Chapter 73: Stoneclaw Golem
Lucien’s gaze locked onto the boulder as whatever volkoid it was stepped out from the shadows. When he saw it, he was surprised, it was a Stoneclaw Golem.
The volkoid was massive, a hulking construct of living rock and earth standing nearly four meters tall. Its body was a jagged mass of stone, cracked and weathered, with veins of glowing amber Originat running through its form like molten lava. Its arms were thick and brutish, ending in massive, clawed hands that could crush a boulder with ease. Its head was a faceless slab of rock with two glowing, molten-orange eyes that were full of sentience. A low, grinding rumble emanated from its chest as it fixed its gaze on Lucien. The ground trembled beneath its weight, loose stones rattling with each heavy step.
Lucien also set his gaze on it at that moment with his sharp black eyes. With the system, he checked its cultivation and saw that it had entered the Spirit Realm, just at the seventh level. He could see its talent and almost everything about it. It wasn’t as strong as Kaelen, the young master he had fought. It seemed the academy had reduced the danger level of this trial, or perhaps because he was at the edge of this terrain, he was facing such a weaker volkoid.
The Stoneclaw Golem, seeing that Lucien didn’t retreat, let out a deep, grinding roar and charged, its massive fist swinging down toward Lucien like a falling meteor.
Lucien’s expression remained calm. He sidestepped, his movements fluid and smooth, as the fist crashed into the ground where he had just been standing. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the rocky terrain, cracking the earth and sending debris flying. The force of the attack stirred his hair, but he remained unfazed.
The golem’s fist was embedded in the ground for a moment as it pulled it free, its orange eyes burning with frustration. It turned to face Lucien, its massive body shifting with surprising agility.
Lucien didn’t wait for it to attack again. He had already gauged its strength, it was time to end this. He surged forward as he poured Originat into the longsword, his longsword gleaming as he swung at the golem’s leg, aiming to destabilize it. The blade met stone with a sharp clash, sending sparks flying.
The golem stumbled, its heavy form tilting slightly. It let out a low, grinding growl as it swung its other arm at Lucien, forcing him to leap back.
Even though the crack on its leg healed almost instantly, the golem realized that the human before it could threaten it. It didn’t charge again. Instead, it changed tactics, raising its arms as a large, amber circular rune appeared on the rocky ground, pulsing with power.
Before Lucien could react, the ground beneath him began to shift. Jagged stone pillars erupted from the earth in rapid succession, forcing him to move. He twisted mid-air, landing on one of the pillars as more spikes shot up around him, each one aimed to impale him. The golem followed up by slamming its fists into the ground, sending a shockwave of stone and dust outward that shattered the pillars beneath Lucien’s feet.
Lucien leaped again, but the golem was relentless. It raised its arms, and the ground beneath him split open, revealing a chasm of glowing amber energy. The heat rose in waves, and jagged rocks shot upward like spears. Lucien was forced into a rhythm of constant evasion, leaping from one unstable platform to another, his feet barely touching the ground before it crumbled beneath him.
As he landed on a larger boulder, Lucien decided to change his approach. He could feel the Originat swirling in the air, the golem’s rune was still brimming with Originat. If the volkoid wanted to fight with earth and stone, then he would answer it with lightning.
He planted his feet and let his Originat surge through his body. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the air grew heavy with static. Lucien raised his hand, and lightning crackled between his fingers, bright as he channelled Originat into it. The golem paused, its molten eyes narrowing as it sensed the shift in Originat.
"Let’s see how you handle this," Lucien muttered.
With a flick of his wrist, a bolt of lightning shot forth, striking the golem’s chest with a deafening crack. The electric current surged through its rocky body, and the creature roared, stumbling backward as cracks spider-webbed across its torso. The glowing veins along its body flickered wildly, and for a moment, the amber rune beneath it dimmed.
But the golem wasn’t done. It slammed its fists into the ground again, and a wall of stone rose between them, blocking Lucien’s next strike. The earth shook, and Lucien could feel the golem drawing more power from the surrounding terrain, its body beginning to glow brighter.
Lucien didn’t let up. He leaped onto the wall, using it as a springboard, and launched himself into the air. Above the golem, he channeled his Originat into his palm. A circular rune of crackling blue lightning appeared before him, spinning rapidly as it gathered power. The air hummed with electricity.
"Thunderfall Descent."
He thrust his hand downward. From the rune, a massive bolt of lightning descended, striking the golem with overwhelming force. The explosion of light and sound sent shockwaves in all directions, shattering the surrounding rocks and scattering dust and debris.
When the light and dust settled, the golem was on its knees, cracks spider-webbing across its entire body. Lucien raised his eyebrows in surprise, the aura of the golem wasn’t as weak as he had expected it to be after such an attack. It seemed it had some resistance towards thunder and lightning. He hadn’t poured much Originat into the attack, only enough that the Stoneclaw Golem should have been unable to handle. Yet it still clung to consciousness.
The Stoneclaw Golem, sensing death approaching, began to burn its very life force. Its amber eyes flared with desperate light, and its aura skyrocketed, surging far beyond its previous limits. The cracks on its body glowed molten orange, and the ground beneath it trembled violently as it drew upon its last reserves of power.
The golem let out a thunderous roar, more powerful than before, and rose to its feet. Its body was crumbling, pieces of stone falling away, but its presence had become terrifying. It was a dying beast, and dying beasts were the most dangerous.
Lucien’s expression grew serious. He tightened his grip on his longsword, his eyes fixed on the golem’s unstable form. It’s burning its life to fight. This won’t last long, but it will be intense.
The golem charged, faster than before, its massive fist swinging with devastating force. Lucien sidestepped, but the shockwave from the impact sent him stumbling. The golem followed up with a sweeping claw, forcing Lucien to roll beneath it.
He could feel the ground shaking with every move the golem made. Its attacks were wild, desperate, but still powerful enough to injure him if he made a single mistake.
Lucien leaped back, creating distance. He had seen enough. The golem was powerful in its final moments, but it was also unstable. One more decisive strike would end it.
He planted his feet, letting Originat surge through his body once more. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the air grew thick with static. A circular rune of crackling blue lightning appeared before him, larger and brighter than before, spinning with intense energy. This time, he wouldn’t hold back.
"Thunderfall Descent."
He thrust his hand forward. From the rune, a massive pillar of lightning erupted, denser, brighter, and more powerful than before. It struck the golem with overwhelming force, the explosion of light and sound shaking the very ground beneath them.
The golem roared as the lightning consumed it, its body cracking and shattering under the sheer intensity of the attack. The amber rune on its chest flickered wildly before exploding into fragments.
When the light faded, the golem was gone. Only a pile of smoldering rubble remained, its amber glow faded into ash.
Lucien didn’t feel any joy from killing such a Volkoid with his strength. It was merely another obstacle, another stepping stone on his path. He walked toward the Origin Bloom Flowers, which still pulsed gently, absorbing the Originat from the surrounding air.
As he reached out to pluck them, a cold light shone from behind him, aiming for his neck. Someone was attempting to assassinate him.
But Lucien wasn’t surprised.
When the Stoneclaw Golem had let out that guttural roar earlier, he had sensed it, it had attracted a presence. That was precisely why he had prolonged the battle, limiting his power and making his movements seem more strained than they actually were.
One thing he had learned from the Land of Death was this: never let anyone know the full depth of your strength. Show them what they want to see, just enough to make them believe that was all of your strength.
And now, that false illusion had worked.
The blade descended toward his neck, swift and silent. But Lucien was already moving. His longsword, still in hand, rose in a fluid arc, meeting the assassin’s strike with a sharp clash of steel against steel. Sparks flew as their blades locked, the force of the impact sending a tremor through both weapons.
Lucien’s gaze met the startled eyes of his would-be killer. A young man, perhaps a few years younger than him, with sharp features and cold eyes. His expression flickered with surprise that his sneak attack had been blocked so easily.