"First, neutralize the Juggernaut's mobility—that's the correct approach."
The Empress couldn't help but praise the flawless execution.
"When dealing with a monster with such incredible mobility, the best strategy is to strip it of its ability to move. Once you take away its 'movement speed,' any monster loses the ability to resist."
Of course, it sounded easy, but the Empress knew that in practice, it would be far from simple.
When Bell had hit Juggernaut's foreleg with his charged attack earlier, it had only caused three cracks. If not for the number of strikes and the charging to make up for the attack's shortcomings, that blow likely wouldn't have shattered Juggernaut's limb.
An ordinary adventurer would likely have already been overwhelmed by its sheer speed.
"That monster's speed is truly astonishing. Even a typical Level 6 adventurer would be completely outmatched. And with its immunity to and ability to reflect Magic, it can only be confronted with brute strength."
"If someone tries to attack it with Magic, they'll be the one burned."
The Empress felt a headache coming on. This kind of monster was truly troublesome. It seemed like the only way to deal with it was to control its speed.
Perhaps its lack of regeneration was its greatest weakness.
Had those 373 monsters possessed superior regeneration, escape would have been the only option.
Alfia nodded slightly.
"This monster is too much of a counter to mages."
"Its entire body is composed of Magic Stones, which means it can only be defeated by completely shattering it. Otherwise, the only option is to escape."
Even Alfia understood how difficult it would be to face this monster.
Without Magic, she still had strength comparable to an adventurer of her level, but to match her magical prowess in close combat would be nearly impossible.
After all, due to past injuries, endurance and physical strength were her greatest weaknesses.
Alfia knew that even now, facing a monster that could counter Magic would be excruciatingly difficult.
"Leviathan might not be as troublesome as this one."
At least Alfia was certain that Leviathans could be hit directly by her Magic without it rebounding. No matter how many tricks the Leviathan had, landing a fatal strike when the opportunity arose was still possible.
But this monster before her—immune to Magic, capable of reflecting it—was an entirely different case.
Her track record against such Magic-immune monsters was abysmal.
Alfia's solemn confirmation was met with the Empress's approval.
"That's true. A Leviathan that you can bombard with Magic is far easier to handle than this type of monster."
"Still, if we had a few more people to suppress its speed, we might stand a chance."
Of course, imposing such speed restrictions on this type of monster would require an immense amount of manpower.
No wonder its endurance wasn't particularly high. If such a monster appeared in Orario, it would truly be a terrifying assault.
Moreover, if a monster this incompatible with Magic appeared on the surface, unaware adventurers would likely be wiped out.
Fortunately, this particular monster was merely a scavenger.
Highly aggressive, fast, with a body entirely made of Magic Stones—Juggernaut's advance could only be stopped by shattering it.
Add in Magic immunity and Magic reflection, and this monster was on another level. Without finding its weakness, any adventurer would fall victim to its "first-encounter kill."
Only Bell knew Juggernaut's traits and had the power to restrain it. Anyone else would have been instantly annihilated.
In the projection, Bell had already disabled Juggernaut's mobility and delivered the fatal blow. The image froze and shifted to Bell and the Spirit Guardian.
All the gods witnessed the battle firsthand, as it was part of the operation against Evilus. A Level 6 versus a Level 7 Spirit Guardian.
Of course, calling it a "battle" was a stretch—it was more like Bell toying with and immediately defeating the Spirit Guardian.
The entire pace of the fight was dictated by Bell. Whether it was his initial preemptive strike against the Spirit Guardian or the subsequent, blatantly ambush-like slash, both moves solidified his victory.
The Empress, watching the whole thing, just smiled and shook her head slightly.
"The 'Corrupted Spirit's Fetus' was so careless when facing the enemy, even going as far as to interfere with her own Guardian using her consciousness. Utterly foolish."
"She allowed the enemy's words to control her actions in battle, completely losing her own judgment."
"Her guardian's death was entirely her own fault. If the 'Corrupted Spirit's Fetus' hadn't been so focused on her guardian, he wouldn't have been so easily caught off guard."
"The outcome was decided almost with the very first attack."
Alfia remained expressionless, merely nodding with a hint of boredom.
"It's absurd for someone unskilled in combat to engage in battle."
"One wrong move in battle means death... Perhaps this is something the 'Corrupted Spirit's Fetus' doesn't understand."
Alfia, however, had observed Bell's combat style, and the admiration in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"On the other hand, he understood his disadvantage and chose to strike first. He has plenty of combat experience and enough strength, yet he chose a fighting style that's not typical for an adventurer."
"Yeah, that's true."
The Empress also felt that Bell's fighting style was far from conventional for an adventurer.
"Strike first, strike to kill—it's practically an assassin's way of fighting."
"And the boy excels at using his strengths. He hides his presence and builds up momentum secretly. These tactics allow him to deliver a lethal strike when it matters most."
Apart from that preemptive strike, Bell's combat experience was far from lacking.
"And his real-world experience is solid too—his composure facing that monster and his calmness against the Spirit Guardian. He remains calm in any situation. Perhaps this is what he means by 'cautious and prudent.'"
To the Empress, Bell didn't seem like a rookie who had only been an adventurer for less than a year. Instead, he resembled a seasoned veteran, an old hunter who remained vigilant at all times.