Chapter 54: Intense Battle
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CRASH!
“Nngh...!”
Half my body froze instantly. A wave of nausea hit me, but my cloak flared with heat, shattering the ice and flooding warmth back into my limbs.
Guts surged through me. My stats skyrocketed as I activated Shadow Step and Wild Cat’s Leap, closing the distance to the golem in a blur.
“Okay, fucker. You asked for it!”
I hurled both axes at once with Tomahawk Boomerang. The blades streaked in from left and right, striking with thunderous force. The golem exploded into fragments, its core shattering into four pieces.
“Astrid! Behind you!”
My mother’s urgent shout cut through the chaos as she rushed to my sister. Astrid was locked in combat with three golems, having just felled one when another swordsman swung at her exposed back.
Mom blurred forward, her ring’s speed carrying her in an instant. She snatched Astrid out of harm’s way. I summoned Fenrir and Huginn right after.
“Go! Rip them to shreds!”
“AWOOOOO!”
“KAW!”
The two colossal beasts leaped over the golem and tore its arms apart. Fiery feathers and demonic flame bites finished it in seconds.
The remaining two golems fell to my father and me. We struck from behind my pets, axes cleaving through stone and metal in perfect father-daughter coordination.
“How many are left?!” my father shouted, scanning the battlefield. “Ah, three… four… five more?!”
“They must have come from the commotion!” I called back, leaping forward.
“Let’s go! Follow me, family!” My father took the lead, charging ahead. I stayed close on his heels. He smashed into the first golem—a towering General-type, Tier 4. It radiated a far more menacing aura, its eyes gleaming with cold intelligence as it swung a pair of massive hammers.
CRAAASH!
The ground shuddered violently, cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. My father met the blow head-on, bracing with his shield and axe. Muscles bulging, he pushed back against the crushing force, his Ox Tattoo blazing with power. A massive crimson aura erupted around him, like a giant ox charging forward with unstoppable fury.
“Ox’s Charge!!!”
Combining the evolved axe skills with his own raw strength, my father roared and slammed the golem into the wall. Its chest armor shattered completely, war flames exploding outward.
BOOOM!
“Woah, Dad! You’ve got this!” I cheered.
“Hahaha—Ugh?!”
The golem wasn’t finished. A giant fist punched him away, sending him crashing hard into the ground.
“Dad!” Astrid cried, rushing to his side. She channeled the ring’s power and summoned a giant catfish boss spirit. “Go!”
The spirit barreled forward and unleashed a roaring tidal wave of scalding water. The golem bellowed in defiance, its four allies supporting it with reinforcing spells.
The monster retaliated by forming a colossal icicle spear, piercing the spirit and charging straight toward us. My friends unleashed a barrage of arrows, burning and melting the lesser golems. I intercepted the giant one myself.
I charged in, planting my feet and unleashing Charge Attack, Shadow Clone, Holy Smite, and Searing Cleave in rapid succession. A devastating combination of doubled, blazing, smashing, and blinding power erupted at once.
BOOOM! BOOOM!
The twin explosions staggered the giant. I fused my Divine Weapon into Atlas. My axe surged with power, growing enormous for a moment as my spirits resonated within me.
I activated my new skill and planted the Flag of Conquest into the ground. A crimson aura spread outward, revitalizing my entire party.
“Come on, everyone! It’s not over yet!”
“Right!” my father roared, climbing back to his feet. “LET’S GOOO!!!”
“YEAAAAHHH!”
We charged like mad warriors. My mother blurred through the battlefield with superspeed, reaching a dangerous magician golem that was healing and buffing the others. She stabbed straight into its core, shattering it.
My brother nocked an arrow infused with his tiger spirit and fired at an archer golem pelting us with massive frozen projectiles. The arrow struck true, a roaring tiger spirit bursting through its chest and destroying its core.
My sister, father, and I pressed forward together. I summoned the Demon Wolf and White Stag spirits, letting them charge alongside us as we drove the mighty Tier 4 back.
“NOW!!!” my father bellowed.
We poured our auras together and struck as one. The combined force of our weapons and brute strength shattered the golem’s final defenses. Its core lay exposed. Sigrid’s spirit arrow screamed through the air, piercing it dead center.
BOOOM!
The Golem General exploded into pieces, its tyranny ended. Fenrir and Huginn pinned down the last two golems, holding them steady while I finished them off. I extracted their cores while they still functioned. The constructs dropped dead instantly.
“These are precious,” I said, nodding. “Let’s keep them for now. We can use them to build our own golems later.”
“The Golem Hearts?” Astrid asked, stepping to my side. “That’s a great idea! Especially in winter… ice golems guarding the village would be perfect.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a smile.
“Alright, everyone,” my father said. “Ten minutes to rest, then we continue.”
We gathered around a bonfire my mother conjured with her fire magic and sat down to recover. I activated Tierra’s divine necklace and used Life Share, channeling my own HP to my family so they could heal faster.
I recovered quickly enough on my own.
Rewards soon followed.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You and your party have slain 12 [Sorrowful Winter Knight Golems – Tier 3+] and 1 [Sorrowful Winter General Golem – Tier 4]!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[...]
[You have reached Level 112/130. Stat Points have been allocated. You gained 3 Free Stat Points.]
Several skills leveled up, and Charge Attack finally hit max level.
[Rank Up Requirements]
[Ten Tier 2 Monster Cores]: [10/10]
[Master Three Weapon Techniques]: [3/3]
[One Tier 3 Monster Carcass]: [1/1]
[Kill 30 Foes with Charged Attack]: [30/30]
[Do you wish to Evolve the Tier 1 Skill?]
[Yes] [No]
“Damn right. Let’s evolve it now.”
I selected [Yes] immediately. The required materials were pulled from my storage.
Ding!
[Congratulations! The Skill: [Charge Attack – Tier 1: Level 10/10] has Ranked Up to [Fierce Charge Attack – Tier 2: Level 1/10]!]
“Fierce Charge Attack… not bad at all,” I muttered.
Still, the real prize was the Golem Hearts. They were like supercharged mana cores, powerful enough to command inert matter and give it form.
“I could evolve it right now, but I’ll save it,” I said, storing the hearts away and absorbing any lingering energy. Nothing. No souls.
“Ugh,” I sighed. “Golems have no souls. How did I forget that?”
Still, a new thought occurred to me. Could I use Evolution on the Soul Orb itself—or at least part of its power?
I sat down, directing part of my consciousness into the Soul Sanctuary. There, on its altar, rested the Soul Orb.
I placed my hand on it.
“Evolve!”
I closed my eyes, half-expecting nothing.
FLAAASH!
“It worked?!”
A pillar of light erupted from the Soul Orb. It didn’t achieve full evolution, but something inside it had changed. A golden veil of soul essence surged outward, flowing from my body and enveloping my family and companions.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have successfully used [Evolve] on your Trait [Soul Orb]!]
[Due to the difference in power and limited divine energy, you have only partially evolved one aspect of the Soul Orb.]
[Your Trait: [Divine Soul Orb – Tier 10 (SSS+ Rank)] has awakened a new Skill.]
[You learned the Skill: [Soul Essence Connection – Tier 2: Level 1/10]!]
[You can now connect your Soul Essence and the power of the Soul Orb with designated allies. When these allies slay foes, the souls of the monsters they defeat will be automatically absorbed by the sanctuary. Additionally, your Soul power will resonate within them, temporarily strengthening their bodies and souls while protecting them from soul-based damage and curses. The connection remains permanent regardless of distance.]
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