Oliver stopped running. Panic released control of him, and he looked to his companions. Only Saj and Halfdan were with him. They spent hours walking around the town looking for Sigrid and Charity.

They called each other's names and regrouped at the town square. A chime clanked, wood creaked, and a door banged open.

A wind circled the town and ruffled the surrounding mist.

They peered up at the clock tower and saw the tattered figure of the woman at the top, but she withdrew.

From behind, a roar rumbled through the streets. It drew nearer.

Oliver signaled his companions to spread out. Mostly, he didn’t want them in the way if he had to release his magic.

Halfdan’s position threatened to cross the invisible line of forty-five degrees where a misplaced Astral Lance could obliterate him.

Sigrid, Saj, and Charity stayed behind, the first nocking an arrow.

“That sounded large,” Saj said.

“Giant,” Halfdan said. “I see him.”

Oliver looked around. Where was Hunter? Ugh, the man was a shadow at midnight.

A wagon rolled into the street. As it tumbled, it splattered and crashed through a shop wall. The already sagging roof above collapsed.

A monstrous silhouette blocked out the glow behind the mist. A giant, at least four times a man’s height, muscles knotted, one eye deformed, drooping to the side over its cheek, raised a morning star.

Hunter appeared in midair, jumping from a tiled rooftop. He slashed the face of the creature in the side with a good eye but missed blinding it.

The creature swatted, then spotted the rest of them, striding forward with a limp.

Oliver noticed the runes of his swordstaff glowed. He needed to gain better control of his magic. His subconscious poured energy into the weapon.

The giant swung the spike ball on a chain, and Hunter dashed out of the way, leaving another building to collapse.

Halfdan darted forward, axe raised.

This is why it’s better to be alone. Oliver couldn’t find a single angle to strike the giant without endangering his friends. Well, he’d have to enter the melee.

Halfdan ducked a morning star bow, a backhand, and a stomp, slid over the cobbles, and buried his axe into the shin bone the size of a small tree. The muscles flexed around his bowling ball shoulders, but the axe was stuck. He held onto it and left the ground.

Saj and Charity took cover behind the clock tower. They peeked from around the back.

Oliver remembered the last giant he’d felled, a giant many times more massive than this monstrosity. He sprinted under Haldan to the other leg and stuck the heel tendon. The swordstaff bit into the flesh, but the skin was as thick as an elephant’s. The blade barely broke through.

The amount of blood pouring from the wound would have drained a man in seconds. The blood gurgled from the jagged rent.

The arrows Sigrid rained down on the creature did nothing until one thudded into the white of its eye. The shaft swung up and hit eyelashes, then down at the hand that tried to pull it out but let go at a bold of pain evident by the jerk at touching it.

Halfdan seized the moment, leaning back and using his legs to free the axe. He stuck at the same point and his time and gave a quick twist to free the blade.

Again, bone crunched under the axe, and the giant toppled.

Hunter struck the exposed through with two swords. The longer sword raised a fountain of blood. The creature choked and lay still.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Saj approached warily, nudging the giant’s arm with his foot. No response. He looked in the mouth and found a human bone stuck in the giant's teeth. It still had meat on it/

Hafldan sliced the creature's stomach open. Then they found it. It was small, unmistakably human. Oliver’s heart clenched. “The farmer’s boy,” he said. There was no way to know, but it seemed more than plausible.

Halfdan scowled, fists clenched. “The poor lad didn’t stand a chance when Changen forced him here.”

Charity stood behind them, silent tears glistening in her eyes. “If this time loop keeps going, maybe we could wait until midnight and try to save him.”

Oliver felt a glimmer of hope. “That’s a good idea.”

They took turns sleeping in a house with decent bedding. The hours ticked by slowly, and they saw things while watching. Oliver noticed a hand in the mist from something indescribable. Long tapered digits grasped at shapes in the swirls.

Around them, the streets remained eerily quiet until a few people walked by. They were armed and glanced around nervously. It wasn’t worth letting them know anyone was here. No one could know if they were friendly.

Though distant clocktower bells chimed occasionally, echoing through the gloom. Each chime marked a later hour.

As the clock neared midnight, they gathered on the rooftop, an open vantage point over the swirling fog. The final bell struck. The world blinked, colors dimmed, and a whisper promised something in an unknown tongue.

Oliver’s vision blurred momentarily, and he walked out of the mist. The time loop had reset.

Blinking away disorientation, they checked street after street, looking for any signs of the boy. They had to intercept him before the giant did.

They passed the same landmarks repeatedly. The butcher’s shop smelled terrible. Meat rotted inside. The town’s square stood empty. Throughout, time-fragments replayed scenes of everyday life.

Finally, they spotted him. The lanky boy crept along a ruined stable. He clutched a hunting knife.

“Hey, boy,” Saj yelled out.

The giant materialized above the stables instead of catching the boy’s attention. Its single eye locked onto the boy. Its other eye lacked the arrow wound.

The boy ran away from the giant and them, heading toward the outskirts.

“Over here!” Oliver shouted, waving at the giant to draw its attention. The beast turned, morning star in hand, drooling in anticipation of a small snack.

Oliver refused to let magic control him. The sword staff runes remained dim. That was better. “Go grab the kid.”

Charity ran off to follow the boy, and Saj saw and caught up.

The giant bellowed and started the spiked ball whirling. When it got close enough, the chain shot it close.

Sigrid peppered its shoulders with arrows, but she couldn’t find the eye again.

Saj rushed to the boy, guiding him away to relative safety behind a collapsed market stall. The lad stared, eyes wide, as Oliver advanced on the giant’s front.

“Run. I’ll take care of it,” Oliver said, and when they had withdrawn, he summoned a shimmering barrier. The Astral Shield enclosed him.

The giant’s fists and morning star battered uselessly against the cosmic shell. Sparks of magic rained down as the monster snarled in frustration.

Oliver raised a hand, magic crackled between fingers, and the runes flashed. He cast Astral Lance.

The collision was immediate and deafening.

The giant’s chest opened in a crimson explosion. The monstrous flesh seemed to disintegrate into a rain of gore. Bits of bone and muscle pattered on the cobblestones.

Oliver staggered back, breathing hard, the shield dissipating. Silence smothered the street.

Sigrid lowered her bow, mouth parted in shock at the scale of destruction. Halfdan wiped specks of blood from his cheek, grimacing at the carnage.

Down the road, Saj and Charity talked with the boy.

Oliver leaned on his swordstaff. “Well, that was disgusting,”

Hey, select your level-up abilities, Oliver. I noticed you’re not making the most of your classes. You’ve dropped to rank 330. Also, I’ve sent you an invite to a group chat with Hunter and Elstina. You’ll be able to talk with them and coordinate your next move.

Oliver replied that he got the message. And perhaps he should look into his character abilities more. It seemed like he had plenty of power for now, but it wouldn’t hurt.

The lad stammered a thank you. “My father said not to come here, but Changen threatened him. I thought... I thought I could find the crystal myself.”

Oliver didn’t want to say it had been a bad idea. “Changen only sent you in here to be cruel. But there’s a chance you’ll get out of here with the crystal after all.”

The clocktower’s faint bell chimed.

Oliver gazed into the swirling mist, wondering what would happen when he claimed the crystal.

His companions followed him. They stayed close to buildings.

He sent Hunter to scout ahead to ensure the way was clear until they reached the clock tower.

Atop the structure, the banshee watched them. It didn’t scream but only looked down on them.

Oliver pushed open a door that hung askew on one hinge. He was sure the crystal was inside.