"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
A deafening roar shook the very foundation of the Dungeon, reverberating through the air like a thunderclap. The monstrous Goliath, a creature far surpassing its seventeenth-floor counterpart in both size and ferocity, had been born into the safe point of the Dungeon.
Its massive fists pounded against the crystalline ceiling, shattering it into countless glittering shards that rained down like a deadly hailstorm. Each shard was large enough to crush any human unfortunate enough to be caught beneath them.
With a terrifying agility that defied its colossal size, the Goliath twisted mid-air, its massive feet pointing downward as it descended like a black meteor. The beast landed with an earth-shattering crunch directly atop the Central Tree, its weight driving the ancient trunk halfway into the ground.
The shockwave that followed was deafening, a sound that echoed through the entire floor and could be felt on the levels above and below. The tree's roots splintered and snapped, unable to withstand the monster's immense weight, and the once-sturdy trunk buckled under the pressure. The crystal shards that had fallen with the Goliath now embedded themselves into the surrounding landscape, slicing through trees and tall grass alike.
The 'blue sky' of the eighteenth floor, once illuminated by the central crystal, was gone, replaced by a shroud of darkness as the light source was obliterated. Only the faint glow of the broken crystal remained, casting an eerie, moonlit glow over the floor.
The Goliath stood at the center of this unnatural night, its pure black skin—unlike its ash-colored predecessor from the seventeenth floor—glistening, and its blood-red eyes scanning the ground below. The monster's body was proportioned much like the orc, with short, thick legs supporting an upper body that made up nearly 60 percent of its towering meters height and long, silver hair that reached its upper back.
It then stepped down from the ruined Central Tree, its massive footfalls shaking the earth, and immediately swung its fist at the ground. The impact sent a tremor through the floor, launching chunks of earth, dust, debris and bodies into the air.
Screams echoed across the room as adventurers scrambled to escape the devastation. However, the Goliath's gaze locked onto them, its blood-red eyes tracking their every movement with unnerving precision, attacking anyone slow enough to catch its attention.
Even when they dodged its initial strikes, the sheer force of its blows sent them flying like grains of sand in a tornado, their bodies battered and broken. The adventurers below were like ants scurrying beneath a giant, their efforts to escape futile as the Goliath's attacks grew more relentless.
Then, the beast stopped swinging. Its blood-red eyes narrowed as it focused on a running shadow farthest away. Leaning forward, its silver hair fell over its face as it opened its mouth, then a low, ominous hum filled the air.
"AAAAAOOOOO!!"
A second later, the Goliath unleashed a sonic roar that erupted from its jaws like a cannon blast. The shockwave moved too fast for even the eye of a level 3 adventure to track as it tore through the ground, launching the adventurer it had locked on to into the air along with massive chunks of earth and trees. Her body was shattered instantly, her scream cut short by the sheer force of the attack.
The Goliath continued its relentless onslaught, unleashing howl after howl, each one a sonic explosion that tore through the air and sent adventurers and monsters alike flying like ragdolls. Suddenly, its gaze locked onto an adventurer who had taken refuge behind a fallen tree, his body pressed tightly against the bark as if it could shield him from the monster's wrath.
The adventurer's breath came in shallow gasps, his hands over his mouth, his heart pounding as they prayed to go unnoticed. But the Goliath's towering height of nearly eight meters gave it a bird's-eye view of the battlefield, rendering his hiding place utterly useless. From its vantage point, the man might as well have been standing in the open.
Just as it prepared to swing its massive fist at the level 2 adventurer, a flash of green cut through the chaos. Ryuu's cape fluttered as she moved with lightning speed, and exploiting the beast's blind spot, she leapt onto its leg, her wooden sword striking its left knee with a resounding crack.
"OOOOOOO!" The Goliath roared in pain, its leg buckling under the force of the blow. Without the support of its knee, its fist missed its target by a wide margin, though the impact still sent a tremor through the ground.
Ouka and Mikoto arrived moments later, pushing back their fear as they pushed through the panicking crowd.
"HAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ouka bellowed, swinging his battle-ax with all his might.
"YAAHHHHHHHHH!" Mikoto's katana flashed as they both struck the same knee Ryuu had targeted.
But their weapons were no match for the Goliath's iron hide. Ouka's axe shattered on impact, and Mikoto's katana blade snapped in two, and the beast's skin remained unscathed by their, not even a scratch marring its surface.
The duo faces paled at the sight. The attack from two level 2 adventures left no scratch.
And with that, the battle against the Goliath began.
As for Rex?
Rex still stood atop the hill, his amber eyes fixed on the distant chaos. The Goliath's roars echoed through the air, accompanied by the constant eruption of rocks and trees being hurled into the sky. The fight was too far away for him to see clearly, but the sheer scale of the destruction was unmistakable.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. 'I just realized that I killed a fuck ton of people to force the spawn of this Goliath,' he thought. If he hadn't interfered with the Takemikazuchi familia hunt, they wouldn't have gotten into that monster party that led to this, but… 'This was supposed to happen… Fate, I guess.' It surprised him how dismissive he was of this.
Deciding he couldn't just stand at watch, Rex bent back and roared, "Kaio-KEEEEEN!"
His voice thundered across the hillside, his amber eyes gaining a crimson ring, his muscles tightening and becoming more defined as his hair bristled at the ends. His scream drew the attention of nearby monsters, their growls and snarls echoing through the forest as they turned toward him.
Rex calmly set his bag on the ground, pulling out his longsword and arming sword before placing his black cloak inside the bag. Wearing his bag again, he stood tall, blades in hand, and just then, a minotaur's massive fist came hurtling toward him like a rocket.
He spun on his heel, the fist flying past his head and in one fluid motion, his longsword flashed upward, severing the minotaur's arm clean at the shoulder. Blood sprayed in an arc as the monster roared in pain, but before it could react, Rex's blade struck again, decapitating it in a single, brutal stroke. The headless body crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud, its head rolling to the side a moment later.
"ROOOOO!" The sound of charging monsters filled the air as Rex turned to face the monster charging out the forest and towards the hill.
He walked forward slowly at first, his blades glinting in the dim light, before breaking into a sprint to meet the monsters. The first to reach him was a Battle Boar, its tusks gleaming as it charged, but Rex sidestepped, spinning gracefully as the boar barreled past him.
As it charged past him, his arming sword slashed along the beast's side, cutting a deep gash that spilled its steaming innards onto the forest floor. The boar collapsed, its momentum carrying it forward in a bloody heap. Rex didn't stop, dashing past a Bugbear, knowing it would take too long to kill, and instead targeted a Ligerfang that lunged at him.
He ducked under the swipe of its massive clawed paw, and as the Ligerfang's momentum carried it forward, Rex twisted his body, his sword flashing in a brutal upward arc, cleaving through the Ligerfang's throat. The monster's head snapped back, blood spluttering on Rex's face as its body crumpled to the ground behind him, blood pooling below it..
'Three,' Rex counted in his head, already moving to the next target.
A Minotaur charged at him next, its massive axe swinging in a wide arc. He ducked under the blow, his sword driving into the monster's chest with a sickening crunch. The Minotaur roared, but the sound was cut short as he twisted the blade and yanked it free, leaving a gaping hole in its torso.
"Four," he muttered.
A Lizardman fell to his blade, then another monster. With each kill, his Predator ability stacked. By the seventh kill, Predator was fully stacked, his stats were now comfortable close to the mid-level three range. His once-black pupils now glowed a deep, menacing red, his red ring and his amber iris made his eyes look almost demonic. A quick glance of his stats showed:
— — — — — — — — — —
Rex Magnus
Level 2 | 3
[Strength] SS1051 | F351
[Endurance] SS1049 | F349
[Dexterity] SS1047 | F347
[Agility] SS1039 | F339
[Magic] SS1024 | F324
[Predator] I (MAX STACK: 7)
— — — — — — — — — —
'Alright!' Rex leaned forward, the ground beneath his feet cracking under the pressure, and then—he was gone.
A black streak shot through the forest, the ray of light going through the canopy barely having time to shine on him. His speed now beyond human comprehension, his boots barely touched the ground, skimming over roots in quick succession.
Hearing him coming, a Bugbear turned around and stood on its hind in the middle of the forest, towering over three meters as it let out a roar.
"OOO—"
Before it could finish its roar, Rex dashed past it, his sword flashing with a silver glint as it was bisected at its waist. By the time its upper half hit the ground, he was already far gone, his destination the middle of the floor.
Normally, it would be stupid to head towards the level 5 Black Goliath, but he couldn't just stand back and watch. If it did, then this fight will end like the way it ended in the show—Bell shattering the magic stone.
He couldn't let that happen, so he needed to get close enough to use his ultimate magic, which 'only' has a range of three hundred meters. That would put him within the range of the Goliath's mouth blast, but he was sure he would be protected while 'chanting.'
'Let's start the preparation.' With mental compartmentalization, he slowly started increasing his internal temperature.
———
"OOOOOOOOOO!"
Elves and other magic users were gathered in tight clusters on a nearby hill, their voices going unison as they recited their incantations. Magic circles of varying sizes, shapes, and colors blossomed at a few mage's feet, those with the development ability 'Mage' that amplifies the power and range of their spells.
Their voices were clear and rhythmic, almost melodic, as they chanted with urgency. But their vulnerability in the midst of casting meant they relied solely on the dwarves a few meters in front of them for protection. The dwarves stood shoulder to shoulder with shields taller than themselves that formed a wall, their feet planted firmly on the ground.
"—AAOO!" Sensing something, the Goliath's orbs moved from the ants below it and landed at the group of mages and with a thunderous howl, a blast of compressed air shot directly at the group of mages.
However, the shockwave slammed into the dwarves' shield wall, the force pushing them back several feet, their boots digging trenches into the earth as they absorbed the blow. With a collective grunt, they stepped forward again, not a single ripple of energy making it past their defense.
It was clear now—while the Goliath's howls were devastating, they paled in comparison to the crushing force of its fists. As long as the monster remained at a distance, the dwarves' wall would stand.
"Don't just surround it and run when it attacks like dumbasses!" Bors, the city representative of Rivira, bellowed from beside the mages, his voice carrying over the chaos. "Charge in groups and use hit-and-run! Buy our mages some time!!"
At his command, a wave of level 3 adventurers and a handful of level 2s surged forward, charging toward the Goliath. They broke into smaller parties of four or five, as they closed the distance.
The first to reach the Goliath waited for an opening, which quickly came with the Goliath trying to follow Ryuu's quick movements. Seizing the opportunity, the adventurers charged and launched their assault as greatswords, hammers, and axes slammed into the Goliath's legs.
The Goliath's crimson eyes flickered with surprise as the adventurers, like ants swarming a giant, its blood-red eyes darting wildly as it tried to pinpoint a target amidst the chaos. Then, it sensed something and its gaze snapped upward just as a shadow flashed in front of its face as Asfi's arm swung forward, hurling another one of her Burst Oil grenades.
The glass vial shattered against the Goliath's eye, the explosive liquid igniting in a blinding flash. The monster roared in anger and frustration, its massive hands clawing at its face as the adventurers below pressed their advantage.
The stronger adventurers' weapons left deep gashes in the beast's thick hide, while the weaker ones chipped away at its defenses, their smaller blows adding up over time. The hit-and-run tactic kept the Goliath distracted, its attention divided between the blinding pain in its eyes, the relentless assault on its knees and feet, and the speeding elf.
Bell and a group of four men charged toward the Goliath, a man shouting as he glanced at the young boy, "Little Rookie! Are you goin' in with those weapons?!" He asked, gesturing to his daggers. "What other weapon you want?"
"A greatsword, please!" Bell replied with a smile.
"I hear ya." One of the group attackers took a spare greatsword off his back and handed it to Bell. "Take this one!"
"Thank you!" Bell held the greatsword in his right hand, resting the back of the blade on his shoulder as the group of attackers, five in all, continued forward.
However, the giant's damaged, bloodshot eyes suddenly locked onto them, its ferocious aura slamming into the group like a physical force.
""""OH, SHIT!"""" The four 'brave' attackers immediately changed course, leaving Bell behind, spreading out like flies, leaving the Goliath's eyes on Bell.
For a moment, Bell hesitated, his ruby-red eyes scanning for an escape route. Then, an image flashed in his mind—golden hair, a knight standing alone against a floor boss far stronger than this one. The memory burned through his hesitation, igniting a fire within him. Gripping the greatsword tightly, Bell kicked off the ground and surged forward, his speed increasing with every step.
"OOOOO!" The Goliath's fist came crashing down, a massive shadow descending with terrifying speed.
Bell ducked under it by a hair's breadth, the ground behind him exploding in a shower of dirt and debris as he kept moving, closing the distance to the Goliath's left leg. With both hands on the hilt, Bell swung the greatsword with all his might.
*Thud!*
The blade struck with a dull impact, failing to pierce the monster's iron hide but sending a visible tremor through its leg. The Goliath roared, its massive body swaying slightly from the force of the blow and the cumulative damage inflicted by the group's hit-and-run tactics.
Bell didn't wait. He darted between the beast's legs, his movements quick and precise, escaping to safety behind the monster as cheers erupted from the onlookers.
"Mr. Cranell, that was reckless," Ryuu's voice cut through the chaos as she appeared beside him, her green cape fluttering in the wind.
"R-Ryuu…" Bell panted, his heart still racing from the close call.
"No amount of luck will save you if you try that again," she scolded sharply as they ran side by side.
Bell could feel her sky-blue glare from beneath her hood, and his shoulders sank like those of a child being put in timeout. Ryu stared at him for a few seconds before looking forward.
"I will give a signal; follow my lead to attack," she said, her pace quickening as she took the lead. "You should be able to keep up."
"…! Yes!" Bell nodded enthusiastically, his earlier hesitation replaced by determination. He fell into step behind her, the two advancing like master and apprentice, their movements synchronized as they prepared for the next strike.
———
Rex stared at the giant monster growing closer and closer as he ran, his breath steady, but his expression tinged with annoyance. 'Why did it have to spawn when I was so far away?' He sighed inwardly.
His strides carried him across the plains, each step propelling him forward in long, gliding leaps that covered many meters before his next foot touched the ground. His running style was less like a sprint and more like a series of rapid, powerful long jumps, giving him the appearance of gliding over the terrain.
By now, his internal temperature had risen to the point where the air around him shimmered like a desert mirage, with some heat trailing behind him like a ghostly mist. His infant dragon boots glowed faintly, the heat radiating from them scorching the grass and undergrowth beneath his feet. Each step left behind blackened or burning footprints, spaced roughly three meters apart, marking his path like a trail of fire.
'I feel like one of those characters who spends entire episodes running to the battle, only to arrive when it's already over or just in time to start farming aura.' He thought wryly. 'I doubt the battle would be over by the time I arrived, so I will be the latter.'
In the past two to three minutes, he had covered more than six kilometers in a dead sprint, his speed far surpassing that of most cars. While most level 2 or 3 adventurers would have exhausted themselves by now, Rex's constant slaughter of the monsters rushing toward the Goliath had kept his stamina regenerating.
Soon, he was within 300 meters of the chaos. His eyes scanned the area, searching for a good vantage point as he kept running, quickly spotting a massive chunk of earth jutting out of the ground like a hill—a remnant of one of the Goliath's earlier attacks.
'Haha, my luck!' He grinned.
The 'hill' was within 250 meters of the monster, and Rex wasted no time scaling it with a series of powerful jumps, his boots leaving scorch marks on the rocky surface as he came to a halt. From his elevated position, the battlefield sprawled out before him.
The Goliath stood at the center, surrounded by overturned trees and shattered earth. Adventurers darted in and out of its range, their movements frantic as they launched hit-and-run attacks. Broken bodies littered the ground, crushed by the Goliath's attacks or killed by the monsters it had summoned, some of their bodies releasing a faint aura, showing they could be scavenged.
'Wish scavenger could be used from range.' he thought as he glanced at more adventurers engaged in skirmishes with the monsters drawn by the Goliath's roars.
To his right, about half a kilometer away, the inhabitants of Rivira had established makeshift bases near the crushed remains of the Central Tree. Swords, spears, and shields were lined up outside the bases, and adventurers rushed in and out to grab spare weapons, shields, and potions.
To his left, about 200 meters from the Goliath, a group of about ten mages chanted continuously, their voices going in unison as they chanted their respective spell. A wall of dwarves stood in front of them, their shields forming a protective barrier from any of the Goliath's ranged attack, while other adventurers fended off the monsters trying to disrupt the mages' concentration.
Rex took it all in with a single, sweeping glance. 'Surprisingly, the Goliath is not that big.' Compared to the show where it went over trees like it was 30 meters, but this one, though large, was not as exaggerated as the show made it out to be.
'Ok,' He removed his bag, tossing it behind him. 'Let's begin.' With a huff, his rising internal temperature quickened as the surrounding air was quickly heated, rising up like a pillar.
'Preparation should be done in about a minute, so before that…' He thought, his eyes darting around the main battleground for Bell, soon finding the white haired boy running alongside a woman he didn't recognize.
After a quick glance at her stats, he nodded. 'Ryuu, huh.' He could vaguely remember her from the show. 'Her and Asfi are the only level four here—'
"Front lines, get back!" Bors shouted, his voice carrying across the area as he stepped back along with the dwarves wall. "Big stuff's comin' in!"
[Author's Note: Yeah, I know nothing much happened in this chapter. The things that happened where already in the show so must of ya might have skimmed through those part and I'll admit. Part of me left it in for the word count...
The other part left it in because of a few reasons: I wanted to strengthen the 'Big Battle' feel. Showing those part would underscores the sense that multiple adventurers are risking their lives, not just Rex. It captures the chaotic, multi-front nature of the battlefield, which I think made the story feel more immersive and epic.
Also, I thought that witching POVs in a big fight would raise the tension: while Rex is doing X, Bell is doing Y, Others is doing Z. It shows more of the living, breathing world. I don't know, what do you think?
The next two chapters would focus more on Rex, so no worries.
'Thanks for reading!!!' Author said calmly.]