"Troublesome."
Hedin frowned slightly, looking at the Goliath blocking the tunnel to the lower floors, and spoke calmly.
To proceed to the 18th Floor, they had to cross this chaotic battlefield.
And the moment he saw that the ones fighting the Goliath were from the Loki Familia, he understood everything instantly.
These Loki Familia members were likely the retreat squad heading to the surface for backup.
They just had terrible luck and got temporarily stalled by this Floor Boss.
"Who's taking this?"
Hedin adjusted his glasses and asked the group beside him.
"I'll do it."
The one who spoke was Aiden.
He knew very well that although the pinnacle powerhouses of Orario had accepted his presence due to Goddess Freya's orders, it was merely an "acceptance."
Underestimation and suspicion were undeniably present.
If he wanted to earn their genuine respect and secure a voice within this team, he had to prove he had the strength to stand beside them.
And the Goliath blocking their way was the perfect target.
Hearing Aiden's words, a ripple crossed Ottar's silent eyes, locking his gaze onto the boy.
Allen merely scoffed, crossing his arms, looking like he was ready to watch a comedy show.
Only Hedin's mouth curled up in a barely perceptible smile.
He didn't stop him. He just pushed up his glasses and waited quietly.
Aiden didn't say another word. He stepped forward and leaped straight down from the rock face several meters above the tunnel entrance, landing lightly in front of Lefiya and the others.
"Aiden...!"
Seeing him, Lefiya's mind flashed with the terrifying image of him wielding that crimson sword of light.
But she quickly recovered. Seeing Aiden's familiar, clear eyes, and the big names of the Freya Familia standing behind him, her fear and anger were instantly replaced by a wave of familiarity.
"Lefiya, you don't need to explain."
Aiden raised a hand, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
"We know everything. The Freya Familia and I are here as reinforcements. Lord Loki already knows your situation."
"Right now, the priority is to reinforce the Braver and the others."
He turned slightly, his gaze falling on the Goliath. His tone was casual. "Leave this to me. Relax, it'll be quick."
"Reinforcements... Loki already knows?"
Lefiya, Raul, and the others stared blankly for a second before wild, unrestrained joy bloomed on their faces.
They had no idea how Loki, way up on the surface, knew what was happening down here, but the words "Freya Familia reinforcements" were a shot of adrenaline that instantly dispelled all their despair and exhaustion.
This was the Freya Familia.
The top-tier faction that shared the title of Orario's twin pillars with their own Loki Familia. With them taking action, the captain and the others were definitely saved.
While the Loki Familia members were overwhelmed with relief, Aiden was already making his move.
He slowly raised his right hand. The strange, red stigmata on the back of his hand suddenly flared with a demonic crimson light.
Immediately after, a complex, mysterious magic circle composed of countless blood-red lines materialized out of thin air beside him, rotating slowly.
A gorgeous hilt, wreathed in dark red flames, slowly rose from the center of the magic circle.
This scene left everyone present stunned.
Lefiya and the others widened their eyes. What kind of weapon was that? And that oppressive aura... could a mere weapon really possess that? They almost felt that the weapon about to appear was stronger than a First-Class Adventurer.
And... it emerged from a magic circle? Was this a new spell of Aiden's? But he hadn't even chanted.
Up at the tunnel entrance, Ottar and the others exchanged bewildered looks.
Hedin furrowed his brow tightly, his eyes glued to the hilt manifesting from the dimensional space, as if trying to see right through it.
Aiden ignored the shock of the crowd. He reached out and gripped the hilt firmly.
Then, he violently pulled it free.
Shing—! Amidst a resonant hum that felt like it could tear through souls, the Godslayer: Surtr was finally revealed in its entirety.
It was a greatsword dripping with absolute power and the aesthetics of destruction.
The main body of the blade was a semi-transparent crimson band of light, flowing like molten lava, edged with a dark gold, demonic, skeletal structure.
The cutting edge wasn't straight; it was lined with serrated flame-blades, exuding a terrifying aura capable of incinerating everything in existence.
"Ride Upon This Wheel of Flame—"
Aiden chanted softly, activating his enchantment magic, Everlasting Flames.
Raging infernos instantly erupted from his body, wrapping around him like living creatures before completely igniting the Godslayer.
The next moment, he moved.
He raised the burning greatsword and stomped hard. The crimson flames exploded, unleashing a muffled sonic boom.
His entire body turned into a straight streak of fire, launching himself at the still-roaring Goliath at a speed the naked eye struggled to track.
"Everyone fall back! Leave the battlefield to Flamescion!"
Almost the exact moment Aiden moved, Raul screamed at the top of his lungs, issuing the most crucial command.
The members of the Loki Familia were all seasoned veterans. They grasped the intent of the order instantly. Without a second's hesitation, they abandoned their assault on the Goliath and retreated to the rear at top speed.
By then, Aiden had already arrived right in front of the Goliath.
He gave the Floor Boss zero time to react.
He simply brought the Godslayer down in a single, vertical slash.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
What reflected in the eyes of Raul, Lefiya, and Ottar's group watching from above was a streak of ultimate, dazzling red light blooming outward.
That light initially burst from that bizarre greatsword, but then it expanded at an unimaginable speed, detaching from the blade to form a massive, crescent-shaped wave of pure crimson energy dozens of meters long.
That slash made no sound. It simply flickered past the Goliath's gargantuan body without a whisper.
Then, meeting zero resistance, it carved deeply into the cavern wall behind it, leaving a terrifying gash over ten meters long, its edges completely melted into glass by the sheer heat.
As for the Goliath, after freezing for exactly a tenth of a second, a thin line of blood slowly materialized, starting from the center of its massive forehead.
That line of blood rapidly traveled downward, splitting its chest, its abdomen...
----
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