Chapter 19 - Jonathan

Disoriented from the blow to its head, the beast shook itself before noticing another punch aimed straight at its face. Instinctively, it raised its arms to block, but out of nowhere, a gut-wrenching pain tore through its abdomen.

It was a feint. Lucas had landed a powerful kick to its midsection instead.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Lucas executed a spinning hook kick that connected squarely with the beast's head, sending it tumbling out of the cell.

Meanwhile, Samantha's injuries were rapidly mending after drinking the potion. “What is going on?!” she exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes widening as she watched Lucas and the beast trading blows.

Similarly, Chloe watched in disbelief at the chaotic brawl unfolding between Lucas and the brute.

Blocking another blow from the beast, Lucas found himself locked in a stalemate. His strength wasn't enough to deliver a decisive blow, and the beast couldn’t breach his defenses due to his high VIT stats and the resilience and healing granted by .

All of a sudden, an idea struck him. “If my fists aren’t strong enough, let’s use something that is,” he muttered under his breath, aiming his free hand into the air.

“Heed my words! Come, Jonathan!”

A brief pause followed before a hammer came hurtling toward his hand, which he gripped firmly.

Without wasting another moment, Lucas clenched his teeth and swung the hammer with full force, smashing it into the beast’s face. The impact sent it crashing into the wall, shattering its jaw in the process.

The hammer Lucas wielded was none other than the weapon he had picked up earlier from the Wailing Nun.

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Hammer of Pain

Rank: Common++

An iron hammer drowned in the anguish of a fallen nun, resonating with her decades of sorrow and despair.

Special Effect(s):

Torment - Allows the user to strike and cause additional damage to incorporeal entities.

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Amidst the rising dust, a barely audible grunt could be heard before the giant brute charged forward in a fit of rage, raising its fist high.

“Hey! Stop gawking if you're done! I could use an extra pair of arms here!” Lucas shouted, narrowly dodging another punch from the monster.

Snapping out of their daze, the girls grabbed their weapons and rushed to his aid.

Chloe flicked her sword, and a high-pitched wail of metal echoed throughout the space. The beast, hearing the noise, grunted in pain while clutching its head.

Seizing the opportunity, Lucas raised his hammer and smashed it down onto the beast's skull. Before it could even collapse, several purple chains emerged from a runic symbol beneath it, wrapping around its limbs.

“This ends now!” Lucas roared as he swung his hammer across the beast's skull. Meanwhile, Chloe appeared behind it, her sword humming rhythmically as it slashed across its neck.

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Contribution Ranking

* Lucas Kun (49.8%)

* Chloe Helens (25.3%)

* Samantha Moon (24.9%)

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You have received:

* Randomized Uncommon Skill of the Wretched Hulk x1

* Skill Enhancement Ticket x1

Note: This reward is only available to the first group to defeat the Hidden Boss.

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Since the system had confirmed the giant creature's death, Lucas plopped down on the ground and sighed loudly. “That was wild!”

“Lucas! Are you alright? Let me see your injuries!” Chloe hurriedly ran toward Lucas, only to find his wounds had already healed. “Huh? Where are your injuries? I saw you getting beat up by that monster,” she asked, puzzled.

“What do you mean by getting beat up by it? I was the one beating him!” Lucas retorted but still allowed Chloe to examine his body.

Seeing Lucas was fine, Samantha walked over and asked sardonically, “Why is that hammer called Jonathan?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Thor's hammer,” Lucas replied as if it were a matter of fact.

“Huh? Isn't Thor's hammer called Mjolnir or something?” Chloe was stumped by his answer.

“Let’s just go. It’s probably some weird, obscure reference no one’s going to understand,” Samantha mocked.

Shaking his head, Lucas began dramatically, “Oh! It is truly lamentable that you lack the refined tastes of a man of culture! However, I shall magnanimously overlook your ignorance, for you have, at the very least, rendered some small contribution to this most perilous battle of life and death!”

Speechless at his pompous speech, Samantha snarked, “Why are you a math student? You should enroll in a drama school.”

“Are you sure both of you are alright?” Chloe suddenly asked, fidgeting nervously. “Lucas was fighting with that monster by himself, and Samantha, you almost got hit by it.”

“What are you talking about? If you hadn’t dragged me away, I’d probably be a meat paste by now,” Samantha smiled, wrapping an arm around Chloe’s shoulder.

“Indeed, that is correct,” Lucas declared with exaggerated grandeur. “It is only fitting for a Mechanic of my unparalleled caliber to lead the charge. And fear not, for I have my trusty Jonathan by my side! There is absolutely no cause for concern, my lady!”

The trio continued their banter for the better part of half an hour before finally reaching the entrance hall. “We can finally leave this horrendous place!” Samantha exclaimed as she stretched her arms.

“You girls wait here for a sec. I need to grab something real quick,” Lucas said before disappearing into one of the corridors.

A few minutes later, he emerged, waving at the girls. “Alright, done. Let’s go.”

Before they could even ask him anything, Lucas touched the entrance door, and the three of them vanished from their spots.

***

15th October 2023, Outskirts of Phago, The Hallowed Grounds.

“Wow, it's already evening,” Chloe muttered as the trio reappeared outside the temple clearing. “Should we set up camp here?” she asked, glancing at the others.

Samantha surveyed the surroundings for a moment before agreeing. “Sure, this place looks good. We can hide under some of the temple's roof in case it rains. I'll check to see if the water faucet is working. What do you think, Lucas?”

Instead of replying, Lucas was focused on something else. He was touching the temple's entrance.

Rubbing his chin, Lucas mumbled to himself, “So it’s not a repeatable dungeon.”

Curious, he pushed open the temple's entrance. This time, instead of the gloomy, grim atmosphere they had experienced earlier, it was a bright, open-space temple where sunlight streamed in.

“Did it return to normal?” Chloe asked, noticing the change in the temple.

Samantha added, “I think this is what it used to look like.”

“Yeah. The system probably altered it with its magical power, and now that we've cleared it, it’s back to normal,” Lucas said as he observed the temple's interior.

Just like before, three corridors branched out, left, right, and middle, except this time, the temple was less gloomy and haunting. At the center stood a small statue of an unknown deity surrounded by several unlit incense burners.

To the left was a short hallway leading to an archive. To the right was a room filled with ceremonious prayer equipment. Finally, the center corridor led to a small chamber with a two-meter-tall statue of the same deity they had seen earlier, accompanied by a couple of benches for visitors to sit and pray. It was a stark contrast to the spacious nave they had encountered in the dungeon.

Making sure the area was clear, Lucas instructed the girls, “Alright, we'll stay here for the night. Go and find anything useful. I’ll stay here and set up the camp.”

***

After a hearty dinner of wolf meat and some edible vegetables scavenged from the temple’s kitchen, Lucas sat by the campfire.

As for the girls, they were exhausted from the day’s battles and soundly asleep.

Glancing at them, Lucas thought, ‘They deserve a good rest after everything that’s happened. It’s impressive how well they’ve held up in this chaos.’

Pulling up his system, he selected his reward, a Randomized Uncommon Skill from the Wretched Hulk.

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Please Select one of the below Skills.

* Savage Charge

* Dreadful Aura

* Crushing Blow

* Earthbreaker Stomp

* Steel Flesh

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Savage Charge

Rank: Uncommon

Active

Charges forward with explosive speed, knocking down everything in its path. Successfully hitting an enemy stuns them, but missing risks stunning the user instead.

Dreadful Aura

Rank: Uncommon

Passive

Emits a constant oppressive presence that lowers the morale and resolve of surrounding enemies.

Crushing Blow

Rank: Uncommon

Active

Channels energy into a fist strike that bypasses a portion of the target's defenses and generates a powerful shockwave upon impact.

Earthbreaker Stomp

Rank: Uncommon

Active

Stomps the ground with immense force, triggering a small earthquake that inflicts area damage and reduces the movement speed of all enemies within range.

Steel Flesh

Rank: Uncommon

Passive

Enhances the body to be as resilient as steel, reducing incoming physical damage.

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Scanning through the options, Lucas mentally shrugged, ‘For a Mechanic like me, there’s really only one viable choice, right?’

Without hesitation, he selected .

Almost immediately, he felt his muscle fibers compressing and expanding. The sensation was brief but intense, leaving him with a newfound sense of physical strength.

Satisfied with his decision, Lucas nodded to himself, ‘Another step closer to becoming a Legendary Mechanic!’

Next, Lucas examined the green ticket in his hand, marked with an open book and a plus symbol. ‘What skill should I upgrade, though?’ he pondered, fiddling with the ticket.

'I don't really have a super skill that's worth upgrading yet. Maybe I should wait until I get a higher-ranking skill and use it then,’ he reasoned.

Ultimately, he decided to hold onto the ticket for future use.

Since he was on watch duty, Lucas resumed meditating on Mindsteel Body Arts to further consolidate his foundation.