Logan quickly rearranged his active skills, replacing several from his previous loadout with the new ones he'd acquired from Victor.
He selected Shadow Link—to shield his allies by absorbing part of the damage they would take. Shadow Snare would help keep the creature restrained. Devoted Shadow was a must; it allowed him to summon one of Victor's previously tamed shadows. Holy Nova remained his strongest spell, while Radiant Spear of Judgment followed close behind, especially potent in this dark-infused environment. And finally, Voice of Authority—a skill that had already proven its worth in taming and turning the tide.
That left four open slots. But Logan didn't want to swap out his utility or survival tools. This fight wasn't about overwhelming the enemy with raw force—he had allies. Offensive pressure would come from the others.
It took him just a few seconds to finalize the setup.
By the time he finished, Victor had already emerged from the shadows, his new form sleek and ominous. Rubina was ready—her flames even extended to her hair as she gain greater control over them. Lisa stood beside her, both a spear and a shield in hand, her light element already forming defensive wards to protect the team.
Chloe and Kai stood at a distance, preparing their backup spells. Dozens—no, hundreds—of mana-forged spears formed behind them, ready to rain down if things went south.
But Logan had no intention of letting this creature die so easily.
He needed a native of this region.
And what better candidate than a monster that had already proven strong enough to take down a Scorpicore?
[Alright, everyone—remember, let me try taming it first. Weaken it just enough to give me an opening. If it proves too wild, then we kill it. I won't risk any of your lives over a dangerous creature that doesn't want to be tamed.]
Logan would draw the creature's attention. Victor would harass and weaken it. Lisa would intervene when it came time to take control, and Rubina—she'd contain it with fire and provide light with her flames.
Serana and her minions were watching the perimeter. Other creatures stalked nearby—two more Scorpicores, likely allies or kin of the one the ogre had just torn apart.
Logan lunged forward, wind rushing beneath his boots as he used the element to propel himself ahead. He summoned a shadow mid-motion—and was caught off guard by the form that emerged.
It wasn't just similar. It was identical—the tail, its powerful legs, even the flame that flickered near its back and tail. A perfect imitation of his beast's outline.
He glanced at Victor.
Victor didn't answer, but the smug face in the silence said everything.
Logan pushed forward, letting the shadow of Scorch charge alongside him. The only issue was the need for constant light. For the shadow to exist at all, Logan had to generate a source of illumination. No light meant no contrast, and no contrast meant no shadow.
Lisa also helped with this, she used Holy Nova, but in a manner that made the light become like a small radiant star in her hand that would not eat up as much of her mana.
Rubina was also getting used to fighting in the darkness, she created thin rings of fire around the battlefield, just large enough to brighten the area around the fighters but also in a way so the fires wouldn't be eaten away by the darkness.
It was also important so that Kai and Chloe would have a visual in case they needed to send out a volley of spears.
"Alright, everyone, get ready!" Logan jumped up, whip in hand, now that he could use three elements, he did not fail to create wind-empowered whips.
The first lash struck near the creature's arm, just as it began to bring it down.
In an instant, the bite of the wind cracked against its skin, slapping the limb aside. Logan seized the moment, pulling on the whip and shifting his stance to regain control of the engagement.
His next strike wasn't meant to wound.
He aimed for the ogre's thick neck, targeting it not for damage, but for leverage. Positioning was everything when dealing with a four-meter-tall giant . It wasn't something you could overpower. You had to outmaneuver it.
Victor, more attuned with the use of shadows, was already acting.
He knew which entity among his tamed echoes could help—and called it forth.
A massive serpent coiled into existence around the ogre. Its body was broad and sinuous, barely visible, formed from shifting haze and deep black mist. Yet, it wasn't just an illusion. The pressure of the shadow wrapped around the snake felt real, its weight dragging the large beast to its knees.
It did not last long, though. The Orgre began manipulating mana with its horn, which somehow gave it tremendous strength, since two seconds later, it was able to pull away from the shadow's embrace.
This time, Logan was ready.
The shadow of Scorch surged forward beneath him, rising from the ground like a living silhouette. Its blazing jaws opened wide, snapping onto the ogre's arm with violent force. The sudden impact and sending the giant to its it's back.
It thrashed and roared—but Victor was already finished with his second summoning.
From the shadows, he summoned another titan.
It wasn't the full form of Gaia—Logan's earth chosen creature, it would be far too large for the cavern. Instead, a condensed half-manifestation rose from the stone. Ten meters tall from waist up, only the top portion breached the ground. But it was enough.
One massive hand gripped the ogre's free arm, pinning it down.
At the same time, shadow-forged roots—mimicking Gaia's power as roots rose up from the ground, anchoring the beast in place. It couldn't get up, it couldn't twist or fight anymore. Every limb was restrained.
Then Lisa charged in.
Her spear shimmered with radiant energy as she leapt forward, buckler raised in her off-hand. With a single thrust, she drove the weapon into the air above the ogre's stomach.
Holy Nova, which was on the tip of her spear, exploded from the impact.
The radiance burst outward in a shockwave, engulfing the cave in divine light. It struck everything—friend and foe alike.
But none of them faltered.
They endured it, welcomed it. The light cleansed their fatigue and sealed shallow wounds, a wave of healing warmth sweeping through them.
The ogre, though… screamed.
To it, the light was a weakness. Light elemental energy clashed with the abyssal force running through its veins. Its dark-fused body reacted violently—smoke rose from its skin as corrupted mana began to be cleansed, and the beast writhed and tried to roll as if aflame.