The Glass Warrior [Weak to Strong LitRPG]

Lucas stared at the new arrivals, recognizing the disheveled figures he'd seen just outside the tomb.

After he left, he figured others wouldn't take long to solve the puzzle with the shadows, but judging by the state of their hair and clothes, it must have taken quite a toll on them before they figured it out, or maybe this was the result of the locked doors above? Either way, they didn't look happy to see him again.

Actually, pissed was the better word for it.

And they made sure their grudges were known by cursing at him the moment they stepped onto the floor. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't just Lucas who turned to face them.

The Guardian, who had been relentlessly chasing him all this time, also shifted its head toward the newcomers.

Sensing the change, Lucas did as he was told and stopped. He had expected the Guardian to keep attacking him, but now, for the first time, its focus had shifted.

"You're an intruder. You must die!" the Guardian declared, moving toward them.

Only then did the group seem to realize Lucas wasn't alone.

"Hey, what the hell is that?" shouted Antony, the Hive member who had been in the ship with Lucas, his eyes darting toward the Guardian's empty helmet for the first time.

Lucas grinned. Oh, buddy. You have no idea what you just walked into.

Before anyone could answer, the Guardian lunged.

Its blade cut through the air, striking at the nearest target, the same man who had spoken. Antony barely managed to raise his weapon in time, and the sheer force of the blow sent him stumbling back, his boots scraping against the stone.

The others reacted instantly. The Hive's group leader moved to assist, while the elf warrior stepped forward, his polished blade flashing in the dim torchlight.

The goblins, however, hesitated, exchanging nervous glances, likely weighing whether they could get out of this without having to fight.

Meanwhile, the elf mage raised his staff, already chanting something under his breath, though his expression betrayed his unease.

Lucas watched them struggle, arms crossed, comfortably enjoying the show.

It was clear from the first moment that none of the people here had ever seen whatever that Guardian was either, and after being chased like a dog for that cursed thing for what felt like hours, it felt damn good to sit back and watch others scramble for their lives for a change.

The Hive members fought with the coordination of people used to working together, but the Guardian's sheer strength was overwhelming. Even the elf warrior—clearly above average with his sword—was struggling to block its relentless attacks.

Still, despite the obvious gap in power, Lucas had to admit he was a little impressed. He'd assumed the Guardian would cut at least one of them down in the first exchange. Instead, the battle had turned into a frantic back-and-forth.

The elf mage launched a fire spell, but just like before, the flames rolled harmlessly off the Guardian's armor.

One of the goblins attempted to circle around, daggers drawn, probably realizing there wasn't much room to escape now that they were all cornered, but he didn't get far.

The moment he tried to get close, the Guardian's sword came down in a brutal arc, nearly taking his head off. The goblin yelped and scurried backward, abandoning all hope of killing the thing.

Lucas sighed shaking his head after seeing the Guardian lose another opportunity to kill one of them. He watched for a little longer, waiting to see if someone, anyone, would mess up and get turned into a fine red paste, but he had no luck.

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With another sigh, he decided this was starting to get boring. If they weren't going to get themselves killed right away, he might as well use this little break for something more productive.

Casting one last glance at the fight, he slipped back into the shadows, moving toward the far side of the chamber where his real prize was waiting.

The altar was half-buried beneath a mess of wild vines and weeds, but Lucas knew what he had seen. And sure enough, as he drew closer, there it was.

Crouching near the altar, he carefully pushed aside some of the tangled weeds.

Up close, the plant looked even more valuable than in the pictures he had studied. Its deep blue leaves shimmered faintly under the torchlight, and its roots twisted like delicate silver threads.

He'd likely have come for this plant alone if he'd known it was down here, and now, thanks to his dear friends over there, it was left completely unguarded for the taking.

It took a bit of work, but after a few minutes, Lucas finally managed to pry the rare plant from its tangled nest. He was just tucking it away when a sudden shout cut through the clash of steel behind him.

"They're taking something from the walls!"

The elf mage's voice rang with alarm, sharp with a fury that sent a chill through the room.

Lucas's head snapped up.

Sure enough, the goblins, previously too hesitant to fight, had scurried toward the chamber's edges, clawing at old stone recesses. Their bony fingers pried into cracks, pulling free small relics, gemstones, and ancient trinkets hidden within the tomb's worn alcoves.

The Hive's leader turned sharply at the announcement, his eyes flicking between the goblins and the glittering spoils now in their hands. Whatever hesitation he had about fighting the Guardian vanished in an instant.

"They've got loot!" he barked. "Grab whatever you can and move!"

In a heartbeat, the battle fractured. The Hive members broke away, dodging the Guardian's attacks as they rushed to snatch whatever they could from the walls. The elf warrior, initially locked in combat, hesitated, just for a moment, before cursing and lunging toward the nearest stash.

Chaos erupted, but a single shout cut through the madness as the elf warrior pointed toward the other iron-clad figures in the room.

"Watch out for those there!" the elf warrior yelled, pointing.

And immediately, everyone saw what he meant. Because no one, absolutely no one, wanted to deal with another Guardian. But the moment of hesitation didn't last long. Chaos soon resumed.

Lucas barely had time to react before the entire chamber turned into a scrambling, frenzied free-for-all. Swords clashed, spells crackled, and the Guardian relentless prosecution as its prey scattered in all directions.

The goblins were fast, stuffing their hands with whatever they could carry, their shrill laughter echoing against the walls.

Amidst it all, the elf mage stood frozen, fingers tightening around his staff, his face contorted in barely contained rage. His treasures, or at least, he considered them his, were being pawed at by goblins, humans, thieves.

His eyes darted across the scene, burning with fury. And then he found a single, glaring target, the one he judged most at fault for this disgrace.

He'd been the first to disrespect their authority over the treasure.

A blast of fire streaked toward him.

Lucas barely managed to duck in time. The spell smashed into the altar behind him, sending shards of stone flying.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me, Lucas thought, rolling to the side just as another spell came hurtling toward him. A spear of magic-made stone crashed into the floor where he had just been standing.

"Really?" he called out.

All right, he'd messed with the guy a little before, but there were much bigger fish to fry here. Hadn't he seen the ghost Guardian chasing everyone down? What about the looters? Didn't he want to find something for himself?

"I'm not even the one taking stuff!"

The elf mage wasn't listening. Lucas had been an easy target in that moment, off on his own, away from the worst of the mess, the perfect opportunity to strike him down.

Lucas grit his teeth and bolted. As he weaved through the fray, the battle spiraled further into madness.

A Hive swordsman fought off both the Guardian and a goblin trying to snatch a dagger from his grasp. The elf warrior clashed with the Hive leader over an ancient-looking sword.

And from the other side of the chamber, Antony's gaze locked onto Lucas, his fingers itching on his weapon as he tried to decide if the right opportunity to team up with the elf would arrive.

Lucas barely dodged another attack, the elf mage relentless in his pursuit.

A bunch of light arrows flashed past him, forcing him to throw himself behind a toppled pillar. Protected by the sturdy stone, Lucas frantically considered his options.

If it were up to him, he'd kill the elf immediately, he'd seen enough of his face and had no morals holding him back at that moment.

The problem was that to get to him, he'd have to cross the entire chaotic battlefield and risk drawing the Guardian's attention in the process.

But as Lucas peeked at the people around him from behind the pillar, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Everyone else was busy grabbing treasure while he was stuck dealing with this dumb idiot.

His gaze flicked to the stoic, iron-clad figures around the room. Then, he grinned. Fine. If he couldn't loot, he might as well make things a little more interesting.