At the very center of Ottar City stood a massive brown cocoon.
It towered over everything—so large that it could be seen from any corner of the city.
For a moment… everything stopped.
Every monster froze in place, their attention completely drawn toward the cocoon.
Taking advantage of that sudden pause, the knights didn't hesitate.
"Fire Spell, Second Stage…"
"Blazing Tide…"
Flames surged forward, crashing into the monsters. Their bodies ignited, burning violently.
Yet strangely… some monsters didn't react at all.
They didn't attack.
They didn't move.
Their eyes remained fixed on the cocoon.
"Ice Spell, Second Stage…"
"Freezing Wind…"
A chilling gust swept across the battlefield, instantly freezing multiple monsters solid.
The knights rushed in, shattering them with their swords—one after another.
All across the city, monsters were being cut down.
Blood stained the streets.
Broken limbs and torn bodies were scattered everywhere.
For those knights who were far from the cocoon… it felt like the battle was already over.
Like everything was finally under control.
But near the cocoon—
It was completely different.
The knights standing close to it couldn't move.
Their hearts were pounding so violently it felt like their chests would burst open at any second.
"Dhak…"
"Dhakk…"
"Dhakkk…"
The sound echoed in their ears—loud, heavy… unnatural.
Even Medusa stood frozen.
His body refused to respond, his heart racing uncontrollably.
"Dhak…"
"Dhakkk…"
"Dhakkk…"
The sound kept getting louder.
Medusa clenched his teeth, trying to steady himself.
What is this…?
Is it dead… or still alive…?
Why can't I understand anything…?
He shut his eyes for a brief second, then forced himself forward.
Without thinking any further, he shouted—
"Don't stop…! Keep attacking it…!"
Some knights didn't even hear him.
They stood frozen, their minds overwhelmed by the pounding sound.
Others heard… but their bodies still wouldn't move.
Only a few gathered their courage.
"AAAHHH…!!"
Shouting, they charged forward behind Medusa.
Medusa activated his spell—
"Wind Spell, Third Stage…"
"Air Ascension…"
The air around him gathered, lifting his body effortlessly into the sky.
He shot forward at incredible speed toward the cocoon.
Behind him, the knights followed—
"Wind Spell, Second Stage…"
"Air Support…"
The wind carried them upward, pushing them forward.
As they closed in, Medusa raised his sword to strike.
At the same time—
"Fire Spell, Second Stage…!"
"Blazing Tide…!"
Multiple attacks surged toward the cocoon.
But just before impact—
Something moved.
From the base of the cocoon, long, grotesque tentacles burst out.
They stretched outward instantly—
And intercepted every single attack.
Not only that—
The tentacles lashed out toward Medusa and the knights.
Medusa twisted his body mid-air, barely dodging one strike.
It's stronger than before…
The knights reacted quickly—
"Wind Spell, First Stage…"
"Tornado…!"
A spinning vortex trapped the incoming tentacles, slowing their movements.
Seizing the opportunity, Medusa moved again.
He pulled his sword back—
"Darkseed Spell…"
"Sunless Flame…"
Dark energy surged along his blade as he accelerated forward.
He unleashed a rapid series of strikes, attacking the cocoon again and again.
But—
Not a single scratch appeared.
Medusa stopped.
Lowering his sword, he spoke sharply—
"Fall back!"
The knights immediately retreated, taking cover at a distance.
Medusa took a deep breath.
Then raised his sword once more.
"Darkseed Spell…"
"Sunless Domination…"
Red and black lightning crackled violently around the blade.
He lifted it high—
And brought it down.
"BOOOOMMMM—!!"
An explosion shook the entire area.
Smoke and dust filled the battlefield once again.
Medusa was thrown back, landing hard in a corner.
The black armor covering his body slowly faded away.
His strength was nearly gone.
He forced his eyes open—
And looked ahead.
Cracks had appeared across the surface of the cocoon.
They spread rapidly.
"Crack…"
"Crack…"
The pounding sound grew louder.
From inside… a low growl echoed outward.
"Ghuuuu…"
"Ghuuuu…"
The sound spread across the entire city.
A piece of the cocoon broke off and fell to the ground.
Inside… there was nothing but deep darkness.
Medusa narrowed his eyes, trying to see through it—
But he saw nothing.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
Complete silence.
Everything stopped.
For a moment, it felt like time itself had frozen.
Then—
From within the broken opening—
A single, massive red eye appeared.
It slowly opened.
Blood-red.
Filled with something unnatural… something terrifying.
That eye locked onto Medusa.
And within its reflection—
Medusa could see himself.