Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 20 - : Golem of black stone

The six golems raced towards them at a speed that was abnormal for stone creatures. Isaac had expected to see slow-moving colossi, like those in the tunnels. He was mistaken.

The first, a monster nearly three meters tall, shot straight at Jonah, its massive arm slamming down like a battering ram. The swordsman narrowly dodged, rolling on the ground before standing up, panting.

- They're too fast! he cried.

The second golem targeted Erik. The tank raised his shield just in time, but the impact threw him back several meters, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

- They hit harder too... he grunted as he struggled to his feet.

Isaac tightened his grip on his katana, feeling his excitement rise despite the threat. These monsters were different. They represented a challenge he'd never faced before.

And then, at last, the boss moved.

The stone throne exploded under the pressure as the enormous golem rose to its feet. His body, imposing as an animated mountain, shook the ground with every step. He raised one arm towards the ceiling, and immediately the rock itself seemed to obey him.

Chunks of black stone detached themselves from the ceiling and condensed in the air, forming massive spheres of pure rock.

Isaac only had time to murmur:

- Oh shit.

The black stone balls shot towards them.

- GET AWAY!" screamed Malia.

They scattered at the last moment. The first projectile crashed violently, pulverizing the floor on impact and sending a shockwave through the room.

Isaac leapt to the side, rolling before straightening up in one fluid motion. A second cannonball flew by a few centimeters from him, ripping off a piece of his sleeve as it grazed his arm.

- He can manipulate rock! he shouted.

The boss wouldn't let them blow. With a slow, merciless gesture, he raised his arm again, summoning more projectiles.

Isaac glanced around quickly. They had to find a way to break through these monsters' defenses before they were overwhelmed.

- Change of plan!" ordered Erik, stepping back. All on one!

The hunters exchanged uncertain glances, but obeyed immediately.

Jonah led the way. He positioned himself on the flank of the targeted golem and delivered a series of swift strikes with his sword. The steel blades glinted in the torchlight, hammering relentlessly at the same area.

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CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Isaac followed immediately, taking advantage of the opening. He followed up with a precise and powerful attack, striking in exactly the same place as Jonah.

Behind him, Malia began to incant. A blue flame appeared in her palms and shot towards the target.

BOOM!

A jet of fire rained down on the monster, enveloping its torso in an explosion of heat.

The golem wavered slightly.

But only for a fraction of a second.

The next instant, he was already raising his head and attacking again.

- Not even a crack... Malia gasped in horror.

Isaac took a step backwards, breathless.

They'd just hammered the creature with all their might, and the only result they'd achieved...

It was a slight imbalance.

- This won't do..." grumbled Jonah. We'd need adamantium weapons to hope to break through or be a higher-ranking hunter!

- We don't have both. Isaac clenched his katana, his knuckles whitened by the tension. So we make do with what we've got.

He wiped the sweat from his brow.

- Keep attacking the same area. Over and over again. Until it gives way.

No one argued.

Because they all knew one thing:

If they didn't kill those golems, they had no chance of reaching the boss.

The fight went on.

They struck. Again and again. Again. Again.

Each blow echoed through the room, a desperate hammering, a never-ending assault.

Jonah sliced, Erik crushed, Malia burned and Isaac pierced.

They were aiming for the same point. The same area.

And yet...

Nothing yielded.

Isaac could feel it. His endurance was collapsing. His arms grew heavy, his breath shorter. Every movement became a monstrous effort.

What about them?

The golems?

They weren't even out of breath.

They just kept on hitting. Knocking. Sweeping the air with their massive arms, forcing the hunters to retreat and dodge constantly.

Every attack they suffered weakened them a little more.

And in the distance, the boss watched, motionless. He hadn't moved since noticing that they couldn't penetrate the golems' defenses.

His red eyes blazed, and his massive body stood in absolute calm.

He was waiting.

Isaac was out of breath. Every muscle in his body burned. His arms felt like lead, and his katana trembled in his hand.

Around him, the team was in a similar state. Jonah was short of breath, Erik was bleeding slightly from his arm, and Malia...

Malia was as pale as a corpse.

Her mana was almost empty. Her flames, once bright and destructive, had become dying embers.

The golems, on the other hand, were still standing.

The same, implacable observation: they couldn't break their defenses from the outside.

They had to be attacked from the inside.

- Their mouths.

Isaac's husky voice broke the heavy silence.

The others turned their heads towards him, incomprehension and exhaustion in their eyes.

- Malia, if you throw a fireball into their mouths and make it explode from the inside... it might work.

Malia slowly raised her head, sweat beading on her forehead.

- The problem is... they never open their mouths," she murmured.

Isaac ran a hand over his face, thinking fast.

How could he force them to open their mouths?

There had to be a way.

A golem was still a creature of stone, an abomination without instinct or apparent weakness, but there was always a weak point.

A moment of vulnerability.

A moment when they couldn't control their own bodies.

- The pain.

Erik raised an eyebrow.

- You want to hurt them? We've been trying to break them for hours and they don't even react!

Isaac tightened his grip on his katana.

- Not their bodies.

He breathed in deeply, then planted his gaze in Jonah's.

- Their eyes.

- We're going for their eyes," Isaac explained sharply. With everything we've got.

Jonah and Erik exchanged glances, then nodded.

- If we can hit them there..." murmured Jonah.

- Then maybe they'll... react," added Erik.

Malia understood immediately.

- And opened her mouth in shock.

- Exactly.

Isaac stepped back slightly, taking a deep breath.

He knew this was their last card.

If it didn't work...

They'd be too exhausted to keep fighting.

- Let's try it on one golem," said Isaac. All on the same eye.

The group repositioned themselves.

The targeted golem was slowly advancing towards them, its red eyes gleaming with a hellish glow.

- Jonah, strike with your dagger first," ordered Isaac. If it bounces back, I'll try with my katana. If that fails, Erik, you swing your sledgehammer right into its orbit.

- What about me?" asked Malia.

Isaac smirked.

- You, prepare the biggest fireball you can produce.