章 41: Chapter 41: New Goliath and New Titles
After processing all the obtained information, Alex could only sigh, realizing that Savina had no useful information. She was just a pawn, blindly following orders. That's why she attacked when Alex started insulting Thanatos. She might have had feelings for Eros, whom Alex had killed. The foolish minion couldn't control herself when her master was insulted. Alex looked at Savina with pity, understanding that she was nothing more than cannon fodder for her god. However, she did have one piece of useful information: her task was to implant a dark crystal into Goliath to see how it would work on a Monster Rex. It seemed she succeeded because Goliath hadn't appeared when Alex's group arrived, meaning the monster was absorbing the crystal.
"What should I do with you now?" Alex asked, contemplating the information and looking at the half-dead girl lying on the floor.
Savina croaked something, but Alex couldn't hear and leaned in closer.
"What are you saying? I can't make it out," he asked, crouching beside Savina.
"Screw you, Thanatos will avenge me," Savina croaked weakly.
"And why should he do that? You do realize how many deaths could have occurred if the mutated Goliath had escaped the dungeon," Alex said in a stern tone, looking at her.
"My master will avenge me," Savina repeated, a struggle for life appearing in her eyes.
"No, I don't think he will. He doesn't care about you or your buddy. You were both just cannon fodder, nothing more. Your master Thanatos thinks of himself as a god, and you as his servants, following orders," Alex said, looking into Savina's eyes as she began to get angry.
"Even if he saved you in childhood, he still considered you expendable and won't avenge you. Do you know how many similar children with similar stories can be found in this world?" Alex continued. Savina's eyes widened, realizing she wasn't so special. She could only smile sadly and accept her fate.
"Kill me," Savina said, losing all will to live, hoping to meet Eros after death.
"Oh, I see you've accepted your fate. But I can tell you that after death, there is no release, only torment for all you've done," Alex said, his eyes glowing. Savina began to cry, understanding she wouldn't find peace even after death.
"But I will grant you a gentle death, so you can feel peace one last time," Alex said, placing his hand on her chest.
"Thank you," Savina said with a sweet smile, feeling the mana of the man before her envelop her heart.
"No need to thank me, we are enemies after all," Alex said, smiling at her one last time, and stopped her heart.
Alex looked at the girl who died with a peaceful smile on her face. He could only pray for her soul, hoping she wouldn't end up where he thought. Despite her life, she repented in the end. Although her hands were stained with blood, she tried to help children in her own way, even if she couldn't help everyone. Alex sighed, understanding that in every world there are villains who treat loyal people as cannon fodder, and these people can sacrifice their lives for a master who doesn't care about them.
Lighting a cigarette, Alex looked at the girl's body and decided to turn her into ashes. Collecting the ashes in a small jar, he decided to scatter them in the forest where he first appeared. Finishing his cigarette, Alex returned to the group of girls waiting for him in Goliath's chamber. Returning, he was met by worried girls who immediately surrounded him and began asking questions.
"Who was that? Where did you go? Why did you attack a person?" they asked in unison, not giving Alex a chance to speak.
"Quiet, I'll explain everything," Alex said, making them fall silent. "That was someone connected to that strange monster in the dungeon, and they're pulling the same trick again."
The girls were confused.
"You mean the last monster was artificially created?" Daphne asked.
"That's right. This time, they want to enhance an even stronger monster and see what happens," Alex replied. The girls shuddered, realizing this could end badly.
"Alex, which monster do they want to enhance this time?" Haruhime asked worriedly.
"That one," Alex answered, pointing to Goliath, who started emerging from the wall. The girls immediately turned around, and what they saw horrified them.
The Goliath emerging from the wall looked completely different. His entire skin was black with purple veins running all over his body, and his eyes were filled with bloodlust. If the old Goliath was seven meters tall, this mutated one was nearly twelve meters tall. Dark miasma oozed from his body like flames burning on his skin. Alex began to guess why these idiots wanted to enhance such a monster: if they succeeded in doing this with the One-Eyed Dragon, much of the world would be in danger.
Goliath, coming out of the wall, let out a terrifying roar towards the group of people he saw upon awakening. His instincts told him he was in danger. Not knowing what to do, Goliath's mind triggered a "fight or flight" response, and he chose to strike to eliminate the threat he felt from the group. Goliath delivered a powerful blow, raising dust upon impact.
"He has minimal intelligence, and this is all he could come up with in this situation," Alex said, looking at the fist blocked by a blue shield in front of him. The girls instinctively hid behind Alex when they noticed Goliath starting his attack. Not feeling the impact, the girls began peeking out from behind Alex's back to look at Goliath's hand being blocked by the shield in front of them.
"What happened? Why did he attack right away?" asked Lily, peeking out from under Alex's arm like a curious cat.
"This Goliath has a bit of intelligence, and his instinct told him that he either attacks or dies. So he decided to strike first," Alex replied, feeling Lily's head peek out from under his arm and instinctively began patting her head.
" What will you do now?" Daphne asked, peering out and watching Goliath, who delivered another blow to the shield in front of them.
"Nothing special. I'll just kill him, that's all, " Alex said, shrugging. " To start with, Haruhime, can you take this notebook and record everything you see after I start attacking the new Goliath? All the details: how long it takes to regenerate and other little things. Everything you see needs to be noted down. Got it? " Alex said, handing the notebook to the girl, who nodded in response. Seeing the girl had taken the notebook, Alex decided to see what the new monster was capable of.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Alex summoned Yamato and was prepared to test the capabilities of the monster enhanced by the black crystal, as he had seen in Savina's memories. Leaving the barrier set up to protect the girls, Alex observed as Goliath, sensing his readiness for battle, took a few steps back. The monster's rationality was gone, leaving only unrestrained rage and a desire to destroy. Alex noticed that the crystal had affected the monster more than expected: the veins on its body became more prominent, and the miasma emanating from it grew more intense.
Taking a stance to draw his sword, Alex was ready to attack. The girls, watching this, held their breath. Bella, seeing such a battle for the first time, was deeply astonished, her eyes shining with anticipation. Alex didn't wait for the monster to make the first move and began his attack. The girls only saw Alex draw his sword and heard the whistling of the wind. In the next second, all four of Goliath's limbs were severed.
"Now let's see how long it takes you to grow new limbs," Alex said, looking at the enraged Goliath lying on the floor.
" Haruhime, he grew his limbs back in twenty seconds! " Alex shouted, preparing to deliver the next blow to the monster, which was beginning to rise. The girl immediately recorded this in the notebook.
Alex took a position for the strike, and the girls held their breath in anticipation. In an instant, Alex vanished and appeared behind the monster. Sword marks appeared all over the hall. Goliath sustained numerous injuries that damaged his tendons, and he dropped to his knees, unable to move. The monster's rage only intensified, and the miasma erupted from its body even more.
" I see you're like a pitiful parody of the Hulk, who grows stronger with his rage, " Alex said, looking at Goliath, who was consumed with intense fury and wanted to tear apart the person in front of him.
Goliath quickly regenerated the damage inflicted by Alex and began to rise. Haruhime recorded how long it took the monster to recover. Alex noticed that such damage didn't significantly affect the monster and decided to take more severe measures, breaking all its bones to test its recovery speed. Summoning Beowulf and preparing for the attack, Alex took a stance in front of the enraged monster.
" Just a normal sequence, normal consecutive strikes, " Alex muttered as he delivered a flurry of blows to the monster. The girls saw multiple fists crashing down on Goliath, and the hall was filled with unpleasant cracking sounds. After the series of blows, the monster fell like a ragdoll, showing no signs of life. Alex might have thought the monster was dead, but the black miasma emanating from its body gave it away. Lily, who had watched Alex's strikes, was deeply impressed and wished to achieve similar strength someday. The girls looked at the fallen monster and then at the wall, which was covered in holes from the strikes.
" I think we can wrap this up. I've learned everything I wanted, " Alex said, watching the monster that was getting up again and seemed even stronger.
Alex decided there was no point in continuing to test the monster's strength and summoned a bow made of black flame. The temperature in the room rose sharply, and the floor around Alex began to melt. The girls behind the barrier felt the intense heat and started suffering from the high temperature. Alex drew the bowstring, and a black arrow appeared, raising the room's temperature even further. Goliath sensed a severe threat to its life and made a final attempt to attack. Alex didn't let it get close and released the string. The arrow flew towards Goliath and instantly ignited its body with black flames. The monster quickly turned to ash, leaving only a black skeleton that was unaffected by the high temperature.
" Interesting, " Alex said quietly, looking at the huge black skeleton left standing after the monster's death.
The girls, who had watched the entire battle from start to finish, swallowed hard and looked at Alex, who was standing in a relaxed pose, smoking and gazing at the monster's skeleton. Haruhime recorded everything she saw and even embellished it a bit, forgetting that she was documenting details about the monster and not writing a little story about a hero. Bella, who had watched the whole battle, couldn't take her eyes off Alex, who, like a fairytale hero, had defeated the monster and now stood over the vanquished foe. If Alex knew what the two girls were thinking, he might have been either annoyed or simply smiled wryly, denying being a hero. What Alex saw in this monster was quite unpleasant to him because adventurers would definitely struggle against such a creature. If these idiots managed to unleash the most dangerous monster, it would be a very dangerous situation. Alex decided to prepare for this scenario. The girls noticed that his expression had become stern and began to suspect that the situation was worse than they thought.
" Why the long faces? Let's go eat and celebrate Bella's joining, " Alex said, turning to the girls, who were also frowning. Hearing his words, the girls relaxed, understanding that if necessary, Alex would handle all these problems. They didn't know why, but their intuition told them that Alex could overcome any difficulties.
"Are you only thinking about food, or do you just want to start ogling your favorite elf Ryu again? " Lily shouted, remembering that every time they came to eat, Alex would stare at the elven waitress.
" I don't mind a good meal, and I don't deny that I like Ryu, " Alex said with a shrug, causing a vein to pop on Lily's head as she was ready to explode.
" What are you going to do with the skeleton? " Daphne asked, covering Lily's mouth, who was trying to break free and attack Alex.
" I'll take it. I don't want it to somehow resurrect or, worse, infect other monsters, " Alex said, hiding the skeleton in his bag. " Haruhime, can you pass me the notebook? I want to see what you wrote and add some details, " Alex said, looking at the girl who was still writing in the notebook. He felt uneasy about it. Haruhime heard his words, stopped her hand, and looked at Alex with embarrassment as he began to understand what the girl had written and could only sigh. " Keep what you wrote for yourself and just let me rewrite what you recorded about the monster. You can share the story later, " Alex said, looking at the girl, whose ears drooped in embarrassment.
" Okay, sure. I promise I'll let you read it when I'm done, " Haruhime said with a red face.
" So, Bella, how was your first dungeon run? " Alex asked, looking at the girl whose eyes were sparkling and who hadn't recovered from the battle yet.
" It was so awesome! " Bella shouted, losing her previous shyness. Her eyes were fixed on Alex.
" As you say. Well, girls, let's go celebrate, " Alex laughed at the girl who was no longer shy.
" Yeah! " the girls shouted, raising their fists in the air. Alex was amused by their enthusiasm.
While Alex's group was conquering the dungeon and fighting the new Goliath, the assembly of the gods had begun. One goddess was glaring angrily at Hestia. Hestia completely ignored this glare and was chatting with her friend Hephaestus. Another talkative goddess, who had already had a drink before the meeting, joined them. Hephaestus noticed that Ishtar kept glaring at them and frowning. Hephaestus wanted to say something to Hestia, but Hestia simply waved her hand, indicating that everything was fine. Loki, seeing Ishtar's anger at being ignored, could only stifle her laughter at the situation. Hestia remembered Alex's words that ignoring Ishtar would hurt her pride and make her even angrier, which might provide an opportunity to exploit the situation. Freya, who was sitting alone and smiling as she observed the situation, was waiting for a chance to use Ishtar's anger. If she succeeded, Alex might give her something in return. Freya's eyes momentarily lost their light but quickly returned to normal as she began to think about what to ask Alex for after helping Hestia with her problem. Freya's thoughts went in the wrong direction, causing her cheeks to flush, which made her beauty even more dangerous to those around her, but no one noticed. Freya quickly regained her dignified demeanor and scolded herself for such thoughts but wasn't going to deny them. As the gods chatted, waiting for the meeting to start, Uran entered the hall and took his place. He tapped the table, calling for silence. Seeing that the hall had quieted down, Uran decided to start the meeting.
" Thank you all for gathering today. To begin, we need to discuss the strange monster discovered by Loki's family in the dungeon, " Uran said, prompting murmurs throughout the hall. " The guild has exhausted all possible methods to understand how the monster became like this, but we've found nothing. If any of the god families have information, please bring it to the guild."
All the gods started exchanging glances. Only one god in the hall showed a subtle smile, which did not escape Freya's notice as she had been observing everyone from the start. Freya recognized this god as Erebus, whom Alex had suspected first. Freya quickly scanned the other gods, hoping to find someone else who might be part of Erebus's group, but found no one. Freya thought that, as Alex had said, these idiots had gone into hiding, and only Erebus was present at the meeting. Freya's eyes narrowed as she began to suspect that Erebus was indeed the head of the group. As Freya continued to observe the other gods, the discussion about the new monster came to an end. It was time to bestow titles on adventurers who had reached new levels and achievements.
" Once again, if your families have information regarding new monsters, please report it to the guild immediately, " Uran repeated. " Now that we've settled this matter, we can move on to the titles we bestow upon adventurers, " Uran continued, striking the table and eliciting excited smiles from the gods. " I think we should start with the children of the Hestia family, who have recently shown themselves and earned new achievements."
This caused sighs among the gods.
" Let's begin with the captain of the Hestia family. Alexander Voldiogoad, formerly known as the "Mad Rookie." After reaching a new level and gaining new achievements, I believe he is deserving of a new title, " Uran said, causing a shiver among some of the gods who remembered Alex's battle against Apollo. Ishtar, gritting her teeth in anger, noticed the unusual state of some of the gods and frowned, not understanding what had happened during her absence.
" I think he should bear the title "Demon King,". " one of the gods in the hall loudly declared, not giving anyone a chance to object.
Hestia wanted to say something but was interrupted, and she could only frown at the words. Loki, sitting with a smile, nearly burst out laughing. Freya, who had been observing the gods for flaws in their behavior, was momentarily distracted by the shouting god and gave a sweet smile. Hephaestus only sighed wearily, realizing that Alex wouldn't be able to escape this title.
" Does anyone else have any suggestions? Perhaps Hestia would like to make a proposal in honor of the child from her family? " Uran asked, looking around the hall and finally turning his attention to Hestia, who shook her head.
" Alright, since no one has objections, I declare that Alexander Voldiogoad's title will henceforth be "Demon King,". " Uran said, causing nods from the entire group of gods. Ishtar, not understanding what was happening, began to watch the gods who agreed with this decision. Her intuition told her that things were not as simple as she had thought and that the Hestia family was not as weak as she had assumed.
After that, Uran announced that titles needed to be bestowed upon other members of the Hestia family. The ensuing debate was so fierce that Hestia barely had time to participate before the titles were already assigned to the girls. Hestia could only sit wearily in her chair, as though she had just fought the most terrible opponent. The titles awarded this time were as follows: Daphne received the title of "Ogre" for wielding a club and sending monsters flying; Cassandra received the title of "Timid Healer" for always hiding and healing allies; Lily received the title of "One Hit Girl" for destroying monsters with a single blow; Haruhime received the title of "Demonic Priestess" for smashing monsters' heads with her staff, causing adventurers to flee in terror from the girl who, with a sweet smile, crushed monsters' skulls. When all the titles were assigned, Uran declared the meeting over and everyone could leave.
" Phew, it's finally over, " Loki said, stretching in her chair to relieve her stiff muscles from sitting for so long.
" Hey, shorty, why so glum? " Loki asked, looking at Hestia, who was sitting in a defeated pose.
" What do you think, board of washing, " Hestia snapped back at Loki, who just laughed at her.
" Hestia, don't be sad. The titles your family members received this time aren't so bad, " Hephaestus said, trying to cheer up her friend.
" I hope they'll be satisfied. I don't want a repeat of last time, " Hestia said, looking at Hephaestus with empty eyes.
" You don't think so? " Hephaestus asked.
" I don't know. Alex usually tells me everything, but sometimes I don't understand how his mind works, " Hestia said with a crooked smile, remembering Alex's confession on the tower.
" Don't be down, shrimp, everything will be fine, " Loki interjected with a smile.
" You were forgotten to be asked, flat-chested, " Hestia said, and her eyes began to glare at Loki. When their gazes met, a spark of electricity appeared between them, and they were ready to start a fight.
"The important thing is that Alex received a deserving title, " Freya said, approaching the group of goddesses. Loki and Hestia, forgetting their feud, looked at Freya with surprised eyes, not expecting this woman to speak to them outside of Hestia's home. Freya was not bothered by their looks, only smiling sweetly.
" Alright, enough sitting around. Let's head to the banquet, I need a drink, " Loki said, ignoring the situation, and headed toward the hall. The remaining goddesses could only sigh at Loki's actions and followed her. Hestia also thought she needed a drink in this situation.
The group of goddesses arrived at the banquet hall and ignored the other gods, heading toward an empty table laden with snacks and drinks. As they conversed on the side, one goddess, who did not hide her anger and disgust, watched them. Freya, deciding to join them, noticed Ishtar watching from afar. Smiling sweetly, Freya approached Ishtar and began to speak with her.
"I see you've decided to return from your journey?" Freya asked, looking into Ishtar's eyes, which were filled with disgust.
"What does it matter to you, Freya?" Ishtar retorted, her eyes showing even more disgust, which Freya ignored.
"Who knows?" Freya said, looking away, which only further angered Ishtar.
"I heard something happened in your territory. How unfortunate," Freya said in a feigned tone.
"You're involved in this, Freya," Ishtar said, gritting her teeth in anger.
"Oh, no, of course not. How could I stoop so low?" Freya said, pretending to be offended by Ishtar's words. Ishtar narrowed her eyes, wanting to know more, and her only option was to try to provoke Freya.
"The great Freya has joined forces with other gods. How low you've fallen," Ishtar said with disdain.
"Actually, you're mistaken, Ishtar. I haven't joined forces with them, but with him," Freya replied, not even looking at Ishtar, who was trying to provoke her.
"If you haven't joined them, then you won't mind if I attack the Hestia family, who kidnapped my person," Ishtar said, testing the waters. Freya only began to laugh at her words, further infuriating Ishtar.
"Your words always amuse me, Ishtar," Freya said, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. "You're treading on very thin ice right now, Ishtar."
Freya approached Ishtar, who was frightened by her gaze, now devoid of any light. Ishtar saw for the first time Freya's eyes, empty and malicious like black holes ready to devour her.
"You're right, Ishtar, I won't do anything to you, but he wouldn't mind doing something to you. And when the ice cracks beneath you and you find yourself in the most vulnerable and desperate position, I'll be waiting for you," Freya whispered into Ishtar's ear in a tone that sent a cold sweat down Ishtar's back.
"Now go have your fun. I still need to chat with some acquaintances," Freya said, her eyes returning to their usual state.
Freya smiled sweetly and left Ishtar, who remained standing, covered in cold sweat, watching Freya walk away. Overcoming her fear with hatred towards Freya, Ishtar decided to gather information about the Hestia family before taking any action. Although Ishtar was impulsive, she was not foolish; she understood that something was off in this situation and decided it was best to prepare.
Ishtar glanced once more at Freya, who was already chatting with someone, and then shifted her gaze to Hestia. Sensing the look, Hestia lazily turned her head towards her and then simply turned away. Gritting her teeth, Ishtar left the meeting, determined to gather information.
To be continued...
クリエイターの想い 
GreedHunter
GreedHunter A few words from me: I was asked about the release schedule for the chapters. Well, chapters are usually released between 4 and 6 PM. Since this chapter was uploaded at 5 PM according to my clock, I think I usually manage to upload chapters around the same time, with minor deviations. Enjoy reading!
('m wondering why do all the monsters come out at night?
Why do we sleep where we want to hide?
Why do I run back to you
Like I don't mind if you fuck up my life?
Why am I a sucker for all your lies?
Strung out like laundry on every line
Why do I come back to you
Like I don't mind if you fuck up my life?)
週次パワーステータス
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