[PanicMode]: how is that even fair
[IamLeaving]: yeah I would exit immediately
[SnackKing]: they just walked in like it’s nothing???
[Songtress]: It’s nearly impossible for average teams to fight any monster in Great Dungeons. That’s why anyone who can regularly dive into Great Dungeons and defeat monsters is considered top-tier awakener.
Another message appeared, drawing attention for a completely different reason.
[SirLordPleaseHaveChildren]: She’s correct.
[WhyThatNameBro]: bro fix your username first 💀
[SirLordPleaseHaveChildren]: Songtress’ words sounds unreasonable, but don’t forget history. There were once entire species made up of Apex rank beings. They still went extinct during the apocalypse. That alone shows how strong monsters can be.
[SirLordPleaseHaveChildren]: Of course, monsters have always patterns, and weaknesses. So, Normal monsters can be defeated as long as you are careful.
[DeepThinker]: ...that actually makes sense
...
Emily’s POV
Emily watched quietly as the plan unfolded.
Avery moved first.
A long-range attack shot forward, striking the Stone Giant and immediately drawing its attention. The monster turned slowly, its heavy movements sending faint tremors through the ground.
Avery continued launching attacks at controlled intervals, making sure the giant’s focus stayed on her.
That created the opening.
Averon and Alice moved in.
Averon’s fighting style was precise.
His fists were coated in a thick red hue that pulsed faintly with each movement. He timed each strike carefully, attacking at moments when the giant’s attention shifted or its balance changed.
Every hit landed with purpose.
Alice fought differently.
She didn’t weave in and out like Averon.
She stepped forward and swung.
Her warhammer, Solis Breaker, carried weight in every sense of the word. Each swing was heavy, deliberate, and consistent. When it struck the giant, the sound echoed through the surrounding pillars.
The coordination between the three of them was clean.
Avery maintained aggro from a distance. Averon struck at weak points and adjusted positioning. Alice applied pressure with steady, powerful blows.
But even with that, the fight wasn’t easy for Alice and Averon.
The Stone Giant’s defense was overwhelming.
Attacks that should have caused visible damage only chipped away slowly. It felt like breaking down a wall piece by piece rather than fighting a living creature.
Time passed.
The first minute was manageable.
By the second, their breathing had started to change.
By the third, the strain became visible.
Still, none of them used their stronger abilities.
Large skills would create noise. Noise would attract more monsters. That would turn a controlled fight into something far worse.
Behind them, Sera and Eleanor stood alert.
Their attention wasn’t on the fight itself, but on everything around it. Any movement, any sound that didn’t belong, would be dealt with immediately.
Emily focused on her role.
Tirra, the ghost bird, moved silently above, its ghostly form slipping between pillars without making a sound. The Wisps, summoned through her Phantom Parade skill, spread outward, forming a loose perimeter that fed her constant updates and scouted the surroundings.
So far, nothing else had approached.
"Keep it steady," Eleanor said.
Another minute passed.
Averon’s strike landed at the right moment. Alice’s hammer followed immediately after. The combined force broke through.
A crack spread across the giant’s structure.
Avery’s next attack struck the weakened area, pushing the giant further off balance. Alice stepped in and delivered the final blow.
The Stone Giant collapsed.
Averon almost fell to his knees, exhaling heavily. Alice lowered her hammer slightly, her breathing controlled but heavy.
Both of them were covered in sweat.
"These things are always a headache to kill," Averon said, glancing at Alice. "Wait, what the hell? Why are you less tired than me? How high are your stats?"
Alice wiped her forehead lightly.
"They’re quite high," she replied, her tone calm and deliberately vague.
Averon stared at her, clearly unsatisfied with that answer.
He was an Elite rank. One level above her. He also had a Transcendent rank Talent, and he had maxed his Stats in each prior rank.
By all logic, he should have had the advantage.
But unknown to him, Alice was a Conqueror Candidate. They were twice as effective, making her output far more than it should have been.
Even without a combat-focused Talent, she was still a Sun Dragon and a Conqueror Candidate, thus she could match him physically.
Emily approached the fallen Stone Giant while they recovered and opened her Soul Space. From it, she pulled out a small slime.
It looked harmless, and it was asleep.
Then it twitched.
The moment it sensed the corpse, its entire body reacted. It perked up instantly, its attention locking onto the remains.
Emily could tell it was salivating.
"You can eat it," Emily said.
The slime made a "kyuu" noise, as if celebrating.
It jumped from her hand and landed on the giant’s body.
Then it began to dissolve it.
At first, it was slow. Then it accelerated.
The stone, the dense material, everything began to break down and disappear into the slime’s body. It was a strange sight, watching something so small consume something so large.
Even though the corpse could have been sold for a significant amount, no one stopped her.
They understood what she was feeding it to make it grow strong.
By the time the slime finished, Alice and Averon had recovered enough to stand properly again.
The slime bounced back toward Emily, visibly more energetic than before.
She returned it to her Soul Space.
Tirra sent a warning at that moment.
Emily’s expression changed slightly.
"Something’s coming," Emily said.
The group immediately shifted.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the area.
One from the left. One from the front. One from the right.
Then they appeared.
Three Stone Giants stepped into view, their massive forms emerging between the pillars.
"Alice, Averon. You handle one monster. Emily, call out Stoneward to aggro one monster until others are free. Sera, you are dealing with the third monster with me. Avery, you will stay back and anyone who is being overwhelmed," Eleanor gave quick commands.
The group dashed forward.
The space in front of Emily trembled, and a giant Abyssal Mammoth stepped out. It roared and dashed to the Stone Giant in front.