Chapter 248

The Golem’s sword thrusts straight towards me.

But here, I don’t dodge—I meet it head-on.

However, one of my hands is already gripping a shield, and the other is slightly delayed in returning after being blocked by a barrier.

I immediately kick upwards, precisely striking the guard of the sword thrusting towards me.

The Golem stands at about 190cm, quite tall for an average adult male, but I’m at least 20cm taller.

My heart is higher than its shoulder, so its thrusting attack comes slightly angled upwards.

Its arm, angled upwards, can withstand impacts from above but is vulnerable to strikes from below. My kick further redirects its trajectory upwards.

*Swoosh!*

But perhaps I got too close, as I couldn’t completely deflect the attack, and my shoulder ended up getting grazed.

The wound is shallow, though.

And around that time, I felt the barrier it created disappear.

As expected.

This was my plan all along.

The Golem’s barrier is strong enough to withstand a Transcendent’s bare fist, but its duration is extremely short.

The cooldown to reuse it is likely between 3 to 10 seconds.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have chosen to block my attack with its shield first and then use the barrier as a last resort.

Its decision to retreat and regroup after blocking my attack also supports this.

If the barrier lasted longer or could be used freely, it would’ve been wiser to press the attack during the barrier’s duration instead of retreating.

From what I’ve observed, this Golem, whatever its structure, is capable of making combat decisions befitting its specs.

So why would it retreat after using its barrier?

This suggests its barrier is highly unstable.

With the barrier gone, I reach out and grab its neck.

It’s not human, so I can’t be sure breaking its neck would kill it, but its head must serve some purpose.

If I break its neck now…

At that moment, the Golem, with its neck grabbed, knees my elbow just as I had done earlier.

*Tch!*

Reluctantly, I release its neck and step back.

Once again, the Golem and I are at a standoff.

But it’s not a total loss.

I now know roughly how long its barrier lasts.

As I suspected, it can only block for a brief moment.

“I think I’ve got it figured out.”

The Golem, sensing something in my demeanor, shifts from an aggressive stance to a defensive one, raising its shield cautiously.

*Clang!*

“So, you’ve given up on trying to wear me down?”

The Golem and I face each other.

By now, any tricks or schemes between us have vanished.

I’ve decided to trust that Mari and Arisa’s group can hold their own against the other two Golems, so I abandon any thought of just stalling this one. The Golem, realizing I’m serious, also shifts to a purely defensive stance.

What remains is a direct confrontation.

I have no intention of dragging this fight out, so I charge in to finish it. The Golem, now aware of its barrier’s weakness, also seems ready to end things quickly.

I charge at it once more.

*Boom!*

An unbelievable shockwave fills the cavern as my fist collides with its shield.

This time, the Golem’s stance remains firm, likely because it was prepared from the start.

It pushes its shield to the side and thrusts its sword through the gap.

“…You really like stabbing, huh!”

I catch the sword with my other hand.

Even with my aura, grabbing a Golem’s sword barehanded is no easy feat—I feel the sharp edge cutting into my palm.

Just how good are these Ancient Empire swords?

The Golem’s sword, like Arisa’s dagger, is enchanted, allowing it to match my aura despite the Golem itself not using any.

No, it’s not just matching—it’s superior to Arisa’s dagger.

Who would enchant a regular longsword to this level?

Just how much money was wasted on this?

Regardless, I’ve now neutralized both its sword and shield with my two hands.

My follow-up kick comes next.

But the Golem, as if expecting this, creates another barrier with what I imagine would be a smug smile if it were human.

However, my goal wasn’t to deal damage.

*Thud!*

My kick, which initially seemed like it would slam into its armor, instead lightly rests on the barrier without fully extending.

I then lower my stance, almost chest-to-ground.

As I do, our line of sight reverses—I’m now looking up at the Golem from below, my foot still on its barrier.

The Golem, realizing something’s off, tries to scramble away.

“Too late.”

I brace my lower body with my other leg and tail, then fully extend the leg I had bent.

This isn’t a strike—it’s a push.

As my tail straightens, so does my leg, and the Golem, caught on my foot, is launched upwards like a spring-loaded pellet.

I didn’t break the barrier or wait for it to deactivate—I sent the Golem flying while it was still active.

Fortunately, this Ancient Empire ruin is tall enough to allow the Golem to soar for a while.

As it rises, the Golem is left defenseless, and its barrier deactivates mid-air.

I quickly adjust my stance.

“It’s been a while since I’ve used this move.”

When was the last time I used it…?

Ah, right. Back when I went mushroom hotpot hunting in the Shuraig Cave.

But this time, it’s different.

Back then, I borrowed Karina’s Battle Axe, but now I’m using my bare fist.

But the real difference is more fundamental.

Back then, I spread my power wide to wipe out all the zombie mushrooms in the cave. Now, I’m focusing all my power into a single point.

“Hoo…”

Mana gathers in my fist.

Not just my own mana, but the ambient mana in the cavern is absorbed into my body, converging into my fist.

By the time the Golem begins to descend, my strike is ready.

The Golem, not idle in the air, raises its shield in a solid defensive stance despite its unstable position.

But it doesn’t matter.

The only issue with this strike is the long preparation time—if it lands, it’s over.

The barrier’s cooldown must still be active, right?

Let’s see you block this with just your shield.

As the Golem descends and aligns with me, I thrust my fist forward.

─────.

The Golem’s defense is precise.

Curling its body and angling its shield perfectly in mid-air is the best it could do in this situation.

But sometimes, even the best isn’t enough.

In slow motion, I feel the Golem’s shield crumple under my fist.

The shield, which had effortlessly blocked my attacks until now, buckles, and the impact transfers to the Golem’s body.

At this rate, the Golem will crumple like paper.

But at that moment, whether by timing or desperation, the crumpling shield glows faintly, enveloping the Golem in a new barrier.

Damn it!

The barrier’s cooldown is shorter than I expected!

Am I about to be countered?

*Crackle*

*Crackle*

But my prediction is proven wrong as both the shield and the barrier begin to crack and shatter.

My fist, undeterred, delivers the full force of the impact to the Golem’s body.

*BOOM!*

The Golem, still clutching its sword and shield, is sent flying like a baseball hit by a bat, slamming into the cavern wall.

It slumps motionless, still gripping its weapons.

“Hoo… That was a decently strong opponent.”

Having confirmed its defeat, I finally let out a sigh of relief and allow myself a moment of calm…

Wait. No time for calm.

While I was dealing with this Golem, Mari’s and Arisa’s groups must still be struggling against the other two.

Realizing this, I quickly spread my senses and shout towards their direction.

“Hey! Are you guys okay…?”

But what enters my vision is…

[Kyahaha! How’s that? My water cannon!]

[Take this! Wind missile!]

[Ah! Then I’ll use fire missile!]

[…Stop fooling around and get serious.]

A Golem, surrounded by four lower-level spirits who look about ten years old—Mari’s friends—is being bullied before being sent flying by Serena’s magic.

“…This is ridiculous.”

“Ah! Kurt! You’re late! We already took care of it! You’re slower than us, Kurt! Reflect on that!”

“This is really ridiculous…”

I said it twice because it’s important.

I said it twice because it’s important.