Ren Isana and his group found their advance slowing down. The sheer number of monsters in this undeveloped Dungeon was overwhelming, forcibly dragging down their pace.
Fortunately, they managed to fight their way to the 27th floor before nightfall. Staring at the entrance, the group exchanged glances before turning to Ren. Asuna couldn't help but ask, "Are we going straight in to kill the Floor Boss and spending the night here?"
Hearing her question, Ren nodded. Naturally, that was the plan. Otherwise, were they supposed to sleep in the corridor? Ren had no intention of doing that, so heading inside was the only option.
Seeing his nod, Sora eagerly chimed in, "Then let us handle it this time! Class Rep, Ais, you two stay out of it!"
Sora wanted to see if they could defeat the Floor Boss using only their own strength. Ren and Ais just needed to hold the line and watch over them.
"Sure, you guys can take the lead. Yukino knows ice magic anyway," Ren agreed easily. Since they wanted to try, he had no reason to stop them.
If things went south, he and the others could always step in. With the plan settled, the group made their way inside.
The 27th floor of this world's Dungeon appeared far more complex. Before they could even fully step inside, their path was blocked by massive tree roots. Frowning at the obstruction, Ren immediately ordered, "Step back!"
He pulled out his staff. Seeing this, the others quickly retreated a few steps. Ren aimed his staff forward, and the Magic Circle for [Piercing Magic Cannon] flared to life. The next moment, a devastating beam of light blasted outward.
*Boom!*
The [Piercing Magic Cannon] obliterated the roots in front of them, blowing the path wide open. The beam of light even shattered several other roots deeper within the 27th floor.
At the same time, the attack awakened the Floor Boss. The already-spawned monster had been slumbering in the lake, but the sudden explosion jolted it awake.
Ren had kept his [Perception Magic] active the entire time, so he immediately noticed the Floor Boss stirring. Seeing that it was awake, he glanced at the others. "Go on in. Handle it yourselves."
Sora and the others lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, they charged in. Passing through the newly blasted tunnel, they soon laid eyes on the underground lake.
They could sense the two-headed dragon, Amphisbaena, lurking beneath the water. Wasting no time, the group sprang into action, with Asuna immediately casting a layer of [Protection Magic] buffs over everyone.
Reaching the lake's edge, Yukino struck first. She unleashed an [Iai Slash], sending a surge of bone-chilling cold toward the center of the lake. As the ice-infused slash landed, the water's surface began to freeze over rapidly.
Sensing the danger, the ambushing Amphisbaena burst out of the water. Seeing the monster reveal itself, the rest of the group unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks without needing any orders.
They already knew exactly how to handle this familiar Floor Boss. The close-combat fighters targeted the red head, which could neutralize magic, while the magic casters focused their fire on the blue head.
Kumo, who had charged forward, immediately activated [Instant Cast]. She began spamming [Magic Bullet]s at the blue head as if Magic Power cost her nothing, while the others followed closely behind to support the assault.
Yukino continuously channeled her Magic Power to freeze the lake, creating solid footholds for the vanguard. Thanks to their seamless teamwork, the Floor Boss was quickly pinned down from both sides.
Ren, Ais, and Lefiya walked out of the tunnel, bringing Haruhime and Bell along. Watching the distant Floor Boss, Ren turned to Bell. "Bell, go hit it with a few [Magic Bullet]s."
Bell froze. He pointed at himself, then looked at the massive Floor Boss. "M-Me?"
*Is Ren joking? Can I really do that?* He stared blankly at the Floor Boss being suppressed in the center of the lake. *A Lv.1 like me, attacking the 27th-floor Floor Boss?*
"I'm not telling you to fight it head-on. Just toss a spell at it to tag it. This is your chance to earn some high-quality Excelia!" Ren looked at Bell, slightly exasperated.
Understanding Ren's intention, Bell didn't hesitate any longer and quickly ran forward. If he just needed to land a hit from a distance, he could definitely do that.
Once Bell left, Ren turned to Haruhime. "Haruhime, go cast [Uchide no Kozuchi・Magic Mallet] on Asuna to boost her level."
Haruhime nodded obediently and hurried off to join the fray.
With the two rookies deployed, Ren got to work. He glanced at Ais, Lefiya, and the others. "Let's clear out the roots on this floor to give them a better battlefield."
The members of the Loki Familia were briefly taken aback, but after surveying the area, they agreed it made sense. There were simply too many roots cluttering the floor.
"Alright!" Ais agreed without overthinking it. Drawing her weapon, she immediately started hacking away at the roots. Lefiya and Tiona joined in as well.
Seeing this, Ren quietly began using [Piercing Magic] to systematically clear out the vegetation. If he wanted to summon the Juggernaut, he needed to inflict a certain amount of structural damage to these floors.
This floor was completely overgrown. Given the Dungeon's regenerative properties, even if he destroyed a massive chunk of it, it would likely recover before long.
The 27th floor in the original Orario wasn't like this at all—here, they had to blast their own path just to get inside. Factoring in the spawn conditions for the Juggernaut, Ren had a theory he wanted to test.
His theory was that this floor needed to be completely shattered before it would reshape itself into the geographical layout of the original Orario's 27th floor. After all, wasn't that exactly what the Evils had done?
He decided he would just blast straight through the floor in a bit. He wanted to see if he could actually force that terrifying monster to spawn. While clearing the roots, Ren used his [Perception Magic] to scan for structural weak points.
Meanwhile, Asuna and the others were engaged in a fierce battle. Bell and Haruhime had successfully joined the fray. Seizing an opening, Bell fired off two [Magic Bullet]s, scoring a direct hit on one of the heads.
Haruhime, having reached a safe distance, called out, "Miss Asuna, please accept my magic!"
Hearing her shout, Asuna's eyes lit up. She immediately disengaged and fell back, while the others quickly stepped in to cover her retreat. Everyone knew exactly what Haruhime's magic could do.
It was a spell that could forcibly raise a person's level by one! If Asuna received the buff, her combat power would break through to Tier 5, making the fight significantly easier.
Not everyone was like Ren, capable of single-handedly suppressing a Floor Boss while only at Tier 4. Although their combined assault was currently keeping the Amphisbaena in check, taking it down quickly was far from easy.
Simply put, their overall attack power was lacking. They could deal damage, but it wasn't enough for a swift kill. Without Ren's absurd burst damage, it was a slow grind.
The power of [Uchide no Kozuchi・Magic Mallet] enveloped Asuna, instantly elevating her aura by more than just a single notch. Feeling the surge of new strength, Asuna grinned with excitement.
"Thanks!" she called out before dashing forward. With the wind howling around her and a vibrant green Magic Power cloaking her body, she charged straight at the blue head.
Taking her stance, Asuna rapidly executed several thrusts. Multiple arcs of sword aura shot forward, reaching the blue head in the blink of an eye.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
*Roar!* A miserable shriek echoed through the cavern as Asuna's attack violently knocked the blue head to the side.
Seeing the sheer impact of her strike, Asuna was thrilled. *So this is the power of Tier 5! This is amazing!* Fueled by adrenaline, she launched another assault.
The red head tried to support its counterpart by spewing a cloud of crimson mist at Asuna, but Kai suddenly intercepted it with a heavy slash, forcibly drawing its aggro back to him.
Watching the battle unfold, Ren decided to leave them to it. It was only a matter of time before Asuna and the others took down the Floor Boss. He refocused his attention on locating the structural weak points of the floor—not just below, but above as well.
With his [Perception Magic] fully unleashed, Ren mapped out everything on the 27th floor, including the deep geological structures beneath it. It didn't take long for him to find exactly what he was looking for—and conveniently, the two weak points were aligned.
One point connected to the floor above, and the other to the floor below. This meant that if Ren shattered the ceiling connecting to the 26th floor and caused a cave-in, the resulting impact would crash down and shatter the floor of the 27th level as well.
Ultimately, both the upper and lower layers would collapse, inflicting massive structural damage to the Dungeon. Having made his decision, Ren turned his gaze back to Asuna's group.
Empowered by [Uchide no Kozuchi・Magic Mallet], Asuna's combat prowess had skyrocketed. She had already finished off the blue head and was now leading the charge against the remaining red one.
Seeing this, Ren issued a command through their communication marks. "Finish it off quickly, then everyone fall back to the corridor leading to the 26th floor."
The sudden order caught everyone off guard, but they didn't question it. They intensified their assault, rapidly whittling down the final head. Even Ais and the others were confused about what Ren was planning.
After clearing out more roots, Ais and her group retreated to the entrance connecting the 26th and 27th floors. Following Ren's orders, Asuna's team went all out and swiftly decapitated the remaining head.
As the massive monster dissolved into ash, the group hastily scooped up its drop items and retreated to the corridor. Seeing that they were clear, Ren made his move.
A massive Magic Circle expanded from the tip of Ren's staff. He aimed it directly at a specific spot on the 27th floor's ceiling, a bizarre action that left everyone puzzled.
They instinctively extended their own perception toward the spot, curious about what he was aiming at. However, their senses were nowhere near as sharp as Ren's, and they couldn't detect anything unusual.
The [Piercing Magic Cannon] fired. In the same instant, Ren vanished, using [Teleportation Magic] to reappear right beside the group. Just as they were about to ask what he was doing, a deafening explosion rocked the cavern.
The [Piercing Magic] struck the absolute weakest point of the floor's structure. A second later, the entire level began to violently quake. The group's faces paled as they realized what was happening—the ceiling of the 27th floor was caving in.
Massive boulders plummeted from above, smashing into the ground below. The group stared in stunned disbelief. Asuna looked at Ren, completely dumbfounded. "Ren... are you trying to demolish these floors?!"
Just as she spoke, a colossal boulder slammed into the weakest point of the 27th floor's ground, triggering a secondary collapse. Ren casually cast a [Protection Magic] barrier to shield the group from the debris.
"Exactly. I noticed a key difference between our Dungeon and Ais's Dungeon. Their 27th floor must have collapsed multiple times in the past to end up looking the way it does!" Ren didn't deny it; this was exactly what he intended.
Ais and the others froze. Lefiya's face drained of color as realization hit her. "Are you trying to summon the special Floor Boss?!"
She knew all about the Juggernaut. It was the very monster responsible for annihilating an entire Familia and slaughtering countless adventurers in Orario's history.
"Bingo. Since we're already here, it'd be a waste to miss out on it. You guys stay in the corridor. I'm going down to fight it." Watching the Dungeon crumble before him, Ren's blood pumped with excitement.
Confirming his insane plan, Lefiya felt her scalp go numb. *Good grief, how is he this reckless?! If he can't beat it, we're all going to die here!*
"I'm going with you!" Ais's eyes sparkled with battle lust at the mention of a special boss. She had never fought a Juggernaut before, and there was no way she was passing up the chance.
"No. I need you to stay here and guard the others. That thing is insanely fast. If you're not careful, it could wipe out the entire group in the blink of an eye." Ren firmly rejected her offer.
He intended to face the Juggernaut alone. If he was going through the trouble of summoning it, he was going to solo it. Ais was better suited as the group's bodyguard.
Besides, having Ais in the fight might actually hold him back. He wouldn't have the luxury of worrying about friendly fire, so keeping her back to protect the others was the safest play.
Hearing his reasoning, Ais felt a pang of disappointment but didn't argue. She could always try to solo one in the future. She stared at the collapsing Dungeon. *So this is how you summon that boss? I'll remember this!*
With the structural weak points destroyed, the 26th, 27th, and 28th floors all caved in, creating a massive, gaping abyss right in front of them. Once the dust settled and the collapsing stopped, Ren dispelled his barrier. "Stay here. I'm going down!"
The group nodded. Haruhime, however, couldn't help but ask, "Lord Ren, do you need my magic?"
Ren shook his head. "No need. Save your magic for Ais. If I fail to contain the boss and it comes after you guys, cast it on her immediately."
*Are you kidding? I can just use your magic myself,* he thought. There was no need to waste her cast on him. With his instructions given, Ren leaped straight into the abyss, his figure vanishing into the darkness below.
Peering into the pitch-black pit, Sora swung her Spatial Backpack around, rummaged through it, and pulled out a massive, high-powered floodlight. She clicked it on and aimed the blinding beam straight down.
Seeing her do this, the others blinked in realization. Many of them had bought similar gear. They quickly pulled out their own floodlights and aimed them into the pit. In an instant, the dark abyss was illuminated as brightly as day.
A few of them even spread out along the edge to ensure there were no blind spots. Landing at the bottom of the pit, Ren looked up at the blinding array of spotlights and felt a wave of exasperation.
*Well, I suppose this works too.* He surveyed his surroundings. He was currently standing on a massive mountain of rubble formed by the collapsed debris of the upper floors.
Water cascaded down from all sides. Both the 27th and 28th floors had underground lakes, and with the floors shattered, all that water was now flooding into the pit.
He had fallen all the way down to the 30th floor, which was vastly larger than the levels above. Keeping his [Perception Magic] active, Ren noted that the cascading water was already beginning to flood the immediate area.
The massive destruction across multiple floors had finally triggered the Dungeon's defense mechanism. Ren suddenly felt an intense, predatory gaze lock onto him. Through his perception, he could feel a terrifying entity radiating a bone-chilling aura being born.
A massive Magic Stone breached the surface of the ground, rapidly forming into a three-to-four-meter-long reptilian creature. It had elongated limbs, razor-sharp claws, and a long, spiked tail. Its dark purple skin gleamed with a cold, metallic luster.
The Juggernaut had finally appeared. It spawned in the darkest shadows of the cavern; had it not been for Ren's sensory abilities, he likely wouldn't have even noticed its presence.
It had locked onto Ren before it was even fully formed. The exact moment its birth was complete, the creature vanished from its spot. Moving with teleportation-like speed, it appeared directly in front of Ren, raising its lethal claws to strike.
*Speed on par with teleportation...* Staring down the monstrous Juggernaut right in front of him, Ren's blood boiled with absolute exhilaration. He activated [Jianjigu], instantly and comprehensively replicating everything about the creature before him.
Whether it was its blinding speed, its lethal attack power, or its absolute magic-reflecting armor—Ren was taking it all. After all, wasn't this exact moment the whole reason he had destroyed these floors in the first place?