CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 100: SO THOROUGH THERE’S NOT EVEN A SCRAP LEFT?!

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

While the appearance of a Juggernaut was extremely rare, it wasn’t unheard of.

During a previous expedition, the Loki Familia had also encountered one—though that time, it was in the lower floors.

The cause had been a large-scale explosion that severely damaged the Dungeon’s structure, which then triggered the Dungeon’s retaliatory response.

Now, with this sudden deep-floor Juggernaut, the group couldn’t help but make the connection.

Though Finn couldn’t fully grasp the implication behind Ryota’s words, he still offered reassurance:

"Ryota, don’t say things like that. We’re a team."

"Even if this monster is tough, it’s not unbeatable."

"As long as we divide our firepower properly and fight while retreating, we can take it down—though it might cost us some time."

But Ryota shook his head.

"Captain Finn, you know that’s not what I’m worried about."

"This is a Juggernaut born from the deep floors—it’s not like the ones in the lower floors that you can slowly chip away at."

"If we try to fight while retreating, it’ll never stop chasing us."

"Even if we manage to kill it, the cost will be steep. Most importantly, we’ll waste far too much time."

"That’s why... we need to erase it completely—until there’s not even a scrap left."

The group fell silent at Ryota’s assessment.

Even Riveria and Gareth, both seasoned veterans of multiple expeditions, couldn’t hide the heaviness in their expressions.

Because Ryota was right.

Tactically speaking, a hit-and-run approach was usually the safest method, keeping risks manageable—against normal enemies, that is.

But this thing was no ordinary monster. It was a killing machine crafted by the Dungeon itself—a manifestation of the Dungeon’s will.

It wasn’t designed to fight, but to purge.

It didn’t roar or posture when it appeared—its first action was to lock onto Ryota and the others’ position.

As long as they lived—as long as there were invaders on this floor—it wouldn’t stop.

And worse yet, the Juggernaut could consume other monsters to regenerate itself.

One slip-up, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

Ryota scanned the group.

"Let’s not forget, our goal is to break through to the fifty-eighth floor. We’re not here just to get stalled by a Juggernaut."

After a few seconds of silence, Finn was the first to respond. His voice carried a note of apology and self-reproach.

"...Understood, Ryota. I didn’t consider everything."

"So what’s the plan? Do you want us to cover you while you use that... skeletal giant?"

That skeleton—just thinking about it made even a seasoned Level 6 like Finn shudder.

Next to him, Lefiya spoke up as well.

"Or... how about that Third Kazekage guy? He looked really strong too."

But Ryota shook his head.

"No need for Susanoo."

"And I don’t need the Third Kazekage either."

Before his words had even finished—

BOOM—!!!

The Juggernaut suddenly sprang forward, its limbs pounding the ground with deafening force as it charged straight at them!

"Riveria!!"

At Finn’s signal, Mama prepared to chant—but Ryota, standing beside her, simply raised a hand and whispered softly:

"Come."

"—Asura Path."

A pulse of soul-shaking energy swept through the air.

A black shadow dropped from the sky.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, that descending figure bent its legs mid-air, gathering all its mass and strength into a single blow—

And smashed its knees down onto the Juggernaut’s skull!

The Juggernaut’s body folded into a V-shape from the impact and slammed into the ground with devastating force.

BOOM!!!

Rocks flew, dust billowed.

The entire battlefield fell silent once more, with only a massive crater left behind.

Through the swirling dust, a dark figure leapt from the pit.

And then—

click click click click click—!

That chilling sound of mechanical limbs shifting echoed across the field.

At Ryota’s signal, the Asura Path’s form twisted grotesquely. Metal frameworks expanded wildly, six arms and three faces emerging in an instant.

Fwoosh—!

With a shrill hiss of compressed air, all six arms raised simultaneously, aiming at the smoking crater.

BOOM!!!

In just one second—six artillery blasts.

Then a second volley. A third. Mechanical arms rotated in synchronized waves.

BOOOOMMM—!!

Blazing light erupted. Deafening explosions roared across the entirety of the thirty-seventh floor like an apocalyptic barrage wiping the world clean.

"Th-this..."

Lefiya stood frozen, staring at the bombardment.

Compared to this, her earlier spell—Fusillade Fallarica—was a joke. This wasn’t even in the same league.

And it still wasn’t over!

Just when everyone thought the attack had ended, the Asura Path lowered its head, and—clack—its skull opened up.

Laser cannon!

"Hsssss—!!"

A blinding blue-white light gathered at its head and then—

SHRRRAAA—!

A laser beam the size of a giant pillar blasted into the crater!

The entire thirty-seventh floor quaked. It felt like even the Dungeon itself was trembling in fear.

No one knew how long it lasted—it felt like an eternity.

Eventually, the rumbling underfoot faded into silence.

The air was thick with the stench of scorched metal, but the suffocating pressure had dissipated like a receding tide.

The Juggernaut was gone.

No movement came from the pit.

Then—

swish—!

A black shadow vanished from the edge of the crater and landed silently before Ryota.

The Asura Path had returned to its humanoid form. Its eyes glinted coldly as it knelt on one knee and reported respectfully:

"Target eliminated, Master."

Ryota nodded.

If a Juggernaut could survive that level of bombardment, it’d be a damn ghost.

Finn, Riveria, and the others—

Were all completely petrified.

Like statues frozen in time, they stared blankly at the scene before them.

"Th-this is..."

Riveria was the first to find her voice again, speaking in a dry, uncertain tone.

"His name is Asura Path. Long-range fire support type."

Then, as if remembering something, Ryota added:

"He’s the same type as that you saw before—the one that summoned beasts."

"There are four more like him."

Everyone: "...?"

Finn stepped forward slowly, still looking dazed.

He stood at the edge of the crater and peered down.

Yep. Not even a trace left.

Black smoke still lingered, and the ground looked like it had been baptized by the end of days.

After a few seconds of silence, Finn suddenly understood what Ryota meant by ’not even a scrap left.’

There probably wasn’t even a particle of its aura left in the air!

Tiona blinked and sidled up to Ryota, whispering:

"Ryota, seriously—are you secretly raising an army of monsters or something?"

Ryota shrugged and chuckled.

"Come on now, don’t say that. I’m just trying to finish the expedition."

Ais stood quietly off to the side, her gaze fixed on Ryota’s profile, a strange emotion flickering in her golden eyes.

She was already Level 6, and she’d thought that was strong enough to fight beside this black-haired boy.

But now, she realized—

She was still so far behind him.

So far that he felt... completely out of reach.

At that moment, Riveria furrowed her brows, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Wait... Ryota."

"You just had the Asura Path unleash hell for almost a full minute... Wouldn’t that level of destruction risk triggering another Irregular?"

"Like... a second Juggernaut, but stronger?"

The moment she said that, everyone’s expressions changed.

If another one appeared, this would turn into a full-on apocalyptic survival scenario.

But Ryota just smiled, as if he’d been waiting for someone to ask that.

He dusted off his hands and replied:

"Relax. Before I gave the Asura Path the order, I already told him to go easy."

Everyone: "...?"

Ryota went on:

"That laser cannon? If I let it go all-out, it could burn straight through this entire floor."

"And if that happened, forget an Irregular—the whole Dungeon would go berserk."

"I only told him to eliminate the Juggernaut, not collapse the thirty-seventh floor."

"Plus—"

He pointed to the crater.

"The Asura Path’s entire attack range was carefully confined to that pit. He avoided all key structures and didn’t trigger any chain collapses."

"So no, there won’t be another Irregular."

Then, with a sheepish grin:

"I still have a healthy respect for the Dungeon, you know?"

Silence fell again.

Everyone stared at Ryota like he was some sort of monster.

Even taking down a monster had to be this meticulously planned?

Every move, every detail—Ryota had calculated everything from the start.

He wasn’t just strong—he was the kind of strong that stayed three steps ahead and ten times more precise than you.

Finn rejoined the group, sighing with deep emotion:

"Having you in our Familia... is truly our greatest blessing."

Ryota smiled and didn’t deny it.

The Loki Familia really knew how to offer emotional support.

...

Perhaps it was because Ryota had annihilated the deep-floor Juggernaut in such an absurdly over-the-top fashion, but the Dungeon fell eerily silent afterward.

The expedition through the thirty-eighth floor went surprisingly smoothly.

It was as if the entire maze had gone quiet out of fear of something—or someone.

Every monster they encountered was swiftly taken out by Ais and the others.

But this time, Ryota didn’t leave a marker on the thirty-eighth floor.

Instead, he placed the day’s second kunai on the safe zone of the thirty-ninth floor.

As for the next few floors—

From the fortieth to the forty-third, Ryota didn’t set up any new Flying Raijin marks.

First, the terrain on those floors was far too complicated. Some areas didn’t even have stable landing points.

Second, the floors themselves were enormous.

For regions nearly the size of the Orario city center, it just wasn’t worth the effort.

Who knew if the Dungeon might get pissed off again and throw another ridiculous Irregular at them?

Caution had always been Ryota’s guiding principle in life.

Even with all his cheat-like powers, he never let his guard down.

Not until they reached the forty-ninth floor.

The floor boss there was named Balor.

Interesting fact: this monster had once fought Ottar in a one-on-one duel.

That was back when Ottar was still Level 6. Out of boredom, he had ventured into the deep floors alone.

He battled Balor on this floor for three straight days and nights—yet the fight ended in a draw.

But this time was different.

This time, Balor wasn’t facing Ottar alone, but an entire crew of Level 6 elites like Ais and Bete.

And in the end, under a single blow from Ryota’s summoned Susanoo—

The monster that had terrified countless adventurers was reduced to a pile of black ash, scattered on the wind.

The fiftieth floor safe zone.

Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting mottled patterns on the forest floor.

The towering trees surrounding them reminded Ryota of the eighteenth floor—it felt like a hidden paradise.

Leaning against the trunk of a massive tree, Ryota closed his eyes and rested for a while.

Not far off, Ais approached, carrying a simple portable meal in her hands.

She bent slightly and handed it to him.

"Eat something."

Ryota accepted it with a smile and a nod.

"Thanks."

Ais didn’t say anything, simply sitting down beside him.

After a moment’s hesitation, the golden-haired girl rested her head gently on Ryota’s shoulder. Her movements were careful and slightly stiff, the kind unique to girls her age.

Ryota glanced sideways at her, then subtly relaxed his shoulder to let her rest more comfortably.

"What are you thinking about?" Ais asked suddenly.

"...Starting from the fifty-second floor up to the fifty-eighth," Ryota said quietly, his gaze drifting off into the distance.

"We’ll start seeing that Valgang Dragon bastard."

"That thing’s fireballs can ignore floor boundaries—it can attack from across layers."

Ais nodded silently.

The reason the Loki Familia had never been able to get past the fifty-eighth floor was, in large part, because of that Valgang Dragon.

"If we can take it down, then the fifty-eighth floor will be ours."

He chuckled softly.

"But no point thinking too far ahead."

"Let’s rest well tonight and aim to clear it tomorrow."

Ais let out a soft "mm" and leaned into him a little more.

They sat together in silence, the forest’s noise fading into the background, leaving only the whisper of the wind and the quiet rhythm of two steady heartbeats.

Ryota knew that starting from the fifty-second floor, things wouldn’t be so easy anymore.

He would need to use even more of his hidden cards to push the Loki Familia to the true summit.

"The reward for the third-stage main quest... I can’t wait."

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