[D.C] Ch 16: Taking Down the Black Goliath?!

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If Riveria was known as Orario's strongest mage…

Then Alfia could only be described as the strongest mage in the entire world.

She used to be an executive of the Hera Familia, and had reached as deep as Floor 71 of the Dungeon.

Back then, the Hera Familia and the Zeus Familia were considered the top two powerhouses in Orario—fifteen years ago.

The Hera Familia boasted a Level 9 adventurer and several others at Level 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, the Zeus Familia also had multiple adventurers at Level 7 and Level 8.

Together, they were leagues above what today's strongest factions—Loki Familia and Freya Familia—could even dream of matching.

Both the Zeus and Hera Familia only fell because of one thing: the One-Eyed Black Dragon, the final boss of the world.

That battle wiped them out.

And without their core forces, their power crumbled. Eventually, they were cast out of Orario—driven away by their longtime rivals, Loki and Freya.

…

As for Alfia herself?

The gods called her a Monster of Calamitous Talent—an Incarnation of Talent.

She had the single greatest natural talent Orario had ever seen.

Any skill, any technique—just one glance, and she could learn it instantly.

Despite being a mage, her physical abilities weren't lacking either.

Her reflexes? Faster than the legendary Juggernaut.

She'd even personally taken down one of the world's top-ranked monsters, the Sea King Leviathan, during a mission.

Back when Ottar—Freya's trump card—was only Level 3, Alfia had knocked him out with a single knife-hand strike.

By the time she was fifteen or sixteen, she was already a Level 7 adventurer.

Her Magic stat broke past the normal limit of A and S, hitting SS, the only one to ever do it.

And she was the only adventurer who'd ever raised the Development Ability [Mage] to C rank.

She'd even fought against the strongest being in the world—the Empress.

But there was a reason for all this.

From birth, Alfia had suffered from a terminal illness. In exchange for her life slowly fading away, she was granted a terrifying skill: "Gif Blessing"

It gave her overwhelming power—far beyond what adventurers of her level should have.

She also had a twin sister named Meteria.

Seven years ago, knowing her time was running out, Alfia—only 24 at the time—chose to take on the role of a villain and threw herself into the Great Feud.

She clashed with every major Familia in Orario, becoming the ultimate stepping stone for a new era.

Her goal?

To create a world so full of despair and disaster that a true hero would be forced to rise.

In the end…

She jumped into a pit of flames and burned herself to ashes—choosing death.

(Note: Because Alfia will be a key figure in later chapters, this backstory is a bit longer.)

…

Klaus was still catching his breath, eyes wide in shock.

His first impression? Cool and stunning.

She looked like an icy queen—absolutely beautiful.

Long silver hair, mismatched green-and-brown eyes, a curvy figure, flawless pale skin…

Alfia now wore a black dress with magic resistance properties, and her body had been restored to how she looked at 24—her peak.

And most importantly…

She no longer suffered from the illness that once plagued her.

Thanks to the summoning spell, she was fully alive again—and her loyalty to Klaus was absolute.

There was zero chance of rebellion.

They had a life-and-death contract. It bound them as master and servant.

→Pros:

Klaus could upgrade or update her status using his own blood, just like how Hestia used her divine blood for him.

He was certain—now that Alfia had been revived, she'd definitely go from Level 7 to Level 8.

Any enemy Alfia defeated would also boost Klaus's own stats, as if she were his personal clone.

Basically… she was a second version of him.

→Cons:

The longer she stayed active in the world, the more mental energy and magic it drained from Klaus.

…

Sure, Klaus had a big enough mana pool—he even had the [Demonic Tyrant Aura] and a passive blue buff helping him.

But the truth was…

At Level 1, he still couldn't keep Alfia summoned for long.

When he eventually ran out of magic and stamina?

She'd automatically vanish.

Of course, in the future, he could summon her again whenever he wanted.

But to keep a powerful warrior like her around permanently, though? Klaus would need to hit at least Level 2.

And that's just for one summon.

If he wanted to bring back more people at once…

He'd need to level up even more.

…

At the moment—

Alfia hadn't fully awakened yet.

Her consciousness was still sealed, waiting for Klaus to activate it.

To dismiss her, he only needed to cut off the flow of magic.

Even the strongest warrior wouldn't last another second without his magic supply—she'd vanish instantly.

"…So this is the legendary Level 7 'Silence'?"

"She's gorgeous. Total knockout."

Klaus grinned.

"Alright, you're officially my new training partner."

Just thinking about it excited him.

Now he had a high-level badass guiding him—like a king carrying a noob through the game.

Alfia would destroy everything, Klaus would collect the rewards, and together they'd steamroll through the Dungeon.

Honestly? It sounded awesome.

No wonder this was the most broken summoning spell ever.

…

Klaus shook the thoughts away, collected himself, and stood up.

He took a deep breath. Then, with a single mental command, he unlocked her mind.

Magic flowed again.

Alfia's eyes slowly opened.

Her first expression—was confusion.

"…What?"

"I'm alive again?"

"You are," Klaus nodded calmly. "I used a summoning spell to bring you back."

Alfia looked at him, curious.

"Young man… who are you?"

"Klaus."

...

They talked for a while—long enough to get acquainted.

Alfia quickly grasped the situation, and accepted her role in this new reality.

"A resurrection spell actually exists in this world…?"

She looked at him, a rare hint of warmth in her eyes.

"I'm honestly impressed."

Alfia agreed without hesitation—she'd help Klaus however she could.

Whether that meant teaching him magic, shielding him in battle, or outright fighting on his behalf—she was all in.

All she wanted now was to witness it for herself:

Was this boy the final hero she'd once hoped the world would produce?

"Young man," she asked, a playful spark in her voice, "shall we go slay the Black Goliath together?"

"…Huh?!"

Klaus blinked. "I'm just a newbie! Fresh off the starting line!"

Alfia replied with an easy, confident smile: "With me by your side? Nothing will go wrong."

"Relax."

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