Chapter 53: Sorry, Sacrifices Have to be Made
Dominic stood before Gravemind, the towering Colossus leader, whose massive form loomed like a nightmare born from stone and wrath.
The ten Colossi flanked him, each easily a hundred feet tall, with gleaming obsidian armor and glowing red eyes. Their breaths came like thunder, and each footstep split the earth beneath them.
The air around Dominic was thick with tension and hopeless dread. Behind him stood the remnants of the Ghost Force, bruised, bloodied, and panting. Lillian, arm wrapped tightly in a blood-soaked cloth, was kneeling but still clutching her blade with ferocious defiance.
Alice was wounded, one side of her face marked by a violent clash with one of the Colossi, while Lady Fares was limping but radiated resolve.
Dominic’s system chimed faintly in his mind, its voice unusually restrained:
[Warning: Enemy Power exceeds Level 10 SSS Class. Immediate retreat advised.]
He clenched his fists. His sword trembled in his grip—not from fear, but from the raw pressure of Gravemind’s presence. The beast was unlike anything he had ever faced. There was no strategy, no stat boost, no technique in his arsenal that could account for the sheer overwhelming might of the Colossus.
Gravemind stepped forward, each movement sending shockwaves through the ground. His voice was deep and primal, like mountains grinding together.
"So... this is the mortal the Ghosts chose as their General. You are brave, Dominic. Foolishly brave."
Dominic narrowed his eyes. He raised his sword and pointed it at Gravemind. "You think I’m afraid of you?"
Gravemind’s massive hand swung like a falling boulder. Dominic dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding instant death. The earth where he stood seconds ago exploded into a massive crater. Debris flew everywhere.