Chapter 339: Giants

Words : 1248 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 339: Giants Gisella wanted to sew up Cece’s mouth with some sacred thread and a prayer bead or two. And if she were being honest, maybe even perform an entire ritual circle. Because this woman just had to open her mouth today, of all days. She had asked where it could be. Loudly. Clearly. And now? Gisella was dead sure they’d find it, just not in the way they’d prefer. See, this one was the type to wish for a star, only to promptly be sent an asteroid. Yeah. Once they got out of this hellhole, she swore they were going to a witch doctor. No excuses. Even if she had to drag Cece kicking and screaming across a blessing field, she was going to burn whatever cosmic curse followed this woman around. But first, they’re going to have to watch out for what was to come now that she’s called it. Now that they’ve stopped Luca from firing the Purification Cannon, there is no choice but to look for the real thing. At first, they actually thought about just firing it because it would help lessen the corruption in the room. But for how long? And by how much? Especially considering how these roots kept carrying it in like it was trying to fill some tank. But most importantly, just how many energy crystals do they even have? Not many. And the last time they used this on someone like Tortie, they ate up several crystals. So, what happens when they end up encountering something worse? They didn’t want to find out. However, what they wanted to know was where all this "sustenance" was coming from. "We’re missing something," Xavier said tightly, dodging another snapping tangle of bark that lashed out from the ceiling like a whip. Duchess Amelia narrowed her eyes, her expression shifting slightly, focused, then sharp as she tried thinking of what else could be of help. "I remember...There was a chamber behind this place." Everyone stilled briefly at her words. "It was sealed. I thought it would open after the boss was dead, but I never got that far." This got them closer to the walls, now ignoring most of the clear distractions instead of wasting their energy trying to get rid of them. Now they were prodding the walls, trying to see if anything would give way. Then they hit something, not even physically. But the moment Butler Gary’s mecha drew close to a particular wall— The boss reacted. Until now, this pretentious goat fought like a construct. It only kept regrowing, regenerating, sending its spawn and roots to act on its behalf. But this was different. It suddenly felt personal because the wall suddenly shuddered. The roots closest to Butler Gary convulsed just as it took form. Before anyone could warn him, a massive claw tore free from the wall. It wasn’t from the monster’s arm, but from the roots closest to the butler’s mecha. It swiped once. But the sheer force of that was enough to hurl his mecha flying into the wall. "Gary!" the Duchess shouted, spinning toward him. "I’m fine, Your Grace," came the reply, strained but present. But everyone saw the damage. Sparks flew from his side. His stabilizer flickered, and Ollie winced at the values he was seeing. And that’s when it hit them. That thing hadn’t even moved. Well, not physically since it was still hunkered down in the center as it absorbed more corruption. But no wonder. Because it didn’t need to move. Everything around here was practically a limb. "I think...we got the right wall," Luca whispered. That reaction was likely because they were getting too close to whatever it was protecting. This wasn’t really the boss. This was just the gatekeeper. "Luca," Xavier said over the line, quiet but intense. "I’ll try to get you a path past this guy and into that passageway—" "No." Interrupted the Duchess. "Let us do it." She wasn’t really asking, and it wasn’t some kind of blind heroism. Xavier paused. Even Luca blinked in surprise. "The mechas we are using won’t be useful for anything that requires channeling of spiritual energy..." Her tone was grave, but not reckless. "But we could be great distractions for this thing while you three go in." Luca hesitated. "But—" Kyle’s voice cut in. "Then I’ll stay. I can’t channel either—" "No," the Duchess said smoothly. "That’s exactly why you go with them." "What?" Kyle blinked. "Well, someone would have to serve as a distraction for them, too, especially when that cannon gets fired." There was no room to argue. She was pretty much right, especially since even Ollie could actually see the underlying reason. As a mechanic, he could see that Butler Gary’s mecha wouldn’t last worse blows, and would likely find it difficult to rush forward because of that damaged stabilizer and its nature as a heavy mecha unit. Luca’s lips pressed into a tight line. He didn’t feel good about it. In fact, no one would feel good about leaving anyone behind. But he also understood. "Okay then," He finally agreed after a deep breath. "We’ll try to get back as soon as possible, Mom." The Duchess smiled reassuringly. "Good. We believe in you."’ Then she turned. Her focus was no longer on the son she’d entrusted with a desperate mission, but on the thing that stood in their way. That goat-shaped, corruption-soaked monster that had long stopped looking like anything that belonged in any realm. Her borrowed mecha rolled its shoulders, twin blades extending from sheathes mounted on its back with a whisper of steel. Each sword hummed—not with spiritual energy, but pure, honed kinetic resonance. It was something that represented the House of Kyros, and it felt like coming home. "Move when I strike," she said, no louder than necessary. There was no countdown. There didn’t need to be. She launched forward. The ground cracked beneath the thrusters’ sudden ignition. The twin blades gleamed as they arced down, not toward the boss, but toward the wall they were targeting. Just as expected, the wall reacted, massive claws swiping at the Duchess, who was tearing through the barrier. It took four brutal slashes, each one timed with precision that defied the size of the machine she piloted. Roots burst upward to intercept her, but they were cleaved through mid-rise. Bark and sinew exploded as her blades carved a path, and when the dust and mist cleared— The passage lay open. The corrupted roots tried to surge forward and reclaim the breach, but she moved again, planting her feet wide, her swords held crosswise in front of her, daring the dungeon to come closer. It did. And she met it head-on. Behind her, Butler Gary, and Gisella were already in motion. They flanked either side, weapons and thrusters in sync. The old team fell into rhythm without a word. Pop! Pop! Pop! Roots, tendrils, and pustules were struck down with mechanical grace. It was a dance they had done before: different enemy, but same comrades. And Ollie? Ollie watched from the confines of Kyle’s mecha, breath caught, wide-eyed. The mop didn’t say a word. Because in that moment, watching the three of them move as one—veteran, commander, guardian—it finally made sense. The stories. The rumors. The respect. To him, they looked like history made flesh, and the little mechanic felt like they were standing on the shoulders of giants. Because they really were.

Chapter 339: Giants

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