Chapter 24: Sword, Drink My Blood!
The massive body, over ten meters tall, cast a shadow that seemed to obscure his entire vision.
The ground thundered heavily under its trampling feet, a burning heat rushed towards his face—the enhanced Goliath roared and initiated its charge.
The rapidly approaching "mass" sent warning bells ringing wildly in Luke's mind.
Its speed, several times faster than the previous floor master, even matched his agility attribute which had been boosted to over a hundred points.
In a flash of lightning, Luke only had time to raise the rapier vertically and assume a receiving posture.
The next moment, an irresistible force slammed him violently away.
His body spun continuously in mid-air, dissipating the overly fierce force.
But even so, when Luke landed, he couldn't help but spray out a mouthful of reversed blood.
The fractured parts of his bones sent piercing, heart-drilling pain due to the forced movement, and his already ruptured internal organs now felt like they were burning.
"Luke-kun!"
"Senpai!"
"Luke-san!"
"Someone... can anyone go save him?!"
"You've got to be kidding, that monster... is it a variant of Goliath?"
The voices of the crowd coming from afar fell upon Luke's ears, yet seemed indistinct, as if filtered through a layer of water.
So heavy...
Sword is heavy, footsteps are heavy, body is heavy, breathing is heavy, thoughts are heavy.
Multiple overlapping images appeared before his eyes.
Intense and sharp tinnitus swept through his mind.
His mouth and nasal cavity were filled with an inescapable, thick smell of blood.
"AIOOOOOO—"
Goliath's roar exploded before him.
Luke looked up.
A massive crimson hand rapidly enlarged in his vision.
The ferocious force stirred up airflow, blowing his coat hem backwards.
Facing the enhanced Goliath's attack, Luke's mind went completely blank.
He subconsciously followed his combat instincts, raising the rapier, once again assuming the receiving posture, and endured this heavy blow.
"Bang—"
Amidst a sound like forcefully striking a rubber tire, Luke turned into a black line and flew backwards.
While his body was still airborne, a crimson figure caught up, and with a reverse palm strike, slapped him back again.
Like a child playing with a ball, the enhanced Goliath didn't rush to end this human's life.
It even restrained part of its power, just so Luke could last a little longer.
Too cruel...
Not far from the enhanced Goliath's "playground," observing this brutal and absurd scene, almost all the adventurers couldn't help but frown and clench their fists.
But, even so, not a single person was willing to go up and help Luke.
This bizarre enhanced Goliath, whether it was its appearance and size completely different from a normal Goliath, or the power it displayed, made these adventurers feel apprehensive from the bottom of their hearts.
Bell Cranel and Liliruca did want to rush up and help Luke—at least to temporarily attract the enhanced Goliath's attention, but they were grabbed by the arms, one left and one right, by Hestia.
"Luke-kun..."
Her azure eyes stared unblinkingly at Luke, who was being treated like a ball and batted around by the enhanced Goliath not far away.
Divine brilliance surged in Hestia's eyes, faint streams of air swirling around her.
Noticing the change in Hestia, Hermes slightly opened his eyes, a rare look of gravity appearing on his face.
"Hestia."
"I know..."
Glancing faintly back at the solemn-faced Hermes, Hestia continued to look at the one-sided massacre not far away, her voice trembling slightly.
"If... if something happens to Luke-kun, I'll entrust the children in my Familia to you, my friend."
Hearing Hestia's words, Hermes instantly understood her meaning.
Hestia, this supreme goddess, actually intended to use her divine power for a mere mortal, even if it meant being expelled back to the upper world afterwards.
Luke Starr... What exactly is your background?
That sharpness that faintly stings even a divine soul, and Hestia's obsession with you...
"This is really..."
Gazing deeply at Hestia, who was preparing to unleash her divine power regardless of the consequences, Hermes turned his head sideways and spoke to the blue-haired girl standing behind him, "Asfi-chan, it should be alright, right?"
Staring at the enhanced Goliath for a while, Asfi Al Andromeda's expression turned somewhat grim, but she still nodded.
"Barely, I suppose."
"Oh my, to actually make Asfi-chan say something so vague, seems like the situation isn't optimistic, huh?"
Regarding her main god's unreliable teasing, Asfi didn't retort, merely pushed up her glasses with her hand, then took out a dagger shimmering with faint silver light from her bosom.
"Is this person really that important?"
Assuming a charging stance, she asked Hermes one last question.
"If we're talking cost assessment, Asfi-chan, you've miscalculated... His existence itself is the symbol of the Hestia Familia. It's far from time for his curtain call yet."
"I understand."
Nodding, Asfi gripped the dagger tightly, her entire person turning into a gale and rushing out.
...
Scorching heat, pain.
Luke endured the continuous attacks of the enhanced Goliath.
Its huge palms slapped onto his body, each time causing large patches of filthy blood to burst from him.
Am I... going to die...?
The excessive injuries caused his mind to detach from his body, observing this completely unequal battle from a strangely clear perspective.
"Whoosh—"
A fierce gale assaulted him, blowing up his blood-soaked black clothes, followed immediately by a heavy, ponderous giant palm landing on his body.
Sent flying violently by Goliath again, the tearing pain from his shattered internal organs gave Luke a suffocating feeling.
He opened his mouth wanting to groan, but the bloody foam welling up in his windpipe blocked it back.
Counterattack...
Such a thought surfaced in his mind.
Immediately, the hand gripping the sword hilt subconsciously tightened.
His body remembered the unique techniques he had developed through countless slaughters.
However, just then, the enhanced Goliath's attack descended again, smashing the newly gathered strength along with the thought of resistance into powder, giving him absolutely no chance to resist.
Cruel, merciless, just like when he used to slaughter those monsters on the upper floors.
Although the enhanced Goliath was indeed toying with him, it maintained sufficient caution, absolutely not giving him any chance to catch his breath or resist.
Really... Such intelligence, is it really a monster from the Dungeon?
In his hazy consciousness on the verge of collapse, Luke seemed to see the scene of himself dying at the hands of this enhanced Goliath.
The next moment...
"Get lost, monster."
A cold and crisp girl's voice sounded beside him.
At the same time, it seemed a warm embrace held him, preventing him from falling directly onto the ground.
"You rest well for a bit, leave the rest to me."
The tall girl with wavy blue short hair carefully laid down Luke's battered body, then shielded him behind her, facing the enhanced Goliath's attack alone.
Staring at the battle between this girl and the enhanced Goliath, Luke certainly recognized her.
Asfi Al Andromeda, the princess of a sea nation, an adventurer of the Hermes Familia known as the "Perseus," publicly claimed to be only Lv.2, but was actually a rare Lv.4 high-level adventurer.
Lv.4, this could already be said to be the top-tier combat power standing at the pinnacle of the entire Orario.
But.
"No— Uwaah..."
Opening his mouth wanting to stop Asfi, but as soon as Luke spoke, large amounts of filthy blood mixed with organ fragments gushed out from his throat.
Asfi's strength was indeed formidable, but she definitely couldn't defeat this Goliath either.
In the original story, she already had some difficulty dealing with the Goliath modified by the Dungeon, let alone this enhanced Goliath.
Although he wasn't clear exactly how big the strength gap between the two Goliaths was, Luke could still roughly discern their relative strength.
With his attribute values equivalent to a Lv.3 adventurer, he was completely unable to put up any resistance against this enhanced Goliath, like a toddler facing a grown strongman, easily toyed with, easily played around with.
This was definitely not the power a Lv.4 Goliath should possess.
Perhaps it had already reached Lv.5, or even touched the threshold of Lv.6?
In contrast, although Asfi was a Lv.4 adventurer, her combat style leaned more towards support.
Fighting head-on against a monster like Goliath, famous for its strength and constitution, was already disadvantageous for her, let alone facing this monster whose strength far surpassed its peers.
It's no good, can't win... Definitely will be killed.
Just as Luke predicted, Asfi merely exchanged a few blows with the enhanced Goliath, and within a few rounds, she was already struggling.
What to do, should I run?
Staring intently at the battle happening before him, Luke's throat moved up and down slightly.
The taste of blood filled his mouth, his vision becoming somewhat wavering.
Undoubtedly, the best choice he could make now was to escape.
While Asfi held back the enhanced Goliath, quickly escape into the floor's vertical passage, enter the 18th floor, find that Sword Princess of the Loki Familia, and ask her for help.
If it was her, no matter how formidable this enhanced Goliath was, it would definitely meet its end!
Quick! Move quickly!
Run! Run! This isn't shameful! You're just making the most correct choice!
Escape to the 18th floor, find the Sword Princess, ask her for help...
—What kind of coward would actually do that!
Every part of his body was groaning, trembling.
Every cell was pleading with Luke, telling him to leave this cruel battlefield, but Luke couldn't forget.
Not long ago, it was precisely this blue-haired girl who stood out from the crowd, when everyone else chose to watch coldly, who rescued him from that suffocating massacre!
Why on earth would Asfi risk her life so much for a stranger like him?
Was there some hidden reason?
Or was she ordered by someone?
He didn't know, nor did he want to know.
He only understood one thing—it was this girl who saved him, therefore he absolutely couldn't commit the despicable act of turning around and running away!
Gather your courage!
Don't be like a coward!
His soul roared, overpowering his body's retreat.
Thus, his body regained the ability to move.
"Gulp..."
Swallowing a surge of stagnant blood that rose from his chest cavity as he stood up, Luke tightened his five fingers, firmly grasping the sword hilt, then took a step forward.
The fractured bones were held together by powerful muscles to maintain the body's movement, but what followed was pain that pierced deep into the marrow.
Really... Didn't expect I'd actually do something like this, isn't it a bit too stupid...
The excessive pain surpassed the limits of nerve tolerance, becoming numb, but making it less difficult to bear.
Luke started running.
Running wildly, stepping on bloody footprints, sprinting towards the battlefield ahead.
Having lost the black sword, unable to activate the Dual Wielding state, the Solo Player's attribute buffs also disappeared due to Asfi's help just now, basic attributes only at Lv.2 H-rank level... but, even so, Luke still had his own trump card.
"Strategy Demon."
While running towards the battle circle, Luke communicated with the system, activating the Bloodthirsty state of Strategy Demon.
The specific usage method of the fourth-tier Incarnate Skill was still unknown, but Strategy Demon clearly stated its skill effect in the description.
Consume HP with sword intent, release sword qi.
If possible, Luke didn't want to use this ability that sounded very dangerous just by listening.
But at this moment, this skill was his only hope.
His only salvation.
As thoughts raced through his mind, the special effect of Strategy Demon activated.
A sharp and piercing sword intent suddenly rose from Luke's body.
Normally, this sword intent mostly radiated outwards, releasing pressure against others.
However, at this moment, the one facing the sword intent was Luke himself.
The instant the sword intent entered his body, Luke, who hadn't cried out in pain even when his bones were broken and tendons snapped from severe injuries, turned deathly pale.
A cold sensation, like a blade's edge, crawled along his bones, muscles, and blood vessels, winding through his body.
It wasn't pain in the usual sense, but a trembling and fear originating from deep within the soul, from the inside out.
He could feel it—the feeling of life(HP) slipping away bit by bit.
As the price for this, a faint red glimmer emerged on Luke's body.
Although it was only a faint, thin layer, it was filled with a powerful "presence" that couldn't be ignored.
Sword qi.
Luke tried to control this faint red sword qi.
Without much effort, he managed to wrap the rapier's blade with the sword qi, controlling it as easily as moving his own arm.
But after all, it's power exchanged with my own life(HP), what a cruel skill indeed...
Sighing silently in his heart, Luke immediately increased his speed again, directly rushing into the battle circle.
...
Asfi blocked another attack from the enhanced Goliath, staggering back several steps, her breath unsteady, while secretly lamenting.
From the beginning, she knew this Goliath would definitely not be easy to deal with.
Whether it was its massive body compared to ordinary Goliaths, or the hard, deep red exoskeleton armor, all conveyed a simple, direct message—powerful.
But she absolutely hadn't expected this enhanced Goliath to be formidable to this extent.
Several times... no, ten-odd times stronger than her at Lv.4, completely impossible to confront head-on.
An exoskeleton comparable to knight's heavy armor, even she couldn't break through even a small crack with her full strength.
It's over, all the adventurers here are doomed, absolutely impossible to win.
However, if she could hold on for a while longer, maybe a few more people could escape...
No matter what, Hermes-sama was really too reckless this time.
With no one to clean up his messes in the future, I wonder if he'll occasionally feel regret?
Just as she was thinking this.
A black shadow, mixed with crimson light, swept past her, rushing straight towards the enhanced Goliath.
"Run!"
While Asfi was stunned, a loud shout brought her back to her senses.
Her pale blue pupils focused on the back of the figure in black clothes, the stern voice seeming to still echo in her ears.
"Go to the 18th floor, the Loki Familia is stationed there, find the Sword Princess!"
Loudly instructing Asfi to find the Sword Princess, Luke gripped the sword hilt tightly, charging straight towards the enhanced Goliath, wrapped in crimson sword qi.
Then, he poured all his remaining strength into the hand holding the sword.
—Swing the sword!
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