"Haaahhh!!"
------------------------------
"Rumble, "
The vast underground space shook violently, countless falling rocks shattered by that heaven-breaking strike, while flames spread across the ground like a burning carpet.
At the exit of the chamber, the members of the Loki Familia widened their eyes in shock. They only saw a blinding flash of light, and in the next instant, the spirit clone, once radiating fury and singing its eerie song, froze in place like a puppet with its spring broken.
"Clatter, "
The vibrations of the environment passed into the monster's body, and then…
Everyone seemed to hear the sound of something breaking. Starting from the head, the monster's body slowly disintegrated until it turned completely into ash!
All were veteran adventurers; they instantly understood the truth.
That finishing blow from Fron, one that seemed to pierce everything, had directly passed through the enemy's body and shattered its core, the magic stone.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
The magical glow around Fron had vanished. He dropped to one knee, leaning heavily on his staff, gasping for breath.
The moment he exited his state of Total Concentration, waves of pain surged through his limbs and torso, crashing into his mind like a flood.
His face went pale; his expression was strained.
His cracked lips were even bitten open by his own teeth, bleeding nonstop.
The golden irises, once shining with blue magical circles, now dimmed to lifelessness. His whole body seemed drained, even his very bones howling in agony.
Ais' eyes flashed. Her golden hair fluttered as she darted forward like the wind, arriving at Fron's side and supporting him with visible worry.
"Fron, are you alright?"
Forcing a faint smile, he shook his head at the girl, showing her not to worry.
"I'm fine. I just stacked too many amplifications at once, and my body couldn't endure it. You know how it is… my magic is too strong, the side effects…"
The girl bit her lip and nodded.
Lower-leveled people might not notice, but Ais, Gareth, and the other executives could see clearly: that last strike had definitely surpassed Level 6 standards. Fron had poured every ounce of his strength into that attack, it was his strongest blow yet.
Even the city's mightiest First-Class Adventurer, Ottar, would likely not have been able to withstand it.
Ais believed this with confidence. After all, no one understood Fron better than she did.
And the stronger one was, the more clearly they could feel just how much power had been contained in that strike.
A state where one elevates their craft to the highest possible mastery.
This attack might not have reached that Level 8 yet, but Fron was certain, it had pushed him a giant step forward. Perhaps… he truly had a chance to touch the threshold of that Level one day.
With that thought, the young man, supported by Ais, raised his head, looking at everyone with a faint smile.
"Woooahhh!!"
...
"Bang, "
The members of the Loki Familia erupted into cheers and victorious roars at Fron's overwhelming display of power.
In sharp contrast, the projection showing the Evilus stronghold filled its occupants with suffocating pressure.
A shattering glass sound rang out from the altar. Beside the death god Thanatos, the beauty goddess Ishtar's face twisted in rage, her divine composure shattering as she cursed like a common shrew.
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! The Bull of Heaven? This is it? Are you kidding me?!"
Realizing her words were too crude for a goddess and her image was collapsing, Ishtar's eyes burned with fury as she glared at Thanatos.
"Enyo swore to me this thing was Level 7, yet it got taken down by some Level 6 nobody in a single hit? What kind of joke is this!? Thanatos, I expect an explanation! Otherwise, our cooperation ends here, you'll never get a single coin from me again!"
"…"
Barca, face dark, sneered with two cold chuckles at the quarrel between the two deities. Without caring about their reactions, he picked up his tools and disappeared into the hidden passage.
As a descendant of the great Daedalus, he had only one obsession: completing the grand work his ancestor had failed to finish for a thousand years. Everything else meant nothing to him.
Seeing his elder brother, leave without a word, Dix let out a twisted laugh, clutching his cursed red spear.
Unlike Barca, Dix was a rebel. He loathed the bloodline inside him, sought to break free of its cursed shackles, and so indulged in his pleasures, torturing "monsters" and savoring their screams, just the thought made his body shiver with excitement!
He could hardly wait any longer.
"Hehehe, this isn't my problem. You'll have to take it up with Enyo yourself, after all, you were the one who initiated this plan. Now that it's failed, isn't the responsibility yours? Besides… instead of wasting time picking fights with us, shouldn't you be worrying about how to cover this up? Since you failed to stop the Loki Familia, once they return to the surface, they might share the news with the Freya Familia. And isn't that woman your real enemy?"
Ishtar clenched her fists, biting her lip, her expression extremely ugly.
She glanced at the death god, who looked completely unconcerned, as if the matter didn't involve him at all. Her perfect teeth nearly cracked from how hard she was grinding them.
"Hmph. We're leaving!"
"Yes, Lady Ishtar."
The death god tilted his head slightly, watching her departing figure, whispering only to himself:
"Enyo… you sly bastard. Stirring the pot from behind, trying to have us tear each other apart so you can swoop in for the spoils?"
"No… that doesn't fit him. He's a hedonist, schemes like that would bore him. What is he really plotting? Could he have a trump card even I don't know about?"
As he pondered, Thanatos' violet divine eyes gleamed with cunning light under the flickering torches.
...
The plan had completely collapsed. With Fron tearing through almost everything, Evilus was now on the brink of defeat. On the return journey, the Loki Familia encountered no obstacles at all, reaching the upper levels in just over an hour.
The massive door connecting to the underground waterways was within reach, and cheers erupted among the group.
Likewise, their companions standing guard at the gate, and the chief god Loki, heard the sound of footsteps echoing from the passage.
"They're coming out!"
Having waited anxiously all day, Lefiya rushed eagerly to the gate, eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.
She wasn't disappointed. Soon, a flash of dazzling golden hair caught her sight.
Her face lit up, and she waved happily, calling out:
"Ais, you, eh!? What… how could this be?!"
Before she could even finish her words, upon seeing the state her companions were in, her voice broke, and not just hers, but every face around her froze in shock as well.