NOVEL NEXT Chapter 68: Headshot
Wade darted to the side as the golem's enormous fist slammed into the column, the impact shaking the platform so violently that he nearly lost his footing.
Cracks spread out like spiderwebs beneath the creature's hand, dust and fragments of stone cascading into the abyss below.
"Too slow!" Wade hissed under his breath, rolling away from another blow that would have flattened him into paste.
He came up in a crouch, his breath ragged.
The sheer weight behind every swing was terrifying. One hit, just one, would shatter his bones.
He had to stay light, and stay fast. He couldn't trade blows with something that size.
The golem turned, its glowing eyes flaring as it lifted one of its massive arms again.
Wade darted forward, cutting across the back of its knee joint.
His sword rang like metal against steel, sparks showering into the air, but it left barely a scratch.
The golem staggered a little from the strike, more from the force of his movement than from pain.
Then it roared, a deep, grinding sound like boulders scraping together, and spun toward him with terrifying speed for something so large.
"Damn it!" Wade kicked off the stone, barely evading another hammering blow.
The ground where he'd been standing exploded into rubble.
He needed distance. And he definitely needed time.
Summoning his focus, Wade thrust his hand out. "Fireburst!"
A plume of fire erupted from his palm, engulfing the golem's torso in fire.
For a brief second, the flames burned bright, licking across the creature's stony body, but when the heat cleared, the golem stood there, completely unfazed.
The molten light running through its cracks glowed brighter, almost as if the fire had fueled it instead of harming it.
"You've got to be kidding me," Wade muttered, backing away as the creature stomped forward, each step rattling the platform. "You eat fire now?"
He ducked under a sweeping arm, sliding between the golem's legs.
He slashed at the back of its heel again, aiming for the joints.
This time he managed to wedge his sword deep enough to chip away some of the stone.
The golem stumbled slightly, giving him a precious second to breathe.
But that was all he got.
The creature steadied itself and spun faster than Wade expected.
Its other arm came down like a falling pillar.
Wade barely got his sword up in time to block, but the sheer force sent him flying backward.
He crashed into the edge of the column, the impact rattling his bones and knocking the wind out of him.
His health bar dipped sharply, and pain shot through his ribs.
He staggered to his feet, clutching his sword in both hands.
"Okay," he panted, "I get it. Fire doesn't work. Steel doesn't work. What the hell does work?"
The golem didn't answer. It simply stomped forward again, relentless and unfeeling.
Wade dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding a blow that would've sent him tumbling into the abyss.
He circled the creature, trying to find another weak point, but every inch of it looked like an unbreakable stone.
He feinted left, then slashed right, aiming for the chest this time.
His blade connected, and then shattered.
The sound of breaking steel echoed across the arena.
Half of his sword clattered to the floor, skidding towards the edge of the column.
Wade stared at the jagged remains in disbelief. "Oh, perfect."
He barely had time to look up before the golem's shadow fell over him.
Its enormous fist swung above, molten veins pulsing as it gathered strength.
"Ah, hell." Wade raised his arms instinctively, knowing it was useless.
The golem's fist came crashing down.
Wade vanished just as the golem's massive fist slammed into the ground, teleporting several feet backward in a flash of light.
The impact left a crater where he had stood, cracks spreading across the stone floor.
He landed hard, sliding backward on his boots, his chest heaving.
"Too close," he hissed under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow.
The golem straightened again, letting out a low rumble that vibrated through the air.
It began stomping toward him, every step shaking the platform beneath their feet.
Wade dashed left, then right, barely dodging the creature's relentless swings.
He knew he couldn't keep dodging forever.
Then an idea sparked in his head. It was risky, insane even, but it might just work.
He surged forward, rushing directly at the golem.
The creature raised its arm, preparing to crush him again, but Wade dropped low, sliding between its legs.
As he passed, he drove the jagged half of his broken sword deep into the joint of its knee.
The blade wedged in with a grinding crunch.
The golem roared, its veins flashing erratically as it tried to stay balanced, but its damaged leg buckled.
"Got you," Wade growled, pushing off the ground and sprinting forward.
The golem toppled with a thunderous crash, its head striking the floor hard enough to leave cracks in the column.
Before it could rise, Wade leapt onto its chest and grabbed its rocky head with both hands.
"Let's see how you like this," he muttered.
"Basic Ward!" he shouted, a shimmering blue dome materializing around the golem's head.
He immediately followed with another cast, his voice confident despite the burning ache in his muscles.
"Aegis of Reflection!"
Golden light rippled across the barrier, mixing with the blue.
The spell shimmered, strengthening into a perfect containment sphere.
Wade didn't hesitate. He thrust both palms forward.
"Fireburst!"
A jet of fire exploded from his hands, flooding the barrier.
The flames coiled and churned inside, unable to escape.
The Aegis reflected half the damage back inside, amplifying the heat and pressure exponentially.
Wade gritted his teeth, maintaining the spell as the air within the dome glowed white-hot.
The golem's muffled roars turned to shrieks as cracks appeared along the barrier, light spilling through.
But Wade didn't stop. He pushed harder, pouring every last drop of mana into the Fireburst.
There was a blinding flash, then a deafening boom.
The explosion blew him backward, heat washing over his face.
When the light cleared, the golem's head was gone, its body twitching once before collapsing completely.
Wade sat up, coughing through the haze, staring at the shattered remains.
A wide grin appeared on his face.
"Headshot," he panted. "That's what I'm talking about."