Man Made God 002

by Brandon Varnell

  “I’m not really sure how to answer that,” Adam admitted.

  Adam was certain the reason he could do these things was because the virtual world simulated the real world so closely that his real life abilities were applicable in this game world. He had noticed it before, but his Dodge-Rate was listed as “???.” It was something he had been curious about but didn’t think much of at first. Now, however, he was beginning to realize the reason his Dodge-Rate was listed as “???” was simply because his ability to dodge attacks in real life had crossed over into the virtual world.

  On the other hand, the reason he couldn’t always hit his enemies was not because he lacked the ability to hit them, but because of his enemy’s own Dodge-Rate. They probably had some hidden stats that determined how many times a player’s attack could hit or miss based on each player’s Hit-Rate.

  As he was thinking about his stats, Adam remembered that he still hadn’t looked at the new items he had acquired. He opened his inventory and checked out the [Guardian Heart] items.

  Item Pouch:

  Name: Guardian Heart x5

  Item Type: Magic Core

  Grade: 1-star

  Use Requirements: Only people with the Crafter and Blacksmith secondary class can use this.

  Description: Guardian Hearts are the energy source of guardian statues. They can be used to enhance the abilities of armor, weapons, and certain magical items.

  Abilities: Can increase stats and attributes of items and armor.

  “Secondary class,” Adam muttered to himself.

  “Did you say something?” asked Titania.

  Adam shook his head. “No. I was just talking to myself.”

  After he finished talking, Adam sped up and then stopped in front of the door once again. He didn’t have to wait long before the two [knight golems] came to life. The crystals on their chest began releasing a stream of particles that he guessed was magical energy. The stream merged with their bodies, which transformed the once gray stone into a steel blue color. A pair of gleaming red eyes appeared on either golem. They seemed to flash with malevolence.

  As both [knight golems] stepped down from their stands, Adam twirled his spear around and adopted the traditional spearman stance taught to him by Lexi.

  All he had to do now was defeat these things, and then he could move on.

  Simple enough.

  Knight Golem Times Two

  Adam started off this battle by casting [Blood Sacrifice]. It wouldn’t matter if he lost 50% of his health since a single attack from either [knight golem] could kill him. Titania also seemed to realize that healing and defense wouldn’t help and began singing. As the vigorous and uplifting melody for the [Song of Vigor] raised his strength, he rushed toward the enemy on his left and attacked with [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms].

  -8,640; -25,920; MISS!

  Adam spun the spear in his hands, attacking with a ferocious grace that was expected from someone who had spent at least three years of his young life killing. He wondered what Lexi would think if she learned he’d turned their most beautiful skill into an artifice of death. She probably wouldn’t be happy, but it wasn’t like Adam could undo the damage that had already been wrought.

  Besides, Lexi was dead.

  Unfortunately, while Adam was backing off after initiating his attack, the other [knight golem] arrived and attacked him from behind. He sensed the movement and leapt aside just as the spear in its grasp came down. The earth rumbled as the spear impaled the ground, cracks spreading out from the point of impact. The [knight golem] had missed its companion by barely a foot. It pulled the spear back and turned to face him, red eyes flashing with an ominous light.

  -4,400!

  A lightning bolt slammed into the [knight golem] that had attacked Adam from behind. The attack was so powerful the giant stumbled backward several steps and was only able to right itself by slamming the back end of its spear into the ground, using the weapon as a crutch. The floor cracked beneath its weight, but it pushed itself up and turned to glare at Kureha—the one who had launched the attack.

  “Not on my watch!”

  Adam raced forward and attacked the [knight golem] who turned its aggression on his companion. Kureha had a 100% Dodge-Rate, which he assumed meant she could probably avoid any attacks sent her way, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

  -7,488; 7,488; MISS; MISS; MISS; MISS; MISS; -7,488!

  He tried to use [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] but missed, and then [Blood Sacrificer] ended. With both skills now in cooldown, he was forced to use [slash] and [thrust] to attack. He swung the spear with incredible speed. It was nothing more than a blur, a flash of rusted silver, as he attacked the [knight golem] several times. Sadly, much like last time, the other [knight golem] came in with its own spear swinging.

  Adam growled as he leapt back to avoid the attack. The powerful force when the spear met the ground sent him tumbling. He landed on his back, grunting as the hard surface jammed his tailbone. He only received -1 damage because he wasn’t hit with an attack, but just like stubbing your toe or stepping on a lego, it hurt a lot more than people gave it credit for. Meanwhile, the [knight golem] he had been attacking stalked up to him and raised its spear.

  -4,400; -3,520!

  Kureha sent another [Thunder Bolt] straight into the [knight golem], striking its chest just above the crystal, once more sending it stumbling backward. Before it could recover, Kureha launched a second attack. It was [Fireball] this time, a brilliant red flame that flew from her first tail. The fireball flew through the air, slammed into its face, and exploded. A wave of heat washed over Adam as the [knight golem] stumbled even more. It crashed into the [knight golem] behind it, which sent them both to the ground.

  Adam was not one to miss such a great opportunity. He raced toward his fallen foe and began attacking. [Blood Sacrifice] and [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] had finished their cooldown time, so he activated both to create a constant stream of attacks, his spear spinning and flashing like glints of silver.

  -7,488; -22,464; MISS!

  Gritting his teeth as he missed and the cooldown time for his skill activated, Adam leapt back several times to gain distance. Both [knight golems] stood to their feet. He knew thanks to Titania that each [knight golem] had +250,000 health, but he hadn’t even come close to halving that. The one he just finished attacking, according to his calculations, should have around +190,000 health, while the other one should have somewhere around +213,000. He still had a long way to go before either of these monsters were killed.

  Titania was still singing [Song of Vigor], but Adam’s [Blood Sacrifice] chose that moment to run out of time. It entered the cooldown phase. Adam cursed, but he didn’t let himself worry about this as he avoided a spear thrust toward his chest.

  -4,400; -3,520!

  Kureha once again struck the [knight golem] with fire and lightning. It turned to her, but Adam came in quicker than a flash and attacked with [thrust] and [slash].

  -4,608; -4,320; -4,320; MISS; MISS; -4,320!

  Adam soon worked out a rhythm that allowed him to maximize his efficiency. He attacked one of the two [knight golems] until the other one tried to hit him, then backed off and allowed Kureha to blast one of them with fire and lightning. This usually resulted in both golems crashing to the ground, unable to get up for several seconds as though they were stunned, which he used to his advantage, hacking away at both of them.

  It took what Adam estimated was one hour, but he eventually pulled one [knight golem’s] health down to +100,500, while the other one had +175,000. He was really proud of his accomplishment. However, just as he was about to thrust his fist into the air like a victory cheer, the [knight golem] with more health pointed its spear at the other one.

  Adam wondered what was going on. He soon remembered the unique abilities these monsters possessed, however, when he saw the spear begin glowing a soft green. The green light emitted from the spear and soon encompassed the other [knight golem]. Adam then
watched in horror as the [knight golem’s] [Regeneration] skill kicked in, completely healing the [knight golem] that had less than 50% of its health.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Adam muttered in a bitter voice. “All that hard work… right down the drain.”

  “Adam,” Titania stopped singing and floated down to him. “I think this calls for a tactical withdrawal.”

  “I’m surprised you know what a tactical withdrawal is.” Adam took a deep breath. Titania puffed out her cheeks in a pout. “But you’re right. We’re not going to beat these two if we just keep doing what we’ve been doing. Let’s retreat for now. Kureha! We’re heading back toward the hallway we came in from!”

  Kureha yipped to let him know she heard him, then all three of them began retreating together. The [knight golems] stalked after them, of course, but neither of them moved very fast, so they were able to reach the hall and slip inside safely. Since the hallway was not very large, neither [knight golem] could fit inside. After a few seconds of trying to stab him, Titania, and Kureha with their spears, the enemies rumbled back over to the large double doors.

  Adam sighed as he slid down the wall and landed on his butt. Now that he had stopped fighting, he realized how tired he was. It was like when people got an adrenaline high. All those chemicals were pumping through their bodies, keeping them going even though they should have exhausted themselves long ago. They only realize how tired they were after they stopped moving and the effects of being pumped full of hormones vanished.

  “I’m so exhausted,” Titania muttered as she landed on Adam’s left knee and sat down with her legs crossed.

  Kureha seemed tired as well, for she placed her head on his other knee and whimpered in what sounded like agreement. Adam sighed as he reached over and scratched Kureha behind the ears. He wasn’t quite sure if this was instinct since he had never owned a pet, but he wouldn’t deny that stroking the fox yokai’s soft fur helped calm him down.

  “We need to figure out a plan to deal with those two,” Adam said at last. “If we don’t have a solid plan, we’re not going to be able to beat them.”

  “Do you really think people with our levels are capable of beating those two?” asked Titania. “Maybe if they had less health, but with 250,000 health… forget planning. It doesn’t really matter what you do. You can’t kill a [knight golem] with a single attack, but unless you manage to kill those things in a single hit after its health reaches 125,000, I’m afraid there’s nothing any of us can do.”

  Adam grimaced as he realized this woman was right. Unless he could somehow miraculously deal at least +125,000 points of damage in a single attack, he was pretty much screwed. They would just use [Regeneration] to bring their health back to 100%.

  [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] theoretically had the potential to deal enough damage to one-shot these monsters, but his luck with that skill wasn’t good so far. He hadn’t been able to strike all five times.

  “What about weaknesses?” asked Adam. “Surely something like a [knight golem] must have some kind of weakness, right?”

  “I don’t think—no, wait.” Titania paused and cupped her chin, her brow furrowing in thought as she looked at something beyond his line of sight. “I think I do remember [knight golems] having at least one major weakness.”

  “What is it?” Adam asked.

  “It’s the crystal on their chests,” Titania exclaimed. “That crystal is basically the source of all their power. It’s what gives them life and allows them to attack. Destroy the crystal, destroy the golem.”

  “So the crystal, huh? We should test that theory out. Kureha!” As he called out her name, Kureha lifted her head and looked at him with a curious expression. “Think you can knock those two down like you did last time?”

  Kureha tilted her head. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said she was thinking. After what must have been one or two seconds, she nodded and yipped in what Adam decided to take as an affirmative.

  “Okay. Then let’s test that theory out,” Adam said at last.

  After resting for several more minutes, Adam stood up, spun the spear around in his hands, downed a [low-grade health potion], and rushed out of the hallway. Kureha and Titania followed right behind him.

  Both [knight golems] had gone back to standing on either side of the door, though they began moving the moment he got within a certain distance. Adam noticed their health had completely regenerated, even the one that had been at +175,000 HP. That did suck a little, but it ultimately shouldn’t matter too much.

  Titania once more began singing [Song of Vigor]. However, Adam did not activate [Blood Sacrifice] right away like he normally did. He raced forward and attacked the [knight golem] on the left side of the door.

  MISS; MISS; -4,608; -4,320; -4,320; MISS!

  Adam retreated after attacking the [knight golem] several times to pull in its agro. As it chased after him, he kept a careful eye on the other [knight golem], making sure to maneuver himself so the two enemies were eventually following him in a single file line. When he saw them do just that, he shouted.

  “Now, Kureha!”

  “Yip!”

  -4,400; -3,520!

  Like last time, Kureha fired off one [Thunder Bolt] followed quickly by [Fireball]. The lightning attack slammed into the [knight golem] in front and knocked it backward, and then the fire attack struck it once more and sent it stumbling into its partner. A loud crash preceded the pair of giant moving statues falling to the ground. Once they were down, Adam activated [Blood Sacrifice] and charged forward.

  The first golem he attacked was the one that he and Kureha had been attacking since they restarted this battle. Adam reached it and began flowing into a series of rapid thrust and slash attacks that caused [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] to activate.

  14,967; -44,928; -134,784; MISS!

  Adam bit his lip as the two [knight golems] stood back onto their feet. His last attack had brought the first one’s health down to +55,321, but the moment they stood back up, he knew his turn this time was over. The [knight golem] with 100% percent of its health used [Regeneration] to restore the other [knight golem] back to full health as well.

  He nearly groaned in frustration. Adam wanted to tear his hair out because now he was back at square one.

  “At least now we know the core on its chest is its weakness. My attacks did twice the damage they usually do. Let’s try this again! Ready, Kureha?!”

  “Yip!”

  Kureha yipped an affirmative and Adam once more charged in. He began slowly whittling away at the first [knight golem]’s health, though he did a lot less damage since the duration time for [Blood Sacrifice] once more ran out. Even though his attacks only did -4,320 damage, he still managed to knock out -34,560 health points by the time the cooldown period for [Blood Sacrifice] ended.

  “Hit them now, Kureha!”

  Adam once more lined the two [knight golems] together and let Kureha do her thing. The lightning bolt struck the first [knight golem] in the chest, smashing into the crystal sitting right in the center and dealing an amazing -8,800 damage. The fireball attack dealt -7,040 damage. By the time the [knight golems] crashed into each other and went down, the health for the first one had dropped to +199,600.

  -14,967; -44,928; -134,784; 404,352; MISS!

  With [Blood Sacrifice] active once again, Adam used [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] to continuously deal extensive damage. He spun the spear in his hands as though it was an extension of his own body and used his real world talent with a spear to attack. It was impossible for him to feel the difference between his real body and this avatar made up of pixels and polygons. He really felt like he was using his own limbs to slash and stab into this thing.

  This time, he dealt more than enough damage to the [knight golem]. Its health was reduced to zero. The crystal on its chest cracked, going dim, and the glowing red eyes went out like candles being snuffed by the wind. Even the hand holding the spear went limp. The heavy object rolled acro
ss the ground with a loud clang. Adam took several gasping breaths as the last remaining [knight golem] clambered to its feet.

  Perhaps the other monster knew its partner was gone. Maybe it had some form of sentience. The [knight golem] raised and shook the spear in its hand as though it was bellowing in rage, and then it picked up the spear its partner had dropped.

  Adam’s eyes went wide as the thing attacked him with twice the ferocity and three times the speed as before. It swung the spear in its left hand so fast it left afterimages. Adam managed to duck and avoid being cut in half, but then it thrust out the spear in its right hand. He rolled across the ground and avoided it. The poor ground was not so fortunate. A loud cracking sound echoed around the chamber as the ground cratered, as cracks spread across the floor and several stone tiles were upended.

  “What the hell is going on?! Does this thing have a berserker mode?!” Adam demanded.

  No one answered him. Titania was busy singing the [Song of Vigor] and Kureha could not speak human.

  With nothing left to do but dodge, Adam found himself scrambling to get away from this monstrosity. His breathing had already grown heavy. A sharp pain stabbed his chest whenever he breathed in. His raspy breathing and the rapid pumping of his own blood echoed in his ear. He ducked, dodged, spun, and ran to get away from this psychotic enemy. He even tried hiding behind a column, but that plan fell through when the column was destroyed by a single swing of his enemy’s spears.

  “Damn it! Guess I’ve got no choice!”

  Adam waited for the cooldown time on [Blood Sacrifice] to run out, then activated it once again and closed the distance between himself and the [knight golem]. He ferociously attacked the enemy, a vicious grin on his face as he spun, slashed, stabbed, and danced around the monster. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins. The sound of his heartbeat struck his ear in staccato bursts.