Boom!!
The full-force collision of two Level 7 adventurers erupted in a heaven-shaking explosion, the final echo resounding through the night.
Under Orario's tranquil darkness, that blast struck like a hammer against the hearts of its people.
Those asleep jolted awake.
Leaning out of windows toward Daedalus Street, they could still see the lingering afterglow of clashing magic—
Gold and crimson intertwining.
In an instant, all drowsiness vanished.
Scenes like this unfolded across Orario.
Countless people realized something catastrophic had happened and leapt from their beds.
At the same time, the clash between the two Level 7s reached its conclusion.
The outcome—
Ottar's defeat.
The massive body of "King" Ottar lay buried within the rubble.
Allen, Hegni, and the other members of the Freya Familia stood frozen, faces blank with shock.
They did not even rush to pull him from the debris.
For the past two years, Ottar's image of invincibility had taken root in their hearts.
Monsters in the Dungeon were one thing—
But on the surface, the "King" was absolute.
And yet tonight, before their very eyes, he had been defeated.
There had been no ambiguity.
The opponent had even given Ottar time to prepare his strongest strike—
And he still lost.
It felt as though the sky were collapsing upon them.
Only Hedin's face remained grim.
"That brute will not die so easily," he said coldly. "Ignore him. All units—find that man immediately!"
His voice shattered the suffocating silence.
The others snapped out of their stupor.
Now was not the time for shock.
After clashing head-on with Ottar, the enemy must have suffered heavy consumption—
Perhaps even injury.
If they did not eliminate him now, disaster would follow.
Letting a tiger return to the mountains would only breed future calamity.
The thought of facing a top-tier Level 7 adversary from now on—
It sent chills down their spines.
The members of the Freya Familia scoured the area like madmen.
No corner was spared.
To say they dug three feet into the earth would not be an exaggeration.
"Grr—!"
A deep roar echoed.
Ottar rose from beneath the rubble, lifting stone slabs weighing over a thousand pounds as though they were nothing.
He cast them aside with a thunderous crash.
His massive frame was covered in wounds, drenched in blood—like a man sculpted from crimson.
Even when he had soloed the Floor Boss of the thirty-seventh floor, Udaeus, he had not suffered injuries this severe.
The only one who dared shout at Ottar now was Allen, who lived solely to grow stronger through battle.
"You damned pig! What were you doing?!"
Even under such insults, Ottar showed no anger.
All his emotions were reserved for his beloved goddess—
And worthy opponents.
"His parameters exceed mine," Ottar replied calmly.
Silence fell.
Even Allen opened his mouth yet found no words.
He was furious that Ottar had failed to defeat the enemy—
And even more resentful of his own weakness.
When the first rays of dawn illuminated the earth, they announced the failure of the Freya Familia's encirclement operation.
A loss on every front.
Their members looked devastated.
They had conducted a carpet search across several kilometers.
Not a trace.
Impossible.
They refused to believe the enemy had escaped unscathed.
Yet there was nothing.
It was as though the man had vanished into thin air.
Soon, however, they had no time to dwell on it.
Guild officials, gods, and numerous adventurers rushed to the scene at astonishing speed.
When they saw the state of Daedalus Street—
Even hardened adventurers and deities felt their scalps go numb.
It looked like a localized war had occurred.
Crater upon crater scarred the land.
Buildings were reduced to rubble.
Nearly half of Daedalus Street had been obliterated.
The primary destruction stemmed from Hedin's bombardment—
And the final clash between two Level 7s.
"What in the world happened here?!"
Guild officials nearly collapsed in despair.
The gods' eyes burned with ravenous curiosity as they surrounded members of the Freya Familia, bombarding them with questions.
The Freya Familia members wore helpless expressions.
Running was pointless.
Too many residents had witnessed the battle.
With such distinctive magic displayed, hiding their identities was impossible.
If the Guild were to approach their goddess directly, it would be even more humiliating.
Their executives had no intention of evading responsibility.
To do so would bring shame upon their goddess.
A loss was a loss.
They could accept defeat.
At least, that was Ottar's mentality.
The world had arbitrarily crowned him "the strongest."
But having lived through the era of the Zeus and Hera Familias, Ottar understood—
"Strongest" was little more than a joke.
The real headache fell upon the rank and file.
They had never prepared for such a scenario.
They had come expecting to capture a mere Level 3 thief.
Instead, he transformed into a Level 7 tiger—
And devoured them in turn.
Residents who had fled in terror were now returning, demanding compensation.
And the casualties—
At least thirty dead.
Some had been slain directly by the "berserker."
Others were caught in the final cataclysmic clash and shredded by the magical tempest.
Though the Freya Familia boasted over five thousand members, its true core numbered only slightly above a hundred.
Losing more than thirty high-ranking adventurers—
For another familia, it would mean dissolution.
For them, it was not crippling—
But it hurt deeply.
More important was how they would answer to their goddess.
Most of the fallen had been personally recruited by Lady Freya.
That fact alone weighed heavily.
One crisis followed another.
The members of the Freya Familia felt as though they might collapse.
The information extracted from them spread across Orario with astonishing speed.
A collective gasp echoed throughout the city.
After all, the Freya Familia had no reason to tarnish their own reputation.
An unknown Level 7 adventurer had appeared in Daedalus Street.
Alone, he crushed numerous members of the Freya Familia—
Defeated three Level 6 executives—
And even overcame "King" Ottar.
Myth shattered.
The strongest had fallen.
The incident exploded into the hottest topic in Orario overnight.
Everyone discussed the mysterious Level 7 powerhouse who had single-handedly suppressed the mightiest familia.
Before his appearance, no one had imagined such a possibility.
The gods, in particular, fell into frenzy.
If they could recruit that man into their own familia—
Would they not ascend instantly to the pinnacle of Orario?
A citywide hunt for the mysterious Level 7 adventurer began.
Even the black market issued bounties.
And as for Freya—
Her mood was abysmal.