Chapter 42: Guardian of the Labyrinth (II)

With the apparition of the four Elite Iron Golems and with the Guardian of the Labyrinth using its Mana Overload and Arcane Shockwave to block Odin's melee attacks, the smaller Golems charged at him, surrounding him from all directions.

[Iron Golem - LV.110] (Elite) (65,385/65,385 HP)

As if the Guardian controlled them, the Boss monster also activated his Mana Drain Field where Odin stood.

Withdrawing from the active zone of the Mana Field, taking the direction of one of the charging Golems (1), he saw its fists, enhanced with mana-infused runes, aiming directly at his torso.

Calmly, he raised his Soulrend Blade and activated 'Flame Guard' to block that strike.

The golem's fist came crashing down with brutal force, but as it met the blazing Soulrend, it created an impact, sending off flames and sparks. A loud clang echoed through the battlefield, followed by the sharp hiss of molten metal.

The flames of the Flame Guard surged upon contact, absorbing the full brunt of the golem's mana-enhanced strike.

Odin stood his ground, unmoved by the force of the blow, but then followed the other attacks of the three Golems who caught up to him.

There was no time to recover. As the first Golem staggered back, three more immediately closed in, using their coordinated attacks to press him into a corner. Their massive frames blocked all escape routes, and the sheer weight of their combined presence was suffocating.

Watching all of those four Golems jumping him almost triggered some PTSD from a time he got ganged in a back alley while he was a university student, not knowing better from a new environment.

Those golems immediately identified Odin as the main threat to the Guardian without him pulling their aggro. Then came their attempts at slowing down his movements and pinning him down.

The second Golem (2) came from his left, its right fist glowing brightly as it activated 'Ruinous Strike' an attack that carried the ability of shattering Odin's defense. The massive fist arced toward Odin's side, aiming to break his guard.

Odin barely had time to shift, parrying the blow with 'Iron Arm', increasing his defense as the strike's impact sent a jarring tremor up his arms. Though partially absorbed, the force of the blow still managed to send him skidding across the cracked floor.

As Odin steadied himself, the third and fourth Golems moved in from the front and rear.

The Golem (3) in front lifted its leg and slammed the ground with 'Tremor Stomp', an ability designed to disorient and knock enemies off-balance. The shockwave rippled outward, the stone floor buckling under the pressure as Odin's footing wavered.

"Damn it!" Odin growled under his breath, his body momentarily staggering.

The fourth Golem (4) saw the opening. It capitalized on it, charging its fists with 'Knockback Fist', a powerful ability to interrupt attacks and create distance between the target and attacker.

The Golem swung wide, aiming to send Odin flying into one of the chamber's walls, and flying he did.

Odin, his reflexes sharp despite the mounting pressure, and while he waited for the exact moment his Stun would lift off, just as the Guardian fired an Arcane Pulse at him, he darted to the side, taking advantage of his high movement speed, narrowly avoiding the heat radiating spell.

It wasn't enough to dodge one of the Boss abilities since Golem (2) got up to him and used the same ability, 'Knockback Fist'. That's when he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the Knockback Fist that crashed into the space he had just occupied. Stone debris scattered in the air as the Golem's fists obliterated part of the floor.

'Almost got chain stunned. I'll be dead instantly if the Golems succeed with their plan.'

Yet despite his evasive maneuver, Odin found himself continually harried by the relentless assault of the Golems. Each time he tried to strike back, they would counter with well-timed knockback abilities, disrupting his rhythm and keeping him off-balance.

There was also the looming threat of the Guardian, who he kept aggro over.

Odin sidestepped, but the third Golem was already preparing another Tremor Stomp, the ground buckling as the shockwaves rippled outward, forcing Odin to leap into the air to avoid the disruption. As he did, the fourth Golem used Knockback Fist once more, its massive arms arcing toward him in mid-air.

Odin gritted his teeth. He couldn't keep playing possum forever, but he was off-tempo, and attacking wasn't in his books, just using his 'Flame Guard' to mitigate the damage, but deep down, he was seething with anger.

It reminded him of a time in the past when he fought against the most annoying crotch sniffer, called Bubat of the Yak Guild. With his Hidden Epic-rated Class 'Crusher', he had an annoying skill tree full of CC abilities that always kept him chain-stunned and unable to counter.

While Odin was occupied with the Golems, the Guardian of the Labyrinth hadn't been idle.

Its massive frame crackled with energy as it continued to gather mana, preparing for another devastating assault.

With the Golems successfully keeping Odin at bay, the Guardian initiated a new sequence of Arcane Pulse, firing rapid energy bolts in every direction.

These pulses didn't just target Odin. They also aimed at Elyse and Malfurion, who were trying to salvage the situation for their Master, thus forcing them to break their formation and scatter.

For both Malfurion and Elyse, the Guardian cast his Mana Drain Field, not giving them a chance at being stationary to cast their spells, and even with one second of siphoning their mana, it was worth its never-ending mana.

The air around Odin became a deadly tarantula web-trap as the arcane beams pulsed, crisscrossing in unpredictable patterns.

His 'Sovereign Insight' guided him, but dodging all the attacks was a near-impossible task, even with his heightened awareness. Several bolts grazed his armor, their energy searing his flesh beneath the metal.

"Hold on!" Elyse shouted from across the chamber, her staff glowing as she began to channel a Mana Barrier around herself and Malfurion, shielding them from the Guardian's ranged assault.

Malfurion, meanwhile, worked furiously to keep the party's buffs active, casting regeneration spells over Odin as he fought to keep up with the endless barrage of attacks. "These things are relentless!" he muttered, flapping his wings to avoid another arcane blast.

With his wings aflutter, he was moving between casting buffs and dodging arcane bolts with an almost frantic precision. He tried to counter the relentless onslaught of the Iron Golems with his own CC spells, weaving his 'Entangling Roots' and 'Twisting Vines' around their massive legs to snare them.

Nonetheless, the sheer brute strength of these constructs made them challenging to restrain for more than a few seconds. Even when momentarily trapped, they would break free, smashing through his spells with relative ease.

"Damn it, Odin can't take much more of this!" Malfurion cursed under his breath as he flapped his wings to evade another pulse of arcane energy shot by the Guardian.

Elyse struggled with her long cast timers on the other side of the battlefield because the Mana Drain Fields were like her nemesis. Whenever she started casting, the Boss monster would take notice, akin to a super-intelligent AI, and use its mana siphoning.

Her amber eyes flickered with frustration as she attempted to conjure a powerful spell, only to be forced to move again as another arcane bolt or mana siphoning from the Guardian tore through the air near her position.

"Fuck! Why is this so hard all of a sudden? This is not fun at all!"

"I need more time!" she shouted, the stress evident in her voice.

She felt useless, her mana reserves dwindling rapidly while her high-damage spells were too slow to cast amidst the chaos. The Mana Drain Field placed by the Guardian worsened the situation, siphoning what little mana she could gather.

On the other hand, Odin's patience was running thin with all those variables striking him left and right. His dislike of the Classes that were heavily focused on melee crow control was higher than his dislike for Necromancers.

'I'll use Zephyr's Swiftness to extract myself from this mess and kill the Boss monster instantly.'

'Blessing of Wind. Activate.'

With both of his blessings activated, he could turn the tide in his favor without doubt, allowing him to escape the barrage of attacks and regain the upper hand. But as soon as he tried to trigger the ability, a system notification flashed before his eyes:

[❗]

[The user can't use two Attack-type Blessings of Red simultaneously. The user has not unlocked the entire inheritance of the 'Saharan Successor' Class.]

[The User can activate only (1) Attack-type Blessing and (1) Defensive-type Blessing.]

'Huh???'

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

'What? It's not working as I want? What's this full inheritance? The fuck?'

The notification blindsided him for a split second, and in that brief moment of hesitation, an arcane pulse slammed into his shoulder, sending him stumbling.

[You have suffered 3,785 damage.]

'What the hell? No time for this right now,' Odin thought, immediately taking a screenshot of the message for later review.

He had to switch strategies if his Zephyr Swiftness conflicted with his Inferno's Embrace.

If he couldn't extricate himself, he would just take everything in before exploding like a volcano.

Odin quickly summoned his defensive blessing, the 'Terra's Resilience'.

'Blessing of Earth'

[You have consumed 25 RE. User has received the 'Terra's Resilience' Buff.]

[The user is infused with the strength of the earth for 5 minutes. The user's physical and magical defense is enhanced by 200% while reflecting 20% of melee damage back to attackers]

[The user becomes immune to knockbacks, movement slows, and stuns, while earth-based abilities cost 15% less mana during this period.]

He felt the familiar weight of the spell settles over him, a calming, grounding energy.

Almost immediately, Odin's Infernal Cloak, which had been swirling around his body like the garments of a Phoenix Emperor, began to change.

Layers of stone and earth materialized around his Lycanthrope Armor, forming a heavy plate armor over his body. The stone was dark and rugged, etched with intricate runes that glowed faintly with earthen energy.

The armor wrapped around him like a second skin, and though it appeared heavy, it didn't hinder his movements.

Instead, Odin felt more grounded. He could feel this soothing, earthly presence that he could almost swear it was telling him, 'You'll be fine, my child'—the voice of a gentle mother that he had never heard.

Since now 'Mother Earth' had him wrapped in her soothing arms, he could feel that with each step he took to block and deflect the attacks of the Iron Golems, tremors were created in response to his presence.

As the four Iron Golems continued their relentless strategy of chaining stuns and knockbacks, they soon realized something had changed.

When the third Golem tried to activate Tremor Stomp again, the shockwave rippled out toward Odin, but this time, his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. The knockback effect fizzled, unable to dislodge him.

[User has become immune to the knockback of 'Tremor Stomp'.]

'Ahh, finally, I can move my body as I want.'

The Golems, undeterred, pressed on. The fourth Golem wound up for another Knockback Fist, its mana-infused arm glowing brightly as it swung. But as the fist connected with Odin's new stone-plated armor, it merely glanced off, the force dissipating harmlessly.

[You have suffered 164 damage.]

For the first time since the battle had begun, the Iron Golems seemed to hesitate.

Odin let out a sharp, satisfied breath, an evil smirk crossing his face beneath his plate helm. "Looks like your tricks don't work on me anymore," he remarked, his crimson eyes burning with intensity.

The time for playing possum was over.

With his immunity to knockbacks and the earthen armor shielding him from most of the incoming damage, Odin took advantage of his regained momentum. He grasped his Soulrend Blade tightly, flames surging up the sword's length again.

'Inferno's Cyclone'

[User has consumed 55 MP.]

With a swift motion, Odin swung his sword in a wide arc, the flames obeying his command as they lashed out in all directions.

The four Elite Iron Golems, now within range of the attack, were immediately caught in the fiery storm. The cyclone wrapped around them, the flames igniting their iron frames and melting the runes that empowered them.

The Golems struggled to move, their heavy metal bodies slowing as the heat overwhelmed their mana circuits.

[You have dealt 5,942 damage to the targets.]

[Critical Hit!]

[You have dealt 10,486 damage to the targets.]

He took his momentum back by attacking with Inferno Cyclone, wrapping all 4 Elite Iron Golems in flames.

Seeing them in flames, Odin smirked beneath his helm, the glow of his crimson eyes reflecting the burning chaos around him.

The four Iron Golems, though engulfed in flames and reeling from the assault, still stood. Their glowing red eyes flickered, struggling to recover their footing, their iron bodies groaning under the heat of Odin's relentless fire. But they weren't finished yet.

Neither was Odin.

Across the chamber, Elyse was still fighting to regain control of the battlefield, her mana nearly depleted because she was lacking the agility to evade the Guardian's Mana Drain Field in time, thus constantly losing out 2 seconds of mana each time the Boss monster was targeting her.

Amidst the roaring flames and collapsing constructs, Odin's voice cut through the chaos, calm and commanding. "Elyse!"

His tone was reassuring, even as flames licked at his stone armor and the Golems loomed close.

"You need to cast Flameweaver's Burst now. Don't worry about your mana. These Golems are about to fall, and when they do, you'll level up and get all MP back.."

He kept his voice even, not betraying the urgency or frustration building inside him. Elyse looked up at him, her amber eyes flickering with doubt, but she could see the confidence in his gaze.

"I—" Elyse hesitated, gripping her Flameweaver's Ember Staff tightly. She had only 1255 MP, barely enough for two spells.

Listening to his voice, so far, he had never once steered her wrong, from the first time he picked her up from Titan and journeyed to Fullbaz. By now, trusting Odin's judgment became instinctual.

Odin's calm demeanor and absolute certainty in his voice helped to steady her nerves. He always knew when to push her, and this time was no different.

Elyse took a deep breath, steadying herself. 'If Odin believes I can do it, I'll trust his judgment.'

"Alright," she said, her voice firmer now, the doubt gone.

She planted her staff into the ground, feeling the energy of the chamber swirl around her as she began to channel Flameweaver's Burst. The arcane symbols along her staff flared to life, glowing with intense heat as she drew what little mana she had left into the spell.

Flames began to curl around her, building strength and waiting to be unleashed.

With a sharp exhale, she slammed the staff down.

"Flameweaver's Burst!" she shouted, releasing the pent-up energy.

A massive wave of flames erupted from her staff, expanding outward in all directions with explosive force.

The firestorm swept across the battlefield, engulfing everything within a 10-meter radius, including the four struggling Iron Golems, and even reaching the Guardian of the Labyrinth at the chamber's far end.

The Golems were immediately caught in the blast, their already weakened frames unable to withstand the magic power of Elyse's spell. The runes etched into their iron bodies began to crack under the immense heat, and their mana circuits were almost destroyed.

[Critical Hit!]

[You have dealt 16,785 damage to the targets.]

As the wave of Elyse's firestorm passed, Odin didn't hesitate.

'Infernal Tempest'

[User has consumed 500 MP.]

He followed up immediately, activating the next phase of his attack, Infernal Tempest.

With a flick of his Soulrend Blade, the air around him erupted into another vortex of flames, smaller but more concentrated. The fire swelled in a tight 360° arc around Odin, creating a fiery cyclone that drew in everything within 7 meters.

The four Elite Golems weakened and burning, were pulled into the storm's center.

Odin moved with the precision of a surgeon, his blade slicing through the air as the cyclone intensified, the flames wrapping around the Golems like chains, suffering 6 seconds in an inferno.

The heat was unbearable, with the Tempest's flames melting through their iron bodies, and Odin slashed at them mercilessly.

[ You have dealt 5238 damage to the targets ]

[ You have dealt 5086 damage to the targets]

[ Critical Hit!]

[ You have dealt 10,476 damage to the targets]

…

..

[You have dealt 5153 damage to the target ]

[You have dealt 2180 fire damage per second (5) to the targets.]

[The targets are ignited. You have dealt an additional 2,500 fire damage.]

The Golems had no chance. Their bulky frames were reduced to smoldering heaps of molten iron as the flames consumed them from the inside out.

Finally, Odin didn't give them any chance of recovering their HP by being filled in by the Guardian with some juice, so he unleashed 'Infernal Horizon', another AoE skill, to give the final strike of this deadly combo.

Flames surged outward in a wide arc, the intensity of the fire peaking as his sword cleaved through the air. The attack, enhanced by his Inferno's Embrace, was enough to obliterate the remaining Golems.

[Critical Hit!]

[You have dealt 12,177 damage to the targets.]

[ You have slain the 'Iron Golem (Elite)', gaining the following rewards: 25,230 EXP, Orichalcum ×4, Black Iron Ore ×3, Magic Stone ×3, Iron Golem Core (Rare), Refined Adamantine Shard (Rare), 14 Gold Coins ]

--

--

[ You have slain the 'Iron Golem (Elite)', gaining the following rewards: 23,520 EXP, Magically Hardened Steel (Rare), Deluxe Iron Ore ×4, Fragmented Golem's Core (Common) ×2, Shattered Arcane Gem (Rare) ×2, Rune-Engraved Iron Shield (Epic), 8 Gold Coins ]

[You have leveled up! Congratulations on reaching level 93.]

Just as he dinged with a level, Elyse and Malfurion also dinged for their contribution to the fight, especially the Fire Magician, who now had a resurgence as her MP got recharged.

The battlefield was now littered with their broken remains, glowing with residual heat. The air around Odin still crackled with the energy of his attacks, the flames slowly dissipating as his Infernal Tempest died.

"Elyse, this is advice that no mage would rather tell you. Start getting mobile and never be a sitting duck. This is why the Mana Drain is hitting you."

Odin's words hit hard, and she knew he was right. She'd been too stationary, relying too much on long-cast spells while the Guardian's Mana Drain Field had chipped away at her reserves.

"I know..." Elyse admitted, her voice carrying fatigue and self-reproach. "I've always depended on my range and power, thinking it was enough to keep me safe. But... the Guardian—"

She shook her head, her fiery locks swaying with the motion. "—I couldn't keep up. It's clear now that I need to adapt."

"Start implementing those changes now. Malf, a Reinvigoration on me. I'll destroy this metal box in a minute."

As Odin's words faded, Malfurion, perched on Elyse's shoulder in his owl form, responded swiftly to his guildmaster's command. His beady eyes flashed with ethereal light, and he spread his wings wide, transforming into his humanoid form.

"Right away, Guildmaster."

"Reinvigoration,"

The air around Odin shimmered momentarily before a gentle, green glow enveloped his body, radiating a sense of calm and rejuvenation.

[You have received 'Reinvigoration.' HP is regenerated by 3% per second for 30 seconds.]

Combined with his Regeneration passive was the Ultimate power of the Trolls along with Malfurion's Druidic buff, his HP regen had already reached 5% per second.

With the Elite Golems destroyed Odin turned his attention to the real threat, the Guardian of the Labyrinth.