Yun Jin stared at the battlefield; eyes fixed on the massive golem stomping through the altar grounds.

  He knew Merlin was talented.

  But this was beyond anything he imagined.

  I never knew he could do something like that.

  He activated [Mana Eyes].

  What he saw confirmed it. The golem’s core wasn’t controlled from afar. It was directly bonded with Merlin. The flow of mana mirrored Qi circulation, not spellcasting. The entire structure functioned like a limb.

  To think you managed to create a bond between you and your weapon on your own... I underestimated you.

  Yun Jin felt it clearly.

  Pride of a teacher.

  Back when he refused to teach Merlin sword techniques, he did so out of fear. Qi strikes had no cost ceiling. Unlike spells, which consumed fixed mana per cast, a blade technique could draw on everything the user had.

  In someone like Merlin—whose power output tripled due to his condition—a single uncontrolled form could tear him apart.

  He wanted to protect the boy.

  But Merlin had found his own path. He studied Yun Jin’s flow and built his own framework. He copied the structure, then re-engineered it using spell mechanics as a limiter.

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  He embraced the fixed cost of summoning magic, then used Qi breathing to offset the mana upkeep. What should have been a weakness became a system of precision.

  A fully integrated circuit. No delay. No waste.

  Now I understand why you were so confident, Yun Jin thought.

  BOOM!

  The golem’s fist slammed into the altar ruins.

  The impact sent a shockwave across the field, flattening what little structure remained. What once looked like a crumbling ruin was now a wide, level field of shattered stone.

  On the golem’s shoulder, Merlin stood with his staff raised like a flag.

  Imps tried climbing its legs but couldn’t hold on—the golem’s skin was smooth stone, with no footholds.

  The gargoyles in the air were shot down one after another by blazing fire arrows that danced on their own. The summoned spell flew like it had thought, weaving and correcting its aim midair.

  The banshees didn’t stand a chance. Whatever trick they used to vanish, Merlin seemed unaffected. He located them with ease, striking them down before they could scream.

  The giant cut through the monsters with no resistance, arms smashing down like hammers. What remained of the altar crumbled beneath its steps.

  Then came the voice.

  “Muhahahaha!! Face me now, boss monster! I’m Merlin!”

  Even from a distance, Yun Jin could hear the laugh.

  For so long, Merlin had been trapped in his own limits. His body rejected the magic he admired. He had watched others cast spells he could never touch. He had studied circuits he dared not perform.

  But now, standing atop a fifteen-meter golem with spell circles flaring and fire bursting through the sky—

  He had taken that step.

  The one he always dreamed of.

  Yun Jin jumped up onto a nearby tree to watch more clearly, a faint smile rising as the battlefield cleared.

  This time, you win.

  [System Alert: The objective has been destroyed.]

  [Dungeon cleared.]

  [Merlin: 72%]

  [Yun Jin: 28%]