บท 37: Hidarus Challenge Finale [Part 3]: Lady Justice

As Orai slapped me across the face, it was clear that she was understandably furious.

"Are you fucking crazy? I'm not letting you do that again! We have too much to lose and not enough to gain!", Orai shouted.

"Lad, calm down. I think Jordan knows the risk of such a proposition. And honestly, this might be our best chance of ending this altogether", Briggs said.

As Obsidian nodded his head, Orai began to pace back and forth on the battlefield.

"So you're telling me that you're willing to gamble losing yourself to Hidara...because you feel your conviction is high enough?!", Orai stated.

"I'll tell you the same thing that I told our Dungeon Master. There's indeed a slight chance that he'll lose himself in the process but the chance of becoming 'corrupted' is primarily based upon the strength of his conviction. The 'Taint Of Hidarus' is most dangerous when you possess feelings of hatred. If Jordan can manage his mental state and stay true to his beliefs, he should be able to avoid corruption while he's in 'War Mode'. It's important to note that the more power he consumes, the greater the chance for corruption. It'll also increase depending on the amount of time spent in War Mode", Vargoz said.

"So then we just need to end this quickly, right? The chances of us dying against those behemoths are astronomically high, Orai. If I can defeat that Draconic Valkyrie, we won't even have to risk our lives against the other two behemoths! All we would have to do is keep them busy so they don't destroy the Dungeon", I stated confidently.

"As much as I don't like sponsoring suicide missions, I think he's right. The Draconic Valkyrie is predominantly an air unit so Jordan is the only person who can realistically fight her. Krotos and Helora can't take their eyes off the behemoths and even then, they need me and Obsidian's help. Speaking of, I think it's time we head over to support them. May Hidarus Watch Over Us Both! Let's go, Obsidian!", Briggs shouted.

As Briggs flew on Obsidian's back, Orai continued her conversation with Vargoz and me.

"--sigh--"you're idiotic, reckless, foolish, and unnecessarily careless. But...", Orai said.

"But?", I asked.

"--sigh--"but it's not like I can really stop you, right? If we're going to do something this stupid, we'll need more reinforcements if we are going to increase our chances. To utilize the 33,200DP that's currently on the ground around us, we'll need to greatly improve the Dungeon's Effective Area. It'll be easier to let [Absorb & Kill] handle it for us instead of manually moving them ourselves. We can increase it by 1/10 Mile for 3,750 DP, which should absorb most of them. What kind of mobs do you want me to buy?", Orai asked.

As my face began beaming, I opened up the DP Store and pointed at the most versatile mob we had in the Dungeon. The mob always performed at a high level and could adapt to almost every situation. If I didn't care about mob diversity, I probably would've filled my Dungeon with nothing else.

Of course, I'm talking about the criminally underrated Elemental.

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[Moments later]

"That's a lot of Elementals, Jordan. Are you sure this is a good idea?", Vargoz asked.

"Of course. Have you known me to be a person who takes mob selection lightly? Have some faith in your Dungeon Master", I said confidently.

As the various types of Elementals began to spawn in, Orai was in D1 overseeing the Dungeon's System. We mutually decided it would be best to have her wait in the Dungeon Control room so we wouldn't have to worry about both of us dying. While Vargoz and Hidara gave me a fighting chance to survive, Orai was still considered a B rank. It made more sense for her to oversee us and buy more troops if needed as opposed to fighting with us. I decided to spend 900DP on 36 more Elementals and direct this army towards the Behemoths. While I was flying over them, I was looking over the list of Troops we had for our Final Assualt.

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[Final Assualt Troops]

Elementals x48 [B]

Golems x10 [B]

Slimes x11 [B]

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"You know, Elementals are one of the most underrated mobs in Mera's Encyclopedia. It may not have the glitz and glamour of some of the other mobs but it's still a great unit. It really shines if you're a summoner since we can create and buy Multi-Elementals as a benefit of our abilities", I said proudly.

"Yeah, but how many Dungeon Masters are summoners? Most are either Exceptional Warriors or Experienced Sorcerers. Luckily, you have Dungeon Members who can do that for you", Vargoz said.

"Yeah. But look at how they're fighting the Behemoths. This is the first time I've seen them actually struggle to kill something. Look over there", I said.

Ahead of us, we saw our strongest Dungeon Members go against the Flame Titan and the Wyrm Titan, with the Frost Of Ruin sending its minions to support. As Helora explained to me earlier, the Flame Titan had power over scorching heat and frequently employed the creative use of his flames. He was still considered the weakest of the three, primarily because of Helora's immunity to fire attacks. The key to killing the Flame Titan was to prevent the Wyrm and Frost Of Ruin from supporting it against Helora. However, since Krotos was engaging the Wyrm, it was only a matter of time before Helora finished him off. Helora's greatest weakness continues to be her lack of defense at the expense of overwhelming offense.

The Wyrm Titan was a bigger issue, as it was a rather elusive behemoth. Traditionally, it spent most of its time underground but this was obviously a unique situation. Whenever it surfaced, it usually caused misfortune and terrifying destruction to nearby settlements. In a sense, it was a giant burrowing beast with a body comparable to a serpent. What made this massive creature so troublesome was the heavily armored scales that adorned its body, as well as the various attacks it employed to hunt its prey. The only way to kill it was to pierce it's armor, as it had virtually no weakness to exploit except its inability to fly. Krotos and Obsidian were fighting the Wyrm, albeit with fresh gashes across their bodies. Since they both had rapid regeneration, it seemed they weren't given enough time to heal.

Finally, the Frost Of Ruin was arguably the most dangerous Behemoth, as it ran on Dark Ice and had the ability to control flying minions. These smaller flying beasts not only protect Frost from harm but also does its psionic bidding. The Frost Of Ruin is best thought of as a whole host of creatures instead of a single behemoth. While it wasn't as tall as the Wyrm Titan, that arguably made it even more dangerous. It was another unit that the Overlord Of Hell chose to utilize from time to time. Similar to the Dark Knight, every Frost Of Ruin is different, as its weakness had to be learned during battle. Briggs was currently shooting down the minions with his enchanted crossbow.

"Doesn't that look like so much fun? Fighting against impossible odds and still finding a way to win? Don't you want to activate it now, Honey? I mean, do you really think you can wait until the Draconic Valkyrie shows herself? You would never tell your friends but I know you enjoyed being tainted, Jordan. Your pride is stopping you from being true to yourself. You may put on a facade about being omnimoral but we know the real you. I know it, Vargoz knows it, Hidarus knows it, and even you. Dungeon Masters are not beings who tread on the line of morality. They always pick a side, even if they don't realize it themselves. Stop this charade of being a good person, Dungeon Master. Embrace the real you and destroy every one who comes in your path", Hidara said seductively.

"You're wrong! I'm not like that. I'll never be like that", I stated firmly.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Denial is not good, Dungeon Master. You and I both know you enjoyed the subjugation of the Minotaur as much as I did. You aren't as human as you think", Hidara warned.

"This conversation ends here, Hidara. We have bigger problems to worry about", I stated.

As the Elementals got into place, I directed them to perform ranged attacks against the Minions, Wyrm, and Frost. As for me, I decided to help Helora kill the Flame Titan so I could be better prepared for the Valkyrie. As I flew to Helora's position in the air, she happily greeted me.

"Hey, Dungeon Master! It's been a while, hasn't it? I know we're trying to save the Dungeon and all but this is a pretty good workout. But uh...what happened to your left eye? And where did you get that armor set? And how are you flying?", Helora asked.

"It's...it's a long story. I'll tell you after we kill this Flame Titan", I said confidently.

"If you'll be my shield, I'll happily be your sword", Helora said smiling.

As I got a better look at the Flame Titan, I noticed that he was an anthropomorphic Behemoth, with a hardened exoskeleton that was surrounded by flames. However, I wasn't able to study him for long, as he prepared to shoot something out of his chest.

"Shit! He's about to shoot 'Obliterator'! Would you happen to have a shield on you?", Helora asked.

"Don't worry about it. Vargoz has you covered!", Vargoz happily stated.

Vargoz began to shapeshift himself into a shield, as the Flame Titan's glow began to increase and Helora prepared her explosion magic.

"I can perform a high tier Explosion spell called 'Quill's Judgement' but I need time to cast it. I've been wearing him down for a while now so I think I only need one more shot to end this. Do you think you'll be able to buy me some time?", Helora asked.

"I don't have to think. I already know I can!", I said proudly.

As the Flame Titan's Obliterator beam headed towards us, I held Vargoz in front of us both. As the beam met the shield, Vargoz began to glow bright green as it diverged and reflected on impact.

"You may not be able to use Hidara's Branch but you can still use 'Vargoz's Protection'! Throw me at this prick!", Vargoz shouted happily.

As I smiled, I chucked a glowing Vargoz at the Flame Titan, who began spinning rapidly as he turned back into a sword. Despite accidentally landing on the Titan's shoulders, Vargoz was able to knock the Titan back before promptly returning to my hand. Unsurprisingly, Vargoz was unable to do any substantial damage but he was still able to buy us some time. However, the Flame Titan became enraged, as his full attention was directed towards me.

"Well...fuck", I stated promptly.

I spent around 6 minutes maneuvering around the air, as the Flame Titan tried to either grab or smash me into the ground. When things seemed to get dicey, I had to block with my sword but that only negated some of the blow. I frequently found myself overwhelmed at times, being sent to the ground bloody and bruised. However, I always tried to get back up, knowing that my Dungeon Members would do the same. It was a harsh way to introduce me to the world of Orune but it was inevitable. My determination to protect the Dungeon and my friends only increased with every blow struck against me. I already knew what it was like to almost die but I wasn't planning on rehearsing that experience. However, as fresh blood started to cloud my vision and my armor became scattered with dents, I felt the increasing willpower to win. The willpower to overcome these obstacles and come home from the Hidarus Challenge...a winner.

As Helora finally completed her Explosion spell, I noticed the multi-layering of high-quality magic circles above the Behemoth that struck as quickly as it appeared. As the Behemoth's arms and legs were immobilized in Holy chains, a woman similar to Lady Justice appeared from the clouds with her sword pointed straight at his head. As the Flame Titan tried to break free from his chains, it only made the chains tighter as the scales of Justice began to tip out of his favor. As Helora motioned me to fall back, I began to grip Vargoz tighter. The Titan, and the immediate ground below him, began to float into the air towards Lady Justice before stopping midway into the air. With her sword still pointed at the Flame Titan, she shook her head in disapproval before shooting a thin beam towards his head. In an instant, a large and deafening explosion filled the battlefield as Lady Justice returned to the clouds.

To me, the explosion was symbolic in a sense. I was bruised and bloody but I never felt clearer than I did now. I knew exactly what I had to do and how I needed to accomplish it. I decided to fly back towards the mountain but something caught my sight. Bright particles, remnants of the explosion, rained across the entire battlefield as I flew. It was poetic in a sense, as something so beautiful came from something so destructive. But as I raised Vargoz into the air and began to utter the phrase that I needed the most, I made eye contact with Hedra. I thought about what Hidara said and wondered if she was right. The Taint was a pleasant feeling that I did enjoy but was my pride stopping me from being true to myself? I wasn't sure if her claims were correct but I knew that this world was more brutal than I realized. Being a Dungeon Master was about being associated with a Meritocratic society. The weak will usually die and the strong will tend to survive. It was an unwritten rule that didn't have to be written.

I surmised that to be the point of the challenge as I continued the phrase with a large smile on my face.

"I Call Upon The Taint Of Hidarus".