Chapter 7: Stone Guardian
The Stone Guardian charged.
Unlike the small stone creatures...
It did not charge blindly.
Every step was heavy.
Powerful.
And the entire room trembled at it’s approach.
Loose boulders tumbled from the ceiling.
Tanaka’s carefree grin vanished.
"It’s smarter."
The little slime let out a frightened boing.
It instinctively hid behind Tanaka.
Who noticed this.
"It’s scared..."
He wasn’t exactly fearless himself.
As his Soul Record floated in his mind.
[Soul Record
Name: None
Race: Lesser Slime
Rank: F
Magic Core: F
Skills
• Survivor Lv.1
• Leap Lv.1
• Stone Body Lv.1 ]
"Three skills."
"That’ll have to do."
The guardian suddenly sped up.
"What!"
Despite it’s massive size it was fast. It’s stone fist came down like a hammer
BOOM!
The ground exploded.
Tanaka barely managed to use Leap to escape the brunt of the impact.
He tumbled across the rocky ground.
The guardian was already swinging it’s other arm. Tanaka braced himself.
Stone Body!
BANG!
He was sent flying like a blue marble.
CRASH!
He slammed into the wall before sliding down to the ground. His entire body ached.
"That actually hurt."
Not that it fazed him.
But it was a much needed reminder. That he could be hurt. The little slime bounced into the guardian.
Boing!
The impact did little to stop the giant.
Instead..
It backhanded the little slime sending it flying.
It crashed into the cave wall. Tanaka’s eyes widened.
"Hey!"
The little slime didn’t respond. Something in him snapped. Tanaka shot forward.
"HEY!"
The guardian ignored him. He prepared to use Leap again. His mana surged through his body. He became a blue blur.
BOOM!
He rammed into the guardian’s chest.
The giant staggered only slightly.
But it was enough.
The little slime was safe.
The guardian turned to Tanaka.
It’s yellow eyes locking onto him.
Good.
"Fight me."
The monster accepted.
It’s massive arm came down like a wrecking ball.
Tanaka dodged.
Countered.
Retreated.
Again and again.
Tanaka quickly realized he could not overpower the creature.
So he stopped trying. Instead he watched.
Every move.
Every step.
Every pause.
The guardian always planted it’s left foot first before attacking.
Always.
A small weakness.
"Got you."
Tanaka used that to his advantage. He quickly jumped to the guardian’s right. As expected. The guardian planted it’s left foot and followed through with a heavy swing. Tanaka braced himself.
"Leap!"
He shot underneath the guardian. Instead of attacking. He rammed into the giant’s supporting leg. The guardian stumbled. It’s balance thrown off
"Too heavy."
It retaliated with a powerful kick.
Tanaka barely dodged.
His mana was already nearly depleted.
"I can’t keep using Leap forever."
The guardian charged.
Something unexpected happened.
A pebble hit the guardian’s head.
Tick.
It did little damage.
But the guardian turned it’s attention to the source.
The little slime.
It was awake.
If only barely.
Another pebble flew.
Tick.
Then another.
Though weak.
The guardian’s focus was on the little slime.
Tanaka smirked.
"You..."
"nice distraction."
The little slime bounced proudly despite it’s injuries. The guardian stomped forward
Slowly.
Angrily.
The little slime bounced away. It lead the guardian across the room. Tanaka understood what it was doing.
"It’s giving me an opening"
He searched the guardian’s body. Looking for some sort of weakness.
Then he saw it.
At the back of the guardian’s neck.
A small crack.
Compared to the rest of it’s body it was tiny. But it’s crystal core was visible. Nestled at the back of it’s neck. The guardian’s weak point.
Tanaka only had one chance. His mana was nearly depleted.
He used the last of it to power Leap and Stone Body.
His core flared.
"This has to be enough"
The guardian brought both of it’s fists down on the little slime.
Tanaka charged.
His body a hardened blue projectile.
The guardian didn’t notice him until it was too late.
BOOM!
He rammed into the crack on the guardian’s neck.
For a moment.
Nothing happened.
CRACK!
The crack spread.
Yellow light bursting from the guardian’s neck.
The guardian staggered.
Tanaka followed up.
Hitting it again.
And again.
Small cracks spider-webing across the guardian’s neck.
The guardian roared in pain.
It’s massive hand reaching for Tanaka.
Too slow.
One final leap.
One final blow.
SHATTER!
Tanaka’s final blow broke the guardian’s crystal core.
The guardian froze.
It’s glowing eyes dimming.
Then.
The massive body collapsed to the ground.
The room trembled.
Dust filling the air.
Tanaka laid on the ground.
Drained of all his mana.
"We won."
Golden particles floated from the guardian’s body
Much more than any other monster
They poured into Tanaka’s body
His Magic Core pulsing wildly
Once
Twice
Again
His Soul Record appeared
[Skill Acquired
• Earth Impact Lv.1
Channels mana into the body to deliver a powerful crushing strike. ]
His Magic Core glowed brighter.
Tanaka smiled.
The little slime bounced over to him.
Instead of celebrating.
It gently nudged his side.
Boing.
"Yeah, you did great."
The little slime bounced twice before proudly rolling something over to him.
A crystal.
Unlike the others.
This one was a dark gold.
It’s mana was far denser than any core Tanaka had seen.
The Stone Guardian’s Magic Core.
Tanaka took it.
The moment it entered his body.
His core practically devoured it.
It wasn’t painful.
More like hungry.
It wanted more.
Before he could do anything else.
A deep growl echoed from somewhere below them.
The floor cracked.
Thin lines of mana surging up from the depths of the dungeon.
The little slime looked at Tanaka.
Tanaka looked at the cracks.
"I don’t think that’s supposed to happen."
The room moved violently.
A section of the floor collapsing into darkness.