laulau20
patreon
Chapter 22: Golem
🕑 Added 2025-01-14 15:22:33 +0000 UTCAm I going to die? The world seemed to slow down as Kouki glided through the air. The monster smirked at his downfall. Kouki had nothing left. He still had one sword skill left, but it was impossible to activate it in the air. Kouki knew he had lost, and he would die.
The world stood for the strong. The weak shall perish or be enslaved. That’s what Kouki believed. He wanted to prove he was one of the heroes, a prodigy born to help people. Nevertheless, he was a mediocre student in school. The old world didn’t need him. He couldn’t make any waves. He wasn’t rich. He was smart, but he wasn’t the smartest. Merely ranked fourth in his school class. Kouki realized that unless you were the very best, unless you achieved the best 1%, you wouldn’t succeed.
Kouki tried to become that 1%, but he realized he had failed. He couldn’t become a hero. He couldn’t save Kaina, John, Matra, and Denver. Kouki soon plunged into the lava beneath.
First of all, humans do not sink into lava. They float above it even when the molten lava is hot and liquid. It was too dense for humans to penetrate through. The same thing applies to Kouki; his body drops on the lava as if a ball has been dropped onto a pillow.
Nevertheless, one thing about action movies was right. Lava is hot. Kouki’s cloak ignited as soon as it touched the lava.
“AAGHH!!” Kouki screamed as he rolled on the lava. Despite the enormous heat and pain, Kouki still had some reasonings left within his brain. He rolled to the nearest path, away from the lava.
With great luck, Kouki managed to land himself on the pathway. He further rolled left and back to extinguish the flame on his body. However, Kouki would need more than luck to escape James.
James dashed to where Kouki was. With his axe at the ready, he raised it overhead, ready to decapitate Kouki, who lay helpless on the ground, coughing and panting. Kouki had lost his sword during the clash. There was nothing he could do against the incoming axe. All he could do was stare as the white blade inched closer to his face.
“KOUKI!!!” a shadow soon stepped before him. Kaina, who was miraculously close to Kouki, stepped in, trying to protect him. Kaina was a level one survivor, she had no chance to even distract James with her pitiful stats. However, she owed her life to him. They got into this situation because of her anyway. The only thing she could do was to sacrifice herself and hopefully create a chase for Kouki to run away.
“What have I done?” James stopped his axe just an inch away from her face. He suddenly realized what he was about to do. He was about to kill a person. Kaina finally opened her eyes when she heard James’ voice.
The two gazed at each other for a moment before a piercing shout broke the silence.
“Get away from Boss Kouki!!” the three stooges charged in with their spears from the back.
James snapped his gaze towards them as they charged forward. However, he was too late. They had already stabbed their spears at him.
“UAA!!” James roared as he swiped the spears clinging to his leather armor. Thanks to his leather armor, stats, and furr, James was unharmed. These stooges’ stats were too low to harm him anymore.
“HIEEK!!” two of the stooges ran away, leaving the third trembling. However, he didn’t run. He dropped to the ground, and water began leaking from his crotch. “M-m-monster! Get away!!”
James looked at his surroundings; the girl looked at him, frightened, and the man was even more pitiful; he cried and pissed his pants. The boy was coughing and no longer conscious. Guilt surged within James, and he did what he usually did. He ran away. Picking his belongings, he leaped and went another way.
He didn’t offer a glance toward the girl and the boy and ventured back to the darkness of the cave.
Changes were not eternally good. James had changed. He decided to change. Thanks to his decision, James had survived. However, when something changes, they inevitably lose something. James realized that his change finally had a negative effect on him.
“I am still human. It’s their fault for attacking me first! If they didn’t attack me, I would have left them alone!” James muttered, trying to defend himself. However, he knew he was lying to himself. Kouki was already helpless after he fell to the lava. James could run away or leave them on their own device. Yet, James approached him and intended to finish himself. If not for the girl who bravely came forward and knocked James back to his senses, James was sure he would kill him.
He lay down after running for a few minutes. James took another breath as he reassessed his situation.
“System, will that boy live?”
[Status of other survivors are classified. However, we can tell you that the chance of him surviving is high.]
“He fell into a lava, and the burn on his skin seemed pretty bad…”
[Health potion could cure outside wounds such as burns and lacerations in minutes. If survivors had enough coins to buy a health potion, such wounds would be negligible.]
“Thank you… For telling me.” James said his praise to the system from the bottom of his heart. It was as if a huge guilt and burden were released from his shoulder. At least he knew Kuki would survive.
An hour later, James continued his walk. He then ventured into a colosseum. Unlike the Colosseum on the second floor, there was no ivy or greenery. The cement walls stood tall, and arches were built on it. James instinctively knew that this was the boss room.
Two stone statues, each stood as tall as James. They were placed on a pedestal beside the gate. Their features expressed masterful craftsmanship. Unlike the crude golem from earlier times, James could feel that this stone statue might come alive at any moment. Each statue held a stone sword that stabbed the ground. Its armor was definite, carved from the same stone as the statue itself.
James looked up in awe. However, his admiration didn’t last long as the statue cracked. Lines began to form on the pedestal as the statue creaked, its head turned toward James.
“Yeah. I saw that from miles away. Thankfully, this one didn’t seem to be made from lava.” James sighed as he drew his sword and axe.
“No time to mope around. I must continue. All past mistakes are in the past. I know what I must do. I must kill this monster and level up!!” James reassured himself as the stone statues jumped down from their pedestal. Their longswords were at the ready.
James took the first strike. Using his axe skill [Powerstrike], he lunged at the left golem. Intending to finish this fight in a single skill. The golems looked slow. Unlike lava golem, it didn’t spew any lava. It was the perfect chance.
“Sorry. But you are finished!” James smirked. His axe glowed and made a humming sound. The blade flew toward the left golem. The golem raised its sword, but it didn’t use any weapon skills. James thought victory was at hand, for it was impossible for anyone to fully defend against a skill. Once the golem was pushed back, James continued with his sword skill, aiming at its head.
The unthinkable happened. Weapon skills, the very thing that managed to tear down castle walls, were blocked. James’ axe collided with the golem’s sword in a satisfying boom. However, after the dust settled, he found that the golem didn’t move an inch. James’ confidence in the power of sword skills was shattered in that instant.
“Impossible,” James muttered. The golden glow didn’t fade. However, it didn’t move farther. In fact, James was the one who was pushed back. James’ axe was pushed back, and once the golden light of his axe skill fizzled out, James was blown away.
The stone statue approached James. They were slow, but James suddenly felt cornered. James had been subconsciously relying on weapon skills. James believed that sword skill can only be blocked or deflected only by sword skills.
However, The golems were able to block it as if they were blocking normal sword swings. James was suddenly disoriented. Of course, unlike Kouki, weapon skills were not James’ only weapon. He quickly reverted back to spells.
Ice lances launched one after another toward the golem. However, it proved to be ineffective. The lances shattered upon impact. Unlike with Lava Golem, it didn’t slow them in the slightest.
The right golem charged. James rolled to the left, dodging its overhead sword. The stone swords looked menacing. However, James realized that they were slower even compared to sahuagins spears. They were just a tiny bit faster than the lava golem. Moreover, they didn’t have wide-area attacks.
James regained his confidence. He now knows what to do. Thanks to his stats, he could jump 2 meters without any problem. Dodging a horizontal slash from the golem was easier than he thought. Golden glow started enveloping his sword. This time, James aimed for the legs. The golden meteor went through the leg like a knife through bread.
Without a leg, the golem fell down. James immediately activated his axe skill and smashed its head open. The golden core in its head shattered, ending the life of the right golem.
“Shit. this one has a core on its head…” James cursed. He wanted to see whether he could install a core to himself and what effect it had. That’s why he tried to avoid attacking its torso, but this golem had its core on the head instead.
The left golem came lunging on him. Looking at the lava lake surrounding the stadium, James suddenly had a bright idea. He made a huge ice block on the ground and jumped on it. The golem charged at him like a bull. As soon as it stepped on the ice block, it slipped. Like some beginners who fell during ice skating, the golem slid down the huge block of ice and into the pouring hot lava.
James didn’t slip because he froze his own foot on the ice block. The left golem was heavy; it sank into the lava-like humans to a quicksand. It tried to resist, but ultimately went under. James recalled a live-action robot movie that fell to a smelter. It behaved like that golem.
“So, do I get a level up?” James asked The System haughtily. However, the system didn’t answer.
[System assistance during combat is prohibited.]
“Hm? But the fight is over.” James suddenly felt goosebumps rising from his shoulder. When he glanced at the place where the golem had sunk, a hand suddenly floated, grabbing the corner of the land James was standing on.
“Should have known lava couldn’t kill stones,” James said as water mana gathered around him. He didn’t wait until the golem pulled itself before dousing it with gallons of water.
Water vapor burst out from the golem and the lava around him. James continued pouring water on it, eventually solidifying the lava around the golem. The golem didn’t stand still, knowing James was close. It tried to swing its arm, but due to the thermal shock it received earlier, the arm shattered when moving.
“This is a chance. Carefully…” James swung his axe at the golem. Due to the thermal shock, the golem was paralyzed. James took the chance and swung his axe on its neck. Even without skill, the axe still shattered the golem. Its golden core flew and dropped to the ground.
[Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 25! You have earned 40 coins]
[Name: James
Age: 35
Sex: male
Levels: 25
Coins: 310
Stats:
STR: 94 (up 2)
Dex: 91 (up 3)
Magic: 38 (up 3)
Mana: 560 (up 20)
Skills:
Novice Axe mastery level 1 (Powerstrike, V-slash)
Beginner Sword mastery level 6 (hurricane)
Beginner Bow Mastery level 6 (Quickshot)
Magic:
Mind flay
Mana sonar
Unique Skill:
Chimera:
Goblin stomach (Iron guts) (stomach slot)
Mana core (Water Spell: ice spear, water manipulation, Magic +60, Mana +1000)(Extra slot)
Orc’s left arm (STR+10%) (Arm slot)
Eyes of Mana (mana sense) (Right eye slot)
Sahuagin’s webbed hands(+10% dexterity in water) (right arm slot)
Sahuagin’s webbed feet(+10% dexterity in water) (leg slot)
Sahuagin’s lungs (Underwater breathing) (lung slot)
Orc’s torso (torso slot)
Orc’s head (Head slot)
Shadow snake fang (intermediate life leeching)(mouth slot)(new)
Jumping Spiders spinneret (Thread creation)(Extra slot 2)
Lightning Wolf’s fur (physical resistance +5%)(skin slot)
Equipment:
Leather armor set +10 dex
War axe
Longsword
Crossbow
Leather pouch(damaged)
Waterspout dagger
Leather bag(damaged)]
[Do you wish to modify your body? y/n]
[Available body part:
Golem core (Poison resistance) (negative trait: mana-250 Magic -10, Repairable)(Heart slot)
]
