The signal to begin was given when Shin Sang-Yong extended his left hand first.
"Magic Square of Harmony."
Unlike the small-scale magic squares he had shown before, this was the full-fledged version. The moment Shin Sang-Yong muttered those words, a three-dimensional magic circle emerged above his left palm. Soon, a clearly visible magic square, different from the previous ones, rose into the air, and both Shin Sang-Yong and Jung Ha-Yeong fired their spells onto it.
The fire and ice spells reached the magic square simultaneously, quickly swirling together like a vortex before being absorbed into the formation. From this point on, everything depended on Shin Sang-Yong's ability. He had to set the right foundation so that Jung Ha-Yeong and An-Sol, who would take over next, wouldn't be burdened.
"───. ───. ───."
Despite sweating profusely, Shin Sang-Yong did not stop murmuring. His piercing gaze remained locked on the magic square, undoubtedly making rapid calculations and adjustments in his mind. It didn't take long. Fortunately, his expression brightened, signaling that he had quickly found the correct arrangement.
Moments later, the magic that had formed above the square took on an impossible shape, lingering in the air.
The spell they had created was covered in jagged ice crystals protruding outward, while fierce flames swirled around the frozen structures as if ready to ignite them at any moment. The start was promising. With a slightly strained expression, Shin Sang-Yong turned his gaze to Jung Ha-Yeong and passed the magic he had been maintaining over to her.
Receiving his gaze, Ha-Yeong licked her lips as she watched the floating spell drift toward her. It had been a long time since she had attempted a magic combination that pushed her to her limits. The moment she took over the spell, she felt an intense burden surge through her body. But it was still manageable.
After observing the spell for a brief moment, she gathered every ounce of strength she had left and cast her own spell.
"Reverse!"
The instant Ha-Yeong's clear voice rang out, the spell they had created was once again engulfed in a white light. This time, the reversal she chose was mana position designation.
"Hngh…!"
A strained moan escaped Ha-Yeong's lips. Unlike dispelling magic, this was a mana interference spell meant to sustain the existing magic, and the strain sent a dizzying sensation through her head. The backlash from the reversal had caused an immense surge of mana to flow back into her.
However, despite the overwhelming pressure, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to complete the reversal flawlessly. The magic infused with Reverse now appeared similar to its original form, yet distinctly different. The change was clear: instead of surrounding the ice shards from the outside, the blazing flames were now swirling within the frozen structures.
Watching from the side, An-Sol let out an awed gasp at the perfectly fused magic. But at the same time, unease crept into her heart—because soon, it would be her turn to take over that very spell.
But it wasn't over yet.
Even if they unleashed the spell as it was, it would still be incredibly powerful. However, their opponent was a Gigas with giant blood—a creature synonymous with magic resistance. Their blood naturally rejected magical interference. That meant they needed an even stronger spell, one capable of breaking through that resistance entirely.
Ha-Yeong steadied her dizzy mind and cast another spell.
"Target designation… Shackles spell. Overlap."
The Overlap spell, in a way, resembled the Magic Square of Harmony—it was a form of applied magic that combined multiple spells. However, unlike the Magic Square, which ignored conventional magic laws, Overlap was still bound by the principles of magical compatibility. Even so, it remained one of the more advanced applied spells.
As An-Sol's Shackles spell activated, the combined magic of Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong flowed into it. The moment the sacred magic and their spell merged, a brilliant white light flashed, flooding the area. The sight of multiple spells converging into a single magic formation was breathtaking.
Now, the baton has been passed to An-Sol.
Everything had gone well so far, but if she failed to withstand the burden as the final caster, all their efforts would be wasted. Sensing this, Ha-Yeong turned to An-Sol with a watchful gaze, wondering if she could handle it.
"Ugh…."
An-Sol grimaced but managed to endure.
Her magic power stat was 86—just one point lower than Ha-Yeong's 87. Of course, Ha-Yeong had no way of knowing the exact numbers. If she did, she might have been outraged at how close they were. But for now, given the situation, she simply felt proud.
*
An-Sol slowly raised her staff.
The sheer concentration of magic before her was overwhelming—it was the most powerful spell combination she had encountered since arriving in Hall Plain. It was enough to make her hesitate, but that also meant it carried immense destructive power. Yet, she still wavered.
'…Can I really land this shot? I—I need to do it fast… but what if I mess up…?'
Sol only had three spells she could confidently use: Shackles, Healing, and Protection. She could manage Detoxification and a few miscellaneous spells, but she had never learned homing magic. She regretted it now, but regret wouldn't change anything.
Sensing her hesitation, Ha-Yeong's sharp voice cut through the tension.
"It's fine. Just fire."
"N-no, I c-can't…!"
"I said, fire. If you keep hesitating, the mana will backflow, and the spell will collapse."
Whether it was Ha-Yeong's words acting as a catalyst or the chilling tone in which she delivered them, Sol gulped nervously. She raised her staff, aiming at the Gigas before her. Even then, she hesitated, her fingers trembling.
Finally, in a shaky voice, she spoke.
"Shackles…!"
The moment Sol cast her spell, Ha-Yeong, who had been waiting, immediately began preparing one more spell.
As I swung my sword through the air, slicing at nothing, I landed lightly back on the ground.
Before me, Gigas panted heavily, its massive body covered in long, jagged slash wounds. It was undoubtedly strong. If you compared giants and basilisks separately, the Gigas was clearly superior. It had put up a decent fight.
But that was all it had accomplished.
It wasn't even a boss monster—just an artificial creature. From the moment we first clashed, I had been sure of my victory. I had planned to use this fight as a warm-up before facing the demon of the third floor, so in a way, I was actually glad this thing showed up. Big, durable opponents like this were perfect for getting loose before a real battle.
Now, it was time to finish this.
I prepared to leap once more. I wasn't sure what the others were up to, but given how the Gigas kept twisting its body from side to side, they were clearly following my orders properly. I had instructed Keeper to restrict it, and Vivienne, being the smart one, had wisely focused on only restraining its right arm instead of both. That alone was more than enough for me.
"Time to end this."
I muttered to myself as I gathered my mana. Raising my sword high, I intended to cleave it from head to toe in one final strike.
Then—
Paang!
A spell shot out from behind me.
The magic roared toward me and the Gigas at a terrifying speed.
I had just bent my knees, ready to launch myself forward— But the unexpected attack made me pause for a brief moment.
What the hell?
I had sensed the mages in the back casting something, but the spell hurtling toward me now wasn't something I wanted to get hit by either. If I had to choose, I'd rather just slash it apart before it reached me.
I briefly considered dodging, but as if it had read my mind, the magic suddenly changed trajectory—veering straight for the Gigas's left arm instead.
"A target-designation spell, huh?"
Was this Jung Ha-Yeong's doing?
I had thrown out a little taunt earlier, and it seemed to have worked perfectly. A faint smirk tugged at my lips. Since they had gone through all the trouble of casting it, it would be rude if I finished the fight before their spell even landed. Plus, I was a little curious.
The Gigas, which had charged at me so ferociously at the start, now stood there, pale-faced after getting thoroughly beaten. I really hated when monsters acted high and mighty, so I had made sure not to cut it down immediately—instead, I had smacked it around with the flat side of my blade.
A brief lull settled over the battlefield, and I could feel the others swiftly retreating.
Man, these guys are hot and cold. One moment they impress me, the next they piss me off. If only they were this competent all the time.
Still, the more we fought, the more An-Hyun and Yun-Jung showed growth in their own ways.
The moment we stopped our relentless attacks, I caught a fleeting glimmer of relief flash across the Gigas's face.
But it was only a brief peace before death.
I planned to finish this right after watching their spell in action. Slowly, I gathered mana beneath my feet. I had to be careful—if I jumped too high, I might break through the ceiling.
A bright white light streaked past me, rushing toward the Gigas's left arm.
Yet, the Gigas didn't move.
It simply stood there, catching its breath.
It had twisted its body slightly, as if considering dodging. But with Vivienne still restraining its right arm, it must have decided to just take the hit.
What it didn't realize was that its so-called magic resistance was about to become its greatest downfall.
The spell shot past me and soared upward for a brief moment—just long enough for me to feel a flicker of surprise.
So this is it…
This must have been Shin Sang-Yong's magic, built using his Magic Square of Harmony.
I wanted to take a closer look, maybe activate my Third Eye, but before I could, something incredible happened—
The ice formations covering the spell suddenly opened their jagged maws and bit down hard on the Gigas's left shoulder.
And then—
A spectacular sight unfolded.
Paahh!
A bright white radiance burst forth—this had to be Sol's spell.
The moment the light wrapped around its left arm, the Gigas flinched, its movements visibly slowing.
And in that one moment of hesitation—
KWAACK! CRACKKKK!
The ice fangs clamped down again, this time from above and below, completely devouring its left arm.
Large ice chunks spread rapidly, engulfing the limb.
Even the Gigas, with all its resilience, seemed shocked.
It frantically tried to shake its arm free, but Sol's magic was still active—leaving it helplessly trapped.
And finally, Shin Sang-Yong's finishing touch—the mass of blazing flames—sealed the deal.
The ice spikes embedded in the Gigas's flesh had served as a direct channel.
Like a syringe injecting its contents, the flames trapped within the ice were now forcefully expelled into the Gigas's body.
In other words, the magic had been injected directly into its insides.
It was vicious—perhaps the cruelest method possible.
BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
A deafening explosion erupted inside the Gigas's left arm, causing its flesh to bulge and distort grotesquely.
Even with its magic resistance, there was no defense against an explosion inside its own body.
It screamed in agony.
Judging by the sound, this had to be Burn Flare.
Damn… that's gotta hurt.
I had taken my time analyzing the sequence, but in reality, everything had happened in just two to three seconds.
For the first time in a while, I found myself impressed by these three.
This wasn't just some random spell combo—this was a well-calculated, precise execution.
On the surface, it looked like a simple three-step attack, but I could tell there had been far more intricate magical processing behind the scenes.
Of course, there was no way Sol had planned all this.
This had to be the work of Jung Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong.
Smart.
Their magic wasn't just reacting to the moment—it was predicting two, no, three steps ahead.
By injecting an explosive spell directly into the Gigas's bloodstream, they weren't just trying to deal damage—
They were weakening its magic resistance in that specific area.
Sure, the Gigas's blood itself carried some level of magic resistance, so it wouldn't be completely burned away.
But reducing the resistance in its left arm alone?
That was more than possible.
And it was working.
I could feel it.
Sol's binding spell and Jung Ha-Yeong's ice magic, which had been losing strength, were now regaining power.
That had been their real objective all along.
Rather than focusing on a direct kill, they had chosen to create a perfect opening for me.
With Vivienne restraining its right arm and the three mages sealing its left arm, the Gigas was completely immobilized.
And once both arms were bound, the monster before me was nothing more than a meal served on a silver platter.
This Gigas, despite boasting the highest resistance and vitality of anything we had faced so far, was already weakened from our relentless assault.
If I let this moment slip, I wouldn't just be failing as a fighter—I'd be failing as a leader.
Since I had already been preparing to leap, I kicked off the ground with full force.
The rush of cool air brushed past me as I soared into the open space above.
The Gigas's left arm had already been reduced to shreds, hanging limply like a tattered rag.
Under normal circumstances, it would have used both arms to fend me off, but right now, that was impossible.
Especially with the ice magic still clinging to its flesh—
Any sudden movement could easily tear its arm clean off.
I saw a flurry of emotions flash across the Gigas's face—
Emptiness. Desperation. Shock.
By the time my head nearly grazed the ceiling, I was already shifting my stance, preparing for the descent.
I angled my blade forward, ready to let gravity drive my strike home.
And then, I lowered my gaze—
The Gigas had its head tilted back, following my trajectory.
At that moment, our eyes locked.
And in the next instant—
I came plummeting down, my blade slicing straight for its skull.
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