Amid the chaotic melee, in less than half an hour, the Rudra Familia suffered devastating losses. Only the two captains and two Level 2 adventurers were left, barely clinging to life.
The entrance had been blown shut!
Their only chance of survival was to escape to the 18th Floor—the safe zone.
Roy knew this as well. He stationed more than twenty Pure Titans to guard the passage leading downward, sealing it completely shut, and unintentionally providing cover for the Xenos at the same time.
The elf girl was covered head to toe in blood—though none of it was her own, all of it belonging to the dead.
She had vented all her rage on these people. Although most members of the Rudra Familia had died to poison and the Pure Titans, more than twenty had fallen by her hand alone, including several Level 2 executives.
Deep within her sharp gaze, the flames of vengeance burned fiercely as she stared at the remaining survivors.
On closer inspection, the four remaining members of the Rudra Familia were in no better condition. Their stamina and mental strength were at their limits, and fear of death weighed heavily on them.
They stood back to back, resisting the Pure Titans, zombies, and Dungeon monsters. Ironically, the dark familia that never trusted its own members now had no choice but to entrust their backs to one another at this life-and-death moment.
Roy emerged from the fog.
Five Pure Titans remained at his side at all times, protecting him and clearing away any zombies or monsters that approached.
When they saw him, the four survivors' faces turned cold, killing intent surging forth.
New monsters. Poison gas. A collapsed entrance…
As the saying went, the ones who understood you best were often your enemies. They knew that such a meticulous and insidious plan could never have come from "Gale Wind," that single-minded elf. That left only one possibility—the boy standing before them.
"So the younger generation is truly terrifying. To think we'd fall at the hands of a brat like you. If I escape, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the world," the Rudra Familia captain sneered.
A threat from a Level 3 adventurer would make most people's scalps tingle.
Roy, however, was utterly unimpressed. "In that case," he said with a grin, "I really should make sure you all stay here."
The dark-skinned man twitched at the corner of his mouth. You're only Level 1—could you at least show some respect to a Level 3?!
Failing to intimidate Roy, his gaze shifted to the elf girl. "Ryuu Lion, do you really think you've already won? Do you think we came unprepared?"
Ryuu's expression remained cold, her killing intent only growing stronger.
The dark-skinned man spread his grin wide. "Using Firestones to blow up the passage… I have to say, we thought of the same thing!"
Ryuu frowned.
The man barked an order. "Jura! Help her remember how terrifying that monster was!"
One of the remaining Level 2 adventurers, an orange-haired catman named Jura, stepped forward. A previously unseen excitement gleamed in his narrow eyes. "Ryuu Lion, aren't you curious? About where that monster came from!"
Ryuu's face darkened. "What are you trying to say?"
Jura sneered. "That day, we used a huge number of Firestones. Based on my theory, if you cause large-scale destruction to a floor, that monster will appear!"
Ryuu already knew this from Roy, but hearing it spoken aloud still filled her with unease.
Jura spread his arms wide and shouted, "That's right! We're going to summon that monster again!"
They were still only working on speculation and had no time to test it, but cornered like this, they had no choice but to gamble on a dead horse. If it worked, all the better.
Roy watched their performance with an indifferent expression.
Ryuu, however, had her deepest fear stirred. She hugged her slender body, breathing rapidly. "Stop! If that thing appears—"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Jura lit the fuses without hesitation. More than fifty Firestones they had secretly brought in detonated at various points, violent explosions erupting as blazing light filled the cavern. The walls shattered, and the entire floor trembled.
If they'd had help from the Thanatos Familia, they could have brought in hundreds of Firestones.
Firestones were originally fuel for blacksmiths, requiring extreme heat to forge weapons. With some modification, they became explosives of tremendous power.
Countless chunks of rubble rained down.
Roy commanded the Pure Titans to act as shields, blocking all the falling debris for himself and the elf girl.
Most of the Dungeon monsters, zombies, and Pure Titans were buried deep beneath the rubble.
Yet after the thunderous explosions, aside from turning a vast area into ruins… nothing happened.
The four remaining members of the Rudra Familia stared at each other in silence, an awkward stillness filling the air.
That wailing roar never came.
Ryuu gradually steadied herself and looked toward Roy.
"Juggernaut won't be born on the upper floors."
Roy did not disappoint her. "The Juggernaut is essentially the Dungeon's irreparable 'howl' when it's damaged. Under the suppression of Ouranos' divine authority, the upper floors are incapable of 'howling.'"
Watching Jura and the others make fools of themselves, Roy sneered. "Looks like your guess was only half right."
Hearing Roy's explanation, the four survivors finally understood the conditions behind the Juggernaut's birth.
"You deliberately chose the 10th Floor for the final battle."
Jura's face twisted in fury. The Juggernaut only appeared in the middle, lower, or deep floors—it would never manifest on the upper floors near the surface (Floors 1–12).
"If I were going to let you summon that monster, do you really think I'd make such a rookie mistake?" Roy lowered his head slightly. Had he been wearing glasses like in his previous life, the glare off the lenses would have made him look every bit the villain.
"Damn you—die!"
Having been completely outplayed, the vice-captain snapped. Suppressing his rage no longer, he charged forward like a madman.
His greatsword swung down viciously, the gleaming blade reflecting Roy's calm, placid face. Even with the Wind-Chasing Boots, Roy couldn't dodge a full-force strike from a Level 3 adventurer—but he was certain that blade would never reach him.
Clang!
A golden figure flashed in front of Roy. Ryuu stepped in, blocking the strike with her wooden sword.
Despite the vast difference in their physiques, her slender arms seemed to contain endless strength. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn't budge her an inch.
A one-level difference was absolute!
Even the weakest Level 4 adventurer could easily handle two or three Level 3s—let alone Ryuu.
As long as the Juggernaut didn't appear, Ryuu was once again the swift and decisive elven warrior. Her sky-blue eyes locked coldly onto the Rudra Familia's captain and vice-captain.
Roy swept his gaze across the 10th Floor. The once-spacious cavern was in ruins. The Firestone explosions and falling debris had wiped out most of the Dungeon monsters, zombies, and Pure Titans, cutting their numbers by more than half.
With a thought, Roy ordered the remaining Pure Titans to hold back the monsters and zombies.
Finally, his burning gaze settled on the orange-haired catman, Jura.
With his current status, it seemed he might be able to challenge a Level 2 adventurer.
This was his adventure.