A shadow loomed like a mountain as the massive beast sprinted, scorching heat rushing forward.
This was several times faster than the previous Goliath — even faster than Kai's boosted Agility stat.
He barely had time to brace with his rapier before an unstoppable force sent him flying again.
Spinning midair to reduce impact, Kai still spat blood as he landed. His broken bones screamed in agony, and his ruptured organs burned from the strain.
"Kai-kun!"
"Senpai!"
"Kai-sama!"
"Someone—please help him!"
"Is this a joke? That thing... it's a Goliath variant?!"
Their voices sounded distant to Kai — muffled as if underwater.
So heavy...
His sword, his steps, his body, his breathing, his mind — everything felt unbearably heavy.
Multiple afterimages blurred his vision. A sharp ringing overtook his thoughts. The taste of blood filled his mouth and nose.
AIOOOOOOOO—!
The Goliath's roar erupted before him.
Kai looked up, seeing a crimson hand fill his view.
Instinct alone moved him. He raised his sword and took the blow head-on.
"Bang—!"
The impact sent him flying again. A crimson blur followed and backhanded him in midair, slamming him back the way he came.
Like a child playing with a ball, the Goliath didn't finish him off right away. It held back, letting Kai suffer longer.
So pitiful...
Watching this one-sided torment, all the adventurers frowned. Many clenched their fists.
But none dared to help.
This Goliath — so different in shape, size, and power — struck fear into their hearts.
Bell and Lili wanted to intervene, even just to distract it. But Hestia held them back.
"Kai-kun..."
Her eyes, deep blue and glowing, stared unblinking at him. Gentle currents circled her body.
Hermes noticed the change. His normally carefree face turned serious.
"Hestia."
"I know..."
She looked back at him, then toward the battle again.
"If... if something happens to Kai-kun... then I entrust the rest of my children to you, my friend."
Hermes instantly understood.
Hestia — a goddess — was about to unleash her arcanum for a mortal's sake, even if it meant exile to the heavens.
Takashina Kai... who are you?
That blade-sharp aura that even stings divine souls... and Hestia's obsession with you...
"This is really something..."
Hermes looked at the trembling Hestia, then turned to the blue-haired girl behind him.
"Asfi-chan. You think you can handle it?"
Asfi's face tensed as she stared at the Goliath. But she nodded.
"Barely."
"Oh? For you to say barely... that's not good news."
Ignoring Hermes's teasing, Asfi pushed up her glasses, then pulled a silver-glowing dagger from her coat.
"Is he really worth all this?"
Poised to charge, she looked back and asked one last question.
"If you're thinking of value, Asfi-chan... you're way off. That guy is the symbol of the Hestia Familia. His story's only just beginning."
"I understand."
Nodding, Asfi gripped the dagger and dashed forward like a gale.
---
Burning. Agony. Kai endured wave after wave of attacks.
Each time, blood sprayed from his body.
Am I going to die...?
The injuries were too grave. His soul seemed to float outside his body, watching this hopeless battle from a detached perspective.
"Whoosh—"
A violent gust of wind blew through, lifting the blood-soaked black robe. A moment later, a massive, heavy palm crashed down upon Kai's body.
Once again, he was swatted away by the Goliath's brutal strike. The intense pain from his shattered internal organs made him feel like he was suffocating. When he opened his mouth to groan, a gush of blood-tinged foam surged up from his windpipe and choked him back.
Counterattack...
That was the thought that surfaced in his mind. His hand instinctively tightened around the sword's hilt, his body remembering the unique techniques he had forged through countless battles. But before he could act, the enhanced Goliath's next strike landed, crushing both his gathered strength and the very notion of resistance. It gave him no opportunity to fight back.
Cruel, merciless—just like when he had once slaughtered monsters of the upper floors.
Although the enhanced Goliath was clearly toying with him, it remained cautious, not allowing him even a moment to breathe or retaliate.
Seriously… with this kind of intelligence, is this really a monster from the dungeon?
In the haze of consciousness on the brink of collapse, Kai seemed to see a vision of himself dying at the hands of this enhanced Goliath.
And in the very next instant—
"Get away, monster."
A cold and crisp female voice rang out beside him.
At the same time, he felt a warm embrace catch him, keeping him from collapsing to the ground.
"Rest for now. Leave the rest to me."
A tall girl with short wavy blue hair gently laid his broken body down, then stepped forward, shielding him as she faced the enhanced Goliath alone.
Kai immediately recognized her.
Asfi Al Andromeda—Princess of an Island Kingdom, known as the "Omnipotent One(Perseus)," an adventurer of the Hermes Familia. Publicly claimed to be only Level 2, but in reality, she was a rare Level 4 upper-tier adventurer.
Level 4. That alone placed her among the top tier of all Orario.
However—
"No—ugh..."
He tried to shout out to stop Asfi, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a flood of blood and bits of torn organs gushed from his throat.
Asfi was indeed powerful, but she stood no chance against this Goliath.
In the original story, even the normal Goliath from the dungeon had given her trouble. Let alone this enhanced version.
Kai didn't know the exact power difference between the two Goliaths, but he could feel it.
With stats nearly equivalent to a Level 3 adventurer, he was utterly helpless before this monster. Like a child facing a grown adult—helplessly toyed with. This wasn't the power a typical Level 4 Goliath should possess. It was more like Level 5, maybe even close to Level 6.
Asfi may have been Level 4, but her combat style leaned more toward support. Facing a strength- and constitution-type monster like Goliath in a one-on-one head-on fight was already a huge disadvantage. Against one this powerful, it was a death sentence.
No way. She can't win… She'll definitely die.
Just as Kai feared, Asfi was quickly overwhelmed after just a few exchanges.
What should he do? Run?
Watching the battle unfold, Chen Mo's throat moved as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and his vision wavered.
The best move now would be to run. While Asfi held off the Goliath, he could flee to the floor's vertical shaft and make his way to the 18th floor—find the Sword Princess from the Loki Familia and bring her back for help.
If it's her, not even this monster could survive!
Move! Hurry!
Run! It's not cowardice! It's the smartest move!
Go to the 18th floor. Find the Sword Princess...
—But what kind of coward would do that!?
His whole body was trembling and groaning in pain. Every cell screamed at him to flee this hellish battlefield. But Kai couldn't forget.
Just a short while ago, this same blue-haired girl had stepped forward while others stood by coldly, and saved him from that one-sided slaughter.
Why would Asfi risk her life to save a stranger like him? Was there some hidden reason? Was she ordered to?
He didn't know. He didn't care.
All he knew was—she saved him.
So how could he possibly turn and run now?
Find your courage! Don't be a coward!
His soul screamed louder than his pain, and at last, his body moved again.
"Guh..."
He swallowed down the blood welling up from his chest as he forced himself to stand. His fingers clenched tightly around his sword hilt, and he took a step forward.
Broken bones were pulled taut by straining muscles just to keep him upright. The pain was unbearable—yet the numbness dulled it.
Can't believe I'm doing something this stupid…
Pushed past the threshold of agony, he became numb to it. And so, Kai started to run.
Blood marked his path as he sprinted toward the battlefield.
His black sword was lost. He couldn't use Dual Blades. The bonus from his solo-player attribute was gone due to Asfi's assistance. His current stats barely reached a low-tier Level 2...
Even so, he still had one trump card.
"The Strategy Fiend."
As he ran, he activated the bloodthirst mode of the [Strategy Fiend] skill.
He still didn't know how to use the fourth-layer [Light of Resolve], but the [Strategy Fiend] had clearly described its effect in the system menu.
Devour life force with sword intent, and unleash sword aura.
If possible, Kai wouldn't have chosen to use something so obviously dangerous.
But now, it was his only hope. His only salvation.
The skill activated, and a sharp, fierce sword intent surged from his body.
Normally, this intent would radiate outward to suppress others—but this time, it turned inward, toward Kai himself.
The moment it entered his body, Kai's face went deathly pale—even though he hadn't screamed during all his earlier pain.
The sword intent slithered through his bones, muscles, and blood vessels like a blade of ice.
It wasn't conventional pain. It was a trembling, soul-deep terror.
He could feel it—his life slipping away.
In exchange, a faint red glow began to emerge from his body.
Though faint, it carried a powerful, undeniable presence.
Sword aura.
Kai tried to control the aura and easily enveloped his rapier's blade with it. As if it were an extension of his own body.
But to wield power in exchange for life—what a cruel skill...
He gave a silent sigh, then dashed directly into the battle.
…
Asfi deflected another strike from the Goliath, forced back several steps, her breathing ragged. She cursed under her breath.
From the start, she knew this Goliath wasn't ordinary. Its massive size and deep crimson exoskeletal armor clearly screamed—power.
But she hadn't expected it to be this powerful.
Its strength was many times her own—no, dozens of times. She couldn't match it head-on.
Even with all her might, she couldn't leave a scratch on that armor.
It's over. Everyone here is going to die. There's no way to win.
But maybe… if she could hold on longer… maybe a few could escape...
Lord Hermes went too far this time. There'll be no one to clean up his mess anymore. Would he even feel regret?
As she thought that—
A black figure streaked past her, glowing with a blood-red light, and rushed straight at the Goliath.
"Run!"
A loud voice snapped her out of her daze.
Her pale blue eyes locked onto the black-clad figure. The voice still echoed in her ears—
"Head to the 18th floor! The Loki Familia is stationed there. Find the Sword Princess!"
Shouting at her to find help, Kai charged toward the Goliath, crimson sword aura blazing around him.
He poured everything he had into his grip.
—Slash!