The Final Core
Thud! Moments ago, Kang Hanbit had dodged the golem's attack and swiftly put distance between them. Even if his allies were buying him time, it wouldn't last forever. He had to achieve his goal as quickly as possible.
Thud! The compass still glowing in his hand. At most, he had about ten minutes before its effect wore off. He needed to move fast.
Fwoosh! The light beaming from the compass pointed to one of the crumbling buildings. Hanbit sprinted toward the target, staying out of the golem's line of sight, and arrived in no time.
Drip. Debris from the building slowly rained down. He pushed inside and approached a half-destroyed wardrobe.
Crack! Ripping the door open revealed a small box on the lower shelf. Inside was a single orange stone smaller than his fist.
"Perfect."
The guardian golem was powerful, but it required careful maintenance. That's why safety devices to shut it down were always hidden nearby—three power buttons corresponding to its three cores, essentially.
BOOM! A massive roar still echoed from the golem's direction. The two holding it off seemed to have gotten the hang of things after dying repeatedly.
"First one down."
Hanbit reached out, grabbed the orange stone, and gripped it tight.
Fade. The moment it touched his skin, the color slowly drained away. Turning his head, he saw the golem frozen in place.
But the respite didn't last.
Spark! A burst of electricity from the golem's chest. Confirming one core had gone dark, Hanbit sent a message to the others.
[2 left. Won't take long—just hang in there a bit more.]
Thud! Moments later, their battle resumed.
"Next... over there."
Hanbit hurried to where the light pointed next. It wasn't far, so he found the second stone quickly.
Fade. As the color vanished from the stone, the golem halted again. The fire in its chest core extinguished just like before.
Fwoosh! The compass emitted its final beam of light, pointing to a tilted clock tower at the heart of the ruins. It was quite a distance, and he had barely a minute left.
Thud! Kicking off, Hanbit raced through the ruins. The added effector effect had noticeably improved his movement.
But reaching the clock tower unscathed was another matter.
Whoosh. As he dashed between buildings, a massive shadow loomed overhead. It landed on the ground before he could arrive.
BOOM! The suddenly appearing golem's gaze locked straight onto Hanbit, ignoring everyone else.
"Black Dragon!"
"Black Dragon!"
The moment aggro snapped to him, Avant-garde and Kim Jaeha came running in shock. Hanbit was just as surprised.
Did they add some AI or something?
The golem was acting like it was guarding the final stone—a situation that had never happened in any of his past runs.
Thump! The golem took a step forward and swung its arm at Hanbit. It was incredibly fast, but Hanbit could read the motion. The problem was the aggro still fixed on him. Even at full speed, it would catch up.
Whoosh! Avant-garde leaped in and attacked again.
Whiff!
"Gah!"
The golem brushed him off with a mere arm swing. Its gaze never left Hanbit.
Fade. Sometime during the chaos, the compass light had vanished.
"Whew."
He had the final stone's location memorized perfectly. The issue was reaching it without getting caught—especially since the golem smashing the clock tower would complicate things further.
Thud! Sorting his thoughts, Hanbit kicked off in the opposite direction of the clock tower.
BOOM! Simultaneously, the golem shattered the ground in pursuit. Avant-garde and Kim Jaeha veered around to follow.
Whiff! The golem caught up in an instant and swung its fist. Hanbit dodged a beat early, luring it along.
BOOM!
KABOOM!
The golem rampaged like it was enraged, demolishing everything around. Leading it away from the clock tower was the right call.
"Black Dragon!"
Avant-garde closed in right beside him. Kim Jaeha trailed diligently from behind.
"Seems like there's a specific spot where aggro pulls. I'll check it out!"
Avant-garde sharply turned and bolted the other way. He reached a ruined building away from the clock tower.
That instant.
BOOM! The golem kicked off with immense force and lunged straight at him. It closed the gap in a flash.
Whiff! A fist swung far faster than before. Unable to dodge, Avant-garde took a direct hit and died.
"Right up to that building."
Revived, Avant-garde hurried back, his face lit with fascination.
Rumble! With its target gone, the golem turned back toward them—but noticeably slower than when chasing toward the clock tower.
"You two, keep pulling its attention here."
Decision made, Hanbit instructed them.
"Got it!"
"Same as before."
Avant-garde brimmed with curiosity, while Kim Jaeha calmly gripped his hammer. After holding out for minutes, they showed no hesitation.
KABOOM! The golem barreled toward them, tearing up the ground, and thrust its fist.
Thud! Avant-garde leaped, twin swords in hand, surrounded by dozens of flickering yellow threads.
He's using that technique.
Tarae Swordsmanship was tricky. Among non-hidden skills, it was one of the hardest. But its future potential was immense.
"Hup!"
Kim Jaeha dove low, slamming his hammer into the ground to carve out terrain. It was clear how he'd been handling the golem—highly effective for his strength.
Guess I'll give it a shot too.
Hanbit subtly widened the gap, inching toward the clock tower. The golem, swinging its fists stubbornly and nimbly, still ignored him.
"So far, so good."
He reached a low wall on the outskirts of a ruined building. The golem's gaze hadn't reached him yet. But one step inside, and it would chase.
KABOOM! Amid the battle, yellow threads scattered, and thunderous booms echoed. Their efforts to hold aggro continued.
Whiff!
Fwoosh!
Wind gathered around the sword, flames whipping within, harmonizing perfectly. He needed one powerful strike, stronger than ever.
Drip. Hanbit climbed a pile of debris—perfect height for a clear view of the ruins' center.
"Too far."
He glanced at the clock tower's peak. Ignoring the pursuit and sprinting wouldn't cut it. Only one way.
"Fire Burst."
BOOM! He cast toward the ruins' center. The empowered explosion demolished ruined buildings and debris piles.
"Fire Burst."
The next flew farther, toppling obstacles blocking the clock tower.
BOOM! After the final blast, Hanbit had a clear line of sight. The tower vicinity was already cleared by the golem anyway.
Preparation done, he opened his character info.
[Black Dragon-Lv.49]
[Title: None]
Strength: 52 Agility: 55 Intelligence: 52 Vitality: 35
Remaining Stat Points: 36
Good thing I saved them.
He'd held off spending points for emergencies—like now.
Slide. Hanbit quickly allocated them where needed.
[Black Dragon-Lv.49]
[Title: None]
Strength: 57 Agility: 60 Intelligence: 58 Vitality: 55
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Unlike before, he'd dumped 20 into vitality at once. This situation demanded it.
Whiff! Flames-wreathed wind around his sword rippled the air. Hanbit assumed position, eyed the distant golem, and stepped toward the center from the debris.
Whoosh! The golem's gaze snapped to him instantly. It moved in a flash.
BOOM! Shattering the ground again as it lunged. It leaped, appearing overhead in a blink.
KABOOM! Slamming down, it obliterated everything around. Only Hanbit, prepared, stood amid the dust.
"Fire Burst."
BOOM! He fired at the golem's face. Its assault intensified.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Fists and feet rained wildly. A massive punch cratered the ground right after.
BOOM! Dodging through the dust, Hanbit leaped high. Gripping its wrist, he dashed up to its shoulder.
Drip. Rising with the golem as it stood. Hanbit reached out and cast again.
"Fire Burst!"
BOOM! The explosion hit its face, billowing black smoke. Regripping his sword, Hanbit kicked off into the air.
Here it comes.
The golem's vision cleared instantly; it twisted its waist and unleashed a power-packed fist.
Whiff! The huge fist closed in a heartbeat.
But Hanbit was a fraction faster.
Whiff! Swinging wide, a blade of flame-laced wind erupted like a storm. It clashed head-on with the golem's fist.
BOOM! The explosive impact unleashed a shockwave. Hanbit, taking it point-blank, was hurled back with tremendous force.
"Black Dragon!"
"Black Dragon!"
Whiff! Their shouts faded as he rocketed away like a bullet. Clutching his sword, he poured everything into steering his trajectory.
"Fire Burst!"
BOOM! Just before the clock tower, he blasted the wall to brake. Attribute Manifestation's backlash was mitigated by stats, but it took focus.
KABOOM! Crashing through the tower's midsection, he tumbled across the floor amid the shock. Without vitality investment, he'd be dead.
"There."
The twisted interior exposed the clock tower's peak clearly.
BOOM! Then, a ground-shaking impact and looming shadow. The golem with glowing red eyes plummeted from above.
Thud! Too fast to react normally, but Hanbit stayed calm. Judging drop path, angle, force—he calculated the gap.
KABOOM! The golem crashed down with devastating impact. Hanbit, hugging the edge, survived by mere steps.
Whoa, close call.
Emerging from the dust, he eyed the clock tower's summit—the only structure somewhat intact amid total ruin. On the half-wall hung a box with its lid half-open. The orange stone gleamed inside.
Drip. The golem rose swiftly, red eyes locking on him again.
But this space favored him.
Thud! Hanbit dashed through shattered debris. The golem attacked with massive arms.
Thump!
Rumble!
Piles of rubble impeded its blows. Slipping through gaps, Hanbit leaped to its shoulder.
Creak. Then, the box fully opened, stone tumbling out. Hanbit kicked hard upward.
Thud! Launching high, he reached out.
As his fingertips neared the falling stone.
Whiff! A giant golem hand surged from below.
Screech! Hanbit twisted his sword to blunt the attack. Body flung away, but he'd accounted for it.
"Hup!"
Riding the recoil, he soared. The stone, knocked upward by the prior hit, rose too.
KABOOM! The golem's fist uppercut from below, reaching his feet in an instant.
But.
Snag!
Hanbit's hand was faster.
"Got it!"
In that split second, by the narrowest margin, he snatched the stone.
Glancing down.
Whiff! A fierce wind as the massive fist filled his vision.
It froze solid.
"Whoa, close call."
Plop. Landing naturally atop the fist, Hanbit exhaled in relief.
Fade. Looking down, the final core light in the golem's chest vanished.
An alarm chimed with a message right after.
[Conditions met. Hidden zone unlocked.]