Fairy Tail: Igneel's eldest son in Anime Multiverse

Charles had finally come to understand just how "stubborn" Ais could be. Since Finn instructed her to observe him, she hadn't taken her eyes off him for a second.

Though it was a bit uncomfortable being watched like that, Charles quickly adjusted. What actually bothered him more were the occasional resentful glances being thrown his way by Lefiya from the magic squad.

These little episodes didn't affect the expedition's progress. The party soon reached the seventeenth floor—just in time for the floor boss, Goliath, to respawn.

The Loki Familia immediately launched into a floor boss suppression operation.

Under Finn's command, the vanguard moved in first to halt Goliath's advance.

This one was a standard Goliath, lacking the terrifying self-regeneration ability that the black Goliath—defeated by a certain rabbit—had exhibited.

Several warriors from the vanguard charged forward, slashing through Goliath's left leg tendon, forcing the giant to drop to one knee.

At the same time, the rear guard's mages began chanting, preparing for a massive barrage.

Sensing the danger, Goliath swung its arm down in a sweeping arc.

"Shield unit, block it!" Finn commanded.

Several adventurers bearing massive tower shields stepped forward, bracing themselves just in time.

The Goliath's palm struck the wall of shields with a thunderous impact but was successfully held back.

Despite being a presumed Level 4 monster, Goliath's massive frame gave it strength that could exceed even a Level 6 adventurer. Fortunately, Loki Familia's members were no slouches. United, they held firm.

Then, Ais—who had stuck to Charles like glue until now—rushed forward.

As Goliath's attack was intercepted, she leapt onto its arm, sprinting up toward its head.

"Tempest!"

With her chant, a green wind spiraled around her. This was her spell: Ariel, a wind-based auxiliary magic that drastically boosted her speed and striking power.

Wherever Ais ran, deep gashes opened up in Goliath's flesh, blood spraying in thick arcs.

Goliath let out an ear-shattering roar. It tried lifting its arm, but Ais was already closing in on its face.

The monster opened its mouth and began to condense a swirling orb of air—its rare ranged attack. When fired, this compressed blast could strike like a cannonball.

But Ais twisted midair, gracefully evading the shot, and then drove her sword deep into one of Goliath's eyes.

The resulting scream was one of raw agony. It clutched its bleeding eye, and its remaining gaze turned murderous as it scanned the adventurers.

Ais landed. Immediately, the Amazonian sisters, Tione with her twin curved blades and Tiona with her massive double-edged sword, charged past her.

Goliath's incoming arm was sliced clean off by Tiona. Tione danced in with fluid motion, carving a web of wounds across its chest.

The dungeon's fearsome "Lone King" was being torn apart like a slab of meat on a butcher's block.

Charles could have destroyed Goliath on his own, of course—but he could never match the Loki Familia's sheer proficiency.

Their coordination was clinical, almost like clockwork—clear evidence of countless rehearsals and real combat experience.

As Ais and the Amazon sisters steadily wore down the monster, the rear-guard mages finished their chants.

"Frontline, fall back!" Finn ordered.

Though Ais had a reputation for recklessness, she wasn't disobedient. She retreated alongside the Amazon sisters without hesitation.

Just in time. A second later, an overwhelming magical bombardment was unleashed.

Flames, lightning, ice—blasts of every element rained down on Goliath.

A cascade of explosions engulfed its massive body.

Magic, after all, transcends level-based power and approaches the miraculous—and Loki Familia boasted some of the strongest mages in all of Orario.

Even if this squad wasn't led by Riveria and her elite elf unit, their firepower was more than enough to eliminate a Level 4 Goliath.

Sure enough, once the fire and smoke cleared, Goliath's mangled body was revealed—barely intact for a few seconds before it disintegrated into a cloud of black mist, leaving behind a massive magic stone.

Charles's sharp eyes also noticed something else on the ground.

Goliath hide—a rare and valuable drop from the floor boss.

While not especially beloved by blacksmiths due to its extreme hardness and processing difficulty, adventurers appreciated its utility. With minimal tailoring, it could be fashioned into highly durable equipment.

In the original story, Bell had fended off the deadly claws of Zagnat thanks to a scarf made from black Goliath hide.

Of course, this was just a regular Goliath, so its materials wouldn't have the same properties—but Charles still wanted to get his hands on a piece for research.

Maybe he could negotiate with the Loki Familia to purchase one later.

As he was observing the aftermath, Zade beside him spoke up. "No wonder they're called Giant-Slayers. Even hunting a floor boss is this routine."

Charles nodded in agreement. Based on what he had seen, the nickname really was well earned.

As one of Orario's twin kings, the Loki Familia had earned numerous titles.

In addition to "Weapon Breakers" and "Wrecking Kings," due to their constant destruction of gear in wild combat, they were also dubbed "Giant-Slayers" thanks to their frequent subjugation of floor bosses and other massive monsters.

After tidying up the battlefield with practiced efficiency, the party proceeded to the 18th floor.

The cavernous dome overhead glimmered faintly, its crystals glowing like a starry sky.

Finn immediately gave the order to rest, setting up tents and preparing dinner. The entire camp bustled with activity.

Charles joined the other Hephaestus Familia members to inspect and repair equipment.

Just from looking at their gear, Charles could tell the Loki Familia placed high value on their members' safety.

Most of the adventurers used top-tier equipment, clearly provided or commissioned by the Familia itself.

The most damaged pieces were the tower shields used by the frontline during the Goliath fight—but even those only suffered structural deformation. A bit of heat treatment and reforging would fix them.

The rest were merely dulled or scratched, requiring only light sharpening and polish.

Charles worked a whetstone across a short sword, inspecting the restored blade in the firelight. Satisfied, he sheathed it and stretched his arms with a soft sigh.

His assigned tasks were done. Time to get some rest.

Tomorrow they would descend into the lower and deep levels of the dungeon—who knew when the next chance for a peaceful night would come?

But Charles couldn't help it. He was excited.

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