"Hmm, just as I initially analyzed. My understanding of Authority caused me to unconsciously focus its underlying concept into the attack. But it wasn't just that. It wasn't merely my cognition and concepts of Authority being used as weapons. It even triggered 'Godslayer'."
"Come to think of it, is this my Godslayer nature as a human?"
Bell wasn't entirely sure.
Humans possessed the potential to slay gods. Back when he was still an adventurer, he had truly gone for the kill when facing a god, and he had succeeded. At that time, the Godslayer trait he gained came from a "Development Ability."
But after his ascension, he had abandoned everything that originated from the "Falna System," including "Development Ability."
Bell had assumed that meant he no longer possessed any Godslayer traits. Yet this casual strike had unexpectedly drawn it out.
He couldn't give a definitive answer. He hadn't conducted any proper experiments, so there was no way to reach a precise conclusion.
"Ahhh…"
A muffled, indistinct sound nearby snapped Bell out of his thoughts.
"Oh, right. I forgot about you."
He had been so focused on examining himself that he'd completely forgotten about Goliath, the one who had helped him uncover this crucial detail.
Goliath's condition was… not good.
All four limbs were severed. Judging from the wounds, they had been caused by damage beyond recovery. Its massive body was almost completely immobile, with hardly a single intact patch of flesh left. Most of it had been torn open by sharp blows.
Half of one shoulder was missing, and its head drooped limply, as if it had lost the ability to turn it. Still, the occasional unclear groan proved that it wasn't dead yet.
It was difficult to describe the scene in words. If one had to, it was like a Barbie doll that had been completely pulled apart, with almost no part left intact.
Bell carefully stepped across the blood-soaked ground and stopped in front of Goliath's chest.
"Sorry, sorry. I've already gotten the answers I wanted. I'll send you off now."
He lightly tapped the massive magic stone with his foot.
"Crack!"
Cracks instantly spread across the sturdy magic stone, branching outward like a spiderweb at astonishing speed.
"Boom!"
Unable to withstand the collapse of its structure, the magic stone shattered completely.
At the same time, Goliath's enormous body crumbled into white ash.
"Alright. That's enough for today."
Bell glanced at the fragments of the shattered magic stone and the pile of ash on the ground. He didn't dwell on it and simply decided to rest for now.
Dungeon exploration was never something he planned to rush. For the first day, reaching the safe zone on the 18th floor was more than enough. He needed time to digest what he had gained and to adapt to his current state.
After briefly stretching his body, Bell headed straight for the 18th-floor safe zone.
Upon entering the area, Bell didn't spare "City of Rivira" a single glance. Instead, his eyes turned toward the makeshift shelter he had built long ago along the wall of this floor.
"Looks like what I built back then was pretty sturdy."
After confirming that the runes were still functioning properly, Bell nodded slightly and stepped into the barrier in a single stride.
"It can still operate, but without my direct control, it's not quite enough."
So before officially moving in, some adjustments would be necessary.
But before that, he needed to say a few things to Mother.
"Mother, from here on out it's private time. Don't spy on me even when I'm resting."
As he spoke, Bell directly applied concealment to the space he was in.
The projected image instantly blurred.
However, an extra line of text appeared beneath it.
[Ah! Naughty child!!! You won't even let your mom watch!]
Bell stared at the message with a blank expression. After everything that had happened today, he had gained an even clearer understanding of Mother's personality.
Still, it was better not to take that mischievous Mother too seriously.
As Bell went offline, the gods gathered in Babel Tower also temporarily stopped watching.
"Looks like that's it for today."
The dungeon conquest had reached the 18th-floor safe zone in one go. As an opening act, that was already impressive. And today's information haul was more than enough, especially the power Bell had just displayed.
Zeus felt that today had been sufficient.
Bell was clearly in the process of adapting to his strength, and the biggest gain today was likely that he had already tested both his lower and upper limits. Tomorrow's progress should pick up speed.
Feeling more at ease, Zeus's gaze drifted toward those brats of his who had somehow come back from the dead.
"Now I can—"
Just as Zeus was about to wrap things up and head home to rest, the third projection suddenly began to move.
The image still showed the same young boy with a youthful face, but the panic and confusion from earlier were gone. His expression was calm, almost unnervingly so.
Everything inside the wooden hut seemed to have been packed away, though it was unclear where any of it had gone.
Without making a sound, the boy opened the door and stepped outside.
It was evening.
Choosing to set out at such a dangerous hour was undeniably risky, but because of that, no one in the village seemed to notice his departure.
The boy immediately took the main road. It was the right choice, especially at dusk.
The wilderness at night was extremely dangerous, with monsters far too common in the darkness.
He was completely alone. No guards. No one watching over him. He had to protect himself.
He walked carefully along the road, wearing what appeared to be nothing more than a single cheap coat.
The projection sped up. When night fell, the boy didn't continue onward. Instead, he set up a small tent by the roadside and rested.
Zeus frowned deeply.
"This kid… he's got real guts."
Setting up a tent and sleeping out in the open, in the middle of nowhere, without a village ahead or an inn behind. Wasn't he worried about monster attacks?
Yet the boy really was that bold. As the projection fast-forwarded, not a single monster appeared throughout the night.
The boy who had just left the village passed his first night safely, carried by nothing but sheer luck.