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Chapter 8: Stoned

The guardian ripped its hands free of the wall with two deafening cracks. Its massive polearm followed, torn from the stone in a single motion. A spearhead was fixed on one end and an axblade on the other.

[The third guardian of the West has recognized you as an ‘Enemy.’]

A chilly wind found Vin’s neck, even through the heavy plate. The stone guardian dwarfed them in more ways than one. No matter how tough players might seem, they hid flesh and blood beneath their armor, soft and stabbable. They had a weakness. And as the giant's head strained against its stone prison, filling it with cracks, Vin saw no weakness. He instinctively held his shield a little higher.

The ground trembled as the guardian's foot found it. It was free. A few moments passed and it stood there, as if trying to remember what movement felt like. Then it charged.

"Care!" Shill yelled from the front. The mass of stone and metal came for him and he fell to the side, dodging out of the way. Standard tactic. The guardian made a beeline for Vin's squad, each step leaving behind a crater the size of a man. One swing of the bladed polearm was enough to stir the wind into a fury.

Vin didn't shy from the giant's advance. "Stability! Light Shield!" He called out. A force clung to his feet and tethered him to the ground. The skills of over three hundred players combined.

[Skill link successful.]

Vin raised his shoulder and braced for impact. The defensive magic shattered the way Vin imagined a cannon ball would shatter glass. The center of the axblade crushed against Vin's shield, spraying bits of molten metal onto the players behind him. Five players had taken the brunt of the blow and were squeezed between the weapon and their allies. Yet they held, and the guardian's advance was thwarted.

[Malendan Shield’s durability reduced by 151.]

[Dongardan Plate’s durability reduced by 76.]

Vin's shield was dented to the point of breaking, and plates of his armor had shattered. Even though the game numbed pain, all his muscles were screaming with it. Just the force of the strike had nearly knocked him unconscious. It had intelligence, this one. Knew who led and to go after them first. Moments after the guardian stilled, a flurry of spells flew over Vin’s head. Jets of water, streams of light and invisible waves of force focused on its chest. Two more squads pincered the guardian from both sides that same instant, thrusting spears aimed for its knees. The attacks complimented each other perfectly. Shill had trained them well.

The guardian's health bar had decreased by one third after the guild's counterattack. Vin already hungered for the achievement points they'd earn once the boss fell. Perhaps it would be enough to push them to second place in the rankings.

The spear squads retreated as fast as they had advanced. Once the barrage of spellcasting ended, the guardian was missing one hand and webs of cracks had spread on his stoney skin. There was no reason to push for more damage. Mobs in Twilight couldn't be underestimated, let alone boss monsters.

The guardian stumbled back and hefted the polearm. A thrust of the spearhead met Vin's shield. Powerful though it was, with only one arm's strength behind the strike, Vin managed to block it.

Shill had circled around in the meantime, joining up with the spearmen. They worked like elaborate machinery, weaving in and out of the fight untouched whenever the guardian struck.

The guardian's health bar switched from green to red once it dropped below half.

"Hold!" Vin called out, and the guild members stopped their attacks. His squad pushed to the front with their shields raised.

The boss had entered the next phase. This was always a critical time in a battle that threw players off rhythm. Everyone had their eyes open and their defensive skills at the ready. The guardian dropped its polearm, straightened its back and took careful, measured steps backwards. Its ruby eyes locked onto Vin’s and it charged once more.

“Brace!” Vin screamed to the shieldbearers. The giant descended upon them once more, tearing earth from the ground with each thunderous step. Only this time, it didn’t stop. A massive foot shook the earth next to Vin, almost dropping him to his knees. He instinctively closed his eyes. The force he braced for never came. The gigantic guardian, that ridiculously heavy mass of stone and metal had jumped. In the frozen moment between heartbeats, Vin saw the guardian in the air, leaping over his defensive line.

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It crushed back onto the ground to the sound of players screaming. The spearmen had scattered like leaves in the wind as the guardian righted itself for another strike. Twenty heads, Vin counted instinctively. They’d all lived, somehow.

“Shill!” Someone yelled and Vin saw the man on his knees, standing in the monster’s shadow. One of his legs had been caught under the weight. The guardian raised a massive arm, preparing to slam it down. Vin didn’t have time to think. He dropped sword and shield and rushed forward. A spearman screamed for action. Colored mist formed in the air as mages readied their spells. They’d be too late; the distance was too great. Vin put more strength in his legs, leaping over a boulder and skidding beneath exposed roots. The arm fell towards Shill. It lasted only a moment. A heartbeat. Vin leaped and rolled underneath it. He raised his hands and the weight crushed onto his back, pushing him down to one knee.

The plates on Vin’s back began to crack as they absorbed the force of the blow, white lines spreading down the radiant metal. He looked down at Shill’s stunned silence and forced the words through a clenched jaw. “Got… you.”

There was a crack in the air when the first spell hit. The pressure on Vin lessened as the guardian inched back and he pushed up with all his strength. The second spell forced the guardian back and Shill freed his leg.

Vin stole a moment to check his health as he followed his vice leader to safety. Eleven percent. He'd expected more but he’d survived with less. Nothing new there. His armor, though, had been damaged to the point of uselessness. He retreated to the back, giving way to other players. Another wave of spells found their mark. The guardian's health bar kept dropping all the while.

This was the simple brilliance of Vin's innovation. This is what had allowed Glimmering Shield to take on opponents of a much higher level than their own and quickly climb the rankings. When asked about the secret to his guild's success, Vin would always respond with his mantra; cooperation trumps individual skill.

The guardian's chest soon cracked open, and its knees found the ground with a thud. It opened its nearly shattered mouth. "Brave… Warriors. May the fire… forever burn in your hearts." The guardian struggled to form the words out of its broken lips. Slowly, the light that once burned in its eyes dimmed back into nothingness. It was over.

[You have defeated the third guardian of the West! This is a monumental achievement that will pave the way to the western lands.]

The guild exploded in cheers, and rightfully so. They had lost no one. Not even Vin expected this clean a victory.

"Thank you…" Shill sat on the ground and his eyes glazed over.

"Don't mention it." Vin patted him on the back. "You're my friend after all." Finally, after a series of defeats he had proven useful. It was a refreshing feeling. Before they could continue, a system message got their attention.

[The contribution has been calculated.]

Contribution ranking: Reward 1: Vin (Stone Skin skill scroll) 2: Shill (Guardian's Polearm Design)

3: Keith

(Guardian's Ruby eyes)

...

...

The part of the wall that once held the guardian crumbled away, revealing a dark corridor.

[Andur Vita, the ancient dwarven ruins have been unlocked.]

Another new area had been unlocked, but this time it was big news. Most players and Twilight experts thought the west to be barren. Vin himself had almost given up on the exploration. Four months of raiding had only unlocked subpar areas with scarce monsters and even fewer riches. Yet now...

Andur Vita.

Vin got goosebumps just by glancing at the name. An ancient city. Who knew what treasures it hid in its depths?

"Send our sponsors the raid footage," Vin instructed Shill, "but be sure to leave out the entrance to the city."

Shill rested his spear on his shoulder and nodded. "We'll send in a scouting party."

Vin held no delusions. It was only a matter of time before other players found the entrance, but until then they'd have the city to themselves. He was about to check his newly acquired skill when a purple message popped up in the guild chat. A single sentence from Cecilia made his hair stand on end.

'Asire wants to challenge you in single combat.'