–Kyaaarrrrk!
The boss monster strode toward me in heavy steps. Jung Seojin was about to step in, but I signalled that I was fine.
A massive creature wielding a twin-blade with blades on both ends, swinging it like a pair of chopsticks. And my response to this? Simple.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
I layered multiple shields in the direction of its swinging weapon, blocking the strikes.
Whenever I felt it was getting risky, I added two or three more.
Even when it changed direction mid-swing, my shields deployed faster than its blade could reach me.
As a result, my front turned into an endless wall of translucent barriers, automatically stopping the incoming attacks.
-Kaaaargh!
Frustrated by its ineffective attacks, its bloodshot eyes widened in rage. It picked up the tempo, unleashing a flurry of slashes, but all I had to do was increase the number of shields accordingly. If nothing else, I had confidence in my casting speed.
As the relentless exchange continued, its attacks gradually lost force, its arms growing weaker.
‘Now!’
I swiftly dismissed my shields and launched three Ice Javelins that Eia had prepared.
Crunch! Crack!
The ice spears pierced its chest and side. The monster staggered in pain from the opposing elemental magic, its rage intensifying as it swung its twin-blades wildly.
I told you it was pointless.
I refocused on my shields and had Eia prepare more Ice Javelins. Realizing brute force wouldn’t work, the boss leaped backward and opened its mouth wide.
-Tower Master! This is an unfamiliar attack pattern!
‘Prepare for it.’
I layered as many shields as possible in front of me and waited. A moment later, scorching red flames erupted from its mouth.
Fwooooosh!
The shields rapidly heated up, glowing crimson from the intense heat. Judging they wouldn’t last long, I quickly dodged to the side.
The moment I moved, my shields shattered, and the flames surged forward.
“Guh!”
The rough stone floor beneath me made the fall even more painful. Meanwhile, the boss cut off its breath attack and lunged at me as I rolled on the ground.
Swish!
An arrow from behind struck the monster square in the face.
Though the mana coating prevented a fatal wound, the impact was enough to make it pause. The boss turned its head sharply, glaring at Jin Bora, who stood in the distance.
“This way.”
She flashed a smile and signalled with her hand. Enraged, the boss changed targets and charged at her.
Wait, didn’t she say she didn’t bring a bow? Where’d she get that?
“I was running low on potions, so I picked up one lying on the ground.”
As if reading my mind, she answered nonchalantly, holding the bow in her left hand and spreading her right. A green subspace opened, and arrows slotted themselves between her fingers.
Whoosh!
Arrows whistled through the air, hammering against the boss’s mana coating.
Enduring the barrage, the monster stomped forward, swinging its massive twin-blades. One clean hit could cleave her in two.
But—
Swoosh.
She simply leaned back, dodging with ease.
The moment the twin-blades passed, she fixed her posture and unleashed another flurry of arrows.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
She relentlessly aimed for its face, provoking a sharper response from the boss.
Yet, Jin Bora evaded every attack by twisting her waist or performing backflips.
Her fighting style was undeniably dazzling. Shooting while mid-backflip, rolling along the ground and still firing—it was a mesmerizing display.
And more than that, her precise shots pinned arrows into the boss’s joints and legs at critical moments, disrupting its attacks.
Even I had to widen my eyes in admiration.
Once again, I was reminded that Jin Bora had the highest agility stat among the mage tower members.
-Kyaaaaagh!
Driven to the brink, the boss gathered mana into its blade for a devastating strike.
But Jin Bora’s reaction was even more astonishing.
Without a shred of hesitation, she slid toward the monster, pulling out an explosive potion.
In one fluid motion, she passed beneath its legs while tossing the potion in an arc behind its head.
Just as the boss turned to look—
Her arrow was already on its way.
BOOOOOOM!
A black dust cloud erupted, engulfing the area. Sand and debris scattered everywhere, even hitting my face.
As the dust settled, she stood up and flashed a V-sign at me.
“How was that? Pretty cool, huh? Honestly, I could take on most seniors—”
“You attention-seeker! Look ahead!”
The boss burst through the explosion, charging straight at her.
Seriously!
I deployed shields at full speed to block its charge and yanked her aside.
“Jung Seojin!”
Whoosh!
Through the lingering smoke, Jung Seojin emerged behind the boss.
To mark the target, I cast a magic circle right over the back of its head.
He hesitated briefly, then grinned, revealing his teeth.
His fist swung forward—
BOOOOM!
His gauntlet-enhanced punch smashed into the boss, sending it flying through the air, crashing into a boulder that shattered on impact.
Jung Seojin clenched his fist, blinking in surprise before turning to me.
“Thanks for the support, Tower Master.”
“No problem.”
“That was some serious power. I’m kind of jealous of gauntlet magic.”
“I can teach you. Though Jin Bora already gave up once.”
“Ugh, senpai…!”
But there was no time for chit-chat.
The boss staggered back to its feet, grabbed its weapon, and prepared to charge again.
“By the way, senpai.”
“What?”
“You’re not using that thing again?”
“…What thing?”
“You know, Immersion Mode.”
…Don’t give it weird names. It’s just focus.
“Eia’s resting.”
“Ah.”
“I’ll counterattack once she’s recovered.”
I had pushed Eia a bit too hard while spamming Ice Javelins, so she needed time to recuperate.
“You’re being really considerate now!”
“Enough chatter. Focus.”
“Yes, sir!”
She firmly planted her bow and flashed a bright-eyed smile.
“Thanks for saving me.”
…Even in this situation, she’s as sly as ever.
As the boss monster charged forward, I stepped up.
“I’ll block it.”
It sounds ridiculous, but truthfully, I wasn’t even fully warmed up yet.
When I first grasped remote casting within the cube and when I stole Baphomet’s magic circle, I had to reach a state of perfect immersion.
To do that, I needed to push my body further.
Maybe I should start by loosening up with my infinite shields.
<Shield>
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The same exchange played out again.
It attacked; I summoned shields to block.
‘Does this thing have no learning ability? If its attacks aren’t strong enough to shatter a shield in one hit, it’ll never break through.’
After a few futile attempts, the monster pulled back sharply and opened its mouth.
A fire-based breath attack—But I wouldn’t fall for it twice.
On the spot, I created a new spell.
I used the shield magic circle as the base, drawing an additional inner ring. A two-step spell structure.
In this new space, I embedded the heat-resistant rune I’d practiced countless times. Then, I wrote a formula to ensure compatibility between the two.
This combination was a first for me, but I was confident.
Using the equations from my heat-resistant and durability runes, I made some refinements, filled every inch of the field with optimized calculations, and completed the spell circle.
<Fire Resist Shield>
A red-tinted shield unfolded before me, and the monster’s fire breath came crashing in.
Fwoooosh!
The heat was intense enough to scorch the surrounding rocks, but my newly forged magic circle withstood it with ease.
[You have created a new magic circle.]
[Magic Power +3]
[Intelligence +1]
Nice, nice. The urgency of battle brings great growth. It’s a shame this isn’t an original spell, but surely someone else has thought of this before.
Swoosh!
Finally, the boss cut off its flame breath and lunged, cleaving my magic circle in two with its twin blades.
Good thinking—targeting the shield’s weak physical defense.
But—
Thunk! Thunk!
Jin Bora’s arrows struck, sealing off its next move. She actually came through when it counted.
“Ah!”
“What?”
“I’m out of arrows!”
…Forget what I just said.
The boss rushed in, raising its twin blades high.
Should I block with a shield? No—I can dodge this.
Using my keen perception, I studied the monster’s movement, then stepped back and twisted my shoulder.
Boom!
The twin blades slammed into the ground. It hadn’t expected me to dodge instead of blocking, and its follow-up was sluggish.
I seized the moment, diving into its range and deploying my magic circles.
<Shield>
First, I placed a shield over its weapon to disrupt its retrieval motion.
<Gauntlet>
Then, I conjured a gauntlet magic circle right under its jaw.
With a sharp upward swing—
Pow!
Blue sparks erupted as its head snapped back. That one landed clean.
-Graaagh!
The staggering monster tried to retaliate—only for Jung Seojin’s flying kick to crash into the back of its skull.
A dull impact rang out, and the boss tumbled across the ground.
I sprinted forward, signaling to Jung Seojin. We circled around the dazed boss, then leapt in unison.
<Gauntlet> × 2
Two magic circles materialized over its head. With perfect timing, we both drove our fists forward.
Smash!
A double-powered gauntlet strike sent the boss’s face smashing into the ground.
“Oooooohhh!”
“Go, senior!”
Jin Bora and the spectators cheered wildly.
But it wasn’t over yet. I extended my hand and shouted—
“Jung Seojin! Keep going!”
<Copy Magical Position>
Five more gauntlets materialized behind the fallen boss. Jung Seo-jin, recognizing my intent, grinned.
“Ah, so this is what a perfectly set table looks like.”
He braced himself and began striking.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground trembled. The boss coughed up blood, shrieking.
I layered two more gauntlets over Jung Seojin’s fists. He immediately understood, clasping his hands together—
And brought them down.
BOOOOOOM!
The earth shaked. Cracks split through the boss’s mana coating.
“Did we get it?”
“That should’ve done it, right?”
Murmurs spread among the onlookers.
“What are you all standing around for?!”
Still gasping for breath, I yelled—
“It’s not moving—this is our chance! Unleash everything you’ve got!”
Taking my words as a signal, the ranged players unleashed a relentless barrage. Even those fending off lava golems spared a moment to add to the bombardment.
Jung Seojin finally took a step back, catching his breath. I clenched my teeth, eyes locked on the monster.
‘…Just die already!’
