"Clang!" The Juggernaut's attack was instantly blocked by Ren Isana. The magic staff in his hand began to transform, turning directly into his Tang Dao. After parrying the strike, a powerful force erupted from Ren Isana's hand, allowing him to leap back.
The moment Ren Isana retreated, the Juggernaut's long tail shot forward like a bullet, striking the exact spot where he had just been standing.
If Ren Isana hadn't moved, he would have been skewered on the spot. Seeing his opponent's reaction, Ren Isana couldn't help but marvel inwardly. *It truly lives up to its reputation as a monster created solely for slaughter.*
If he lost focus for even a second, he could genuinely be torn to shreds. Leaping backward into the air, Ren Isana didn't dare lower his guard. Instead, he quickly took flight. The purple figure lunged right at him, and the two began clashing continuously in midair.
This entire scene was witnessed by his classmates above. The battle had broken out so abruptly that no one even saw how the monster appeared, yet here it was, locked in fierce combat with Ren Isana.
Even Ais couldn't see it clearly. Watching the Juggernaut fighting Ren Isana, Ais's expression was incredibly solemn.
This monster's speed was simply too fast. Even she couldn't track its movements. If she were the one fighting it...
*I might die!!*
Ais quickly came to a conclusion. Without immense reaction speed and counterattacking capabilities, facing this incredibly swift monster meant she would likely be killed the moment she made a single mistake!
Her eyes were glued to the battle between Ren Isana and the Juggernaut. Currently, Ren Isana was flying in the air, continuously clashing with his opponent, but he was mostly on the defensive. The Juggernaut constantly used the Dungeon's walls to bounce around and launch relentless attacks at him.
"This is... ridiculous. I can't see a thing. What kind of high-level match is this?" Sora and the others were completely stunned. No wonder their class rep refused to let them participate and even had Ais stay behind to guard them.
If that monster charged at them, they would probably all be slaughtered in an instant, right? Haruhime Sanjouno's face was deathly pale. She gripped her Kagura Suzu tightly, ready to cast [Uchide no Kozuchi・Magic Mallet] on Ais at a moment's notice.
At this moment, Ren Isana had almost finished copying everything he could. The result, however, surprised him a little. This guy was purely a stat monster; it didn't possess any innate talents or skills for him to replicate.
The only thing he could copy was its [Magic Reflection]. However, Ren Isana had also learned its reaction speed and movement speed. Although these were just raw stats, it didn't matter. Through [Jianjigu], he had mastered the way it burst forward when moving, directly integrating these little techniques into his [Omni-Weapon Mastery].
"Clang!" Blocking the Juggernaut's attack once again, Ren Isana didn't let it get away this time. A terrifying power suddenly erupted from his hand as he activated the [Instantaneous Burst] technique he had copied from Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Swinging his Tang Dao, he sent the Juggernaut flying away. This scene immediately made everyone's eyes light up. Was Ren Isana finally starting his counterattack?
Just as everyone was thinking this, Ren Isana moved. He didn't use magic; instead, he directly employed his martial arts. Swinging his Tang Dao forcefully downward, he unleashed a massive blade of True Qi.
Ren Isana's True Qi and Magic Power were interchangeable. Whether it was True Qi or Magic Power, as long as he wanted to, he could switch between them at any time.
This slash blasted toward the Juggernaut. The monster, having just been knocked out of the air, instantly vanished from its spot and reappeared on the other side. After dodging Ren Isana's attack, it charged straight at him.
Its sharp claws swiped at Ren Isana once more. He blocked the strike with the blade in his left hand and swiftly reached out with his right hand to grab the sharp tail spinning toward him.
Exerting force with his left hand, he pushed the claws away. Then, his right hand instantly flared with power, grabbing the tail and violently flinging it to the side. The Juggernaut's body was thrown away just like that.
The moment he tossed his opponent away, Ren Isana's Tang Dao instantly transformed into a magic staff. A purple Magic Circle formed in a flash, expanding to envelop the area. [Spatial Barrier] was complete!
Ren Isana and the Juggernaut were locked inside. The Juggernaut, having just scrambled to its feet, glanced at the [Spatial Barrier] Ren Isana had cast and let out a cold, low growl.
A sheen of light flashed across its skin, but it was of little use. [Magic Reflection]? The spell wasn't even aimed at its body, so what exactly was it trying to reflect?
With the [Spatial Barrier] formed, the Juggernaut was trapped like a beast in a cage. The real battle was only just beginning. Ren Isana looked down at the growling Juggernaut. Its entire body was composed of Magic Stones.
As for its weakness, it lay in its head. As long as the core was shattered, it would lose its ability to move, meaning it would be completely dead.
However, hitting its head was no simple task. With such terrifying movement speed, that was the first problem that needed to be solved. If one couldn't even keep up with its speed, breaking through its defenses was out of the question.
This time, Ren Isana took the initiative to attack. With a loud bang, his figure vanished from his spot, launching an assault on the Juggernaut. His speed had been pushed to the absolute limit.
Ren Isana had quite a few methods to boost his speed. Combining Sora's [Divine Speed], [Instantaneous Burst], and the movement techniques he had just learned from his opponent, his speed in everyone's eyes had become just as fast as the Juggernaut's.
Facing the charging Ren Isana, the Juggernaut also launched an attack. A series of clanging sounds echoed within the [Spatial Barrier] as Ren Isana and the Juggernaut turned into two streaks of light, continuously colliding.
The people above could only hear the rapid clashing; they couldn't see the two combatants' movements at all. Even Sora, who possessed the [Divine Speed] talent, couldn't track a single thing.
She stared blankly at the battle below and couldn't help but complain, "Does the class rep have the [Divine Speed] talent, or do I? Why do I feel like my speed makes me look like a total rookie right now?"
Even though there was only a one-tier difference between them, it shouldn't be this exaggerated, right? It was one thing not to be able to see the Juggernaut's speed, but why couldn't she even see Ren Isana's?
It was truly bizarre and incredibly frustrating. She just didn't understand. Wasn't this a bit too absurd? *Class rep, could you please turn off your hacks?*
"Perhaps you can ask Ren Isana for guidance later," Asuna spoke up at that moment, slowly turning to look at Sora as she shared her thoughts.
Hearing Asuna say this, Sora couldn't help but freeze for a second. Ask Ren Isana for guidance? Ask him how to increase her speed?
"If I'm not mistaken, Ren Isana was constantly defending earlier in order to learn, right? Otherwise, he could have fought it head-on from the very beginning instead of just blocking," Yukino Yukinoshita also pointed out.
The thing that guy Ren Isana was best at was learning. At the start, he had been passively defending without making any effective counterattacks.
But this moment was different. Ren Isana had taken the initiative to strike, as if he had mastered something and was now reacting accordingly.
Don't ask how she figured it out. The first time Ren Isana beat her up, it was like this, and the second time too... She was purely used to it, which was why it was the first thing that came to her mind.
Listening to Yukino's words, Asuna nodded. She stared intently at Ren Isana inside the [Spatial Barrier] and said, "Even though Ren Isana can't learn our innate talents, he can still copy certain techniques."
"In Ren Isana's own words, every time we use our talents, there are certain variations. As long as he learns those variations, he can master the techniques. Isn't that exactly how we asked him for guidance on developing our talents before?" Yukino couldn't help but add.
Everyone in the class had asked Ren Isana how to develop their talents. That guy understood their abilities better than they did themselves. So, unsurprisingly, Ren Isana had used [Jianjigu] to learn that monster's movement techniques this time.
Hearing Asuna and Yukino's explanation, Sora's eyes immediately lit up. It wasn't just her; the others felt the same way. Everyone was filled with anticipation. If it was a technique, then anyone could learn it, right?
"Once this is over, I have to make the class rep teach me!!" Sora made her decision on the spot. No matter what, she had to learn this technique. As long as she mastered it, she figured she could possess the same terrifying speed as the Juggernaut.
"Besides you, I feel like Megumi Kato also needs to learn it. This kind of technique might be even more useful for her," Asuna nodded, thinking of Megumi.
Megumi Kato had always been developing in the direction of an assassin, but she lacked explosive burst speed. Now, a technique she could learn had finally appeared.
As long as she could master it, Megumi's strength would likely increase significantly. Slipping into the shadows and then bursting out in an instant to launch an attack... Probably no one would be able to stop that, right?
Hearing Asuna's words, Megumi also nodded. She was similarly staring intently at the scene below. Even though she couldn't see the battle clearly, she genuinely wanted to learn this kind of movement speed.
Ais gripped her rapier tightly, her eyes locked onto the battle between Ren Isana and the Juggernaut. Only at this moment did she truly feel Ren Isana's real strength.
Even though her Tier had increased, she still couldn't beat Ren Isana... This was truly absurd. *I'm still not strong enough,* Ais thought to herself. She could only barely make out the fight below.
Just as everyone was fully focused on the scene below, a purple figure was sent flying, crashing violently against the [Spatial Barrier]. It was the monster.
Through round after round of clashes, Ren Isana had caught its opening, then used an [Instantaneous Burst] to blast it away. The moment it collided with the [Spatial Barrier], the sound of something shattering echoed out.
The sturdiness of the [Spatial Barrier] went without saying; it was tougher than many metals. Meanwhile, the opponent was a monster made of Magic Stones. It would be a miracle if smashing into it like that didn't cause any damage.
Having sent the Juggernaut flying, Ren Isana launched a fierce assault. By the time it reacted, Ren Isana had already dashed right in front of it, thrusting his Tang Dao straight at its head.
Just as Ren Isana was about to land the killing blow, that tail instantly blocked his path. If he continued charging forward without stopping, he would likely be skewered right through.
But Ren Isana forcefully reacted in time. He changed his Tang Dao's trajectory from a thrust to a slash, cleanly severing the tail at an angle and sending it dropping to the ground.
The Juggernaut felt no pain. Even though its tail had been chopped off, it seized the opportunity to escape its spot, causing Ren Isana's attempt at a fatal strike to fail.
In fact, after fleeing, the Juggernaut instantly appeared behind Ren Isana, its long claws swiping at his back. Just as the attack was about to connect, Ren Isana's figure vanished.
He directly teleported to the ground, picked up the severed tail, stored it away, and then vanished again. The battle between the two resumed.
The Juggernaut had no concept of pain. Until its core was shattered, it would keep moving, even if its tail was cut off. Although losing its tail meant it had one less method of attack.
However, its dual claws were still incredibly terrifying, capable of easily tearing apart a person's body. A human's physical shell was probably no better than paper in front of it.
Blocking its attack, Ren Isana raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick, sending it flying into the wall of the [Spatial Barrier] once more. The sound of cracking echoed again, much more distinct this time.
After two collisions, its Magic Stone shell was on the verge of giving out. Ren Isana could clearly see the cracks spreading across its body.
Seeing this, Ren Isana moved again, charging forward to engage it in close combat. Only this time, its movement speed had noticeably slowed down.
Crashing into the [Spatial Barrier] twice had begun to affect its speed. It was no longer as swift as it had been at the start, and Ren Isana's speed now surpassed it.
Noticing this, Ren Isana quickly seized the opportunity, dashing right in front of it. He brought his Tang Dao down viciously onto its head, piercing it straight through from top to bottom.
After driving his weapon in, Ren Isana quickly vanished from his spot. Before its consciousness faded, the monster still managed to swing its claws forward. If Ren Isana had still been holding onto his weapon, he would have been sliced in half on the spot.
Ren Isana's swift retreat had saved his life. After having its head pierced, the monster's attack hit empty air. It slowly collapsed to the ground and finally lost all signs of life, leaving behind only a body constructed of purple Magic Stones to prove it had ever existed.
Looking at the collapsed Juggernaut, Ren Isana didn't step forward immediately. Instead, he watched quietly. Only after repeatedly confirming that there were no issues did he approach and retrieve his weapon.
"Phew! Finally took care of it." Looking at the Juggernaut before him, Ren Isana let out a long breath. After pulling out his Tang Dao and letting it revert to its magic staff form, he dispelled the [Spatial Barrier].
The people above breathed a sigh of relief as well. Thankfully, it had been a close call but no real danger. This boss had been dealt with by Ren Isana. Seeing the [Spatial Barrier] dispelled, Ais immediately jumped down.
Seeing this, the others hurriedly followed suit. Even Bell Cranel and Haruhime were carried down by the others.
Once everyone landed safely, they all walked toward Ren Isana. The first to reach his side was Ais, her eyes fixed on the Juggernaut that Ren Isana had slain.
"I can't beat it!" Ais stated bluntly. She wouldn't be able to handle that terrifying speed right away. If she were to fight it, she would likely suffer severe injuries.
"That's perfectly normal. It doesn't feel pain, and its entire body is made of Magic Stones. However, it does have an obvious weakness, which is its head. As long as you can catch a flaw in its speed, you can focus your firepower for a one-hit kill," Ren Isana explained the method for dealing with this Floor Boss to Ais.
Hearing Ren Isana say this, Ais sighed and slowly said, "But... I could only barely see your movements. How difficult would it be to catch a gap in that speed?"
Although she wanted to, actually pulling it off would be incredibly difficult. When the time came, she would probably be too busy just defending, let alone trying to counterattack.
"There will be opportunities in the future. Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you won't be able to do it later," Ren Isana said as he reached out, activating his Spatial Ring to store the monster's corpse away.
The Juggernaut's entire body was a treasure trove. Its claws, once dismantled and forged a bit, would make for excellent weapons. Naturally, Ren Isana wasn't going to pass up such materials.
"Perhaps." Ais remained rather pessimistic about it. At the very least, until she could break through to Tier 7, she probably wouldn't be able to defeat it in a one-on-one fight.
"Class rep, class rep! Did you just learn an acceleration technique from that monster? Can you teach me?" Sora ran straight up to him, looking at Ren Isana with adoring eyes.
She was Ren Isana's biggest fangirl, so she really wanted him to teach her those little techniques. Only then could her speed improve.
"We'll talk about that later. Let's find a place to rest first, and we'll continue deeper tomorrow. We've already killed both bosses on the 27th Floor, so next up is finding the Floor Boss on the 37th Floor," Ren Isana laid out his plans.
There was nothing left for him to learn from the Juggernaut via [Jianjigu]. So, the next target was the skeletal giant Udaeus on the 37th Floor. That giant was the real main course.
However, its strength would likely be even more formidable. After all, when it fought Ottar, it was able to directly send the Lv.7 Ottar flying. One could only imagine just how powerful it was.
Fortunately, Ren Isana had no intention of fighting it one-on-one. With its terrifying regenerative abilities, if you fought it solo, you'd better have an overpowered spell capable of vaporizing it instantly. Otherwise, you'd be stuck facing a boss with insane regeneration and a health bar so long it would poke you in the face from a mile away.
Hearing Ren Isana's words, Sora hurriedly nodded. She gradually calmed down. Now really wasn't the time to ask about this. It was already night outside, and they didn't even have a place to stay for the night yet.
After all, this area had been completely wrecked by Ren Isana's battle, so they needed to find a new, suitable spot to set up camp!