endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 96

As Vahn had been recounting his experience, Riveria and Finn had been taking notes. Once he was finished, the two compared notes and began discussing strategy with the other members present. "It's good that the Juggernaut is already injured, but we need to discover how such a thing happened. It may have something to do with the reason it was summoned in the first place."

Riveria nodded, "Yes, anything capable of dealing such a serious blow to a Level 7 creature could easily cause enough damage to the dungeon to summon it. The question is, why would they do such a thing? There may be more to this than anyone suspects..." Riveria spoke seriously and all the veterans of the group seemed to agree with her.

On the side, Vahn was sweating a bit hearing their words. He knew how the Juggernaut was injured and, as far as he knew, it had nothing to do with why it was summoned. There was no way to explain how he was the person that nearly destroyed it. As far as everyone in the room was concerned, he was just an abnormally strong Level 2, which was a far cry from the combat potential required to deal such a heavy blow to a Juggernaut. For now, he just sat silently and waited for the discussion to conclude.

It was ultimately decided that the group would be split into two lines of defense and one garrison unit. As the Juggernaut would immediately take action the moment the stepped onto the floor, it would require a team of elites to draw it into a position and fight it in direct combat. A secondary line would be in a room not too far away from where the majority of the combat potential would prepare an encirclement to attack the creature. The third group, the garrison, would actually be stationed near the holes on the lower floors. Vahn had provided an incredibly detailed map, so they were able to consider working the plan from multiple floors. In the worst case scenario, people could retreat down the holes where they would be received by the waiting members and treated.

It was decided, after asking for his agreement, that Vahn would be in the second group. As he only had the combat potential of a high-tier Level 3, there was no way he could be part of the group that draws the attention of the Juggernaut. That group would be lead by Finn, who would also be accompanied by Gareth, Bete, and Ais. The second group was lead by Riveria, as magic wasn't effective against the Juggernaut and she was lacking in speed. Her support units consisted of Tione, Tiona, Lefiya, as well as the majority of Level 3 or higher adventurers. Everyone else was in the third group, which was led by Meryl with the support of the majority of the Hephaestus Familia.

After nearly two hours of planning and discussion, they now had slightly more than 25 hours to execute the mission so everyone went about performing their duties. Finn wanted the entire camp prepared and ready to move within three hours and they would begin their march to the 14th floor at the earliest possible time. Taking into consideration the setup and communicating the strategy with the other members, Finn expected there would be less than 18 hours to actually subjugate the Juggernaut.

Though it seemed like a lot of time, the logistics behind the operation were a nightmare. Every setback could hold up the entire group for hours and could lead to further problems if not addressed immediately. If the leadership broke down, the entire group could end up being wiped out. Taking into account all the possible issues that may arise, the estimated 18 hours was likely closer to 10.

While trying to leave the tent, Vahn was 'captured' by Tiona. She had noticed he was being especially cautious of her, so instead of sticking to him like normal, she just tugged at his sleeve with a bit of strength. Vahn, feeling his sleeve being pulled, almost tried to jerk his arm away, but, seeing the somewhat sad expression on Tiona's face, he couldn't muster the courage.

Noticing that Vahn hadn't tried to run away as she expected, Tiona smiled and got a little bit closer without directly touching him. "Are you angry with me Vahn? I didn't mean to upset you earlier...I just got caught up in the moment and couldn't help myself." Unlike her normal, vibrant, self, Tiona was acting in a reserved manner. Seeing her uncharacteristic behavior and the drooping aura coming from her body, Vahn felt an itching in his heart and wanted to make her go back to normal.