The Black Dragon could use magic.
This was something no one had anticipated.
In the Dungeon, creatures capable of casting magic simply didn't exist, because the monsters spawned there possessed no intelligence.
To wield magic required a high degree of intelligence.
Everyone knew that below the 50th floor lay the dragons' lair, and that dragons could breathe fire. But breathing fire was just a dragon's instinct.
Because the dragons below the 50th floor were Fire Dragons.
While it would be perfectly normal for a Black Dragon to breathe fire too, one mustn't forget the massive red magic circle glowing beneath it.
And the Black Dragon had already unleashed its breath attack once before.
Therefore, his Meteor Volcano raining down now wasn't an innate attack of the Black Dragon itself, but a spell it had cast—and an immensely powerful one at that.
Riveria's defensive magic, erected in haste, only managed to protect herself and the two others with her, with no strength left to spare for anyone else.
The Meteor Volcano fell from the sky.
Like the end of the world, it crashed down upon the adventurers one after another. In that moment, massive casualties erupted among their ranks.
'Crack...'
A splintering sound came from Riveria's barrier magic under the assault of the Meteor Volcano.
Hearing the incessant 'crack...' sounds, Riveria's face was grave. If even her defensive magic couldn't withstand the spell cast by the Black Dragon,
Then the Level 3 and Level 4 adventurers who had come together on this expedition, facing this calamitous Meteor Volcano, could only rely on sheer luck to preserve their lives. And even if they managed to survive, they would undoubtedly be left with grievous wounds.
However..
It seemed everyone's luck was pretty good.
Although the fiery rain filled the sky and attacked the surroundings, the gods watching the battle from Orario through Freya's divine mirror could see clearly.
At least three-fifths of the Black Dragon's magical attack was aimed at Riveria's magic circle—or rather, aimed squarely at Alice.
In Babel, Loki bit her fingernail, sweat beading on her forehead.
"Dammit!! That bastard Black Dragon! It's always targeting Alice! What the hell is going on!"
Up in Babel, using Freya's mirror that could view any place in the mortal world, the gods had been watching since the moment the Black Dragon appeared.
They were well aware of who the Black Dragon's target was.
They were also intensely curious about why the Black Dragon had set its sights on Alice, though they had some rough guesses.
"Loki! Calm down! Alice will be fine!" Hestia, standing beside Loki, tried to comfort her. "Alice has an entire world as her trump card. She absolutely won't come to harm."
"That's right, Loki. What you should worry about now are the other members of your familia." Even Freya, who always carried herself with elegance, was frowning now.
Freya's love was prolific, but it was equal.
While she had come to love Alice, Freya also loved all the children of her own familia. The Black Dragon's magic had afflicted members of the Freya Familia as well.
From a god's perspective, the Black Dragon's magic would seriously injure even a Level 5 adventurer, while Level 3 and Level 4 adventurers would surely die if struck directly.
But precisely because the Black Dragon had a clear target, the majority of its magical attacks were controlled and directed at Alice.
So, fortunately, the others were only caught in the periphery. Though they were injured, some severely, they could at least cling to life for a short while.
As long as they had a breath left in them, there was one person among the adventurers who could save them all.
Of course, that person wasn't Alice.
Switching perspective back to the battlefield.
No matter how powerful a spell, it would eventually end; the only question was when.
Riveria's magic circle, bearing over sixty percent of the spell's power, could no longer hold.
At that moment, a voice sounded from within the barrier.
"Lefiya, take over for Riveria after her magic shatters."
Because of the Black Dragon's magic, the mana in the air was chaotic and turbulent everywhere, but within the barrier,
Riveria and Lefiya could feel the powerful, rippling mana emanating from Alice.
"Alice! What are you planning to do!?" Riveria turned her head, seeing Alice looking as if she was about to step out of the barrier, and immediately asked.
In response, Alice gave a slight smile.
"The Black Dragon's target is me. I don't know why, but I imagine if I show myself before it, it won't pay any more attention to the others."
"It was nice knowing you, Lefiya, and you, Riveria."
Lefiya's heart jolted in alarm. She immediately rushed towards Alice, reaching out to grab her.
But it was too late. Alice had already stepped into a gap, and Lefiya's hand closed on empty air.
The next moment, a rift appeared in the sky, and Alice stepped out from it.
Simultaneously, Lefiya's shout rang out from below.
"Alice! What are you doing!? Get back here now!"
Hearing Lefiya's voice, Alice smiled slightly, her gaze meeting the Black Dragon's single eye.
"I don't know if you can understand me, but if you can, then follow me..."
"Cough..."
"It seems... there's no need to keep fighting. To think you even know spatial magic? What were you doing before? Toying with me?"
Alice's face was flushed. A giant claw had materialized in front of her, and one of the Black Dragon's fingers had pierced straight through her chest, though the Dragon's main body remained motionless in the air.
A magic circle was simply superimposed over one of the Black Dragon's claws, covering a single finger.
Cough... Blood trickled from the corner of Alice's mouth.
"You probably don't care why I stepped out like this, but I'll explain anyway. It wasn't to sacrifice myself for the people below, thinking my death would make you leave."
"...Although that possibility isn't small."
"But I never once thought of begging for anything."
Alice's face grew even redder.
Her beautiful blue eyes turned a crimson hue in that instant.
The corners of her lips, curled up in a smile, dripped with fresh blood, making her look exceptionally eerie and captivating.
"My eyelids are getting heavy. So this is the feeling of life draining away. How peculiar."
Slowly, Alice closed her eyes, her body leaning backward as if truly withering.
"Ever since I obtained that blooming ability before, I've felt someone watching. I don't know who you are, or who you all are."
"But if you don't show up now, I'm really going to die."
"Mm, I could heal this injury now, but I won't."
"After all, this is a fatal wound, you know."
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