Dungeon of Trials (8)
“Is this… the final room?”
“It is far too dark… I can hardly see a thing.”
Evan murmured under his breath as he surveyed the cavernous chamber. There seemed to be no path leading any further.
A vast, empty, pitch-black expanse—it certainly fit the description of a boss room. Feeling a flicker of caution, I cast my senses across the surroundings. Being blind, I couldn’t tell if the place was truly dark in the conventional sense. While I could detect objects shaped like light sources, detecting light itself was impossible. Judging by the men's reactions, though, we were standing in deep gloom.
More importantly…
I see it.
Hunched motionlessly in the darkness was a colossal figure, presumably a giant golem. Evan and Danas seemed unable to pierce the shadows, but light and dark meant nothing to my omnidirectional divine awareness. The golem’s entire silhouette was laid bare to my mind’s eye.
If I stayed quiet, that massive lump of animated rock would charge out of nowhere and flatten them into paste. It was definitely best to give them fair warning. I reached out and caught hold of the two before they could wander in any deeper.
“[…Please, do not take another step. It is perilous ahead.]”
Evan tilted his head in confusion at my telepathic warning, but Danas, having accompanied me for quite some time, understood that my divine perception had caught something. He immediately held Evan back, urging him to heed my words.
“[Before we proceed, allow me to bestow blessings upon you both.]”
With that, I unleashed the full spectrum of blessings I possessed as a Saint upon Danas and Evan. These were far superior to any enhancements I had granted them so far. One might ask why I hadn’t used such high-tier buffs right from the beginning, but the answer was simple: if I buffed them into gods, it wouldn't be much of a trial, would it?
Giving them just enough divine protection to scrape by was the ideal way to help them grow through combat against the golem. Overbearing assistance would only backfire. That was my logic, anyway.
Of course, Evan merely stared at me with wide eyes, his expression practically screaming, Where on earth did this absurd level of power come from?
Can’t you just assume I was too exhausted to use the strong stuff earlier? Just play along, kid.
“What should we do now, Saintess?” Danas asked, marveling at the sudden surge of power circulating through his bolstered physique.
What should we do? Why, we just smash the golem into pebbles and—
“…?!”
RUUUUMBLE—!!
“Th-The ground…?!”
“Saintess!”
The entire chamber began to violently shudder. Danas made a panicked lunge toward me, but in that very instant, I sensed the golem stirring. Unlike Evan or Danas, who had to rely on their eyes, my divine power directly mapped the surrounding spatial fabric. I detected its movement long before either of them could.
Not good. Not yet.
We needed to fall back, regroup, and engage it properly. Neither Evan nor Danas was mentally prepared for combat. I opened my telepathic channel to shout at them to run, but—
Wait, it's that fast?!
The gargantuan golem, which had been crouching like a dormant boulder, lunged with terrifying speed and swept its massive arm across the chamber. It wasn’t faster than the human eye could track, but given its colossal mass, the acceleration was absurd. Evan and Danas had the agility to dodge it with room to spare under normal circumstances, but caught completely blind and oblivious in the pitch darkness, evading was an impossibility.
Warning them verbally was already too late. If I stood by and did nothing, all three of us would take a direct hit from that supersonic, multi-ton fist and end up pressed together like sheets of dried squid.
For me, it wouldn't matter. I’d just resurrect, and the agonizing trauma would convert directly into sweet, tingling euphoria anyway. But Evan and Danas would be mangled beyond all recognition. I couldn’t let that happen.
Alright… block it once, keep the buffs active, and take the hit myself.
Besides, taking down this massive golem without my constant interference would serve as invaluable combat experience for Evan. There would inevitably come a time on his heroic journey when I couldn't be there to bail him out. He needed to be prepared.
Having made my decision, I darted forward and threw up a divine barrier directly in the path of the incoming fist.
KABOOOOM!!
Cr-cr-crack!
“S-Saintess?!”
Guuuugh…?!
I had known my barrier would only buy a split second at best, but the sheer weight behind this strike was appalling! The slightest slip in concentration and the golden shield would shatter, leaving me to bear the full momentum of that boulder. Gritting my teeth, I pumped raw divine power into the barrier, desperate to keep it intact. Seeing me suddenly jump into the line of fire, Danas cried out in sheer terror.
I'm sorry, Danas, but I really don't have the luxury to chat right now…!
“[Get out of the way, hurry…! I cannot hold this for long!]”
And that was no humble exaggeration—I genuinely couldn't hold it!
I had thought I could buy them enough time to safely leap clear, but the golem's force far exceeded my expectations.
“[HURRY—!!]”
Shedding every shred of my serene, saintly persona, I screamed desperately into their minds to flee. Only then did Danas snap to his senses. Grabbing Evan roughly by the collar, he hauled the boy backward and leaped out of the impact zone.
In that exact heartbeat, the divine barrier bearing the brunt of the fist shattered like spun glass.
Ah…
I looked up at the stone fist looming inches from my face and let out a dry chuckle.
Taking this head-on… I won't even have whole bones left to pick up for a while.
CRUNCH!
“Aria!!”
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
While the blessings were still settling into their bodies, Aria had somehow intercepted a devastating, unseen blow and screamed at them to flee. By the time Evan had fully grasped the dire reality, the luminous wall of sacred power had splintered. He could only watch in horrified disbelief as the stone fist crushed her into the far wall, blowing clean through the masonry and burying her beneath an avalanche of rubble.
No… Not again. Because of me… again?
If only he had reacted faster and cleared the area, Aria might have had enough time to escape. Instead, he had stood there like a useless fool, and she had paid the price—
“Snap out of it!!”
“…?!”
The thunderous roar startled Evan out of his spiral. He whipped his head toward the voice.
“Danas… sir…”
“Get a grip on yourself! The Saintess will be fine! Right now, our only duty is to cut down the enemy standing before us!”
Gone was the polite, deferential tone the holy knight had maintained until now. Danas was glaring at him with blazing, furious eyes, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“You dare call yourself the Hero?! This is your trial!”
“…!”
The words struck Evan like a physical blow.
He’s right.
This was his trial. Though he had received the guidance and support of Aria and Sir Danas, this entire ordeal existed for his sake alone. It was a crucible meant to foster his growth as the Hero, forging him into a warrior capable of one day striking down the Demon King.
He could not afford to crumble here.
“I am… sorry.”
Across the ruined chamber, the titan that had driven Aria into the wall straightened its posture. Twin azure flames ignited within its hollow eye sockets, shifting its gaze directly toward Evan. Plumes of scorching steam hissed from the joints of its frame, venting scorched mana as it began its ponderous, crushing advance.
“Estel, please.”
—…Leave it to me.
At Evan's call, the Holy Sword in his grip flared with brilliant radiance. Without a word, he channeled his internal mana, transmuting it into pure sacred power through the blade. Gathering the golden light into an orb above his palm, he launched it high into the cavernous ceiling.
The orb burst, casting away the gloom and bathing the entire hall in dazzling luminescence.
Standing in the center of the vast, hollow chamber was the golem, its glowing eyes locked onto him as it approached. The colossal fist that had struck Aria was merely a preview. The limb had not been disproportionately large—rather, it seemed almost small compared to the sheer scale of the construct's body. A behemoth of steel and stone towering toward the ceiling, vibrating the bedrock of the entire dungeon with every step it took.
It was a primordial titan of such terrifying scale that ordinary men would abandon the very thought of resistance. And Evan had to slay it.
“Aria…”
I will…
I will become stronger than anyone. Strong enough that she will never have to bleed for me again.
To keep that silent vow, this iron monstrosity had to fall.
Power… is overflowing.
Evan suddenly registered the staggering reservoir of strength coursing beneath his skin. The blessings Aria had bestowed upon him just before the ambush were still ablaze within his veins, grander and more potent than anything he had ever felt. With this divine mantle wrapped around him, the suffocating dread vanished—replaced by an absolute conviction that he could not possibly lose.
Evan lowered his center of gravity and funneled every drop of amplified mana into the sacred blade. To dismantle a giant of that scale, he had to rob it of its mobility first. Even if the golem possessed self-repairing magic, a body that massive would take time to regenerate.
His objective was clear.
“Hrrraaaaaah…!!”
A colossal strike forged from an ocean of gathered power. Manifesting a pure, blinding arc of divine sword aura, Evan swung the Holy Sword horizontally toward the titan’s legs without a shred of hesitation.
A moment later—
THUD!!
The iron-clad colossus crashed heavily to its knees.
Brought down by a single blow.