to involuntarily dip slightly. Though an injury like this wouldn't affect the Destroyer's ability to maintain its posture or continue fighting, it meant it could no longer execute those violent, untraceable, high-speed leaping attacks it had relied on earlier.
Following this lightning-fast exchange, the cavern plunged into a sudden silence.
The Juggernaut's scarlet eyes locked dead onto the man who had inflicted pain and injury upon it. Aiden, similarly, gripped the Godslayer: Surtr tightly, every nerve in his body drawn taut to the extreme.
He knew perfectly well that the Juggernaut's speed was absurd, defying all logic. If he relaxed for even a fraction of a second, the next moment would bring a guaranteed fatal blow.
Dozens of meters away.
Having been scooped up by Asfi and pulled from the battlefield, Ryuu finally recovered from her cascading shock. She instinctively struggled, only to find her body entirely limp and devoid of strength.
Then, she saw the blonde man standing a short distance away, pressing down on his traveler's hat, his eyes unblinking as he watched Aiden and the Juggernaut fight.
"Lord Hermes?!"
Ryuu widened her emerald eyes. "W-Why are you here?!"
Deities entering the Dungeon was an absolute taboo. If the Dungeon's will detected them, it would spawn black monsters no less terrifying than the Juggernaut to hunt them relentlessly until death.
"Now, don't look at me like that, little Ryuu."
Hermes turned his head, his trademark smile still plastered on his face. "If my capable Asfi hadn't called in Young Flamescion on an absolute emergency basis, you really would have perished just now. So, for the sake of saving your life, keep my secret, okay?"
Saying that, Hermes made a "shush" gesture toward Ryuu.
Ryuu was momentarily left speechless. But she quickly snapped back to reality, becoming overwhelmed with anxiety.
"No, you have to tell Mr. Aiden to leave! He absolutely cannot face that monster alone."
However, the smile faded from Hermes's face. He spoke faintly, "Little Ryuu, I think you're underestimating Young Flamescion a bit too much."
His gaze shifted back to the battlefield, his tone becoming calm yet piercing.
"Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes... if my guess is right, the monster that completely stripped you of your will to fight and turned you into this pathetic mess... it's that, isn't it?"
"The Destroyer. The true culprit... that annihilated the Astrea Familia, right?"
Without an ounce of mercy, Hermes stated the most brutal truth in the flattest tone imaginable.
"Lord Hermes!"
Beside him, Asfi couldn't help but furrow her brows, glaring helplessly at her patron deity. That was akin to pouring a handful of coarse salt directly into Ryuu's open wounds.
Ryuu opened her mouth, but found she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. Because what Hermes said was the truth.
As a top-tier Level 4 adventurer, even if she truly couldn't defeat the Juggernaut, she shouldn't have been left without a shred of resistance. The reason she failed so utterly and was crushed in an instant was entirely due to her own psychological demons.
It was because she couldn't overcome the bone-deep despair and terror from four years ago. It was because she couldn't face the weakness hidden in the depths of her own heart. And most importantly... because, in that moment, she had completely abandoned her will to live.
She knew all of this very clearly. But knowing it was one thing; having the strength to face it was another.
"Watch closely, little Ryuu."
Hermes's voice suddenly turned incredibly solemn, carrying an almost sacred weight. He stared intently at Ryuu. Those yellow eyes that usually brimmed with cunning mischief now shimmered with a profound light Ryuu had never seen before.
"Watch closely and see what a 'hero' truly is. That dark heart of yours, filled with vengeance and guilt... that lingering shadow shrouded by despair and terror..."
"Let the brilliance of a 'hero'... completely dispel it for you."
With that, he turned his head back. His eyes carried an almost fanatical, blazing light as they locked onto the white-haired figure standing off against the Destroyer.
Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly. His blue pupils held nothing but absolute focus.
He wasn't supposed to be here. According to the original plan, he should be with Ottar and the others right now, moving through the tunnels to the 28th Floor to provide support for the Loki Familia.
But halfway there, he suddenly received a distress signal from Asfi. The contents were brief: "Ryuu, 27th Floor, danger!"
The moment he saw that message, a forbidden name immediately surfaced in Aiden's mind: the Juggernaut.
Without a moment of hesitation, he instantly explained the situation to Hedin. Leaving the group midway wasn't ideal and would naturally raise questions from his teammates. But considering they had already confirmed the Loki Familia and the enemy forces were on the 28th Floor, and factoring in Ottar's absolute strength, Aiden's combat power wasn't strictly necessary. Hedin permitted him to break away and save her.
After assuring Lefiya and telling her to follow Hedin's group into the 28th Floor while promising to return quickly, he secured her understanding. Then, he turned and rushed here at his absolute maximum speed, following the coordinates Asfi provided.
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