Chapter 22 The Guardian Of The Strongest
After reaching the 31st floor, we took a 3-day break and embarked on our third exploration.
This time, we plan to reach the 41st floor in 2 days.
And so, our first day of exploration begins.
From the 31st to the 35th floor, we'll be exploring a place known as the "Ruined City Floor," where we'll search through a city-like area that stretches on and on.
However, this city isn't one built by humans.
――It's a city of giants.
Giants are a legendary race that flourished on the earth before modern humans, and are now completely extinct. For some reason, they appear as monsters in this labyrinth, God's Remains Labyrinth.
The buildings and structures around us are all enormous, making it clear that they weren't built for humans.
This floor is like an incomplete recreation of a once-thriving city, or perhaps a reflection of someone's memories of a ruined city. It's a mysterious place, with a sky above despite being underground, and it's hard to describe the sense of unease that comes with exploring this eerie, abandoned city.
As we walk through the giants' abandoned city, we can't help but feel like we've shrunk down to a tiny size.
All the monsters that appear are giants.
They're over 4 meters tall (≈13.1 feet tall), with bulging muscles and armor-like skin. Their fighting style is similar to ours, with a mix of close-range and long-range attacks, as well as magic.
They're intelligent, just like humans, and often work together to attack us in groups. They might even launch surprise attacks from atop giant buildings or around corners.
Even a simple kick or punch from them can be a fatal blow, and their magic can be devastating.
Fighting enemies at this level would normally keep the ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫ busy protecting the 4 members of the [Four Great Families of the Seals]――but that wasn't the case.
For the members of the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫, this was already a cleared floor.
It's no big deal to take down the giant monsters that appear on the road. Plus, since we're fighting as a team of 5, excluding the Iron Wall Alliance, thanks to Eva's instructions, it's a piece of cake. Honestly, there's no way we'd struggle with this lineup.
Well, so at first, we were taking turns fighting one-on-one like we always do, but...
"What's with you guys?! Can't you take this seriously for once?! If you don't fight with a clear head, I'll cut off your support!"
Eva got angry at us.
It seems like we're getting a bit too relaxed in this deep 31st floor.
"Excuse me, but we are taking this seriously."
"I don't think there's anything to worry about."
But it's frustrating to be seen as not taking things seriously. So I argued back, but...
"Don't mess around! If you keep taking the labyrinth lightly, you'll get hurt someday!"
"Please, fight seriously If we get attacked, what are we gonna do...?!"
For some reason, Eva explained the labyrinth to us as explorers, and Chloe Caduceus pleaded with tears in her eyes.
We're not taking the labyrinth lightly, and I, as well as Fiona, usually fight solo, so it's normal for us to fight alone.
"I guess we have no choice. Let's accept the girls' selfishness and fight as a team."
"We can't ignore the client's wishes, after all."
"...You guys, don't tease the girls too much."
Logan and Io shrugged their shoulders, looking helpless, while Ail stood by, scolding us. It's like they're putting on a show, acting like they're normal people.
It seems like I'm the only sane one here.
Anyway, that's how it ended up with me, Fiona, Logan, Io, and Ail fighting together.
Logan and the others were originally a party, but Fiona and I are solo. We can't rely on each other, and we don't need to, anyway.
We each took down the giant monsters that appeared, making our way through the massive city.
And within that day, we reached the 35th floor.
The guardian was inside a massive palace with a rounded roof, reminiscent of the [Seal Temple].
As I opened the door and entered, I found myself in a grand hall with a throne at the far end, like a reception room.
The guardian sitting on the throne, waiting for us, was enormous, even compared to the giants that appeared on our journey. It stood nearly 10 meters tall (≈ 32.8 feet tall), with intricate tattoos covering its entire body. Its bald head and muscular physique were intimidating, with only its vital areas protected by light armor. It didn't carry any weapons, relying solely on its bare hands.
But, of course, it was not an opponent to be underestimated. I could tell just by looking into its eyes.
Its golden eyes gazed down at us with arrogance, as if we were intruders.
The giant before us was merely a replica created by the labyrinth, but it was based on a real entity that once existed on the earth's surface, including this city of giants.
――Giant King Nord.
That was the name of the guardian of this floor, and the king of the giants who once ruled the ancient world. Its legendary exploits and heroic name were still told in this era.
And Nord's golden eyes, like those of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], indicated that it was a being with divine blood.
But Nord didn't use spatial magic.
As a demigod, Nord possessed extraordinary physical strength as a giant, as well as immense magical energy and thunder magic.
According to legend, it was even called the "Thunder God Nord," a being of immense power.
Even though it was weakened compared to its true self, and not all of its abilities and techniques were replicated, its overwhelming power remained unchanged.
As we approached, Nord stood up from its throne, looking relaxed.
"...Everyone, let's get ready."
"""Got it."""
Garon quietly cautioned his fellow members of the ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫.
If Nord's thunderous magic were to be unleashed on Eva and the others, it would be Garon and the others who would stand in front of them to protect them. Even for them, who had already cleared this floor, it wouldn't be easy to defend against Nord's attacks. And in reality, they thought they had a chance to defend against Nord's attacks. That's why they were so tense. They had a feeling it would be an intense battle.
Nord's thunderous magic was difficult to dodge, and his skin was surrounded by an aura, making it even tougher than a mediocre metal armor. Moreover, his vitality was incredible, and even if his limbs were blown off, he could regenerate them during battle, making him a monstrous creature.
There weren't many explorers who could defeat Nord in a fair fight.
That's why some explorers who had fought Nord called him...
"——[God's Remains Labyrinth] Strongest's guardian," and so on.
"——You pitiful, foolish insects, come at me if you dare I'll take you on!"
Nord glared at us, spewing out arrogant words from his mouth.
But then, his words were cut off.
Nord's torso was sliced in 2, his head was severed, and his skull fell to the ground, engulfed in a blast of flames and shattered into tiny pieces.
What had happened was that my [Flying Flash Blade] had sliced his torso in 2, Logan's [Flying Dragon Sever] had severed his head, and Io's Fire Magic had blown his skull to smithereens.
"Uh, uh..."
"""..."""
Garon and the others, who had steeled themselves for battle, stood there in a daze, as if they were dreaming, and slowly relaxed their guard.
There weren't many explorers who could defeat Nord in a fair fight.
But there weren't many explorers who could fight Nord and win, either.
The giant king Nord, the guardian of the labyrinth, had a fatal weakness.
He wouldn't dodge the first attack. He would take the attack head-on, using his proud physique to deflect it and crush the explorers' hopes. It was a display of his absolute power. For some reason, he would always take that action.
So, the first attack was the only chance for the explorers to unleash a powerful technique and land a hit for sure.
If we can take him down with the first attack, Nord isn't a threat.
Even if we can't take him down, if we can inflict a deep wound that hinders him in battle, it won't be hard to win afterwards.
And the result is as you see.
"Every time I think about it, isn't it just ridiculous?"
I let out a sigh, feeling exasperated.
"Aaron says that, but there aren't many explorers who can take down Nord with the first attack. And if we can't take him down at first, even we would struggle."
"That's understandable, though."
I agree with Io's opinion, but this subtle feeling of unease can't be shaken off.
If we fight seriously, Nord is said to be stronger than the 40th floor guardian. In fact, there are explorers who say that Nord is the strongest guardian in [God's Remains Labyrinth].
If we can't take him down with the first attack, no matter how deep the wound, the damage will gradually recover over time, and the thunderous magic will go berserk in the audience chamber. There are many parties that have been wiped out by Nord, unable to do anything...
But for those who can defeat him, isn't Nord the weakest guardian in [God's Remains Labyrinth]?
No, it's an exaggeration to say that, but it's a fact that Nord is a guardian whose evaluation is divided.
"What was that struggle like when we defeated him...?"
"Leader... let's stay strong."
Garon murmurs something with an unfocused gaze, and his companions try to encourage him.
They might be talking about the struggle they had when they defeated Nord.
By the way, Fiona and Ail, who didn't participate in the attack, said:
"It's frustrating, but it's not compatible with me..."
"I'm not good with huge opponents either..."
Fiona takes time to prepare for her maximum attack power, and Ail doesn't have a skill to deal massive damage to huge opponents, so it seems they don't get along with Nord.
This time, it was just the 3 of us ―― me, Logan, and Io ―― who attacked, but usually, the whole party or raid team would attack together as a strategy.
If the combined attack power of the gathered members is sufficient, we can take him down without any struggle.
It seems like Garon and the others are different somehow...
Well, anyway, we've broken through to the 35th floor.
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