Danmachi - Eldritch Apostle

Our footsteps came to a halt as we stood before a shimmering, transparent wall towering high above us. Tsubaki signaled for everyone to stop, taking a moment to perform checkups and prepare for the worst, in case the dungeon decided to interfere.

"Weapons ready, yes? Potions, emergency food, magic weapons... Alright, before we go, I just want to say that Niall here will go first. He'll be challenging Goliath alone and if he starts to struggle, that's when we'll step in."

Tsubaki patted me on the shoulder, leaving everyone surprised by the idea of me facing Goliath completely alone. Some of the older dwarven smiths sighed, inspecting their magical weapons in preparation.

Amid the commotion, Welf approached me clearly excited. "So, you're going to face that monster all by yourself, huh? Wish I could do that too man..." His voice carried a hint of jealousy though his smirk showed admiration.

"Alright, everyone enter right after Niall and stay near the wall. At my command, we'll storm the Goliath if it becomes necessary. Niall, do your thing, but still... facing Goliath alone isn't something most people could even dream of."

Tsubaki had a worried look on her tanned face. Seeing me remain silent, she sighed in defeat and let it be. With a nod, I crossed the Wall of Grief, stepping into a vast space filled with emptiness and a sense of profound loneliness.

There wasn't a single trace of life on the floor, only an ominous aura hanging in the air like smoke. Moments later, Tsubaki and her group followed, crossing the wall while gripping their weapons as tightly as humanly possible.

No one dared utter a word, communicating only through exchanged glances. Tsubaki shot me a look, and I moved further away from the group. In my mind, I was ready to give them a spectacle they'd remember for years to come.

I envisioned myself defeating Goliath while flying and unleashing a barrage of spells. As simple as it sounded in theory, Goliath's sheer height was legendary. Even if it couldn't reach the ceiling, I doubted its massive hands wouldn't find a way to strike.

However, my knowledge wasn't perfect, so I began speculating about alternative tactics—until a sudden crack appeared in the wall behind me. Turning around, I noticed an ominous eye peeking through one of the fissures glaring at me with unrestrained anger.

"Everyone, get ready! It's starting!" Tsubaki yelled. Her group immediately unsheathed their weapons, ready to leap in to assist me at a moment's notice. I could see beads of sweat forming on their brows—even Tsubaki's, despite her experience.

Being a Level 5 adventurer was an incredible achievement, but it didn't make you invincible. Goliath was estimated to be between Levels 4 and 5, depending on the version that spawned, and it was widely regarded as a prime Monster Rex for strong familias to use to level up. Soloing it, however, was a different story. Only a select few had ever faced Goliath alone and lived to tell the tale—the rest had perished.

Cracked walls left a swirling smoke and a colossal figure emerged from it that resembled a titan straight out of Attack on Titan.

But something was off. It wasn't attacking me. Instead it stood there, motionless, staring at me with eyes filled with seething hatred. I could hear confused gasps from the smiths behind me, their expressions reflecting the same bewilderment I felt at the monster's anomalous behavior.

I locked eyes with the beast, daring it to make a move. Yet, it remained still, its towering frame unmoving, as if waiting for something.

- - - (General POV) - - -

The small figure of Niall stood in one corner of the floor, while on the opposite side loomed the gigantic Monster Rex he had challenged. Yet, something about it was unmistakably wrong—even Tsubaki and her smiths had noticed it.

"Hey... hey, boss, isn't that thing acting a bit weird?" muttered one of the dwarf smiths, a seasoned adventurer who had seen his fair share of strange occurrences. Even he seemed perplexed by this.

Tsubaki, her gaze fixed on the scene before her, didn't turn to acknowledge the dwarf but spoke with a hint of worry in her voice. "So you noticed it too, huh? It is acting strange. This is the first time I've ever seen a Monster Rex refuse to attack its challenger."

She wanted to yell at Niall, to tell him to turn around and run while there was still a chance. But something stopped her. Instead, she remained silent, her heart heavy with unease, praying that Niall would decide to retreat on his own.

But Niall hadn't moved an inch from where he stood—not out of fear or anxiety, but because he understood something the others didn't. He knew the dungeon hated him. This abnormal behavior could only mean one thing: the dungeon was preparing something special.

"Tsubaki! Get behind the wall and don't cross it until I've defeated this freak. Its strange behavior tells me something bad is about to happen. Take your men and go!" Niall shouted, waving at the group, who stared at him as though he were a ghost.

"Did he just tell us to leave him with that thing?" one of the female smiths asked, her voice a mix of confusion and fear. The thought of leaving someone alone against Goliath was almost unthinkable, especially when this version of the Monster Rex had respawned unnaturally fast—a phenomenon they had never seen before.

The others awaited their captain's orders, tension thick in the air. Tsubaki heard Niall's plea loud and clear but took a moment to weigh her options. She agreed the group should retreat to safety, but leaving Niall alone felt wrong.

Though she hadn't known him for long, there was something about him that intrigued her. Tsubaki wasn't about to abandon him to face whatever the dungeon had in store. If nothing else, the least she could do was fight alongside him.

"Everyone else, get behind the wall and stay there. Niall can't handle this alone, and I'm not risking any of your lives…" Her voice was firm, leaving little room for argument. The group exchanged uncertain glances before returning their gaze to their captain.

"And what about you, Captain? Don't tell me—!" Welf began, worry etched into his features.

But Tsubaki cut him off with a confident grin, her pearly white teeth gleaming. "I'm going to help Niall kill that bastard!"

The smiths knew better than to argue. Their captain was as stubborn as she was kind. Protesting would be pointless, so they obeyed, retreating behind the wall as ordered.

Tsubaki dashed forward, joining Niall, who was still locked in a silent standoff with the unmoving Goliath. The monster's eyes, once burning with rage, now gleamed with something far more unsettling: amusement.

She had never seen a monster display such complex emotions, least of all a Monster Rex like Goliath. It was common knowledge that deeper-floor monsters had higher intelligence, but Goliath expressing anything beyond anger or pain was unheard of.

With a swift motion, she unsheathed her katana and came to a stop beside Niall. He glanced at her, his expression blank and emotionless. For the first time, she noticed just how peculiar his demeanor was—cold and detached, as though nothing could faze him.

"Damn it, Tsubaki. I told you to stay behind and let me handle this," Niall said flatly, his gaze never leaving the still-motionless Goliath.

Tsubaki, unfazed by his tone, broke her focus on his face and gave him a cheeky smile. "Now, now, Niall. Don't leave your corpse here for me to clean up. Goliath's acting strange, and the least I can do is offer you my help."

Niall sighed at her confidence but didn't argue further. He remained silent as the tension mounted. Then, without warning, Goliath's massive body began to shake.