by Aaron Oster
There was no one here to protect them or bail them out if something went wrong. Here, they had no one but themselves and each other. They’d prepared and recovered for the last forty hours. They were as ready as they were ever going to be.
“Go,” Aika said, and Roy took off.
Power Qi coiled around his frame as he used his Shockwave, flashing through the room in an instant and angling to the left. At the same time, Aika took off in a flash, making straight for the golem to try and draw its attention.
Right now, the plan was for Roy to try and get to the Core. Once he had that, the strength it gave him would hopefully be enough to destroy this creature.
The world seemed to slow around him, wind rushing past his face as Roy angled around the golem, then dashed for the pedestal. However, if either of them had expected this fight to be so easy, they’d have been sorely mistaken.
Instead of focusing just on Aika, the golem lifted one of its legs and stomped down, sending a wall of roaring blue fire blasting out to the side and halting Roy in his tracks. At the same time, a gigantic ball of flaming crystal formed in its palm and he hurled it at Aika.
Roy stumbled, throwing both hands out and used his Void Sphere-Pulse, trying to both slow his momentum and blast through the fiery wall. But, to his great surprise, the twin beams of golden energy just bounced off, blasting to either side and dissipating as the fire burned them away.
Aika dodged hard to one side, but the burning ball followed her, weaving through the air until it slammed into her. She threw both arms out as it impacted, her staff whistling as she sliced it in half. But as soon as she did, the ball of burning crystal exploded, covering the area in flaming shrapnel. It tore through crystal and stone, and right through Aika’s Armorer technique in several places.
She screamed as burning holes were torn across her skin, leaving several blackened trails on her bare arms and a couple on her cheek and right above her left eye. Aika gave as good as she got, and even as she reeled, a hail of Light Lances flashed from her body, slamming into the golem at center mass.
Blue light flashed and rippled across the golem’s body, and just as Roy’s attacks had been dispersed, so were the lances of Light. They ricocheted off, burying themselves in the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Its head then turned unnaturally quickly as Roy tried to blindside it with his forged ax. A line appeared in its head, a mouth cracking open and a bright blue light visible within. Roy brought the ax down with all the strength and momentum of his charge, expelling his Exploding Fist-Strike through the construct as he did. The golem’s left knee twitched, light flashing across its body.
Then Roy was thrown back and forced to use his Airstep to avoid the brilliant flash of condensed blue fire that blasted from the golems open mouth and turned the crystals protruding from the opposite wall to slag.
He slammed into the ground, blasting himself immediately back to his feet and hurling the ax, trying to catch it in its open mouth. But the powerful beam of fire disintegrated the forged blade before it reached it, leaving the coin to ping harmlessly off its skin.
Roy retreated as the golem snapped its mouth shut, its eyes blazing with power. It raised its hand again, summoning another of the burning glassy spheres.
Before it could throw it, Aika struck out, a line of light piercing the crystal and causing it to rupture while the golem still held it. The explosion staggered the Guardian, causing it to drop to one knee, but when both Roy and Aika tried to follow up, their attacks were once again deflected by the golem’s Armorer technique.
Both of them retreated several feet to regroup.
“This thing is monstrous,” Roy said, wiping a trickle of sweat from his brow. “I can’t get past it so long as that wall of fire is up, and I haven’t been able to do a thing to hurt it.”
“I think it’s a Containment technique of sorts,” Aika said, feeling at her cheek and wincing. “If we wear it out enough, it might weaken enough for you to break through.”
They ran out of time then as the golem regained its footing, seeming no worse off than it had been before, with perhaps the exception of a small chip missing from above its burning eye socket.
Both Roy and Aika charged again, their Movement techniques allowing them to close with the golem in the span of just a couple of heartbeats. Aika’s staff flashed low, aiming to take the golem’s knees, and Roy went high, aiming for the center of its chest where the Core was located.
The golem was a good four feet taller than him and at least three times as wide. One might have expected a creature of such bulk to be slow, but the golem was blindingly quick and surprisingly nimble.
One of its feet lashed out as Aika swung, intercepting her attack and sending her careening into the far wall. At the same time, it pivoted to one side, narrowly avoiding Roy’s attack and returning with a heavy-fisted punch. The air was knocked from Roy’s lungs, his Armorer technique cracking and straining as the force of the blow threw him back.
The attack had been so powerful that the technique had only managed to absorb some of the damage, and although his armor was still intact, it was now heavily damaged. Roy kicked back, halting himself in midair, and struck out with both fists again, aiming his Void Sphere-Pulse at center mass.
They both impacted, driving the golem back half a step, but just as with every attack that had been thrown, the Guardian merely brushed them off. A sphere of burning crystal formed in its left hand as Roy landed, his Qi working to fill in the cracks on his armor, but not moving fast enough.
Aika tried to intervene, but she was still a bit woozy from her impact with the wall and missed, her Light Lance slamming into the wall of blue fire behind the golem and skittering off. The ball of burning crystal slammed into the ground at Roy’s feet, even as he surged into the air and kicked away.
Burning shrapnel tore through his Armorer technique in several places, leaving burning trails of pain across his ankles, calves, and lower back. He hissed as he kicked to his left, the force generated by the kick throwing him clear. He could feel blood leaking from the wounds, and knew that several pieces of the shrapnel had lodged themselves in his skin. He could already feel his body trying to fight off the intrusive mix of Fire and Earth Qi as he landed, having to throw both arms up in defense as a beam of condensed fire blasted into him.
His Armorer technique did almost nothing to stop the searing heat from burning through, nor did it stop the crystal from piercing into his shoulder as he slammed into the wall.
Thankfully, the beam of fire was cut off as Aika attacked the golem at close range, her staff blurring up and slamming into the Guardian’s jaw, forcing it shut. Blue fire exploded from the sides of its head and its joints as it was forced back in.
Roy watched as Aika managed to land four consecutive blows, each impacting on a spot that should have crippled or broken something. However, each and every one was repelled, blue light flashing across the surface of the golem’s body and deflecting the power of the attacks. It was only then, in his pain-filled haze, that Roy recognized the Armorer technique. He’d seen it before, when the two of them had fought the fish-Beast on the third level.
How could a single golem be in control of that many types of Qi at the same time, though?
Roy groaned as he pulled himself from the wall, feeling the hole in his shoulder beginning to bleed heavily. His Armorer technique was all but gone, falling in small, tinkling pieces to the ground.
Aika lashed out in a series of blindingly quick attacks, all of which the golem either blocked or allowed to slide off its armor. It struck back, but Aika managed to avoid it by dancing to its left. She sliced at the back of its knee, and to Roy’s surprise, the golem stumbled.
It dropped to one knee and Aika immediately sprang on that opening. Her body all but exploded with light as she used her Full-body technique, putting everything she had into her attacks and driving the golem to its hands and knees.
Roy growled, then made a dash for the wall of burning fl
ames. He scooped up the gleaming golden coin, which had been kicked several feet away by the golem, summoning the ax and flooding it with Power. It slammed into the solid wall of fire, and Roy ejected his Exploding Fist-Strike. Lightning-like Qi blasted from the ax's blade, lancing across the surface of the fire before dispersing.
“Hit it again. I think it might be giving way!” Geon yelled.
Without hesitation, Roy swung again, the ax flashing as he poured even more Power Qi into it. Golden tendrils flashed and crackled as they dispersed, but this time, they managed to tear a few small gaps in the wall of flames.
Grinning, Roy pulled his ax back again and swung, finally shattering a small opening in the wall of fire.
“Break it!” Geon yelled, sounding oddly excited and a bit manic.
Roy grunted, swinging one last time. With a loud whoosh, the wall of fire dispersed, shattering into a field of glittering blue shards. Roy let out a whoop, pumping the ax in the air as the Containment technique finally broke, leaving him a clear path to the back of the room.
“Look out!”
Aika’s warning came too late. Even as Roy whirled to face the oncoming attack, trying to raise his ax in defense, the gigantic blue fist backhanded him clean across the room. His Armorer technique finally shattered, along with every single one of his ribs. A beam of burning heat tore straight through his stomach, leaving a gaping hole in its place.
By the time Roy slammed into the far wall, he already had one foot in the grave.
49
Thanks only to his toughened constitution, Roy managed to retain consciousness, even as the back of his head cracked into the wall, leaving his skull fractured as he fell back to the ground. Blood poured from his open mouth as he gasped for air, colorful lights popping before his eyes.
The damage he’d just sustained was horrendous. There were so many broken bones and a literal hole through his stomach. His head pounded and was on the verge of surrendering to unconsciousness, with death soon to follow. Roy saw only blackness out of his left eye, though the right still seemed to be working just fine.
From his hands and knees, he saw Aika putting up a valiant fight, though by the looks of things, she was trying to get past the golem, not actually kill it. Not that it did her any good. The Guardian was very good at its job, keeping Aika trapped squarely on the opposite side of the room.
Gigantic spheres of exploding fiery crystal rained from the ceiling, now forming both in the golem’s hands and the air around it. Aika was using her Full-body technique, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with this monster. There were seven Dans to reach Red-Belt, and the difference in power between a Base Purple and Peak Purple were like night and day. Sure, Aika stood a better chance than he did when facing this creature, but not by much.
Her staff flashed endlessly, her empowered Light Saw slicing through the burning spheres, while her Armorer technique, improved by the Full-body technique, worked to ward off any shrapnel she couldn’t dodge. Aika even managed to bat a few of the burning spheres back at the golem, but just as with the last time, its own Armorer technique brushed them off.
Knowing that he had to get up to his feet, Roy pushed himself to his hands and knees. He was fading fast and knew that the Core sitting on the pedestal behind the golem was their only chance at coming out of this alive. Roy began crawling, dragging himself forward on his hands and knees and leaving a trail of blood behind him.
His broken ribs grated, his spine flared with pain, his stomach burned, and his lungs seized. He was dying, his Qi leaking from several places in his body. Geon’s voice was faint, barely audible as he yelled at Roy that he didn’t have permission to die.
Roy gritted his teeth as his palm was sliced open on a protruding crystal, his fingers becoming slick with blood. He gasped, then coughed, ejecting even more blood from his seizing lungs. The world began to grow dim, the one eye he could still see out of fuzzing over.
A massive explosion from the other side of the room snapped Roy from his stupor. Looking up, he saw a gigantic crater in the wall, smoke rising from within. He felt his heart leap from his chest as Aika slid from the crater, her robes burned and tattered and her Full-body technique all but snuffed out.
This golem was a monster among monsters, a creature so tough that the two of them together hadn’t managed to lay so much as a scratch on it. Worse, they were now both going to die unless he could push through the pain and get to the Core.
The golem had already written him off as a dead man. After all, what kind of person would take a hole through the stomach and the kind of damage to their bones, and still be alive, let alone be able to move around?
Blood dripped from between his clenched teeth as Roy began dragging himself forward once more, his eyes squarely fixed on the floating Core still encased in the silver box.
On the other side of the room, Aika pulled herself shakily to her feet. The hair on the right side of her head had been burned away and her ponytail trailed smoke. One of her eyes was crusted shut with blood and her lip was split wide. Still, she was in much better shape than he was, as she was able to stand.
Roy coughed again, feeling his heart skip a beat as Aika rushed the golem once more, trying to get past it. But without her Full-body technique, her Movement technique was significantly slowed. The golem, still seeming to be at full power, moved to intercept, its hands moving to catch her staff.
However, instead of trying to pull it back as it expected, Aika simply let go of the weapon as soon as its hands closed around it and dropped to her hand. Her feet swept out in a blur, white Light Qi buzzing along her leg.
Roy then watched in amazement as, for the first time, Aika managed to land an actual hit. The blue light flashed across the golem’s body, before warping and vanishing. Aika’s Light Saw bit into one of the crystalline legs, shearing through a small portion of the stone and causing the creature to topple.
She sprang to her feet, clearly intent on rushing to him, but before she managed more than a couple of steps, the golem reached out, seizing her around one of her legs and tossing her back across the room.
Roy continued dragging himself across the ground, finally managing to reach the pedestal as Aika turned in the air, landing on her feet against the wall and pushing herself off. The golem staggered to its feet, then slammed both arms together in a cross. A wave of heat washed out, forcing Aika back to the far wall.
Red blisters appeared on her skin as she summoned her Essence Armorer technique, managing to keep herself alive and conscious. While Essence techniques were far less effective than Qi, using a weak technique was better than using none at all. If Aika was at all deterred by the fact that the golem seemed unbeatable, she didn’t show it.
Fierce determination shone in her eyes as she charged the golem yet again. By now, she’d realized what Roy was doing, having finally spotted him as he pulled himself toward the glowing pedestal. She was doing all she could to make sure the golem would not see him, and it was working.
With the golem’s attention squarely on her, Roy clawed his way up the crystal pillar, using it to pull himself to his feet, and finally managed to wrap his fingers around the glowing silver box.
Roy collapsed onto his back, his vision going dim as he stared at the silvery casing holding his Core. He briefly wondered if the case was going to prevent him from getting to the Core, but as soon as the thought of getting the Core entered his mind, the casing vanished, leaving Roy to hold his Core in his bare hands.
Horrible, burning, overwhelming pain bloomed in his chest as the Core vanished, flowing through his arm and right into Geon.
The scream Roy heard from the Dungeon Core was nothing like he’d ever heard before. A bloodlust, the likes of which he’d never even known was possible, began to assert itself, as the brilliant Core in his center turned a dark crimson. It expanded, more than doubling in size and depth, shattering the unbreakable wall that had stood between him and advancement for weeks. In an instant, Roy went from Base Blue to the
peak of Purple, the Belt around his waist changing and seven lines of Red appearing on one end.
Yet there was too much.
The power overflowed, burning through his body and repairing all of the damage. His ribs realigned and sealed themselves, making them whole once more. The hole in his stomach filled in, and the cuts, bruises, and burns vanished. His cracked skull repaired itself and his eyesight returned better than ever. The bloodlust grew, as corrupted Qi overflowed, pouring from his skin in waves.
Roy swayed to his feet, feeling as though he were on the verge of bursting. It was too much. He had too much power and his body couldn’t handle it. His skin began to steam and smoke, small cuts appearing across his body as it tried to vent the excess. But there was far too much. Cracks began appearing across Geon’s surface as he fought to contain both the overwhelming power and fight down the lust for destruction that threatened to take over Roy’s mind.
He dropped to one knee, hardly even aware of the Red Torii gate that had appeared at his back, beckoning him in.
A scream from the opposite side of the room finally gave Roy a point of focus. He looked up, and through the red haze that was both the corrupted Qi and his bloodlust, he saw the golem hauling Aika into the air, having trapped both her hands in one of its massive ones, preventing her from attacking further.
Her legs thrashed helplessly in the air as the golem cracked its mouth wide, the burning blue fire in its throat a clear indication as to what was going to happen next.
No, Roy thought. Not her.
He took a single step and slammed a fist into the center of the golems back. Roy laughed and screamed all at once as the immense power that now flooded him lent him the strength to do what neither of them had been able to up until now. Corrupted, crimson Power Qi forked out of his fist, effectively paralyzing the golem by locking up its own Qi.
The golem stiffened, its hand opening and dropping Aika, who immediately retreated. She then watched with wide eyes as Roy slammed a second hand into the golems back. The muscles along his arms, chest, and back flexed mightily, and with a single heave, Roy ripped the golem in half.