Chapter 96: Can You Keep Up?
Chapter 96: Can You Keep Up?
When I opened the door, a strange smoke drifted out from within. At the same time, a low growl reached my ears.
“Hrrrrr….”
The sound practically oozed with undisguised malice.
After taking a step inside, my party and I were struck speechless by the vast plaza that opened up before us. No, it wasn't the size of the plaza that stunned us. The room we were standing in was probably larger than four or five of the rooms we’d passed through on the first floor combined. The problem was the presence of a single monster, standing tall and straight, that filled the entire space.
Its massive body nearly scraped the high ceiling. Its upper body was humanoid. At a glance, it was covered in solid muscle, but its skin looked less like soft human flesh and more like hard steel. And when I looked down at its lower half, I saw not two human legs, but a long, single serpentine body.
The upper body of a man and the lower body of a snake.
“A Gigas…? No. That can't be right. Why would a creature of myth be in the Hall Plain…?”
I quickly activated Third Eye. After reading the information on the monster before me, I was horrified. What in the world had the former Residents of Hall Plain done? More importantly, the fact that this thing was still here meant it had not been considered good enough for sacrifice. If a monster of this caliber was unsuitable, just what kind of devil was on the third floor?
“Fucking… hell.”
“A giant…”
The rest of the party also cried out in shock, staring blankly up at the Gigas before us. We stood in a standoff for a moment, and then I saw the corners of the Gigas’s mouth twitch upward. The creature was sneering at us. In that instant, I felt a fire ignite in my eyes. How dare it? How dare a mere knockoff monster laugh at me?
Enraged, I shot a thick wave of killing intent at it, and I saw the Gigas take a step back. I bit my lip and turned to the party behind me, speaking quickly.
“Vivian. You're the keeper.”
“Wh-what?” Vivian asked, her eyes wide.
The others had the same reaction. Assigning Vivian, who had been the most active member of our party, to the role of keeper against a monster that looked powerful at a glance was not a rational decision.
A Keeper stayed out of the main battle and protected the party’s Priests and Mages. I had often taken the Keeper position while traveling with the kids, and there had been times when I joined the battle because maintaining the formation left no alternative, but that was the role of a Keeper in a large expedition. Even if Vivian could provide ranged support as a Mage, assigning a Mage as Keeper was strange in the first place.
“The creature before you may look like a Gigas, but it's nothing more than a man-made experiment. A hybrid of a giant and a basilisk. I don't know how strong it is, but since it was made by humans, it can be dealt with by humans. Don't forget that this thing is inferior to the other 100 sacrifices.”
“St-still…”
They stammered, but I delivered my opinion firmly. To be honest, a fully grown giant or a basilisk was incredibly powerful on its own. I couldn't even begin to judge the power of a creature that combined the two. I had fought them separately, but this was my first time facing a hybrid. In that case, I had no choice but to make the best decision I could.
“Since it has giant’s blood, the Mages and Priestess should stay out of direct combat. Support us with auxiliary magic when needed. Ahn Hyun, Yoojung—you’re on free role this time. I’ll charge from the front, and you’ll support my attacks from behind. Prioritize evasion and focus on distracting it. The rest of you, support us however you can.”
I cut through the party’s hesitation and continued. At the mention of autonomous combat, the kids' faces turned pale. As I turned my body, I heard Jung Hayeon’s urgent voice from behind me.
“Soohyun! It would be better to form a defensive line…!”
“This is better than a formation.”
“What?”
“There’s no more time to explain. What I said is better.”
“Hrrrrr….”
As soon as I finished speaking, the Gigas finally moved. Its massive snake-like body writhed and then began to slither toward us. There was no time. But even then, Jung Hayeon was mulling over my words.
She, of all people, would probably understand what I meant. Using a formation against this Gigas would only be effective if our caravan had a perfectly balanced party composition and at least double the numbers. With our current condition and composition, deploying a formation would be nothing more than a clumsy response.
Of course, my plan wasn't without its own problems. But the crux of it was simple. In other words, if I could perfectly block the Gigas by myself at the front, all our problems would be solved. As if realizing this just in time, I could see a spark of understanding in Jung Hayeon's eyes. The last thing I saw was a look of worry cross her face before I charged forward.
The hesitant kids hurried after me when I charged. I would have been disappointed if fear had kept them back, but apparently they could not simply abandon their Hyung and Oppa. I smiled faintly and accelerated.
The distance between me and the Gigas shrank rapidly, and I saw it raise its right hand with all its might. It was planning to crush me. In response, I raised my sword high. I intended to break its spirit with the very first clash.
At that moment, a message appeared in the air.
『Latent Ability: Close-Quarters Combat (Rank: A Plus) has been activated. Close-Quarters Combat has already surpassed the limits normally attainable by those who wield close-range weapons. Rank Assessment: A+. This is not merely combat skill; it represents the highest realm a human can attain. In close-quarters combat, you will never be pushed back.』
*
Jung Hayeon stared ahead with a hardened expression. The conversation she just had with Kim Soohyun kept replaying in her mind.
‘Soohyun! It would be better to form a defensive line…!’
‘This is better than a formation.’
‘What?’
‘There’s no more time to explain. What I said is better.’
Hayeon bit her lip. He was not reckless. They had not traveled together for long, but his command ability was second to none. It was not some miraculous instinct; he always responded calmly, logically, and directly. Even veterans who had survived in Hall Plain for years could not command with such polish.
But for the first time, he had done something she couldn't understand. No, she did understand. And she could roughly guess what he was aiming for. Kim Soohyun’s words came back to her. It would be best for you to step back from direct combat. That’s what he’d said, but the look in his eyes when they last met had said something else.
‘If you're confident you won't get in the way of the battle, then do what you can.’
“Does that mean if I can't, I should just stay put so I don't interfere…?”
The moment Hayeon muttered bitterly, a sharp scream erupted beside her.
“Kyaaah! Oppa! Oppaaaaa! Noooooo!”
Startled by the scream, she instinctively looked up and saw the monster called Gigas and User Kim Soohyun about to collide head-on. Hayeon raised a hand to cover her mouth without realizing it. She had thought there would be some other method, but to think he would simply…
KWAAANG!!!!!!!!!!
Before she could even finish the thought, the distance between them closed completely. The moment they collided, a deafening roar shook the room and echoed in all directions.
“Q-quickly, a healing spell!”
“I’m doing it! Unni, Oppa—don’t just stand there! Hurry and go help—huh?”
Ahn Sol, who was usually so quiet, let out a piercing scream, but her words trailed off mid-sentence. At the same time, her lips parted. Everyone followed her gaze, which was turning vacant. And the moment their eyes landed on the scene of the clash, the sight that followed made everyone let out the same stunned gasp.
“No… way.”
An unbelievable sight met their eyes. The clash between User Kim Soohyun and the Gigas was plainly in Kim Soohyun’s favor. A single collision had driven the Gigas far backward.
As everyone stared in disbelief, only Vivian was quietly chanting a spell. Having seen a glimpse of Soohyun’s true power before, she wasn't as shocked as the others. Although, she probably didn't know he was this strong. Since she had already decided to join him, she was fine with it no matter how things turned out. Finishing her spell, Vivian spoke in a clear voice.
“Come! Imprison! Steel Restrainer who rules the 49th Legion!”
At Vivian’s voice, Shin Sangyong, Ahn Sol, and Jung Hayeon snapped back to their senses. Vivian was the Keeper, but she was also supporting Soohyun. As the magical beast Hayeon had seen the day before emerged above the magic circle and fired chains at Vivian’s command, Hayeon resolved to join the battle. She could not simply stand by and do nothing.
The problem is which magic to use…
Countless spells rose and fell through Hayeon’s mind. Of them all, only one remained. Hayeon checked Shin Sangyong’s and Ahn Sol’s faces in turn. Her eyes gradually grew colder.
“Ahn Sol-yang.”
“Y-yes?”
“Prepare a binding spell. And Shin Sangyong-ssi.”
Hayeon’s voice was low, but it carried an undeniable force, as though she would tolerate no objection. When she called Shin Sangyong immediately afterward, he nodded at once.
“Yes.”
“We’ll prepare that. I’m counting on you.”
“If you mean that…”
Shin Sangyong stared blankly at Jung Hayeon. Between the two of them, “that” could mean only one thing. Whether magic would work on the giant was uncertain, but Hayeon had reached a much higher level of magical application than he had, so she must have a plan. He answered with a resolute expression.
“…Understood. Which elemental affinity should we use for the counteracting magic?”
“Use the Flame element. I’ll cast the Water element and Overlap.”
Their exchange moved rapidly. Ahn Sol couldn’t follow it and merely whipped her head back and forth, looking lost. Frustration surged through Hayeon, but she barely suppressed it before speaking.
“I’ll handle target designation too. Sol-yang, just complete Shackles and fire it on my signal.”
“Th-three magic applications? No matter how you look at it, that's impossible.”
“I can do it. Still, just in case, put everything you can into it.”
Hayeon paused and turned her gaze to the front. Vivian’s chains had wrapped around the giant’s right arm just as it was about to attack. The giant’s resistance prevented a perfect bind, but it was enough to buy a moment of time. And, seizing that opening, User Kim Soohyun stomped hard on the ground, launched himself into the air, and swung his sword.
Even from a distance, she could see the brilliant sword aura extending from his blade bend like a whip. It lashed the Gigas’s solid torso, making the monster scream and stagger backward. User Kim Soohyun was steadily overpowering it in close combat. Hayeon swallowed hard at the sight.
“Please set the target to its left arm. We're going to create a momentary opening. We will bind both of its arms.”
“O-okay…”
“Good.”
After replying, Shin Sangyong closed his eyes and began to chant. Ahn Sol, sensing the unusual atmosphere, quietly raised her staff and began to mumble. After confirming their actions, Hayeon also began casting with a slight delay. She had started last, but she was confident she would finish first.
“───. Teeth of Crystal!”
“───. Burn Flare!”
In an instant, Hayeon completed one spell. After waiting a moment, she saw Shin Sangyong and Ahn Sol complete their spells in turn. Before they knew it, a chilling shard of ice was floating in Hayeon's hand, while a blazing, seemingly molten fireball hovered in Shin Sangyong's. They looked at each other and nodded once in unison.