Chapter 219: The Dungeon's Malice!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dense volleys of Noble Phantasms shot forward like arrows, moving with incredible speed and overwhelming density.
A dazzling spectacle unfolded before everyone.
Golden Noble Phantasms tore through the air like countless arrows, bombarding the entire area ahead as though Ethan were sweeping the battlefield clean.
Swish!
The Juggernaut continuously dodged.
One or two Noble Phantasms striking it would not matter much, but with this many attacks packed so densely together, its movements could easily be restricted.
Its defense and endurance were not particularly high, either.
After all, it was a special Irregular created by the Dungeon.
Although terrifyingly powerful, its lifespan was extremely short. Once it rapidly slaughtered its designated "targets," it would not be long before it perished on its own.
Now, under the bombardment of the Gate of Babylon, the Juggernaut's movements were heavily restricted, preventing it from fulfilling its purpose.
Pshk!
Suddenly, a special Noble Phantasm hidden among the D+ Rank weapons shot out from the Gate of Babylon.
Before the Juggernaut could react, it pierced straight through one of its legs.
Looking closely, it was a strangely shaped, sickle-like weapon with a sharpened inner edge.
The blade severed deep into the Juggernaut's leg and lodged itself against the bone.
"ROAR!"
An enraged howl echoed through the cavern.
The Juggernaut could sense that this weapon was no ordinary blade.
A strange power had already invaded its body through the wound.
Immortal-Slaying Blade.
Any wound inflicted by this weapon could never regenerate.
It was said to possess the power to nullify immortality. The hero Perseus had once used it to sever the head of the sleeping Medusa.
Ethan had deliberately chosen this weapon because the Juggernaut possessed a similarly troublesome ability.
In the original story, after losing its right arm and part of its tail in battle, the Juggernaut devoured other monsters and used their flesh to replace the missing parts of its body.
Not only that, it even acquired some of the abilities belonging to the monsters it consumed.
It became almost like a Chimera from a fictional tale, an unprecedented [Irregular].
It could be said that this was one of the most dangerous crises the protagonist had ever faced.
Without protagonist luck, he might truly have died.
Swish!
At the same time, another peculiar "sword" launched a surprise attack toward the Juggernaut.
Its appearance was somewhat unusual.
Cursed Tool: Inverted Spear of Heaven.
It possessed the special ability to nullify Cursed Techniques.
The Juggernaut's magic-reflecting armor was, in essence, similar to a special type of magic—or perhaps a Cursed Technique.
More importantly, at this moment, the Juggernaut was filled with malice toward Ethan.
That malice did not originate from the creature itself.
It came from the Dungeon.
Ethan did not know why, but the only two Special Quests he had ever triggered were enough to suggest something.
Even when he faced the ancient monster Antares, no Special Quest had appeared.
Yet inside the Dungeon, it had happened twice.
And both times, the circumstances had been almost identical.
The Dungeon hated the gods.
And apparently, it also harbored malice toward him.
Ethan did not care.
He already carried [All the World's Evil].
What difference would a little more "malice" make?
If anything, this was beneficial to him.
The Dungeon's malice had triggered two Special Quests for him.
That was a good thing.
The rewards were generous.
Pshk!
The Inverted Spear of Heaven pierced directly through the Juggernaut's back.
Immediately afterward, the strange sheen covering its exoskeleton disappeared.
Pshk! Pshk! Pshk!
One Noble Phantasm after another pierced straight into the Juggernaut's body.
The sight stunned everyone.
Ryuu was especially shaken.
The "Juggernaut" that had destroyed everything she possessed five years ago with absolute terror was now being overwhelmed so easily by Ethan.
Had Ethan already become this powerful?
"ROOOAR!"
A miserable howl rang out.
Eyes filled with pure killing intent stared fixedly at Ethan.
Suddenly, Ethan experienced a strange sensation.
It felt as though the Juggernaut's "eyes" did not belong solely to the creature itself.
Rather, some other existence seemed to be looking at Ethan through its eyes.
"The consciousness of the Dungeon?"
"ROAR!"
The Juggernaut continued howling.
Everything seemed unchanged.
Even though Ethan had been carefully observing it, he could not find anything unusual.
But the outcome was already decided.
The Juggernaut could no longer survive.
"I'll assume that's you, then."
"I don't know why you keep showing such intense malice toward me, but I don't really care."
"If anything, I'm curious…"
"Which one of us is more 'evil'—you, or me?"
Ethan's words were practically a provocation directed at the Dungeon itself.
Swish!
The next second, black mud surged from beneath Ethan's feet.
It rushed forward and swallowed the Juggernaut whole.
In only an instant, the entire creature was completely consumed.
With that, Ethan absorbed a considerable amount of magical energy.
However, at his current level, that small amount of energy was hardly worth mentioning.
"Brother… you killed that monster?"
"Yeah. It's dead."
"Thank goodness. I survived…"
Bors immediately collapsed onto the ground and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
It was finally over.
For a moment, he had genuinely thought he would die here today.
"The monster's dealt with, but our trouble isn't over yet."
"Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Bors had only just relaxed when his heart immediately jumped back into his throat.
A terrible feeling rose inside him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chaotic noises echoed from the end of the cavern.
Then, an enormous tide of monsters surged toward them.
There were countless aquatic monsters—Blue Crabs, Kelpies, Aqua Serpents, Crystal Turtles, and many more.
Even through the air, huge numbers of Iguazu came racing toward them.
Good grief.
The troublesome Juggernaut had only just been dealt with, and now came a Monster Party?
No.
At this scale, it was more like a monster outbreak.
"It's been a while since I really let loose."
"You lot can be my targets."
Buzz!
The black blade of Excalibur in Ethan's hand began glowing.
Scarlet patterns across the demonic sword released a brilliant crimson light, like the eyes of a demon slowly opening.
"Master…"
Watching the rising black magical energy, Sarah grew somewhat expectant.
Every time she witnessed Ethan's overwhelming power, she found herself both shocked and fascinated.
As a Xenos, compared to mere appearance, she was far more drawn to the absolute strength of the powerful.
…
(Don't forget to vote, review, and leave a comment below! :D The more you vote, the more chapters I upload.)
...
Read more chapters(25+):
patréon.com/U22
(Note: Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.)