[FGO]: 22

It is not in a monster's nature to passively take a beating without retaliating.

Just as Ryou continued his relentless attacks, Goliath suddenly turned to face him, mouth wide open, completely pausing its movements.

Ryou was puzzled.

"Get out of the way!" a frantic voice shouted.

It was Riveria, urgently calling out to him.

Finn also instinctively tightened his grip on his dual spears, his legs slightly bent, ready to rush in and assist at any moment.

Not far away, Ais and Tione had already drawn their weapons, and prepared for battle.

Suddenly, a massive amount of visible air surged towards Goliath's gaping maw.

"What is that!?"

Ryou suddenly recalled a scene from the original work.

Before he could dodge, the air in Goliath's mouth compressed inward and then burst out, forming a white line that shot toward him in the light.

An air cannon!

This was the floor boss, the giant Goliath's unique magic. It inhaled a large volume of air in one breath, compressed it with magical power, and then blasted it at the target.

Any fluid, when subjected to a certain level of pressure, becomes significantly more powerful. The air cannon worked on this principle; the compressed air projectile was as potent as any cannonball, and its invisibility made it even harder to dodge or defend against.

Since he couldn't dodge, he wouldn't!

Ryou's eyes turned serious.

He pulled out a healing potion and gulped it down, then crossed his arms to protect his head, crouching low to the ground.

Bang!

A faint explosion echoed through the air, and the ground around him was instantly blasted into a five-meter-wide crater.

Only the ground where Ryou stood remained intact, like an isolated island in the sea.

A large amount of white steam rose from Ryou's body.

Fortunately, his endurance attributes were high, and his body's defense was comparable to light iron armor. Additionally, he had preemptively drawn several defensive primordial runes. Apart from some redness on his exposed skin, he was unharmed.

"What incredible defense," Finn couldn't help but praise.

Several of the girl's eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at Ryou, who seemed like an ancient hero challenging a giant alone.

"That was quite a hit! Powerful! Now it's my turn!"

Ryou wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Though the air cannon hadn't broken through his defense, its powerful shock had caused significant internal injuries. However, he had foreseen this and drank a healing potion beforehand. Thanks to the system-produced healing potion, his internal organs were rapidly recovering.

At that moment, Goliath seemed to have gotten a taste for it and aimed its mouth at Ryou again, clearly intending to launch another air cannon.

"You're addicted to this! Die!"

With his internal injuries mostly healed, Ryou stomped hard on the ground, causing it to crack, and shot toward Goliath's head like an arrow from a bow.

With a rising uppercut, he sent Goliath's massive body reeling backward.

he followed through, charging toward the stone ceiling and flipping to stand on it.

Boom!

Blood-red magical energy surged from his body. This was the vast magical power he had absorbed from the air cannon using the Noble Phantasm, Crying Warmonger.

The excess magical power churned within Ryou, causing him intense pain as if he were about to explode. Some of his capillaries burst, spraying fine blood mist, turning him into a bloodied figure.

Blood-red magic, a blood-covered man—he looked like a raging beast descending.

Bang!

Ryou's legs bent like springs, and the immense force created a large crater in the solid stone ceiling.

Using the combined force of the recoil and gravity, he shot toward Goliath's head at a speed three to four times faster than when he had leaped up.

While still in mid-air, a black magical aura began to emanate from Ryou's right arm. He clenched his fist and aimed it fiercely at Goliath's head.

Boom!

The mid-air strike hit Goliath's head squarely.

With tremendous force and an abundance of magical energy, Goliath's enormous head, as big as a small house, was instantly blasted apart!

As blood splattered, Goliath's massive body suddenly turned into a white ice mist, dissipating in all directions.

Thud!

A magic stone, about the size of a human, dropped to the ground, creating a large pit.

However, a surprising scene unfolded. Instead of dispersing into the air and being absorbed by the dungeon, the mysterious energy that constituted Goliath was drawn into Ryou's body, much like swallows returning to their nest.

To be precise, the vast energy was channeled by the powerful mysterious system within him.

A reluctant roar full of resentment echoed faintly from the dungeon, but it retreated unwillingly before some external, powerful mysterious force.

Apart from Finn and Riveria, the other members of the Loki Familia didn't pay much attention to this scene.

Finn and Riveria exchanged glances, seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.

"That was amazing! You took down Goliath all by yourself, and that last move was especially cool!"

Tiona exclaimed, jumping around Ryou excitedly.

"Tch~ I could have taken down a monster of that level by myself too," Bete muttered.

Though he still found Ryou annoying, Bete's straightforward nature meant he couldn't deny Ryou's displayed strength, even if he wouldn't say it out loud.

Ryou didn't mind Bete's blunt personality; at least he wasn't two-faced, unlike some people.

However, Ryou's solo defeat of Goliath had the most impact on the airheaded Ais.

Her usually expressionless, exquisite face showed rare signs of urgency.

"What do I need to do to become as strong as you, and so quickly!"

In her haste, she forgot to keep Ryou's identity a secret.

"Ais!?"

Tiona quickly tried to signal her with her eyes and gestures.

But Ais, stubborn as she was, ignored Tiona's hints and stared intently at Ryou with her pale golden eyes.

Hearing Ais's question, Ryou realized his hidden identity might have been exposed.

The Loki Familia was indeed formidable, discovering his secret so quickly.

Fortunately, Ryou was prepared for this, and with his current strength, he no longer needed to fear the Ishtar Familia.

As for Ais's question, Ryou couldn't possibly answer her truthfully. Should he say that his rapid growth in strength was all thanks to the system's cheats?

Suddenly, Ryou thought of something, and a mischievous smile flashed across his face.

"Because I have a great Shishou."

Ais's eyes lit up instantly, her gaze filled with an unmistakable longing that anyone could understand.

But Ryou deliberately kept her in suspense, unwilling to reveal any more.

"Alright, Ais, don't pry into other people's privacy," Finn intervened to smooth things over.

Ais's eyes showed a glimmer of disappointment, but the final look she gave Ryou was clear.

'I won't give up.'

"What a stubborn young lady," Ryou thought, smiling wryly.

"I apologize for that child's rudeness. She meant no harm; she just doesn't know how to express her thoughts correctly," Finn approached with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about it. I find such straightforwardness quite likable," Ryou replied with a smile, waving his hand dismissively.

"Is that so? Unfortunately, that child is the treasure of our Familia and won't be given away easily," Finn smiled back.

"I just don't get the friendship between men," Tiona interjected, looking bored as she placed her hands behind her head.

"Ah~! Captain, you're so manly~!"

Tione, who was obsessed with Finn, swooned habitually.

Meanwhile, Lefiya, who had a bit of a crush on Ais, looked even more conflicted as she glanced at Ryou.

'So impressive! He seems to be around my age!'

'Miss Ais and him look so well-matched!'

'I'm completely out of the running! Sobb~!'

And so, the group, full of laughter and banter, passed through the tunnels of the seventeenth floor and arrived at a wondrous new world.

This was the eighteenth floor, a rare safe zone.

The ceiling was adorned with countless crystals, refracting light from the surface layer by layer, making the entire eighteenth floor as bright as the surface.

In the middle of the floor stood a towering tree, surrounded by a dense jungle.

Amidst the jungle, a small town could be seen faintly.

Ryou withdrew his gaze and focused on the system.

As for the magic stone that had fallen earlier, since he couldn't use the system's storage space in front of the Loki Familia, he generously gifted it to them. Bete had already run off to personally deliver it back to the surface.

After killing the giant Goliath, Ryou's attributes had all increased slightly.

[Name: Nguyen Ryou

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: Servant

Basic Attributes:

Strength: 20.5 (E)

Agility: 20.3 (E)

Endurance: 22.1 (E)

Magic: 20.3 (E)

(For ordinary people, the average attribute is 10, except for magic; below 10 is F-, between 15 and 20 is E-, and so on.)

Luck: ???

Class Skills:

Item Creation E (2%)

Personal Skills:

Beginner Cold Weapon Mastery (31%)

Mana Burst E (37%)

Primordial Runes E (4%)

Noble Phantasms:

Crying Warmonger (B Rank, downgraded) ]

With all of Ryou's basic attributes reaching E, his level had risen from "Unranked" to "Servant."

Level E is the minimum threshold for a Servant.

Moreover, after a long period of monster hunting, Ryou had accumulated over 70,000 energy points, enough to exchange for a better pair of gloves.

But what concerned Ryou the most wasn't these things.

[ "Congratulations, you have obtained the Mystic Code—Goliath the Giant." ]

[ "The Mystic Code system is now officially activated." ]

[ "Name: Giant - Goliath"

"Rarity: One Star"

"Attributes: Increases Strength by 3 points, Endurance by 5 points"

"Skill: Super-Speed Regeneration"

"Utilizes magic to recover from injuries at an extremely fast rate." ]

[ "The Mystic Code equipment slot is now open. Your current level: Servant, allowing you to equip up to three Mystic Codes." ]

A bronze card appeared in the storage space. The front depicted a giant with gray-black skin roaring at the sky. The back showed a complex, mysterious magic circle.

Ryou used his mind to open the so-called Mystic Code slot and immediately found nine slots in total. Only three were lit up, while the other six had locked symbols.

Following the system's guidance, Ryou used his mind to drag his only Mystic Code into one of the slots.

Click!

A light sound echoed in his mind. As soon as the Mystic Code card was installed, it began to shine with a bronze light.

Ryou suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable power within him. Without even checking, he knew he had become stronger.

The attribute enhancement was secondary; the key was the skill "Super-Speed Regeneration," which completely compensated for his weakness.

With this skill, a perfect cycle was formed. Injured, under the effect of the Noble Phantasm "Crying Warmonger," magic would rapidly recover. With ample magic supply, "Super-Speed Regeneration" would take effect, quickly healing injuries, and enabling him to withstand more damage.

It could be said that if the battle dragged into a war of attrition, Ryou feared no one.

"Finn, the atmosphere in the town feels strange," Riveria, with her keen senses, suddenly spoke up.

Her words brought Ryou back to reality from the system.

"Indeed, the flow of people has significantly decreased," Finn responded, touching his chin thoughtfully.

"Finn, it looks like many people are heading that way," Tiona said, putting her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes as she looked.

"Let's go! We'll check it out," Finn decided promptly.

The group walked through the streets, arriving at the end in front of a building that appeared to be an inn.

At this moment, many adventurers were gathered outside the inn, peeking inside curiously.

Finn spotted a familiar face and called out, "Bors!"

A middle-aged man with an eyepatch over one eye was hurrying towards the inn. Hearing Finn's call, he stopped and turned around.

"Tch~ It's you guys, the Loki Familia. Of all times, you had to come during such a troublesome moment," the one-eyed man grumbled, scratching the back of his head irritably.

"What happened?"

Finn asked.

"Since you're here, you might as well see for yourselves," Bors replied, leading the way inside.

The group exchanged puzzled glances at their conversation, except for Ryou, whose eyes flashed with a hint of realization. Indeed, the event that marked the beginning had occurred...

Either the storm caused by his butterfly effect wasn't strong enough, or the world's will forcibly pulled events back on track.

However, it's unfortunate. I'm the most rebellious; don't expect me to follow anyone else's script!

"Last night, there was a murder in Villy's inn," Bors said as he led the way inside.

"What!?"

Everyone was shocked. They never expected to encounter a murder on what was supposed to be a short trip.

"What are the details?"

Finn's expression turned serious.

"Last night, a woman and a man in full armor rented out the entire inn. When Villy returned in the morning, he found the man dead and the woman missing," Bors recounted as he led them forward.

They arrived in front of a room with thick curtains hanging over the entrance. Even before they lifted the curtain, a strong stench of blood hit them.

Luckily, none of them were novices who would be deterred by the sight of blood. Even the less experienced Lefiya only furrowed her brows.

"Don't say I didn't warn you; the scene inside is quite gruesome," Bors said with a malicious grin, his gaze sweeping over the group and lingering a bit longer on the women, making his intentions clear.

Without waiting for a response, Bors lifted the curtain.

"!"

The other girls managed to keep their composure, but Lefiya's eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp.

Blood was sprayed in a radial pattern, staining a large area of the surroundings.

The source of the blood was a headless, naked corpse lying face down on the floor, with only a white cloth covering the neck stump.

A young dog-man sat despondently on the bed, presumably the innkeeper Villy, whom Bors had mentioned.

The inn was located on the eighteenth floor of the dungeon, catering exclusively to adventurers. Since adventurers were a superstitious lot, news of a murder in his inn would significantly impact his business.

"Do you know the identity of the deceased?"

Finn asked calmly, unaffected by the gruesome scene.

"No, we don't. Yesterday, the man was wearing full armor," Villy, the innkeeper, replied despondently, clutching his head.

"The 'blessing' on his back is not visible; it seems to be sealed," Riveria analyzed.

"That's why I got this," Bors said, holding up a bottle of liquid that looked like red ink.

"Unlocking potion!? Defiling a corpse is not an honorable act," Riveria, with her strong sense of justice, frowned.

"At a time like this, who cares about that!"

Bors, without any hesitation, uncorked the bottle and dripped some of the unlocking potions onto the back of the headless corpse.

For a seasoned mercenary like him, everything was about practicality and profit. Honor? Justice? Can you eat those?

As the light red liquid touched the corpse's back, it rippled like a stone thrown into calm water, revealing a pattern centered around an elephant's head.

"Hey! You're a royal elf, right? You should understand the divine script. Come take a look," Bors called out bluntly to Riveria.

Since 'blessings' were gifts from the gods, the text on them was written in divine script, which only a few knowledgeable mortals could read.

"Sigh..."

Riveria sighed but stepped forward to read the script carefully.

"Affiliation: Ganesha Familia, Name—Hashana Druilia, Level..." Riveria paused in surprise, "Lv. 4."

"Impossible! An Lv. 4 adventurer killed without any resistance!"

Bors exclaimed, and everyone else was equally shocked.

An Lv. 4 adventurer had his neck snapped without any signs of struggle, indicating that the attacker completely overpowered him.

To achieve such a feat, the assailant must be at least Lv. 5 or higher. Given that the primary suspect was the missing woman, this significantly narrowed down the list of suspects.

And in all of Orario, the most likely suspect was...

The atmosphere grew tense.

"The murderer is a woman..."

Bors's expression turned serious.

"And she was able to kill an Lv. 4 adventurer..."

Villy swallowed hard.

They both instinctively looked toward the members of the Loki Familia.

Indeed, as one of the two largest factions in Orario, almost all the adventurers above Lv. 5 were concentrated in the Loki and Freya Familias. Moreover, the Freya Familia did not accept female adventurers, whereas the Loki Familia had several female adventurers above Lv. 5.

No matter how you looked at it, the members of the Loki Familia were the most suspicious, especially since they happened to be present at the scene, which further increased the suspicion.

"There is only one truth! The Loki Familia! The culprit must be one of you!"

Bors, channeling the spirit of a certain child detective, began to deduce, "One of you must be hiding as the murderer, sneaking here last night to kill the victim, then escaping, and now pretending to have just arrived today!"

"Huh? Huh! Huh!!!"

Lefiya, unable to contain herself, shouted in shock and confusion.

"So the culprit is... you!?"

Bors's sharp gaze swept over the girls of the Loki Familia.

However, when his gaze landed on the flat-chested Tiona, he immediately skipped over her, which made her furious.

When his gaze landed on the well-endowed Tione, his expression suddenly became lewd.

"You! You are the most suspicious!"

Villy, standing next to him, also had a lewd look on his face, "Yes! Yes! You must have used your charms to lure him, leaving him defenseless and then killing him!"

The two of them appeared to be righteous, but their lewd expressions revealed their ill intentions to anyone who looked.

Bang!

The ground cracked under Tione's foot, and she looked like an enraged mother dragon.

"If you keep looking at me with those perverted eyes, I'll tear your precious parts to shreds!"

"Yikes!!!"

Bors and Villy instinctively covered their groins, faces full of fear.

"Ahem! If the murder involved seduction, then their suspicion would be reduced," Ryou, who had been observing the whole time, suddenly said.

"Huh? And who are you...?"

Bors looked Ryou up and down, finding him unfamiliar. He didn't seem to be a member of the Loki Familia, nor was he a high-level adventurer he recognized. Having lost face after Tione's intimidation, Bors wanted to regain some dignity and spoke arrogantly.

Boom!

Ryou casually shattered a nearby stone pedestal with his hand, then nonchalantly said, "Before you speak, let me remind you, to be careful with your words. Offend the wrong person, and you won't even know how you died."

"Please, go ahead."

Bors immediately chose to back down.

Ryou gave him a half-smile. This guy was a seasoned rogue, with a thick skin to match.

Ignoring such people, Ryou continued his analysis, "If seduction was involved, then any female adventurer, no, even male adventurers who are more attractive than female adventurers could be suspects, regardless of their level!"

=====

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