Chapter 245

*Boom!*

────!

The alchemy potion pierced by Mari exploded upon contact with the air, and the shockwave from the blast shook the surroundings, releasing a massive impact.

“Magnificent!”

While an ordinary person would have covered their ears and grimaced at the explosion, Karina, who had maintained a precarious distance just outside the blast radius, shouted with a bright expression, completely unfazed.

Karina pretended to engage the enemy while Seiri threw the alchemy potions she had crafted, and Mari, from a distance, shot them to trigger the explosions.

Though it was a ridiculously simple, almost laughable combat strategy, its effectiveness was undeniable.

Every time the golem wielding a greatsword was hit by the explosive potions, it staggered—a reaction it had never shown before, indicating that the accumulated damage was taking its toll.

This was a reaction that neither Karina’s battle axe nor Serena’s magic had been able to elicit from the golem until now.

“Great! Seeing that golem stagger, I think we can take it down soon!”

“Understood! I’ll keep pushing forward with all my strength!”

True to her words, the golem seemed significantly weaker than when the battle had first begun. Its exterior was now covered in soot, and the scratches and wounds on its armor were increasing one by one.

Its movements, though only slightly, had become more sluggish than before, and it no longer charged at Karina as fiercely as it once had, likely wary of Seiri’s explosives. This lessened the burden on Karina.

Despite only Seiri joining the fray, the battlefield had undergone a dramatic and astonishing change.

*Boom!*

────!

“Another shot!”

“The end is near! Everyone, just a little more effort!”

Mari felt that victory was gradually drawing closer, and Karina, gripping her trembling hands, charged at the golem once more, despite her body growing weary from the prolonged battle.

However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that this feeling was an illusion.

.

.

.

It was already the umpteenth exchange.

Despite repeatedly throwing potions, the golem teetered on the edge of collapse, barely holding on.

It seemed like just a little more effort would bring it down, yet it stubbornly refused to fall.

But it wasn’t just the golem that was nearing its limit.

Karina, who had initially pushed herself hard, believing the end was near, was now running out of stamina as the battle dragged on into a prolonged war of attrition.

“But…! This will be over soon!”

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

“Seiri! Mari! Throw the potions now!”

Karina, once again pushing herself to the limit, managed to create an opening in the golem’s defenses.

She quickly moved out of the explosion’s danger zone and urgently signaled.

Even though she was naturally weaker than the golem, creating openings to throw Seiri’s potions was taking a toll on her body.

She could barely defend herself, let alone engage in a direct struggle with the golem, and her time to hold out was running short.

The only reason she could endure was the hope that they were gaining the upper hand and that the end was near.

“Seiri? Mari…?”

But

Despite creating a clear opening, neither Seiri’s potions nor Mari’s arrows, which would pierce through them, came flying.

“Karina……”

“Mari! What’s the problem?”

“The potions… We’re out of potions.”

In the end, the potions Seiri had been throwing were consumables.

Unlike cold weapons that could be swung endlessly as long as one had the stamina, no matter how much effort or willpower was exerted, once the prepared amount was used up, there was no more to consume.

“What…?”

“I’m sorry! The potions I brought for self-defense were all used up just now…!”

Shocked by this, Karina’s focus wavered for a moment, and in that instant, the golem, as if the accumulated damage from the explosions had been a lie, changed its stance and charged at her with a sudden, swift movement.

It was a speed reminiscent of when it had first appeared.

“Karina! Watch out!”

*Thud!*

“Ugh…!?”

Reacting belatedly to Mari’s warning, Karina tried to defend with her battle axe, but her delayed defense was futile, and she was sent flying, rolling several times with her axe.

“Ugh…! Get away from Karina!”

*Twang!*

*Twang!*

Feeling the urgency, Mari immediately fired a barrage of arrows to restrain the golem, forcing it to step back and halt its pursuit of Karina.

In the meantime, Mari rushed to Karina, who had been flung away, unable to defend against the golem’s attack, and checked her condition.

“Karina! Are you okay!?”

“Here, drink this. It’s a potion that accelerates recovery.”

“Ugh… I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold on……”

“It’s not your fault. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard to face that golem alone until now……”

“But Mari, the arrows……”

“…I had no choice if I wanted to save Karina.”

But the cost was anything but light.

The arrows, like the potions, had a limited supply, and the attempt to save Karina had rapidly depleted them, leaving them with none.

Realizing this, the golem raised its greatsword, dropped its defensive stance, and began to assess the situation of Mari’s group.

────.

*Clank…*

*Clank…*

Confirming that the arrows were indeed exhausted, the golem, as if its earlier staggering had been an act, began to move slowly, its red eyes glowing.

“That thing… Was it just pretending to be on the verge of collapse to exhaust our potions and arrows…!?”

“What kind of golem uses psychological warfare!?”

“It’s completely unharmed!”

The golem’s appearance had clearly seemed battered, as if one or two more explosive potions would bring it down.

But what if the entire battlefield had been an illusion from the start?

What if, from the moment Seiri joined, the golem had realized the limited quantity of Seiri’s alchemy potions and Mari’s arrows, planned a prolonged battle to exhaust all consumables, and deliberately feigned weakness to encourage their use?

By making them believe the end was near and fostering the illusion of their advantage.

Thus, Mari’s group, expecting a quick resolution rather than a prolonged battle, neglected their stamina distribution and used their consumables without restraint, lured by the tantalizing image of victory within reach.

And now, with all consumables exhausted and the battlefield devoid of variables, the golem finally revealed its fangs and spread its wings.

“This is ridiculous…!”

“Using such tactics while wielding a greatsword and looking so brutish…!”

Karina had reached her limit, Serena’s magic was useless, Mari could no longer shoot arrows, and Seiri’s potions were gone.

In this situation, the golem approached quietly, like an executioner, to end the battle.

.

.

.

*Clank*

*Clank*

The golem’s footsteps, neither slow nor fast.

It was as if they were trapped in a swamp, struggling in vain against a slow, inevitable death.

Yet, Karina, with trembling hands, gripped her battle axe and struggled to her feet.

“Karina! If you push yourself any further…!”

“If I don’t push myself, I’ll die here anyway. So, I might as well struggle to the end.”

As she spoke, she clutched her battle axe with shaking hands.

Her body was already nearing its limit.

Her wrists, having borne the brunt of blocking the golem’s overwhelming strikes, were swollen to nearly twice their size, red and inflamed, likely from overextended tendons. Her muscles, having repeatedly delivered full-force strikes, were torn in places, causing pain with every movement.

Her legs, barely supporting her, felt numb, and she knew that if she relaxed even slightly, they would give out.

Though her exterior showed only dust and superficial wounds, the golem’s strikes had shaken her to the core, leaving her nauseous and on the verge of vomiting.

Suddenly, she felt something warm trickle from her mouth. Wiping it with a trembling hand, she saw a streak of bright red blood.

‘Damn, my insides must be damaged.’

Even though the bodies of those who wielded aura were several times tougher and more resilient than ordinary people, fighting in this condition was impossible.

‘At most, I can block one… maybe two more attacks.’

Then perhaps…

“I won’t last much longer. So, when I give the signal, all of you run to Kurt or Arisa.”

“Karina!”

In essence, she was declaring herself a sacrificial pawn.

“This battle can’t be turned around. We’ve fallen for its tricks, carelessly exhausting our consumables and stamina. In that case, it’s most logical for you to regroup with another party and plan for the future.”

With those words, Karina resigned herself to death, speaking with grim determination.

“I’m sorry to burden the other party members with this fight… But this is the best course of action.”

However, upon hearing this, Mari and Serena, with tearful expressions, stepped in front of her.

“No! We can’t abandon Karina!”

“Don’t you dare say that again! I won’t forgive you!”

“I’ll hold it off while you escape and bring back another party!”

“How can you hold it off in that condition!”

“Don’t lie! You’re not even thinking of bringing back another party!”

Indeed, Karina’s body was battered. She might withstand one or two more attacks, but holding out until Mari, Serena, and Seiri could bring reinforcements was impossible.

“Then what do you suggest!? Is there another way!?”

She knew there wasn’t.

She had only said those words to make Mari, Serena, and Seiri flee, even if it meant lying.

But despite her false words, Mari and Serena stood firm, their expressions resolute.

“…Now, I’ll protect Karina.”

“Even without explosive potions… We can still cause some damage by setting high-proof alcohol on fire.”

With that, Mari and Serena stepped forward, ready to face the golem in Karina’s place.

And at that moment, the golem finally arrived before them.

“….”

“….”

….

Facing each other, the two and the golem began their attack without hesitation.

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