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The room, presumably built in the city of giants, wasn’t particularly large by their standards. However, anyone who stepped inside wouldn’t just brush it off with such a casual observation. Lost in thought, Conra found his gaze captivated by the scenery before him.

If one were to describe the overall color scheme, it would undoubtedly be a bluish-gray. Judging by the construction, it didn’t seem like the walls were built by stacking stones. Instead, it appeared as though the entire space had been carved out from a massive rock, leaving no gaps or seams anywhere.

Including the section with the entrance, the walls surrounding the eight-cornered floor formed a total of eight surfaces. On seven of these walls, excluding the entrance, strange shapes were intricately carved in relief. Above, between the corner pillars, eight stained glass windows reflected the radiant light emanating from within the stone chamber.

The floor was gently concave, forming a shallow depression, while the ceiling was domed, as if a lid had been placed over it. Suspended in mid-air within this space was something enveloped in a pale, flowing aura.

{That must be it. The legendary ‘Seven League.’}

“Seven League?”

{Ah, it’s named after the distance an adult man would walk in seven hours, which this boot allows you to cross in a single step. To put it simply, it’s a boot that enables something similar to the ‘steps’ your master often demonstrates.}

“Ah, I see…”

Conra nodded in understanding at Rugus-Artaeus’s straightforward explanation.

He was well aware that his master, Sophia’s ‘steps,’ operated on an absurdly high level of spatial manipulation. It was the very technique that had allowed her to bring him into this aerial dungeon, effortlessly traversing space.

If there was an artifact that could mimic such a feat, it would undoubtedly be a treasure beyond measure—truly priceless.

{The main strength is swirling around the artifact, and its flow is connected to the entire dungeon through the tower. Don’t even think about taking it barehanded.}

As Esras-Hermes had said, the artifact floating before Conra, the Seven League, wasn’t just enveloped in light. It was deeply embedded within the flow of solidified main strength.

If Sophia had been here, she might have reacted with, ‘Huh? The Heavenly Chaos?’ Amidst the intersecting silver rings, the main strength gathered around the Seven League appeared to be meticulously controlled.

With such a vast flow of main strength established, the interior was likely detached from the phenomenal realm and belonged to the Astral Realm. In that case, the external form was merely a projection from the Astral Realm into the phenomenal realm, and physical contact would be impossible.

{Appropriate…}

“Appropriate procedures must be followed to release the energy in an appropriate manner. Right, Artaeus?”

{Hmm, you remember well.}

Conra cut in with a smile, finishing Rugus-Artaeus’s sentence before the spirit could. The spirit, with a somewhat awkward tone, nodded and fell silent.

So, what exactly were these appropriate procedures? Conra decided to find the answer in the body of the giant, the dungeon’s guardian and boss. The reason was simple: the giant’s corpse, which should have turned to light and vanished upon death, remained intact, wedged between gears.

According to dungeon mechanics, this usually meant that the next step involved looting something from the corpse.

Sure enough, as Conra rummaged through the giant’s body, he soon discovered a ring on the giant’s right ring finger.

{An officer’s ring. It’s what giant clan officers wore to prove their status. If it’s hard to understand, think of it as a noble family’s signet ring.}

According to Rugus-Artaeus, the gemstone used in the ring could indicate the officer’s affiliation and rank. Conra carefully examined the signet ring he had taken from the giant’s hand. The gemstone adorning the ring changed colors depending on the angle of the light, emitting a subtle, eerie glow reminiscent of a cat’s eye.

Esras-Hermes let out a curious exclamation.

{Ho, Irislight Cat’s Eye. One of the most exceptional minerals for spell catalysts. It seems you’ve hit the jackpot.}

{Indeed. Given that this giant was tasked with guarding the artifact, it’s likely he held a rather special position. Conra, try putting the ring on.}

“Huh? This was on the giant’s finger. Just looking at it, it’s thicker than my forearm. How am I supposed to wear it?”

{Just do as I say. This is that kind of item.}

Well, if they insisted, he might as well give it a try. Conra, persuaded by Rugus-Artaeus, decided to put the ring on his hand.

Though it felt more like a bracelet than a ring, as soon as Conra’s finger entered it, the ring smoothly shrank to fit his right ring finger.

At that moment, Conra instinctively felt something within his body synchronize. Specifically, the belt of the giant hero he wore seemed to resonate with the officer’s ring, enhancing his overall physical abilities.

Caught up in the unprecedented sense of power coursing through him, Conra was snapped back to reality by the spirit.

{Snap out of it! I get the feeling, but now’s not the time to get drunk on such trivial power.}

Chastised by Rugus-Artaeus, Conra regained his composure, slapped his cheeks with both hands, and refocused his gaze.

“Thanks, Artaeus.”

{Hmph, of course. You’re the rightful successor to the spear of the Hero God Ogmios. I can’t allow you to disgrace yourself.}

“What? I said thank you, and you’re acting all high and mighty?”

Conra smirked and then moved toward the artifact. Somehow, as soon as he put on the ring, a vague yet increasingly clear method to unlock the dungeon’s gimmick sealing the artifact came to mind.

As he approached the artifact, Conra felt his ability to manipulate main strength sharpen to an extreme. Even as he reached out toward the artifact, that sensation remained uninterrupted.

The moment the boy’s hand touched the structure enveloping the artifact and the flow of light, a change occurred.

Conra realized that his hand, through the ring, had connected to the flow of main strength. With a click, as if pieces were fitting together or a switch had been flipped, Conra felt his neural circuits extend through the ring, intertwining with the flow of main strength. His thoughts weren’t far off.

Spellcasters create a second neural network composed of spiritual energy through the Reverse Brain Method, granting them access to the mysteries of spells. Similarly, the officer’s ring Conra wore generated a temporary circuit functioning much like the spiritual nerves formed by the Reverse Brain Method, allowing it to delve into and merge with the spell algorithm constituting the dungeon’s gimmick.

Soon, a flood of information, accompanied by a throbbing headache, filled Conra’s mind. This was a different experience from when he had expanded his senses and consciousness to survey the space earlier. Guided by the ring, Conra began manipulating the temporary nerves, controlling and unraveling the flow of main strength. Quietly, the spirits Rugus-Artaeus and Esras-Hermes assisted him.

The work progressed slowly but steadily. The flow of spells was like a tightly wound ball of yarn; rushing would only risk tangling it further. Conra’s task was to unwind the tightly wound main strength, organizing and storing it loosely to prevent any issues.

How long did this tedious yet tension-filled work continue? At some point, Conra, in a state of complete focus, realized he no longer needed to manually unravel the main strength and that the branches of consciousness extending through the ring had retracted.

The flow of main strength hadn’t completely dissipated. However, as the flow pushing the artifact into the Astral Realm eased, the physical object naturally manifested in the phenomenal realm. That alone was more than enough for Conra to achieve his initial goal.

With the ring still on his finger, Conra reached out toward the artifact—a pair of boots glowing faintly before him. The artifact, the boots, were now tangible in his hands. In fact, as soon as Conra touched them, the boots quietly gathered their aura, allowing themselves to be held.

Feeling the unmistakable weight in his hands, Conra realized he had successfully liberated the first artifact. Suddenly, Rugus-Artaeus urged him.

{This is the Seven League… Conra, try them on.}

{Indeed. Boots that traverse space—even I, as a spirit, find them intriguing. To cross space with a single step… I wonder how it’s done. Honestly, your master’s steps are so high-level that even watching them leaves me clueless.}

For a moment, Conra seemed entranced by the boots, but soon he smiled and nodded.

After removing his current shoes, Conra slipped his feet into the boots, which still emanated a faint aura.

+++++

Countless flashes of light streaked by, leaving behind only traces of giants dissipating into light and mist. A rain of blades swept across vast distances in an instant.

Though it appeared like a raging storm, each blade followed a precise trajectory, cutting through targets with razor-sharp precision.

There was resistance, of course. Though merely recreated as part of the dungeon, the giant soldiers were highly skilled combatants from an ancient era, each possessing formidable physical prowess and combat techniques. They wouldn’t simply fall helplessly before an attack aimed at their lives.

But their opponent was simply too overwhelming.

Just as they blocked a slash aimed at their necks with a spatha, the next moment, a serpentine trajectory pierced their temples, or a flash of light from behind pierced their chests, revealing its tip.

Though she wielded only one sword, the trajectories carved into space numbered in the dozens, even hundreds. From these, waves of sword energy surged forth in all directions.

Regardless of distance, position, or direction, flashes of light appeared everywhere, defying logic. Before this bizarre and surreal phenomenon, the giant soldiers, trained in conventional combat, were utterly powerless.

If anyone could counter Sophia’s Heart Sword, it would likely be a spell hunter like a ghost hunter rather than a warrior skilled in traditional combat.

Of course, if the opponent were of a certain level of strength, the story might change.

{I won’t allow any more rampage!}

With a surge of deep blue energy, a giant warrior hurled a spear at Sophia. After deflecting the Heart Sword’s trajectories with the swirling energy and near-divine swordsmanship, this was his next move.

“Ho…”

Sophia, with a look of great interest, reached out toward the incoming spear. It seemed as though her hand would be pierced, but of course, that didn’t happen.

As the spear approached Sophia, it lost its momentum and gently landed in her palm like a feather. With a fluid motion, she redirected the spear and threw it back, scattering droplets like water.

In the next moment, the spear’s shadow split in mid-air.

There was a spear spinning like a boomerang, another weaving through the air like a fish, one drilling forward in a spiral, and yet another zigzagging wildly. Countless trajectories created by these spears formed a single, cohesive flow.

That flow resulted in a deluge of calamity.

The area, already ravaged by the Heart Sword’s onslaught, was now swept by an iron rain that tore through space with even greater destructive force, annihilating the gathered giant soldiers.

“Hmph. A technique applying the Heart Sword’s principles to spear-throwing. More effective than I thought.”

Sophia nodded in satisfaction as she surveyed the scene. Unlike the Heart Sword, which required constant awareness of the harmony of trajectories, spear-throwing was inherently a projectile technique, sacrificing the weapon for range, power, and speed.

By reducing the mental effort needed to develop and connect techniques, the saved energy was fully invested in amplifying power. And the result was…

Shugagagang!

{What color is your blood, you wretch!}

More spears, greater speed, and overwhelming firepower covering a wide area.

The gathering point was instantly reduced to ruins, and the giant soldiers turned into light and mist. Among them, the only survivor was the giant who had thrown the spear at Sophia.

The giant’s condition was far from good. His armor was shattered, his skin torn and bloodied, muscles and tendons swollen and trembling in pain. Barely able to stand, the giant, with tears of blood, roared.

“What are you saying, relic of the past?”

{What’s wrong with refusing the end? Isn’t it natural for living beings to want to revive their era?}

“I never said there was anything wrong with it. But isn’t it obvious to prioritize the living over the lingering remnants of the past?”

Sophia scoffed at the giant’s despairing cry and, for the first time since entering the dungeon, fully drew her sword from its sheath.

“Well, you’ve held out this far. As a reward, I’ll make it quick.”

With those words, Sophia raised her longsword vertically before her chest. At the same moment, the giant warrior appeared right in front of her. The longsword perfectly intercepted the giant’s spatha.

Though the spatha was sized for a giant, making it comparable to a longsword, the giant’s strength and weight behind the strike should have been overwhelming. Yet, Sophia’s longsword didn’t budge.

The giant warrior’s face twisted in despair. His desperate sneak attack, using all his remaining strength, had been effortlessly blocked. Now, with no idea what to do next, the giant clenched his teeth.

“Hmph!”

As Sophia stomped the ground with a shout,

{Kuaaak!}

The giant was sent flying like a rubber ball.

What awaited the giant, now crashing to the ground, was Sophia’s relentless assault.

In one swift motion, Sophia raised her longsword skyward and then brought it down.

The speed wasn’t particularly fast. In fact, the longsword’s movement was so slow that it seemed incapable of cutting anything, tracing a dull trajectory.

But the giant warrior witnessing this couldn’t afford to underestimate it.

In the legends of the Bronze Age giants, there were tales of divine swords wielded by the giant gods they worshipped. Swords that reached the heavens, tearing the world asunder and carving mountains and rivers into the earth.

At this moment, to the giant warrior, Sophia’s longsword didn’t seem like a mere human’s sword but a colossal divine blade.

The sword’s tip seemed to reach the heavens, descending with an overwhelming weight. Before such pressure, the option to dodge was unthinkable. The only choices were to withstand the weight or be crushed like an insect.

The giant warrior, thrusting his spatha toward the descending divine blade, must have been a significant figure in the city before it became a dungeon.

{Don’t think I’m the end.}

With those final words, the giant warrior vanished.

“Tch, I know.”

Sophia clicked her tongue, her eyebrows and mouth twitching at the giant’s unnecessary last words.

She knew well. In reality, a single dance of the sword could sever all causality, but this was a dungeon. Even if she slaughtered all its inhabitants, new ones would inevitably take their place.

The giant soldiers Sophia had just wiped out were no exception. Suddenly, a deep, heart-like vibration echoed from afar. Soon, pale phantoms of intact giant soldiers began forming throughout the gathering point. Given time, these phantoms would solidify into real giant soldiers ready to invade once more.

Not that Sophia needed to worry about it. She trusted her disciple and servant, Conra, to solve the trial she had set. Her role was to ensure the situation didn’t become too dangerous while he did so.

In the end, it was the same as before—continuing to slaughter the giant soldiers. The nun knight’s hand gripped the longsword once more.

 

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