The Glass Warrior [Weak to Strong LitRPG]

Lucas knew that greater rewards always came with greater risks, but as he watched the hulking mass of stone charging toward him, doubt crept in. Could he really keep himself alive long enough to claim any of the rewards hidden in this room?

The stone giant wasn't the only thing that sent alarm bells ringing in his mind. The aura of death in this much larger chamber was thick, far stronger than anything he had encountered in the tomb so far. It clung to the air like a suffocating fog, and he could feel it pressing against him, he figured if the other ever made it to this room, they would have a hard time moving about.

His gaze flickered around, taking in his surroundings properly for the first time. The chamber stretched far beyond the reach of the torches lining the walls, their flickering light struggling to illuminate the sheer vastness of the space. It was easily the largest room he had seen so far, with towering stone pillars supporting a ceiling that disappeared into the gloom above. Cracks ran along the pillars, some of them leaning slightly, giving the impression that the place had been abandoned for centuries.

The ground was uneven, parts of the stone floor cracked and sunken in, as if something massive had stomped through it. Piles of rubble lay scattered about, some of them suspiciously shaped like the remnants of shattered statues. Large braziers lined the chamber at intervals, but most of them weren't lit, likely having long since run out of whatever magic kept them burning, leaving entire sections cloaked in deep shadow. Lucas could make out vague shapes in those darker corners—caskets, heaps of ancient debris, possibly even more statues.

And then there was the altar.

At the very end of the chamber, raised on a short platform, the massive stone altar stood like an ominous centerpiece. Its surface was littered with various artifacts, aged trinkets, and most importantly: fruits. Perfectly preserved despite their surroundings, they glowed faintly with an unnatural vibrance. Lucas' eyes locked onto them immediately. That was it. That was what he needed.

His orb was reacting wildly, practically thrumming with energy as if it could sense the ominous presence of the fruits just a few feet away. Whatever they were, they had to be what he was looking for.

It was my choice to be here, so no point in whining about the circumstances, Lucas thought, eyes flicking back to the massive figure advancing toward him. He forced himself to stay focused. I just hope whatever's in this damn orb is actually worth risking my life over.

He let out a sharp exhale, muscles tensing, and then he moved.

In an instant, he was sprinting at top speed, his only goal being to reach the altar before the stone knight could intercept him. He was sure he hadn't stood at the entrance for more than a second, but somehow, the massive figure was already closing in fast from the right.

Lucas clenched his jaw. He hadn't expected the thing to be that quick.

There was no way he could take it head-on—not a chance in hell. Instead, he tried to maneuver around it, keeping his focus locked on the altar. But as soon as he did, a sinking feeling settled in his chest.

I'm not gonna make it.

His eyes flicked sideways. The knight's massive legs covered the distance with terrifying efficiency, each stride cutting down the space between them at an alarming rate. It was faster than him. He had maybe seconds before it was within reach.

What the hell do I do?

Panic surged through him as his mind raced through his options.

His blades might be able to carve through solid rock if he was lucky, but even if they did, that didn't mean much when the knight could still slice him in half right after.

His Lightning Attack? Even worse. Rock wasn't exactly known for being a good conductor. If he was lucky, the knight would barely notice it.

That left him with one real option.

With a flick of his wrist, Lucas summoned fire into his fingers, his instincts taking over as he aimed and fired a barrage of Fire Bullets straight at the golem's torso.

The shots struck dead-on, small explosions rippling across the knight's stone body. A spray of debris burst outward, tiny fragments of rock breaking off from the impact.

For a moment, hope flared in Lucas' chest—it worked!

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Then his stomach dropped. The knight barely even flinched.

It didn't stop, didn't slow down, didn't react beyond the minor damage it had taken. It was still coming for him, and now it was almost within reach.

Bullets aren't gonna cut it. If I am to kill it, I'd need actual bombs, but how? There's no time…

All of a sudden, Lucas hit the brakes and skidded to a halt, straining his lower muscles with the effort. A sharp pain shot up his legs, but it was all worth it when he saw the massive stone knight surge past him, unable to stop in time.

With its sheer weight and momentum, changing direction wasn't as easy for the creature as it was for Lucas. However, that didn't mean it would simply let him go. As it passed, the knight swung its enormous sword in a broad arc, attempting to cleave him in half. Lucas twisted his body at the last possible moment, feeling the rush of air as the blade sliced just inches from his torso. Close, too close.

Instead of immediately bolting away, Lucas made a split-second decision and stood his ground, raising his hands and aiming carefully at the monster that was already beginning to turn back toward him. The moment it started shifting its weight, he fired.

A rapid barrage of Fire Bullets slammed into its right knee, striking with concussive force. If he couldn't bring the whole thing down, then crippling it would have to do. The knee was a natural weak point, thinner, less reinforced by sheer mass, and crucial for movement.

The attack had an immediate effect. Bits of shattered rock flew outward, the structure of the leg visibly weakening under the repeated impacts. But Lucas barely had a second to process his small victory before the knight adjusted its stance. With eerie precision, it shifted its metal sword downward, using the thick blade to shield its damaged knee.

Lucas cursed under his breath. So it does have some kind of intelligence…

The stone knight wasted no time retaliating. With surprising speed for its size, it lunged at him again. Lucas barely had enough time to duck and roll out of the way as the enormous blade came crashing down, sending a tremor through the ground. He could feel the force of the impact even through his boots.

Not slowing down for even a second, he pushed off the ground and dashed to the side, narrowly dodging another horizontal swing. The knight was fast, faster than something that big had any right to be, but Lucas had noticed something. It was quick, but not as agile.

In open spaces, its long strides and reach gave it an overwhelming advantage. But at closed quarter, it wasn't as efficient.

Lucas used that to his advantage. He kept close, just enough that the knight had to adjust its angles awkwardly when it attacked, limiting its movements. At the same time, he stayed mobile, ducking and rolling between its legs when necessary, taking shots at its right knee whenever he had an opening.

The knight's frustration was becoming visible, its movements were growing more erratic, its strikes wilder. Its knee was now heavily damaged, chunks of stone missing, cracks spreading from the repeated impacts. Lucas grinned despite himself. It's working.

The knight suddenly switched tactics. Instead of swinging, it raised its foot and stomped down with enough force to shatter the stone floor beneath them. Lucas barely jumped away in time, but the shockwave sent him stumbling.

The knight took advantage of his momentary loss of balance and swung.

Lucas had no time to think. He threw himself into a desperate dive, the massive blade grazing past his shoulder. A thin line of red bloomed across his sleeve, a shallow cut, but a warning of what would happen if he got hit properly.

Hitting the ground hard, he immediately rolled to the side and sprang back up, gritting his teeth. He had to finish this fast. The knight was adapting too quickly to his strategies, and it already had the power advantage. If this dragged on any longer, he wasn't sure he'd last.

Lucas fired another round of bullets, but this time, instead of backing away, he moved toward the stone giant. As the massive sword began to swing again, he lunged forward. His right hand shot out, and from his palm, a blade of Glass extended in a razor-sharp arc.

With a swift, fluid motion, he sliced through the knight's already damaged right knee.

The moment of impact barely registered, no resistance, no sound beyond the faint whisper of glass meeting stone. But as Lucas tucked into a roll and emerged on the other side of the knight, he saw the results. The enormous leg buckled. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the clean incision, and then—

CRASH.

The knight collapsed onto its side, the impact shaking the entire chamber. A cloud of dust and loose debris erupted into the air.

Lucas spun around, panting, eyes locked onto the fallen giant. His hands clenched into fists. He could finish it.

The knight was vulnerable now. A few precise strikes in its neck might do the trick. He could already imagine the rush of energy from leveling up. After all, taking down something this strong would surely give him a boost.

But…

Lucas exhaled sharply. His body ached. His mana reserves were nearly empty, his limbs felt sluggish, and his glass blades—normally weightless—felt like they were dragging him down. He'd burned too much in that fight.

Then, before he could decide, he heard it. A sound at the door. A faint shuffle, followed by the creak of metal.

His stomach twisted. The others? Could it be the guardians? He wasn't going to wait and find out. With no hesitation, he turned on his heel and sprinted toward the altar.

As he ran, he forced three of his Glass Gates closed. The payoff was immediate—without having to sustain all four of them, he felt quite a bit of mana returning. He'd basically cut his fast way back to Zoria, keeping only the Gate he'd left outside the tomb.

Afterwards, he yanked a mana potion from his ring, uncorked it with his teeth, and downed the contents in one go. A cool rush of energy spread through his veins, his senses sharpening as his mana recovery sped up. Next, was stamina, he'd all but drain himself completely during all this fights, and couldn't wait out any longer.

The knight behind him, despite its injuries, wasn't done yet though. With a guttural, grinding noise, it pushed itself up. It was slower now, one leg completely wrecked, but it was still following.

Lucas didn't look back. The altar was right there, along with the fruits and the rest of the rewards. He wasn't leaving without them.