"Ding! A new mission has been triggered."
"Mission Name: Kill Floor Boss Balor!"
"Mission Description: This is the Host's first encounter with the Floor Boss Balor. Please eliminate it with a strong attack."
"Mission Reward: 3 Faction Cards; 300,000 experience points."
"Another mission triggered?"
"That's strange. There was no mission when we faced Udaeus."
"The system's missions seem to be randomly triggered," Aston thought as he looked at the mission panel.
Though unusual, Aston understood that encountering Balor was certain now with the appearance of this system mission.
"Get ready. I have a feeling we will definitely encounter Balor this time," Aston said, alerting everyone before stepping into the 49th floor's entrance.
Hearing this, everyone paused, their expressions turning serious. Although they didn't know why Aston felt this way, the 49th floor was a place where they needed to be fully prepared and vigilant, especially since it was Balor's territory.
Shortly after, the group passed through the dark passageway and set foot on the 49th floor. As expected, the moment they emerged from the passage, the wilderness underwent a huge change. The ground began to shake, as if an army was stampeding across it.
Aston and the others immediately prepared for battle.
"It's really here," Tiona said, spotting the rising figure from the ground and the massive form of Balor behind the Fomorian army.
"Prepare for battle," Tione said, her brow furrowed as she charged forward, followed closely by Ais and Ryuu. Only Tiona hesitated, looking back at Aston.
"Aston, Tione and I will give you ten minutes to fight Balor. Regardless of whether you defeat him or not, we must retreat after ten minutes," Tiona reminded Aston and then quickly followed Ais and Ryuu into battle.
The Fomorian army was large, with at least thirty to forty creatures. Tione and the others soon clashed with them. Despite being Level 5 fighters, they faced a Fomorian army of Level 4 strength, making the battle challenging.
Meanwhile, Balor, despite his immense size, moved quickly towards Aston and the group. The earth trembled under his charge.
Seeing this, Aston frowned slightly, his body crackling with electricity. He unsheathed the Sword of Victory from his waist, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he dashed forward.
In an instant, Aston crossed the battlefield where Tione was fighting and confronted Balor head-on.
Suddenly confronted with a tiny figure, Balor was clearly caught off guard. His single movable eye directly gazed over.
The next moment, Balor swung his massive fist down towards Aston. The fist hadn't even reached him yet, but the terrifying air pressure had already descended upon Aston, causing a fierce blast around him and spreading outward.
It had to be said, the pressure from Balor, with his Level 7 strength, was truly immense.
Aston, now standing at the pinnacle of Level 6 strength, could be considered an adventurer with S-rank in all five abilities. However, facing this punch from Balor, Aston dared not confront it head-on. If he did, he was sure to be injured. Such was the power of the 49th floor's boss, Balor.
But Aston had no intention of taking the hit. In the instant the fist was about to land, Aston's figure disappeared again, reappearing atop Balor's huge body.
Balor's fist smashed into the ground, instantly creating a huge crater. However, the next moment, accompanied by a loud sound, Balor's attacking arm suddenly spurted a large amount of blood, a deep wound visible on his limb.
Balor howled in pain.
At this point, Aston slowly uttered two words, "Instant Kill!"
Instant Kill, a skill Aston received as a newbie reward during his first adventure, allowed him to unleash a sure-hit strike within ten meters, with power depending on the attacker.
Aston rarely used this move due to its high physical demand. He had only used it when fighting Udaeus with Tione and the others; otherwise, he had not resorted to it. Now, facing Balor, Aston used this skill again.
Blood gushed rapidly from Balor's arm, but Aston paid it no heed, swiftly moving along Balor's arm towards his shoulder.
Just as he had moved a few meters, a terrifying air pressure came from the side – it was Balor's other arm, swinging a massive fist at Aston.
Seeing this, Aston quickly dodged, nimbly avoiding the strike before preparing to continue his ascent.
However, at that moment, Aston suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger. He quickly searched for the source of this feeling and soon noticed Balor's face, his eye, capable of emitting a beam that could obliterate everything, was focused on him, light gathering within.
As Aston noticed, Balor's magical eye had already charged, and a laser shot straight towards him at a terrifying speed. Seeing this, Aston's pupils shrank.
The next moment, without hesitation, Aston released his Noble Phantasm.
Avalon!
***
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