Alice believed she could defeat the Apollo Familia.
But there are different kinds of [defeat].
The most distinct difference would be a nail-biting, near-fatal victory, versus a casual, effortless obliteration.
Alice couldn't simply wipe out the Apollo Familia with a wave of her hand. At the very least, not in her current state. But for her to win by the skin of her teeth? That was an outcome she would never accept.
The most likely scenario, truth be told, was a mutual defeat where both sides suffered heavy losses.
Alice was powerful, but her opponent was not weak. They had numbers on their side, and Alice herself had plenty of weaknesses. Truly defeating them would be an immensely difficult task.
Furthermore, for Alice, simply defeating the Apollo Familia wasn't really the point.
Defeating them was an absolute necessity, that much was certain. But on top of that, Alice needed to project an image of effortless grace. Only by doing so could she reduce the covetous gazes of the other gods.
The moment she decided not to join the Loki Familia, she had effectively put a target on her own back for every deity to see.
Loki could offer protection for a time, but at best, it would only ensure she wasn't outright bullied. If someone were to claim they wanted to 'conquer' her, even Loki would find it difficult to intervene.
Right now, even having a small familia like Hestia's would lessen the greedy ambitions of many gods.
But Alice was unwilling to do that. So, in the end, Alice could only rely on herself.
As for whether to take back her decision and join either the Loki or Hestia Familia, that was something Alice had indeed considered.
However, she ultimately abandoned the thought.
Once a decision was made, she would walk down that path without regret.
Alice was not of this world.
She felt in her heart that she was destined to leave this world someday.
What she yearned for was that paradise of fantasy, Gensokyo, beloved by the gods.
--+--
Alice didn't know the exact path through the labyrinth from the 16th to the 17th floor, but even if she didn't, it wasn't a big problem, as there was only one road.
When Alice stepped into a space shimmering with a kaleidoscope of colors, she came to a halt.
"It's quite beautiful here," Alice remarked, feeling a little surprised.
Unlike the dim scenes of other floors, the 17th floor of the dungeon, or rather starting from the 16th floor, was unexpectedly filled with light.
The walls of the 17th floor emitted a gentle, bright, white radiance.
The air refracted this white light, breaking it into a spectrum of seven colors, giving the entire floor a dreamlike feeling.
"The Wall of Sighs..." Upon seeing the colorful lights of the 17th floor, Ais turned her gaze towards the milky-white wall.
"Be careful. If anyone enters, the Goliath will emerge from within the wall."
Ais's expression was completely serious.
In a one-on-one fight, Ais was confident she could defeat the Goliath; after all, the creature was only equivalent to a Level 4 adventurer in strength.
She, on the other hand, was a seasoned Level 5. But with Lefiya and Alice by her side, she needed to focus if she had to protect them both.
"Alice... It's not too late. Maybe we should turn back for now," Lefiya said, her voice full of worry.
"You said you could get stronger through training, right? We could ask Loki directly, have her intervene and buy us some time. A year or two might be impossible, but stalling for half a year shouldn't be a problem."
"With six months, you could become really, really strong, couldn't you?"
Lefiya was deeply concerned about Alice challenging the Goliath.
Based on her own simple assessment, Lefiya judged Alice's strength to be about the same as her own, roughly Level 3.
Coupled with Alice's seemingly endless array of spells, her pure destructive power might even surpass that of a Level 4 adventurer.
To possess such strength without joining a familia was truly impressive.
But the Goliath, as a floor boss, was stronger than the average Level 4 adventurer, even capable of fighting Level 5 adventurers.
To say that Alice couldn't win might sound like she lacked faith.
But even if Alice could win, she would undoubtedly have to pay a heavy price.
Hearing Lefiya's concern, Alice turned back and gave her a gentle, confident smile.
"Don't worry, Lefiya. I am strong. The Goliath is powerful, indeed, but my strength will prove greater still."
After saying this, Alice walked forward confidently.
Watching Alice's retreating back, Lefiya opened her mouth, but ultimately stayed silent. However, that supremely confident and beautiful smile was deeply etched into Lefiya's heart.
Unconsciously, Lefiya began to feel a sense of admiration for that petite figure ahead of her.
'If only I could be that self-assured.'
The 17th floor's space wasn't particularly large compared to other floors; a cylindrical area of about two thousand square meters. The height was unclear, lost in the gloom above.
Not a single monster inhabited this space.
But that was merely an illusion. As Ais had said, if someone entered, the Goliath would emerge from the wall.
Right now, it just hadn't appeared yet.
Even so, Alice could feel the oppressive atmosphere, the violent mana seething in the air.
"My, this is a completely different feeling from a human's bloodlust," Alice murmured to herself, looking into the distance.
She had only felt human bloodlust from one person: Hyacinthus.
Hyakinthos's bloodlust was intense, sharply focused, and very well concealed. Before he revealed it, it was truly hard to detect.
But the Goliath's bloodlust was different.
The disparity between the two was like the difference between the point of a sword and a raging gale.
A sword point can wound; its threat is subtle, but when it strikes, it will injure.
A gale, however, is ferociously overwhelming; whether it wounds or not, it first seeks to crush you with its sheer pressure.
Right now, Alice felt the Goliath's immense pressure.
Simultaneously, a powerful tremor shook the area, and the Wall of Sighs began to crack, fragments breaking away.
It was clear.
Now, the Goliath was awakening.
A black giant appeared within the crumbling wall.
Its eyes were black, the pupils also black, encircled only by a ring of red light.
The massive black giant opened its huge maw and let out a thunderous roar.
Facing the colossal Goliath, Alice's expression remained composed. Shanghai and Hourai hovered at her side.
Simultaneously, Alice herself rose into the air.
"Well then, let my story begin now."
"Not a puppet play, but a live-action drama."
"Alice's Tale."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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