Chapter 97

00097 Can you follow? =========================================================================

The signal began with Shin Sang-yong extending his left hand first.

"Magic Square of Harmony."

Not the small magic square he had shown before, but a full-scale Magic Square of Harmony. As Shin Sang-yong muttered briefly, a three-dimensional magic array rose above his left palm. Soon, a clearly visible magic square, different from before, rose up, and Shin Sang-yong and Jung Hae-yeon cast their spells over it.

The fire and ice spells that arrived simultaneously at the magic square quickly mixed like a whirlwind and were sucked into the magic array. From now on, it was up to Shin Sang-yong's ability. If he got the first step right, the burden on Jung Hae-yeon and An Sol would be less when they took over.

"───. ───. ───."

Sweat poured down Shin Sang-yong's face, but he did not stop muttering. With a piercing gaze, he must have been making tremendous adjustments and arrangements inside the magic square. And it didn't take long. Fortunately, Shin Sang-yong's expression brightened rapidly as he found the correct arrangement in a short time.

A moment later, the magic that floated above the magic square remained in the air, displaying an impossible form.

The magic they created was covered with protruding ice crystals, and scorching flames danced over them. The start was good. Shin Sang-yong, with a slightly strained face, turned his gaze to Jung Hae-yeon and handed over the maintained magic.

Seeing the magic floating in the air and receiving his gaze, Hae-yeon moistened her lips. It was a magic combination close to her limits, something she hadn't done in a long time. As soon as she took over the magic, she felt a heavy burden rush into her body. Still, it was manageable. After a moment of observing the magic, she summoned all her strength and cast her spell.

"Reverse!"

The moment Hae-yeon's clear voice spoke, the magic they created was enveloped in white light again. This time, the chosen reversal was the repositioning of magic power.

"Huh…!"

Hae-yeon let out a strange moan. The magic interference she cast to maintain the mana, rather than to break the magic, caused a dizzying sensation in her head. The massive mana backlash due to the shock of the reversal was flowing into Hae-yeon.

However, she forced herself to complete the magic reversal perfectly. The magic, into which the Reverse had merged, showed a form similar yet different from its initial appearance. The difference was that the flames of fire were swirling inside the protruding ice chunks.

An Sol, who had been watching from the side, let out a gasp at the perfectly merged magic. However, she also felt a sense of unease. She would soon have to take over this magic.

It wasn't over yet. Even if this spell were to be fired as it was, it would still show a powerful effect, but the opponent was a giant, one of the symbols of magic resistance. Their blood inherently resists magic. Therefore, a more powerful magic combination was needed to break through this resistance.

Hae-yeon, steadying her wobbling mind, cast another spell.

"───. Target designation… Shackles spell. Overlap."

The Overlap spell, in a way, can be seen as a type of advanced magic similar to the Magic Square of Harmony. However, it is still within the realm of magic compatibility rules. While it cannot ignore these rules like the Magic Square of Harmony, it remains one of the high-level advanced spells.

The Shackles spell cast by An Sol merged with the magic they created. The moment the holy spell and the magic touched, a bright white light filled the surroundings. The process of several spells converging into one magic was truly beautiful.

Anyway, the baton was now passed to An Sol. Although she had done well so far, if the last caster, An Sol, couldn't handle the burden, it would all be for nothing. Hae-yeon, with a worried look, watched An Sol.

"Ugh…."

An Sol's face was contorted, but she managed to hold on. Her current magic power ability was 86, and Jung Hae-yeon's was 87. Of course, Hae-yeon didn't know the exact numbers. If she did, she might foam at the mouth, but given the current situation, she was just proud.

An Sol slowly raised her staff. Although she was a bit overwhelmed by the immense magic power she felt for the first time since entering the Hall Plane, it was also a testament to the immense power contained within. However, Sol was still hesitant.

'…Can I really do this? I, I need to hurry. What should I do…'

An Sol could only use three spells proficiently: Shackles, Heal, and Protect. She could somehow use other spells like a Purifier, but she hadn't learned the Homing spell. An Sol regretted it, but her regret now was of no use. Sensing her unease, Hae-yeon spoke in a sharp tone.

"It's okay. Just cast it."

"But, but…"

"Cast it. If you keep maintaining it, the mana will backfire, and the magic will dissipate."

Whether it was the trigger or the fear of Hae-yeon's cold words, An Sol swallowed hard. She raised her staff and aimed at the Gias. Despite her hesitation, she finally spoke in a trembling voice.

"Shackles…!"

And, upon confirming Sol's spell, Hae-yeon prepared another spell.

*

I was in the middle of slashing in the air when I lightly landed on the ground again. In front of me, a Gias, with long gashes all over its body, was panting. It was definitely strong. Among the giants and basilisks, the Gias was undoubtedly the superior one. It had achieved some results, but that was all.

However, that was all. It wasn't a boss monster, just a created creature, so I was confident of victory from the first clash. I was secretly glad it appeared, as I wanted to warm up before the battle with the demon on the third floor. For warming up, a creature with a large body and good stamina like this was perfect.

Anyway, I prepared to leap again, thinking it was time to finish it. I didn't know what the kids were doing, but seeing the Gias writhing occasionally, it seemed they were following my orders faithfully. And while I instructed the Keeper, Vivian cleverly focused on restraining the right arm rather than both arms. This was already more than enough for me.

"It's time to finish this."

I muttered to myself and gathered my magic power. Just as I was about to raise my sword high to slice from head to toe, a spell was cast from behind.

Bang!

The spell, accompanied by the sound of a spell being cast, started flying towards me and the Gias at a terrifying speed. I had bent my knees to push off the ground, but I hesitated for a moment.

What is this? I had sensed the mages retreating and muttering spells, but the magic coming from behind me was something I didn't want to hit me either. I might as well slice it open. I considered doding, but the spell seemed to read my mind and changed its course, heading for the Gias' left arm.

"A target designation spell."

Was it Hae-yeon's work? It seemed to have worked as intended. I smiled lightly and decided to wait a moment. It wouldn't be polite to finish it off before the magic was completed. I was also a bit curious.

The Gias, which had charged at me with great momentum at the beginning, now had a pale face after being thoroughly beaten by me. I really dislike when monsters show off, so I had intentionally hit it with the flat of my sword a few times.

A moment of respite came, and I could feel the kids quickly retreating. I really like these kids when they do well and dislike them when they don't. It would be nice if they were like this all the time. As the battles went on, An Hyun and Yu Jeong showed growth in their own ways.

The moment the Gias' face showed a brief look of relief, I decided to finish it off. I slowly gathered magic power under my feet, careful not to break through the ceiling by jumping too high.

Soon, I could see the white light of the Shackles spell pass by my side and head towards the Gias' left arm. However, the Gias did not move at all. It was just catching its breath.

It seemed to have tried to twist its body to dodge, but with Vivian firmly restraining its right arm, it decided to take the hit. The Gias, unaware that its magic resistance would be its downfall, was only panting.

The sight of the magic, which brushed past me and flew upwards, gave me a moment of surprise. It seemed to be the magic created based on the Magic Square of Harmony by Shin Sang-yong, as I had expected. I wanted to see the detailed information, but before I could activate my Third Eye, the ice chunks opened their mouths and bit into the Gias' left shoulder.

The following scene was truly spectacular.

Boom!

The Gias' left arm was enveloped in white light, and as the light wrapped around its left arm, its movements visibly slowed. And in that moment of hesitation,

Crack! Smash!

The ice spikes bit into the Gias' left arm again, this time from top to bottom. Ice chunks spread throughout the entire arm. The Gias, a bit surprised, frantically swung its left arm, but Sol's spell was still active, and it couldn't shake off the magic as it wished.

Finally, the magic reached its climax with what seemed to be the last spell by Shin Sang-yong, a chunk of fire. The ice spikes that had penetrated the Gias' tough flesh served as a kind of channel. Like an injection, the fire energy trapped inside the ice was pushed through the channel directly into the Gias' body. This was the most ruthless method.

Boom! Bang!

"Raaaaaah!"

A tremendous explosion sounded from inside the Gias' left arm, and its skin bulged. No matter how resistant to magic, it couldn't withstand the direct injection of magic into its body. The Gias let out a loud roar. The explosion sounded like the Burn Flare spell. It must be painful.

I watched each step, but the entire process happened in just 2 to 3 seconds. I suddenly had a new appreciation for the three of them. This level of magic would surely be effective anywhere. Although only three spells were visible, they must have added much more magical processing. Of course, it wasn't Sol who thought of this; it was probably Hae-yeon and Shin Sang-yong.

In any case, they were smart. Their magic was aimed at the front, not just two, but three targets. By sending explosive magic into the body, they burned the blood in the left arm, weakening the magic resistance in that area. Although the blood itself had magic resistance, it was possible to weaken the localized magic resistance in the left arm.

As evidence, Sol's Shackles spell and Hae-yeon's ice magic, which had been losing strength, were gradually regaining their power. The mages aimed to create a momentary opening for me rather than dealing direct damage. Thus, Vivian restrained the right arm, and the three mages restrained the left arm.

With both arms restrained, the Gias in front of me was nothing more than a prepared meal. Although it had shown the most stamina and durability among the creatures I had encountered, it had already taken significant damage from our attacks. If I missed this moment, I would lose my authority as the leader.

I had already prepared to leap, so I strongly pushed off the ground. Feeling the cool wind, I flew into the air. The Gias' left arm was already tattered. Normally, it would use both arms to hinder my approach, but it couldn't do that now. Especially after being hit by the ice magic, moving its body forcefully could tear its arm.

The Gias' face showed a mix of emotions: futility, anguish, and shock.

I leaped high enough to almost touch the ceiling, then held my sword in front of me to use the downward force. I bowed my head, and the Gias, following my movement, raised its head.

The moment our eyes met, I fell and slashed at its head.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin.

Hmm. I have some regrettable news to share first today.

Tomorrow (February 22), I have a very important appointment. I might not return until after midnight the next day. I was worried that I might not be able to post at midnight again, but fortunately, there's a great feature called "scheduled posting."

I think I can finish one chapter before my appointment. I can post it at midnight on the 23rd, but it might be a bit difficult to post a practice chapter in the afternoon on the 22nd. Of course, if the writing flows smoothly, it might be possible, but that rarely happens. Sad.

So, I want to say that there's a high possibility that February 22 (Friday) will be a single daily update. Since I've been practicing regularly, I thought it would be better to write this in the afterword in case any readers are waiting for an afternoon update.

I hope for your understanding. Best regards, Ro Yujin.

『 Reader Comments 』

1. Kuroshion: Congratulations on first place. Lately, the competition for first place has been very intense. The fixed first place commenters from the past are gradually disappearing. Haha. Ah, the demon... you can look forward to it. Hehe.

2. Jureia: Since the children already consider Suhyun as their parents, it's quite possible. They might follow him calling him "Mom" and "Dad." :)

3. zjekfksqlc: Hehe. The reason is... you know. ( --) ~ ♪.

4. Dangryong: Hehe. You made a great choice. I guarantee that Kim Suhyun's stock will only rise from now on. Haha.

5. Tragic Life: I'll try my best to make it more interesting for you. :)

6. Gye Yeom Gomtangi: 『Ding. User Gye Yeom Gomtangi's spell has been activated. According to the summoning spell, the 97th chapter of Memorize, released on February 22 at 12:00, has been summoned.』

7. Toranoanal: Haha. I'm really happy now, and if a personal message comes, I'll be in a dream. I received your message well. I look forward to seeing your exciting comments from Toranoanal. :)

8. Fabre: Why, why are you doing this? I'm grateful, but... I'm a guy. Sob.

9. Amishu: Ah, you could think that way. Yes, I made a difference in the settings for constant maintenance magic and short-term maintenance or instant-cast magic. Double casting while maintaining for a few minutes is possible, but maintaining light all day and doing double casting is difficult. :)

10. NaManBwa: It has been mentioned a