"So that's what Juggernaut is… a monster like that."
After returning to the 79th-floor shelter, Bell gave Ais a simple rundown of Juggernaut's characteristics, and she finally understood why it was called the "Cleaner."
Indeed, a monster like that truly deserved the title of "Cleaner."
It existed specifically to deal with adventurers that normal floor monsters couldn't handle.
"So the reason you always told me not to over-clear monsters on a floor… was to avoid triggering this 'Cleaner'?"
"Correct. Its appearance is a major problem. Once it shows up, it won't stop until it confirms every issue on that floor is resolved. Until then, it'll rampage nonstop."
I see. Now Ais understood why her teacher arranged things the way he did.
Given Juggernaut's traits, even Rea-level adventurers might not fare well against that "Cleaner." And worse, Juggernaut strengthened itself based on the floor it was born from.
Four legs, shaped like an earth dragon crawling low to the ground.
But unlike an earth dragon's solid muscles, Juggernaut's entire form was withered and gaunt, like a dried-out corpse.
Its body and torso were made entirely of Magic Stone, and the outer layer was unbelievably hard — even a first-class weapon couldn't leave a scratch on it.
Along with its naturally high defense, it possessed the special attributes of a "Cleaner."
"Magic Immunity."
True immunity to Magic.
Any spell that struck Juggernaut's exterior was instantly reflected back with doubled power.
Its speed was extraordinary.
Because Juggernaut was created with a special role, it naturally possessed strength far beyond every monster on its floor. That overwhelming speed was one of its deadliest weapons.
Combined with its hardened body and sharp claws, that speed gave it all the qualities of a perfect executioner.
It was practically a rule-breaking monster — one that could crush every adventurer present the moment it appeared.
A same-level adventurer facing Juggernaut would likely be driven to despair.
Bell himself had no desire to ever run into Juggernaut.
A monster as fast as he was, with an almost indestructible body, complete immunity to Magic… and it didn't even drop anything worthwhile after being killed. Who would want to deal with something like that?
"Teacher, does Juggernaut not have any weaknesses?"
Ais asked the question on instinct.
But the moment the words left her mouth, she hesitated. Would the dungeon's designated "Cleaner" really have any weaknesses?
"It's not that it has none."
"Eh?"
Ais had expected her teacher to say "no," so she looked at him, surprised.
"The best way to deal with Juggernaut is close combat. If you fight it in melee, you can handle it."
"Even though it's fast, if you have enough people, you can use certain tools to restrain its limbs."
"Once its speed is restricted, you'll have a chance to injure it."
Against an enemy that excelled at movement, suppressing its speed and limiting its space to act was indeed the correct approach.
"Next is Juggernaut's complete immunity to Magic. It can even reflect any spell that hits it, doubling the power in the process."
"But its Magic immunity isn't absolute in the strictest sense. It only applies to spells fired from a distance. If you use Magic at point-blank range, Juggernaut can't form the stance needed to reflect it."
"And once Juggernaut starts reflecting Magic, it can't move. As long as you're close enough and your attack is strong enough, you can interrupt its actions."
"If you take advantage of that, you can defeat Juggernaut — even shatter it entirely."
According to the original analysis of Juggernaut, these traits were very clearly defined. And its weaknesses were obviously tailored around the Magic used by the story's male and female leads.
It felt like a deliberately crafted enemy — one that looked invincible at first glance, yet still left the protagonists with a few exploitable openings.
Of course, for Juggernaut, these so-called weaknesses barely counted as weaknesses at all.
After all, no familia would enter the dungeon just to lure Juggernaut out and then specifically hunt it down.
At the very least, Bell would run the moment he encountered that thing. He had absolutely no intention of messing with that old bastard.
Bell made sure to warn Ais properly.
"Even if you're looking for someone to fight, don't go after Juggernaut. That thing is nothing but trouble."
"The weaknesses I mentioned aren't real weaknesses for most people. That creature is basically a rabid dog — stay as far away as you can unless you're deliberately looking for thrills."
For most adventurers, Juggernaut was pure misery.
But for a very specific type of adventurer, Juggernaut was the ultimate thrill-seeking target.
And that "specific type" referred exactly to Bell and Ais.
Because both of them had Magic capable of striking directly at Juggernaut's weak points.
Short chants and instant casting were practically Juggernaut's natural enemies.
But even if they had the ability to exploit Juggernaut's weaknesses, there was absolutely no need to pursue something that dangerous just for fun.
"Besides, the deeper the floor, the stronger Juggernaut becomes."
"The one that appeared on the 80th floor just now was nearly on par with the 'Corrupted Spirit's Fetus.' A complete nightmare."
Bell's expression twisted into a sour grimace just thinking about it.
"Sure, killing it isn't impossible, but… there's no point."
"Juggernaut isn't something you ever need to face head-on. As long as you hide your aura and leave the floor before it finds you, the rest is just waiting. Once it confirms the floor is empty, it'll disappear on its own."
Juggernaut was something they could safely ignore for now.
Bell was explaining everything this thoroughly because he didn't want Ais getting any ideas — especially not now.
Normally, he wouldn't worry too much, but he needed to go back for a bit, and he was concerned Ais might do something dangerous while he was gone.
Ais, sharp as always, immediately understood his real intention.
"Teacher… I won't go looking for Juggernaut."
Bell slapped a hand onto her shoulder, his voice more serious than she expected.
"You'd better not even think about it."
"I'm heading back to level up soon. Until I return, you stay in the shelter. Do not leave until I come back."
Bell really was worried she might try something reckless.
Do I look that foolish? Ais couldn't help feeling like her teacher was treating her like a child.
Her mind drifted to the moment earlier when he placed his hand on her head, and without thinking, she voiced the wish lingering in her heart.
"Teacher, if I wait for you to come back… can you agree to one condition?"
A condition? Bell looked at her, surprised. This was the first time Ais had asked for something like that.
But as long as she didn't wander off while he was gone, one condition wasn't a big deal.
"Alright. If you stay in the shelter and wait for me to return, I'll agree to one request."