Stoneward’s massive body dashed forward.
Each step shook the ground as the Abyssal Mammoth positioned itself between the team and one of the Stone Giants.
Its trunk lashed out, drawing the monster’s attention, while its thick hide absorbed the heavy slam that followed.
The impact caused the air to quake, but Stoneward held its ground.
On the right, Alice and Averon worked together against the second Stone Giant.
Alice moved with controlled precision. Her hammer glowing faintly as she struck at the monster’s joints, while Averon circled it, looking for openings.
He was slightly slower than her, but he compensated with timing, stepping in whenever the giant’s attention shifted to Alice, and he drew its attention to himself, giving Alice free reign.
Sera handled the third one, though "handling" was a generous way to describe what she was doing.
She stayed just within range, launching weak attacks that barely scratched the Stone Giant but were enough to keep its focus on her. Every movement she made was calculated. She retreated just before each swing, never overcommitting, always buying time.
Behind them, Eleanor stood still.
Her sword was lowered, and her grip was firm. Mana gathered around her in a slow, steady flow. She was preparing for a one-hit kill move. The longer she charged, the stronger the attack would become, and she knew Sera could hold the line until she was done.
Further back, Avery watched everything.
She didn’t move much, but her presence was constant. From time to time, she would flick her fingers or release a small spell toward one of the Stone Giants, making sure they didn’t manage to land any attack on her team.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings more than the battlefield itself.
She could have stepped in and ended this quickly.
All three Stone Giants would have fallen within minutes if she chose to act. But she didn’t.
There were reasons for that.
The first was simple. If she exhausted herself here, it would create an opening. The Great Dungeon was unpredictable. Another team could appear at any moment, or worse, something hidden could be waiting for the right opportunity. Avery was the strongest among them, and that meant she was also their last line of defense. If something went wrong, she had to be ready.
The second reason was just as important. These Stone Giants were dangerous, but they weren’t impossible to deal with.
They had enough raw strength to crush High rank Overlords in a single hit, but their movements were slow, and predictable. Anyone careful enough—even Low rank Species’ Overlord—could avoid their attacks and chip away at them over time.
Avery exhaled slowly and let them continue.
At the center of the battlefield, Eleanor’s eyes sharpened.
The mana around her condensed.
Then, she moved.
Her sword flashed once.
The world seemed to pause for a brief moment, and then the Stone Giant in front of Sera split cleanly into two halves. The cut was smooth, and almost unnatural, as if the monster had simply been separated rather than struck.
Sera stepped back.
"...bloody hell, how?" Averon muttered under his breath.
He had been fighting these monsters for days. He knew how tough they were. Their bodies were like compressed stone, their durability absurd even for their level. It usually took time, coordination, and a lot of effort to bring one down.
And yet Eleanor had just cut one in half.
In a single strike.
It didn’t make sense a Low rank Species, and a Champion could do that.
He glanced at her again, this time more carefully.
’Thank the sun I was cautious after I noticed how everyone was treating her with respect, so I didn’t shit talk to her even though she is only a human,’ he thought, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Eleanor didn’t respond to his comment. She had already shifted her stance, drawing in mana again. The previous strike hadn’t drained her much this time. She wasn’t tired, unlike before when she had faced the Crimson Sky Wyrm.
Sera didn’t waste time either. She moved toward Alice and Averon, joining their fight against the second Stone Giant.
After Eleanor killed another Stone Giant, the group moved to the last Stone Giant that was being aggroed by Stoneward.
Despite the high defense of the monster, it was killed quickly with Sera, Alice and Averon working together.
"I’ll collect the loot," Averon said, breathing hard.
His face had a bright smile.
There was a lot of loot.
Fragments of dense stone essence, hardened cores, rare mineral shards, and a scattering of 10 silver coins lay among the remains. The amount was noticeably higher than usual.
"This is insane. Is this really just from normal monsters?" he said, picking up a handful of coins with a child-like enthusiasm.
No one needed to answer.
This was the effect of Isaac’s Lord Talent. A two hundred percent drop increase.
Silver coins were valuable outside, often difficult to obtain in large quantities. Yet here, they were scattered across the battlefield like this.
The Great Dungeon was dangerous. But it rewarded those who survived, and with Isaac’s Lord Talent, this place had become a heavenly place for Averon.
Nearby, Emily released the Slime. The creature bounced forward happily and began consuming the remains of the Stone Giants, its form expanding slightly as it absorbed the material.
"We should start looking for the Mini Bosses. Only after defeating all of them can we summon—"
Eleanor stopped speaking and moved swiftly.
She grabbed Averon by the collar and pulled him back, her other hand sweeping the Slime away from the corpses. At the same time, Sera and Avery reacted.
Sera pulled Alice and Emily with her, dragging them out of the area, while Avery raised her hand.
A dome of water formed instantly around them.
Then—
An explosion took place.
The ground where the corpses had been was torn apart. Fragments of stone and debris were thrown into the air as a violent surge of energy ripped through the space. The wind howled, carrying dust and shattered remains in every direction.
The water dome trembled under the impact but held.
When the dust began to settle, six figures appeared.
Eleanor’s expression tightened slightly.
The Florathi team.
They stood where the explosion had originated. Their presence was heavy. Judging from their calm expression, they hadn’t come here by accident.
They had come here on purpose.
Eleanor’s mind started working immediately.
’What is their goal?’
In the Great Dungeon, each area contained three Mini Bosses. Only after all of them were defeated would the Boss Monster appear. The difficulty of those Mini Bosses was nightmarish. Awakeners would need a team of ten Apex Overlords to even stand a chance against a Mini Boss.
The current teams participating in the competition were cream of the crop. Even though not all members of the team were Apex rank, they had a chance of winning against a Mini Boss with just one team.
However, the chance of being defeated, and killed, was equally large.
And after that, there was still the Boss.
No single team could defeat it alone.
That was why, even without any formal agreement, all teams had an understanding. There would be no infighting until they reached the Third Area.
The winner of the competition would be the one who reached the end of the [Third Area], so, in the [Third Area] they would have to definitely fight against each other.
Until then, however, they would either work together or ignore each other.
Yet the Florathi team had broken that unspoken agreement.
’What is their goal? If we are defeated, the chances of other Lords snatching away Isaac would increase.’
’That would be harmful for Florathi, and they still attacked us?’
’Are they that confident in their victory? Or do they have a goal that we are unaware of?’ Sword Empress thought.
She prepared for the Florathi team to make any move, but before they could, Alice activated her skills. They had already planned for this scenario, after all. There was no hesitation in Alice’s movements.
"Stop."
A soft, ethereal voice spread across the area as Voice of Seraphim skill was cast. The skill was meant to stun enemies within range.
But it failed.
One of the Florathi members—Beila—had blocked her skill.
He was massive, easily over eight feet tall, with pale white skin and hair. Four eyes stared calmly ahead, and behind him, six small gems floated in a circular orbit.
As the skill reached his team, one of the gems shattered.
Alice’s eyes narrowed immediately.
’An item that can tank debuffs.’
Despite the failure, she didn’t hesitate, and her second skill followed.
Divine Retribution.
A wave of radiant energy surged outward from her, carrying a heavier pressure this time. Seventy percent of her mana disappeared.
"Stop her," the leader of the Florathi team said.
Two figures moved instantly.
X-019 and Elyndra.
Stoneward roared as Emily gave her command, activating a skill to draw their attention. The ground trembled under its call.
Another gem behind the tall man—Beila—shattered.
The effect was negated.
X-019 advanced with mechanical precision. Its mandibles clicked sharply as it closed the distance.
Elyndra moved differently. Her hand reached out as if gripping something invisible.
Then she pulled.
Space itself distorted.
The air bent as if it had weight, as if invisible threads were being dragged into place.
The ground beneath their feet felt unstable for a moment, like the space itself had shifted slightly out of alignment.
Just as Elyndra’s ability began to take shape, a sharp current of water surged upward.
It rose in an instant, forming a flowing wall between both teams. The surface churned continuously, dense and fast enough to deflect anything that tried to pass through it.