Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 21 - : Evolution

Jonah frowned.

- But... it's made of rock, isn't it?

Isaac raised his katana.

- Let's find out.

The team repositioned themselves.

Isaac stared at the golem, analyzing its movements.

He had to aim right.

- Jonah, start with your dagger," he ordered.

The thief clutched his weapon, nodded and quickly slid down the golem's side.

With surgical precision, he leapt up and thrust his dagger directly into one of the red eyes.

TCHINK!

The blade rebounded.

- What the...?

Jonah jumped back, stunned.

The golem hadn't even flinched.

- Damn... it's like steel!

Isaac gritted his teeth.

- So we hit harder.

He shifted his grip on his katana, gripping it firmly with both hands.

Then he leapt back.

A precise, powerful blow, aimed at the same eye.

CLANG!

His katana bounced too.

Isaac stepped back, his shoulder numb from the impact.

Nothing.

Not a crack.

The golem didn't even react.

Jonah gritted his teeth.

- It's impossible, their defense is too strong...

Isaac remained silent.

Then his gaze fell on Erik.

- Erik.

The warrior nodded slowly.

He didn't need an explanation.

- Stand by.

Erik grabbed his mace with both hands, clenched his jaw, and sprang forward.

His weapon split the air with colossal force.

BOOOOM!!!

A deafening noise echoed throughout the room.

Isaac, Jonah and Malia were forced backwards by the shock wave.

Erik himself staggered back several steps.

He caught his breath, then looked ahead.

The golem was still standing.

But this time...

- A crack.

Tiny.

Almost invisible.

But there it was.

- It worked," Jonah gasped.

Isaac smiled.

- Let's do it again.

The golem, as impassive as ever, started moving again.

But this time...

Isaac had seen a slight twitch on impact.

They could make them react.

- Again!

Erik tightened his grip on his mace and prepared to strike a second time.

He raised it above his head and brought it down again.

BOOOM!

The crack widened.

The golem's red eyes vibrated slightly.

- He's reacting!

- Go on!" shouted Isaac.

Jonah leapt forward and thrust his dagger into the crack.

Erik struck again.

And then...

The golem flinched violently.

His head recoiled slightly from the impact.

And then...

Its mouth opened.

A cavernous, inhuman rattle escaped from its stony entrails.

- NOW!" Isaac shouted.

Malia didn't wait another second.

Her fingers had already closed around the catalyst hanging from her belt. A glowing, pulsating stone, marked by the stigmata of the flames she'd been manipulating for years.

She pressed it between her hands and incanted in a low voice.

A glowing light quickly gathered around her. The air became drier, charged with burning static electricity. Heat rippled around her body, distorting space like an illusion above the burning sand.

The golem, now leaning back slightly, its mouth ajar in an almost grotesque expression, grunted under the pain of Erik and Jonah's repeated blows.

It was the perfect moment.

- RECULE!" she screamed, and her cry rang out like a whiplash.

Jonah immediately leapt back, Erik following suit after withdrawing his mace in one swift movement. Isaac, watching the golem's every move, took a step to the side, his muscles tense, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

Malia exhaled.

She raised her right arm, palm open, facing the golem.

- Fireball.

A glowing sphere of brilliant orange-red materialized in her hand in an instant. Its intense light cast twisting shadows on the stone walls.

But she didn't throw it immediately.

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She waited.

One second. Two.

The golem was still in that frozen posture, head tilted back, mouth ajar.

But he wasn't going to stay like that forever.

The aim had to be right.

The slightest shift and the fireball would hit the jaw without penetrating any further.

Three seconds.

The light in the golem's eyes vibrated slightly, and his body began to straighten.

- NOW!" shouted Isaac.

Malia brought her hand forward.

The fireball spun in a straight line, carving a trail of light in the air, blowing a burning wind across the faces of the group.

And it hit its target.

The flaming projectile slammed straight into the golem's open maw.

The monster froze immediately.

A moment of absolute silence.

Then...

BOOM!

A deafening bang echoed through the tunnel.

A brutal shockwave shook the air, sending fragments of stone flying in all directions. A muffled roar rose from the golem's bowels, a hoarse, guttural sound, like a strangled scream, as its own body tore apart from within.

Luminous cracks spread across its entire surface, starting at its skull and snaking across its shoulders and torso like a spider's web.

And then...

With a final groan, the golem collapsed in on itself.

Its torso crumbled, releasing a spray of flames, and with a monumental crash, its body disintegrated into a pile of smoking rubble.

Malia, her legs trembling, staggered backwards, her breath catching.

A heavy silence followed the golem's destruction.

The group could hardly believe it.

Isaac stared at the charred remains of the monster, his katana still in hand. Even after all this, there was only one thing to remember:

They'd found a way to kill these monsters.

- It works..." breathed Erik.

Jonah let out a nervous laugh.

- And how...

Isaac froze in front of the pile of smoking rubble that, just moments earlier, had been a fearsome golem. His heart was pounding and his breath was short.

Then, the System's notification suddenly appeared before his eyes, illuminating his field of vision.

[Ding!]

[You have greatly contributed to defeating a Black Stone Golem!]

[Absorption available]

[Choose your reward: Physical stats or Physical skill].

Isaac didn't even hesitate.

- Absorb physical skill!

He didn't know why, but his instincts told him it was the right choice.

[Absorption in progress...]

[Merging with the skill of the Black Stone Golem...]

[Your "Skin of Stone" skill evolves into...]

[Black Stone Body] (Lvl 1 active skill)

[Reinforces the user's body structure into a dense black rock.

- Increases physical defense by 50%.

- Increases strength by 30%.

- Consumes 2 stamina points per minute].

A wave of power swept over him.

His muscles contracted as if absorbing the very density of stone. His bones cracked slightly, strengthening under the effect of the enhancement. A strange sensation ran through his skin, as if an invisible carapace had formed.

Isaac raised his hand in front of him. He activated his new skill.

A thin layer of black stone spread across his palm, stretching slowly down his forearm. Unlike the old version, this new armor wasn't just a basic hardening.

It was smooth, robust, and absorbed light in an almost eerie way.

He clenched his fist.

The sharp crack echoed in the air.

A smile grazed his lips.

- That should do a bit more damage! Let's go! We've got 4 golems and the boss left!

At that moment, the dungeon boss suddenly roared up, shaking the cavern.