Bell and his team cautiously descended the stairs leading to the massive boss room on the 17th floor. The air was heavy, saturated with evil mana, and even Aisha, accustomed to the oppressive atmosphere of the Dungeon, had her senses on alert.
— Do you feel that? Welf whispered, gripping the hilt of his sword.
— Yes, Aisha replied with a frown. It's much more intense than what I remember from this level.
"Stay focused," Bell warned, activating Ethereal Vision. The group's emotions were mostly orange, a mix of nervousness and determination.
They entered the circular room, a gaping chasm in the center. A massive creature emerged from the darkness: a Black Goliath, a rare, reinforced variant of the regular Goliath. Its skin was covered in glowing red runes, and its eyes glowed with a bestial gleam.
"Get ready!" Bell shouted, drawing his new weapons, the Eclipse dagger and the Dawnblade sword.
The Goliath roared, shaking the room. He swung his massive fist at them, forcing the team to scatter.
— Welf, with me! Bell shouted. Aisha, Lili, cover our backs!
Welf stood at his side, his sword ready to strike. Bell used Firebolt, launching a volley of flames at the Goliath, but they were absorbed by the creature's runes.
— This is bad! These runes cancel magic! Welf warned.
—Then we'll do it differently, Bell replied, throwing himself to the side to avoid another punch.
—Aisha, get his attention! Bell shouted.
Aisha leapt, using her superior speed to approach the Goliath. With her curved blade, she sliced off the creature's left arm, but the wound closed almost instantly.
—What the…? she shouted, dodging a counterattack.
—He has increased regeneration! noted Lili, who was shooting explosive arrows to distract the monster.
Bell thought quickly. He knew they had to neutralize the runes to weaken the creature.
— Welf! Focus on his legs. Lili, keep distracting. Aisha, hit his weak points. I'll take care of the runes.
Bell activated Eternity Freeze while moving slightly away from the fight.
— Oh frozen wind, cover the earth with an immaculate shroud. Let eternal peace descend and let my vengeance be engraved in ice. Cryostasis of Eternity
An icy breath filled the room. The temperature dropped sharply, and a thin layer of ice formed around the Goliath, slowing its movements.
— Now! Go ahead!
Welf took advantage of this to strike the monster's legs with all his strength, making the creature stagger. Aisha jumped on its back and planted her blade in its neck, seeking to destroy one of the main runes.
The Goliath roared again, sending out a shockwave that pushed everyone back. He punched the ground with his fists, creating cracks from which secondary monsters emerged: armed goblins and ghost wolves.
- Seriously ? Welf growled as he got up.
— Lili, handle the little monsters! Bell ordered.
Lili, an expert support worker, used her explosives and arrows to keep the secondary creatures at bay while Welf and Aisha continued to fight the Goliath.
Bell focused, activating his new Argonaut ability.
— Ignite your passion, scream your desire!
A golden light enveloped his sword, increasing its power. He ran towards the Goliath, narrowly dodging a massive blow.
— Welf, Aisha, hold him in place!
Aisha used her strength to immobilize one of the monster's arms, while Welf blocked the other. Bell jumped high into the air and brought his blade down on the main rune on the Goliath's torso.
— Dawn Blade!
The sword, imbued with energy, sliced through the rune, causing an explosion of light.
Deprived of its runes, the Goliath lost its regeneration and strength. Aisha delivered the final blow, piercing its heart. The creature collapsed, leaving behind a massive crystal.
Out of breath, Aisha turned to Bell.
— I don't know whether to congratulate you or hit you for taking so many risks.
Bell smiled weakly.
— Congratulate me first. We'll see about the rest later.
Welf burst out laughing, and even Lili cracked a smile.
"Well done, boss," she said, picking up the crystal.
As the group recovered, the figure watching them from afar disappeared, taking the black box with it.
Chapter 70: Meeting at Rivira
Rivira, the Dungeon Oasis, spread out before their eyes like a city carved out of rock. The air was more breathable, and a strange light emanated from the giant crystals, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. Bell and his team had decided to stop here to recover before continuing their descent.
—So, this is Rivira? Bell murmured as he looked around the place.
— Impressive, right? Welf said as he planted the tent stakes.
—Not bad, but I prefer the surface, replied Lili as she put away their equipment.
Aisha stood a little aside, watching the crowd of travelers and adventurers come and go. Although she seemed relaxed, her eyes remained vigilant, for even a place like Rivira was not entirely safe.
As everyone settled in, Bell noticed a familiar figure off to the side. A blonde, dressed in a light but functional outfit, was training with a grace and precision that made her mesmerizing.
— Aiz! Bell whispered, recognizing his mentor.
Without waiting, he walked away from the group.
— Hey! Where are you going? Aisha asked, raising an eyebrow.
—I'm just going to say hello to someone, he replied quickly.
Aisha stared at him for a moment, as if hesitant to follow, but eventually let him go, a hint of wariness in her gaze.
Bell approached slowly, hesitant to interrupt Aiz's training. She was focused, chaining movements with her sword, slicing through the air with fearsome precision.
— Aiz! he finally called.
She stopped, turning her head towards him.
— Bell? she said, surprised but with that calm tone that characterized her.
— It's been a long time, hasn't it? he said, smiling nervously.
Aiz wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, putting down her sword.
— Yes… I'm glad to see you. Are you here for the Dungeon?
— Yes. We stopped to recover before continuing. And you?
— We're coming back from an expedition. The entire Loki Familia is here to rest before going back up.
Bell stiffened for a moment at the mention of the Loki Familia, but he forced himself to keep a relaxed expression.
— I see. It's impressive, what you've accomplished.
Aiz observed him for a moment, noticing something different about him.
"You've made progress," she said simply.
Bell blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head.
— I… I try. Thanks to you and Riveria, I learned a lot.
Aiz nodded, but her gaze grew more intense.
— Do you want to train?
Bell smiled.
- Of course.
They got into position, quickly attracting the attention of the other adventurers.
— Hey, it's Aiz Wallenstein training!
—And who's the guy with her? asked another.
Whispers rang out, but Bell remained focused.
Aiz attacked first, lightning fast. Bell narrowly dodged, feeling the wind from her blade brush his face. He counterattacked with a series of blows, using his new sword Dawnblade, but Aiz blocked each attack with disconcerting ease.
"You're faster," she noted, "but your movements are still predictable.
Bell gritted his teeth, activating Eternity Cryostasis to create a slippery slope around them.
—You use magic in a duel? she asked, slightly amused.
— Anything goes, right? he replied with a smile.
Aiz used her agility to move across the ice as if she were floating, striking Bell with calculated precision. He parried as best he could, but each blow echoed in his arms.
—She's still too strong… he thought, but he refused to give up.
He activated Argonaut, charging his sword with golden light.
— Ignite your passion, scream your desire!
The power of his strike surprised Aiz, who stepped back slightly to avoid the impact.
"Impressive," she said, a slight smile playing on her lips.
A Winnerless Ending
After several intense exchanges, Aiz raised her hand.
— That's enough for today.
Bell, out of breath, nodded.
— Thank you, Aiz.
She looked at him for a moment, her expression soft but unreadable.
— You're different. More determined.
Bell looked down, a little embarrassed.
— It's thanks to you.
Aiz didn't answer, but a slight smile lit up her face before she returned to her own training.
Returning to his group, Bell found Aisha staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"You had fun, huh?" she asked in a tone that was half-sarcastic, half-curious.
"It was just practice," he replied quickly, but Aisha narrowed her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips.
- Really ?
Bell sighed, knowing he wouldn't escape her teasing.
To be continued…