A/N:- Lee Yun-Jung on the cover.
As we opened the door, we saw a strange smoke flowing out from within. At the same time, a low wailing sound crept into our ears.
"Hrrrrr..."
The voice carried an undeniable malice, thick and oppressive.
Stepping inside, my party and I were left speechless as we took in the vast hall before us. No, it wasn't the sheer size of the space that rendered us silent. Even if we combined the few rooms we had passed through on the first floor, they would still pale in comparison to this one.
The real issue was the overwhelming presence of the creature standing rigidly in the center of the room.
Its massive frame nearly scraped the high ceiling. Its upper body resembled that of a human—seemingly covered in solid, well-defined muscles—but its skin was not the soft flesh of a person. It looked as though it had been forged from steel. Lowering my gaze, I saw that instead of human legs, it had a single, elongated body that merged into one.
A human torso with the lower half of a serpent.
"A Gigas...? No, that can't be. Why would a mythical creature be here...?"
I quickly activated my Third Eye.
And as soon as I read the information about the monster before me, I was horrified.
What the hell did the past residents of this laboratory do? No, more importantly—if this thing was still here, it meant it wasn't deemed worthy enough as a sacrifice. If a creature of this level wasn't fit to be an offering, then just what kind of demon awaited us on the third floor?
"This is... insane."
"A giant..."
My party members also cried out in shock, staring blankly at the Gigas towering before us.
For a moment, we stood in a tense standoff. Then, I saw the corner of its mouth curl slightly upward.
It was mocking us.
And at that moment, I felt flames ignite in my eyes.
How dare this cheap imitation of a monster mock me?
Infuriated, I unleashed a wave of killing intent, and I saw the Gigas take a step back. Biting my lip, I turned to my party and quickly spoke.
"Vivienne. Keeper."
"W-what?"
Vivienne's eyes widened in surprise, and the rest of the party reacted similarly. It was understandable—they all knew that Vivienne, who had contributed the most in past battles, was being pulled back as a Keeper. On the surface, it didn't seem like a rational choice when facing such a powerful-looking monster.
A Keeper, as the name suggested, withdrew from direct combat and focused on protecting the priests and mages of the party. While Vivienne had played the role of Keeper before and had occasionally joined the front lines when maintaining formation was necessary, the position was traditionally reserved for large-scale expeditions. Even though mages could provide long-range support, assigning one as a Keeper was an unusual decision.
"That thing in front of us may look like a Gigas, but it's nothing more than an artificial experiment. It's a hybrid of a giant and a basilisk. I don't know the exact extent of its power, but the fact remains that it was created by humans—meaning it can be defeated by humans. Don't forget that this creature was deemed inferior to a hundred other sacrifices."
"S-still..."
Their hesitation was clear, but I firmly stood my ground.
To be honest, a fully grown giant or a basilisk alone would be formidable enemies. The idea of facing a fusion of the two was daunting—even I couldn't predict its full strength. I had fought them separately, but never as a combined entity. Given the circumstances, I had to make the best possible decision.
"Since it has a giant's blood, mages and priests should step back from direct combat. Just focus on supporting magic when necessary. An-Hyun, Yun-Jung—you two are in free roles this time. I'll charge in first, and you'll follow behind me, supporting my attacks. Prioritize evasion above all else and focus on distracting it. The rest of you, assist as best as you can."
I cut through their hesitation with decisive words. At the mention of free combat, their faces turned pale.
As I turned to face the monster, I heard Jung Ha-Yeong's urgent voice behind me.
"Su-Hyeon! Wouldn't it be better to form a defensive formation—"
"This will work better."
"What?"
"I don't have time to explain. Just trust me—this is the best option."
"Hrrrrr..."
A chilling growl echoed from the creature before us.
The moment I finished speaking, the Gigas finally moved.
Its massive serpent-like lower body twisted and coiled before it surged toward us with terrifying speed, gliding across the floor with unnatural grace. There was no time.
Yet even in that brief moment, Jung Ha-Yeong was still processing my words, replaying them in her mind.
If anyone could understand my reasoning, it would be her.
Trying to counter the Gigas with a defensive formation would only be effective if our caravan had the perfect party composition and twice the numbers. With our current state and setup, forming a defensive line would be nothing more than a flimsy, half-baked attempt at defense.
Of course, my approach had its own risks.
But the core idea was simple—if I could completely hold the Gigas at bay in the front, then all other concerns would be eliminated.
I saw the realization dawn in her eyes. She had figured it out.
Still, a look of concern flickered across her face.
That was the last thing I saw before I dashed forward.
The others, who had hesitated for a moment, scrambled to follow.
I had been prepared to be disappointed if fear kept them frozen in place—but in the end, they couldn't just stand by while their leader, oppa, charged ahead.
A small smirk formed on my lips.
I pushed my speed even further.
The gap between the Gigas and me rapidly shrank.
I saw its massive right hand rise high into the air.
Was it planning to crush me in a single strike?
Fine. I raised my sword high in response.
I was going to shatter its confidence with this first clash.
At that moment, a message appeared before me in the air.
『Latent Ability: Close-Combat Mastery (Rank: A +) has been activated.』
『For those who wield melee weapons, this ability surpasses the limits of human skill. Rank: A+. It is not merely an enhancement of combat ability but the pinnacle of mastery achievable by humans. In close combat, the player will never be outmatched.』
Jung Ha-Yeong stared intently at the battlefield, her face tense.
Her mind kept circling back to the conversation she'd just had with Kim Su-Hyeon.
"Su-Hyeon! Wouldn't it be better to form a defensive formation—"
"This will work better."
"What?"
"I don't have time to explain. Just trust me—this is the best option."
Ha-Yeong bit her lip hard.
Kim Su-Hyeon was not a reckless man.
She hadn't been with him for long, but his command abilities were unmatched.
He didn't rely on flashy instincts or risky maneuvers—instead, he was always calm, logical, and precise. Even veteran players who had survived in Hall Plain for years wouldn't be able to match his level of composed leadership.
And yet, for the first time, he was doing something she couldn't fully comprehend.
No—that wasn't quite right.
She could understand. She even had a rough idea of what he was aiming for.
Kim Su-Hyeon's words echoed in her mind.
"It's better for you to step back from the fight."
That was what he had said.
But the look in his eyes when he said it had conveyed a different message entirely.
"If you're confident that you won't get in the way, then do as you please."
"So if we can't keep up, we should just stay out of the way…?"
Ha-Yeong muttered bitterly under her breath.
Before she could dwell on it further, a piercing scream erupted from beside her.
"Kyaaaah! Oppa! Oppaaaaa! Noooo!"
Startled, Ha-Yeong's head snapped up.
What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.
The monstrous being they called a Gigas and Kim Su-Hyeon were about to collide head-on.
Ha-Yeong instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth.
She had expected him to have some kind of plan, some hidden trick up his sleeve—but to charge in like that…?
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!
Before her thoughts could fully form, the two figures finally clashed.
The deafening impact shook the entire room, sending shockwaves through the air.
"H-hurry, healing spells!"
"We're already casting them! Unnie, oppa, don't just stand there—go help—"
The words trailed off.
Because as the dust and debris began to settle—
Kim Su-Hyeon was still standing.
"No… way."
The words slipped from someone's lips in a stunned whisper.
What they were seeing was simply unbelievable.
Kim Su-Hyeon and the Gigas had clashed head-on—yet, against all expectations, it was Su-Hyeon who had come out on top.
The monstrous Gigas had been forced to recoil, its massive body skidding backward across the floor.
Every member of the party stared in shock.
Except for Vivienne.
While the others gawked, their minds struggling to process what they had just witnessed, Vivienne alone remained calm, quietly chanting an incantation under her breath.
She had already caught a glimpse of Su-Hyeon's true power once before.
Of course, even she hadn't expected this level of power—but as long as they were on the same side, it didn't matter how absurd his power was.
She completed her spell and raised her voice.
"Come forth! Imprison! O iron binder of the 49th Legion!"
At the sound of her chant, Shin Sang-Yong, An-Sol, and Jung Ha-Yeong snapped back to attention.
Vivienne may have been assigned the role of Keeper, but that didn't mean she couldn't provide support.
A beast she had summoned the day before now emerged once more, rising above the glowing magic circle beneath it.
Chains shot out from its form, streaking toward the Gigas.
Watching this, Ha-Yeong clenched her fists.
She had made up her mind.
She would join the fight.
She couldn't just sit back and watch anymore.
"The only question is… which spell to use?"
Her mind cycled through countless spells, weighing the options. One by one, they were dismissed—except for one. A single spell remained, refusing to fade from her thoughts. She turned to look at An-Sol and Shin Sang-Yong. Her gaze grew colder, sharpening with resolve.
"An-Sol."
"Y-yes?"
"Prepare a binding spell. And Shin Sang-Yong—"
Ha-Yeong's voice was low, yet it carried an undeniable force—one that left no room for argument.
The moment she called Shin Sang-Yong's name, he immediately nodded.
"Understood."
"Prepare that spell. I'm counting on you."
"That spell…?"
Shin Sang-Yong blinked, staring at her in confusion.
Between the two of them, there was only one thing that could be referred to as "that spell."
Would magic even work on a giant?
He wasn't sure.
But Ha-Yeong had far more expertise in magical applications than he did. If she had a plan, there had to be a reason behind it. His expression hardened with determination.
"Understood. What elemental alignment should I use?"
"Fire-based. I'll overlap it with water magic."
Their conversation flowed at an incredible speed, rapid and precise.
Meanwhile, An-Sol struggled to keep up, her head whipping back and forth as she tried to process their words. She was completely lost.
Ha-Yeong felt a wave of frustration rise in her chest but forced it down.
"I'll handle target designation. Sol, just focus on completing the binding spell and release it when I give the signal."
"Th-three layered magic applications? That's impossible, no matter how skilled you are!"
"I can do it. But just in case, be ready to assist as much as possible."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Because she would make it work.
Ha-Yeong paused briefly, then turned her gaze forward.
Vivienne's chains had coiled tightly around the Gigas' right arm just as it was about to strike.
The restraint wasn't perfect—the monster's sheer strength made it impossible to fully immobilize—but it was enough to buy a few precious seconds.
And that was all Kim Su-Hyeon needed.
With a powerful stomp, he launched himself into the air, his sword flashing as he swung.
Even from a distance, Ha-Yeong could see the radiant arc of sword energy slicing through the air.
Like a whip, it curved and struck the Gigas' massive torso with brutal force.
A deafening roar echoed through the chamber as the beast recoiled, staggering backward under the relentless assault.
It was clear—Su-Hyeon had complete control of the melee.
The Gigas was being overwhelmed.
Ha-Yeong swallowed hard.
"Target its left arm. We just need to create an opening—I'll lock both arms in place."
"O-okay…."
"Good."
Shin Sang-Yong closed his eyes, focusing as he began his incantation.
An-Sol, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, gripped her staff tightly and started murmuring her own spell.
Ha-Yeong took a deep breath, ensuring they were both in sync before she, too, began her casting.
She had started last, but she knew she would finish first.
She always did.
"Teeth of Crystal!"
"Burn Flare!"
Ha-Yeong's voice rang out first, completing her spell in an instant.
A heartbeat later, Shin Sang-Yong and An-Sol followed.
In Ha-Yeong's palm, ice as sharp as fangs formed, radiating a chilling aura.
In Shin Sang-Yong's hand, flames flickered and churned, burning with intense heat.
The two mages locked eyes.
Then, with a single nod, they unleashed their spells.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
200 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.
Goal refresh every week.