The monstrous spider's mouth gaped wide, revealing a row of needle-like teeth arranged in a spiral.
"Cish! Not so easy!" before the spider could devour Rocky, Master Sage swiftly pointed his staff forward and instantly conjured three glowing blue magic circles. These circles illuminated the area and immediately produced three chains whose ends were hooked with bolt-like fixtures. The chains rapidly extended and hurtled toward Rocky.
Rocky, who was nearly bitten by the water chains, was secured tightly; and once Master Sage confirmed that he was bound perfectly, the master swung his staff backward, pulling Rocky—and two parts of his body—back.
"Haah… luckily," Master Sage murmured while stroking his chest. After setting Rocky down next to Lylah, he used the water chains to restrain the monstrous spider.
Worried, Lylah quickly retrieved a monster crystal from beneath her robe and handed it to Rocky. "Rocky! Eat this quickly!"
Almost simultaneously, Master Sage tapped his magical staff to cast several similar magic circles—this time larger, with chains emerging that were as massive as the new circles. Soon, more chains appeared, speeding forward to bind the monstrous spider. Meanwhile, a recovered Rocky sprang to his feet and turned his attention toward the spider before him.
"Find its weakness! Then, attack that part!" Master Sage commanded tersely.
With his mouth still busy chewing crystal fragments, Rocky dashed to the frontline. His current speed felt remarkably higher than before—whether by replenished energy or surging adrenaline.
Recalling his previously broken hand, Rocky seized the two front legs of the spider which he had once subdued, remarking, "No wonder you hear a loud clatter—apparently, their exoskeletons are made of iron!"
In only a fraction of a second, Rocky spun the two front legs in search of the most comfortable grip for his hold. "Hmm… in size and shape they resemble a small axe… should not be a problem, right?" he mused, then leaped and aimed at the spider's eyes.
The adamantium spider writhed furiously as Rocky approached, and one of its front legs broke free and was used to slash at Rocky first.
Although the spider's limbs were large and sharp, its speed was not particularly impressive; relying on instinct alone, Rocky easily dodged its strikes. Compared to a goat-sized spider from earlier—more agile, though still slower than Rocky—this creature now seemed more cumbersome.
Rocky jumped once more and landed atop the adamantium spider's head, immediately attempting to slash it. Yet, "Sling! Ding!" instead of being cut, the blow merely produced a metallic clank.
"Damn! Even its eyes are this hard?!" Rocky grunted as he noticed his weapon had already bent and shattered.
Undeterred, Rocky swiftly retrieved the spider's remaining leg and dashed around in search of its weakest point. Meanwhile, Lylah continuously dispensed mana stones from near Master Sage, then swung her wand so that their mana flowed directly into Master Sage's body.
"Master! How much longer? I'm exhausted—and the mana stones are nearly finished…" Lylah complained.
Master Sage shot a quick glance and replied, "Noisy! Continue! After this, I'll fetch your favorite candy!"
At the mention of candy, Lylah's eyes sparkled and her mouth began to drool. "Really?! Promise?!"
"Has your master ever lied?!" retorted Master Sage as he waved his hand, producing a yellow magic circle that stacked over the previous water-chain circles—like interlocking puzzle pieces.
"oke! Lylah, execute, Master!" Lylah cheered with a broad smile, producing additional mana stones—even though most of hers were not of the best quality.
Master Sage nodded in satisfaction and then confidently cast the next incantation. The yellow magic circle emitted a surge of high-voltage electricity, transforming the chains that bound the adamantium spider into high-voltage electric chains. Unfortunately, despite the electricity, the monster shuddered only slightly without significant effect.
On the other hand, Rocky struggled to find the spider's weakness, as most of its body was still shrouded in an incredibly strong web—even after he had taken out all of its legs from previous clashes.
Rocky retreated beside Master Sage and shook his head. Master Sage, sensing Rocky's dissatisfaction, turned toward Lylah.
"Lylah, provide supporting magic to Rocky! Show your prowess," ordered Master Sage.
Lylah immediately smiled and puffed out her chest. "Hmm… I think it's time I demonstrate my abilities… Rocky, try this!"
Lylah swung her wand several times until five magic circles materialized simultaneously. These circles surged toward Rocky and transformed into a semi-transparent mist. The mist permeated Rocky's stony body, and almost instantly, his rocky exterior burst forth with an aura of power that everyone in the room could feel.
"Wait? Why does it feel strange?" Lylah murmured unconsciously as she observed Rocky's aura.
But as Rocky felt his body inundated with raw power, he lost all restraint. It was as if his legs were on fire; he bolted toward the spider in an instant.
Rocky repeated his initial attack, targeting the monster's head. He clenched his fist, sensing mana hardening around his hand.
"Dang!" A loud hum erupted as his fist struck the spider's head—this time, instead of his hand being shattered, the impact left a crater and deep cracks in the monster's head.
Rocky pressed on; even Master Sage, who had been watching the spider and confirming that his magic worked, only realized Rocky had taken decisive action when it was too late.
Now that its mouth could move, Rocky grinned with satisfaction as raw power coursed through him. With renewed vigor, he continued pummeling the monster's head.
The adamantium spider, furious and indifferent to one of its broken legs, lashed out with its two sickle-like legs with wild abandon.
Not willing to lose, Rocky matched its fury, testing the supportive magic from Lylah by pitting his punches against the spider's sickle strikes.
"Dang! Sling! Crack!"
When these powerful blows met, one of the spider's left sickle dented and cracked, while Rocky's left arm was also shattered.
"Cish! That sickle is incredibly hard! Then…."
Without wasting a moment, Rocky advanced and attacked the base of the cracked sickle. He extended his right hand in a horizontal slash.
"Kiyaaak!" a pained cry echoed throughout the room as the left sickle detached and fell apart.
"Waaah! Rocky, you're amazing!" Lylah shouted, leaping with joy, while Rocky maintained his distance with a satisfied nod. 'hm! it seems like our strength is equal!'