The respawn time for a Floor Boss typically ranges from one week to a month.
It had been about half a month since Alice last took down the Floor Boss of the 17th floor, so it was perfectly normal for Goliath to reappear now.
What was slightly concerning, though, was that the earlier advance team hadn't managed to lure Goliath out.
But now that the Floor Boss had shown up right in front of them, all they had to do was deal with it—even if this newly respawned Goliath seemed much stronger than before.
For the main force of Loki Familia, however, it still wasn't much of a threat.
That said, for the members still at Level 3 and Level 4, a Goliath of this caliber was a rare and worthy opponent.
Finn stepped forward and called out to the group, "Anyone here looking to achieve a Great Feat? It might not be possible for Level 4s, but for Level 3s, this Goliath is a pretty good opportunity."
"Wooooh!!!"
No one answered with words.
Instead, the members of Loki Familia roared in unison, voicing their determination.
Hearing their spirited cries, Finn smiled faintly. "Seems everyone's on the same page. Do your best."
With that, he returned to the main group, ready to observe as their members took on this seemingly enhanced Goliath.
Without any direct orders, twenty or thirty Level 3 and Level 4 members of Loki Familia rushed toward Goliath all at once.
The warriors moved fluidly, leaving numerous wounds across Goliath's body.
The mages continuously bombarded it with spells.
Goliath roared in fury, its voice echoing with rage.
The main force watched calmly from the sidelines, ready to step in and rescue anyone who found themselves in danger.
Suddenly, Riveria approached Finn. "Finn, don't you think there's something strange about this Goliath?"
Finn furrowed his brow, raising a hand to his chin as he replied gravely, "...Yes, I thought so too. While it's likely an irregular occurrence, this Goliath feels excessively strengthened by the Dungeon. The Goliaths we've encountered before never had such absurd defense and recovery."
The Loki Familia members had inflicted numerous injuries on the creature.
Yet none of the wounds were severe enough to be critical. Worse, as soon as they appeared, steam began rising from Goliath's injuries. By the time the steam faded, the wounds had already closed completely.
"What's more," Riveria added, her eyes glinting, "this Goliath isn't actively attacking our members. Instead, it's moving toward us—as if it's searching for a specific target among our ranks."
"Exactly," Finn nodded. "This Goliath clearly has the potential of a Level 5. If we leave it alone, it'll only grow stronger. It seems our members won't be able to defeat it—we'll have to step in eventually."
"Can't be helped," Riveria sighed. "Their basic abilities haven't reached the cap yet anyway, so there's plenty of room for growth. It'd be nice if they could achieve a Great Feat here, but it's no great loss if they can't."
For a familia like Loki's that regularly embarked on expeditions, opportunities to achieve Great Feats were plentiful.
"What I can't figure out," Riveria mused, "is what this Goliath is after. Why ignore our attackers and head this way with clear purpose? Is there something among us that's drawing it in?"
"That… would probably be me." Just then, Alice's voice sounded beside Riveria.
"I can sense intense killing intent from that Goliath directed at me. So, unless I'm mistaken, I'm its target."
Alice spoke calmly, standing beside Ais and Lefiya.
After Alice finished, Lefiya spoke up, "I also think Goliath's target is Alice-chan. Last time we were in the Dungeon, Alice-chan obliterated Goliath in a single move."
"There's no proof, but we all know the Dungeon has a will and a memory. It's possible this Goliath strengthened itself for the sake of revenge against Alice…"
"Um… that's what I think, anyway…"
Lefiya's voice grew quieter as she spoke.
After hearing her out, Finn thought it over carefully, chin in hand.
"That's not only possible—it's highly likely."
Then he turned to Alice.
"In that case, Miss Alice, if Goliath's target really is you, what do you plan to do?"
If possible, Finn wanted to see Alice in action.
He had witnessed her abilities once before within Loki Familia and estimated her to be around Level 4 as a mage.
Ais and Lefiya also claimed she was very strong.
But nothing compared to seeing it for himself—that way, he could make an accurate assessment and formulate a proper battle plan once they reached the deeper floors.
Finn's gaze was sharp and perceptive. Alice was no fool, and she quickly guessed what he was thinking.
She gave a faint smile and said, "Could you please call back the members of Loki Familia, Captain Finn? I'll take care of this big black brute."
"Understood." A slight grin touched Finn's lips before he raised his voice and shouted, "This Goliath is an enhanced species! Anyone who feels outmatched, fall back now! We don't have much time to spare. If you can't earn your Great Feat this time, there'll be other chances."
Hearing Finn's command, the members who had been slowly chipping away at Goliath thought to themselves, If we kept attacking a bit longer, maybe we could take it down.
After all, even scraping away bit by bit could eventually wear down bone.
But that wouldn't count as a true challenge for a Great Feat. Without Goliath fighting back, without a life-or-death struggle—how could that qualify?
So, upon hearing Finn's words, every last one of them gave up the assault and quickly withdrew.
They prepared to watch the main force step in and launch their attack.
However, just as everyone had pulled away from Goliath…
An incredibly cute, yet enormous, doll dropped out of the sky and landed right in front of the giant Goliath.
From its appearance alone, everyone immediately recognized it as one of the dolls made by their very own "Doll Princess."
Then the giant doll lifted what appeared to be a cloth-made "little" fist and swung it hard toward Goliath.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.