The sea of fire centered around Daedalus Street continued spreading outward, with the cries of citizens and roars of adventurers filling the air.
"Dammit, what's happened to this city?!"
A red-haired young man dressed in tight-fitting attire leaped between buildings, the distant flames reflecting on his face as he grew increasingly agitated.
"No idea."
A white-haired youth shook his head slightly in response.
"Lily strongly objects to helping now! It's obvious that dragon is far beyond what our Hestia Familia can handle! Do you all really want to die?!"
A chestnut-haired Pallum girl on the white-haired youth's back protested unwillingly.
"There must be high-level adventurers there already—let them handle any problems that arise!"
"But I still want to help, even if it's just offering a tiny bit of assistance!"
The white-haired youth gave a resolute reply.
The Pallum girl was momentarily left speechless.
"Haha, give it up, Lily! Not even ten Minotaurs could pull Bell back once he gets like this!"
The red-haired youth, Welf, let out a hearty laugh.
They were adventurers from the newly prominent Hestia Familia.
Like many other familias who had rushed to the scene, they intended to contribute their modest strength to Orario's crisis.
"Look, adventurers are making their move!"
Following Welf's pointing finger, the group quickly turned their gaze.
Numerous adventurers scattered from Daedalus Street into various alleys, launching arrows, magic, and magic swords at the evil dragon in the sky.
But the dragon hovered over 200 meters in the air—most attacks couldn't reach her, and the few that did were completely ignored. The flames licking her scales left not even a mark.
The dragon remained single-mindedly focused on attacking the dungeon below.
"What are they trying to do?"
Welf scratched his head, thoroughly puzzled.
Despite being utterly ineffective, the adventurers kept attacking repeatedly.
"Spreading out like that... they're not trying to defeat it. This continuous barrage... are they trying to divert the dragon's attention?"
Lily muttered to herself.
"I see!"
Welf suddenly understood, then pulled out a long, wrapped object from his back.
"In that case, I'll lend them a hand too!"
"Hey!"
Ignoring Lily's shout, he eagerly charged forward.
"Never thought this thing's first opponent would be such a terrifying enemy!"
Welf unwrapped the cloth, revealing the weapon beneath—a great black sword entwined with crimson patterns. Though made of metal, it radiated extraordinary heat.
"Here goes!"
A massive pillar of fire shot skyward.
The intense flames transformed into light, piercing through space to strike the evil dragon.
"What terrifying magic!"
Among the Freya Familia, a Level 6 elf holding a white staff was startled.
"No... that's a magic sword? What kind of magic sword has power rivaling my spells?"
The evil dragon's movements abruptly halted.
For the first time, she turned her spearpoint, directing a somewhat angry gaze toward Welf.
"Uh... is this bad?"
Welf shuddered, realizing he'd caught the attention of a terrifying monster, his forced smile growing strained.
"Did that brat not consider the consequences at all?"
The white-haired magic wielder muttered in disbelief.
"Ottar, assist."
Freya waved her hand with an indifferent expression.
"I'm quite fond of Orario as a stage. It would trouble me if it were destroyed."
"Yes!"
Ottar responded respectfully.
Immediately after, Orario's strongest warrior took a decisive step forward.
With a tremendous roar, Ottar transformed into a black streak as he charged forth.
His entire body flushed crimson, his eyes instantly bestialized—clearly entering his full combat state from the very first moment!
Like a roaring war machine, the boaz leaped from the ground, becoming a human projectile as he shot forward. His massive greatsword, held in both hands, descended like a sword of divine judgment.
Not toward the evil dragon—but straight toward the corrupted spirit!
"It's Ottar!"
"Orario's strongest is making his move!"
"Ooooh!"
Hope reignited in the adventurers' eyes.
Indeed, within Orario stood a warrior whose strength surpassed all others—a supreme existence who served as an insurmountable wall even for the Loki Familia with their multiple Level 6 adventurers!
BOOOOM—!!
A colossal explosion echoed throughout Orario.
The evil dragon flicked its wing in an instant.
Before the wind could even react, the descending figure became a black speck, sent flying backward at even greater speed than his approach!
Orario's strongest warrior became a human cannonball, plowing through over a dozen buildings before finally skidding to a stop nearly a kilometer away, kicking up massive dust clouds and shockwaves!
Witnessing this, all words failed those present.
Fear and panic flooded every heart.
"No way!"
"Even Level 7 Ottar... defeated in one strike?"
Despair hung over Orario's residents like storm clouds.
Gazing upon that evil dragon, the word "invincible" rose unbidden in every throat.
This was unwinnable.
How could anyone possibly defeat such a monster?
The gap was too vast!
"Don't panic! I stake my life on this—there absolutely is a way to defeat that evil dragon!"
Seeing the adventurers' morale bottom out, Finn quickly rallied them.
"Even if you say that..."
The adventurers looked up at the dragon in the sky.
After being attacked by Level 7 Ottar, she didn't even seem to register it as noteworthy, merely turning her head to search for whoever had unleashed those fiery pillars earlier.
The enormous power disparity bred only deeper despair.
"Allen, go rescue Ottar. Hedin, Hogni—distract the evil dragon!"
"Yes!"
"We'll die for Lady Freya!"
At Freya's command, her Familia members roared with desperate fury, unleashing their proudest techniques from all directions.
Yet the evil dragon remained utterly unfazed—a wingbeat scattered their magic, a breath attack sent them scrambling.
None could approach her.
Countless adventurers united couldn't even touch a single scale.
"This evil dragon's power... could it have surpassed Level 8?"
Freya's heart was unbearably heavy.
This evil dragon, brought forth as a trump card after absorbing vast amounts of magic and nutrients, undoubtedly possessed strength at the level of Level 8.
Yet, even an Level 8 shouldn't have been able to send Ottar flying so effortlessly.
In her thousand years of experience in the lower world, Freya had only witnessed a pressure greater than this evil dragon's from the Level 9 "Empress" of the Hera Familia!
This dragon's power had undoubtedly surpassed Level 8!
"How can Orario possibly defeat such an opponent?"