Kaelen finally rose from the cold floor, brushing bone dust from his armor. "Alright, Vessira, let's get moving." He strode out of the room, the corridor beyond the Skeleton Knight's chamber surprisingly short, leading them quickly to another room. In the center stood a large chest, as long as Kaelen was tall, its surface gleaming with a striking black hue.
Kaelen opened the chest, revealing a massive sword, even larger than the one currently strapped to his back. The blade was a stunning black, reminiscent of the Skeleton Knight's sword, but far more impressive in size and craftsmanship. He picked it up, and as soon as it was in his hands, he felt the difference—this sword was far more balanced, lighter to wield despite its size.
He swung it a few times, testing the weight, and was surprised by how easily it moved through the air. His gaze shifted to the sword he had been carrying. Chips and cracks lined its edge, a reminder of the harsh battles he'd faced. Without hesitation, Kaelen swapped the old sword for the new one.
Inside the chest, he noticed a scabbard, perfectly designed for the blade. He grabbed it, sheathed the sword, and slung it over his back, feeling more prepared than ever for whatever lay ahead.
"Kaelen, how could you just toss away the sword you came here with? No loyalty at all?" Vessira's voice was mockingly accusatory as she floated in front of him, feigning anger over the discarded weapon.
Kaelen scoffed, shaking his head. "It's not a lover, Vessira. It's a tool. Tools break, you replace them. There's no loyalty to be had."
Vessira burst out laughing. "I sure hope you don't replace me as easily as you did that poor sword."
Without breaking stride, Kaelen smirked. "Keep being nosy, and I just might."
This time, Vessira scoffed as she retreated to her usual spot atop Kaelen's head. He continued down the dark corridor, his steps slow and cautious as they passed through the empty rooms. Despite their situation, Vessira hummed a light tune, surprisingly cheerful for the tense atmosphere surrounding them.
Kaelen finally reached another door, the first one he had encountered that was completely shut. He grabbed the handle, knowing there was no point in delaying—he had to find a way out of this place. As he pulled the door open, he struggled slightly, surprised by its weight. Stepping into the room, he noticed something different: for once, his enemy wasn’t a skeleton.
A massive, lifeless giant sat in the center of the room. Suspicious, Kaelen drew his sword, fully aware that the giant wasn’t truly dead. Just as he expected, the creature began to stir, its rotting flesh sagging from its bones. Fortunately, it didn't appear to have a weapon.
The giant stood twice Kaelen’s height, like two of him stacked on top of each other, with glowing purple eyes that burned ominously. Its skin was pale, almost blue, a clear sign of its long, rotting decay. It began to trudge closer, each step heavy and deliberate.
Vessira, recognizing the gravity of the situation, quickly flew from atop his head. This time, she didn’t even bother hiding in his armor. Instead, she darted into a small corner at the top of the room, watching nervously as the giant approached.
"Kaelen you can't die, I have to get out of here. I don't plan on becoming an undead as well."
Kaelen assumed a stance, mimicking the one he observed from the skeleton knight in his previous fight. His expression was focused, deadly serious, and he didn’t even acknowledge Vessira’s retreat. Eyes locked on the giant, he began to circle it cautiously, searching for any opening—a weak spot he could exploit—without risking being instantly crushed beneath its immense weight. Every step of the giant echoed through the chamber, but Kaelen kept his calm, calculating his next move.
Kaelen rushed forward, seizing the opportunity as the giant had allowed him to get behind it. With determination, he swung his blade, activating Brutal Swing in an attempt to knock the creature down. His sword connected with the giant’s leg, but to his dismay, it only produced a shallow cut, barely more than a paper-thin slash. The giant was far more durable than it appeared, and it merely stumbled forward slightly.
The giant quickly regained its balance and retaliated, swinging its massive fist, which was larger than Kaelen’s head. Kaelen barely managed to activate Enduring Defense in time, bracing his sword to parry the crushing blow. The brute's fist bounced off his blade with tremendous force, sending tremors through Kaelen's arms. He countered with a swift forward stab, aiming for an exposed area of flesh. His sword pierced through the giant’s rotting skin, and blue blood oozed from the wound as the monster stumbled back, momentarily thrown off guard.
Kaelen and the giant squared off again, the enormous creature towering over him. Its glowing purple eyes locked onto Kaelen with an unsettling intensity. The air was heavy with the stench of rot, and the cold stone beneath Kaelen’s feet felt slick with the dust and grime of centuries.
The giant let out a deafening roar, shaking the very walls of the chamber, and charged forward with terrifying speed for something its size. Kaelen sidestepped just in time, but the sheer force of the giant’s momentum sent a gust of wind past him, and its shoulder slammed into the wall with a booming crash, cracking the stone.
Kaelen dashed forward, taking advantage of the momentary daze, and swung his sword with everything he had, aiming for the creature’s leg. The blade connected, but the thick, decayed flesh absorbed much of the impact. The giant growled in frustration and swiped at him with a backhanded fist. Kaelen ducked, barely avoiding the blow, and rolled to the side, his heart pounding in his chest.
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"This thing’s too damn tough," he muttered, feeling the fatigue from his previous fights weighing him down. His shoulder throbbed from where the giant had grazed him earlier, and his grip on his sword was slipping with every swing.
The giant regained its footing and stomped toward him, its footsteps reverberating through the chamber like distant thunder. It swung its fist downward, and Kaelen barely had time to activate his enduring defense, raising his sword to block. The impact was tremendous, sending shockwaves up his arms, nearly forcing him to drop his blade. His feet slid back against the stone floor as the brute's power overwhelmed him.
Kaelen gritted his teeth and pushed back, deflecting the giant’s fist just enough to keep it from crushing him. As the giant staggered back from its own force, Kaelen lunged forward, driving the tip of his sword into its stomach. The blade pierced the rotting flesh, and blue blood oozed out, but the wound wasn’t deep enough to slow the creature down.
The giant bellowed in pain and backhanded Kaelen across the room. He flew through the air, slamming into the stone wall with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through his back, and for a moment, the world spun around him. His sword clattered to the ground, just out of reach.
Gasping for breath, Kaelen tried to rise, but his limbs felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the relentless ache of his injuries. The giant, seeing its advantage, lumbered toward him, each step causing the ground to tremble beneath its weight.
Vessira, perched in the corner, let out a panicked shout. "Kaelen, get up! It’s coming!"
He could hear her, but his body wouldn’t respond fast enough. The giant loomed over him, raising its massive fists high into the air, preparing to crush him into the floor. Desperation surged through Kaelen, and with a primal roar, he forced himself up onto his knees and rolled to the side just as the giant's fists came crashing down, smashing the stone floor where he had been moments before.
Kaelen scrambled toward his sword, his body protesting with every movement. He barely managed to grab it before the giant stomped down, trying to crush him underfoot. Kaelen rolled again, narrowly avoiding the deadly blow. He could feel the cold from the giant’s decaying flesh as it brushed past him.
Getting to his feet, Kaelen activated his brutal swing, mustering the last of his strength as he slashed at the giant’s leg. The blow landed, harder this time, and a deeper cut opened up in the giant’s thigh. Blue blood spilled out in greater amounts, but the creature was far from finished.
The giant roared again and swung its fist, this time connecting with Kaelen’s side. The force sent him skidding across the floor, his sword slipping from his grip once more. His vision blurred as pain shot through his ribs. He knew at least one was broken.
Struggling to breathe, Kaelen got back to his feet. His sword was out of reach, but he didn’t have time to grab it. The giant was closing in, its glowing eyes locking onto him with murderous intent. Kaelen’s mind raced as he realized he couldn’t win this fight conventionally. His sword wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough.
But he wasn’t about to give up.
With a furious snarl, Kaelen charged at the giant, this time with nothing but his fists. The creature swung at him again, but Kaelen ducked under its massive arm and drove his shoulder into the giant’s already wounded leg. The decaying muscle tore under the force, and the giant stumbled, its balance faltering. Kaelen took advantage of the moment and threw his entire weight into the creature, tackling it to the ground.
The giant crashed down with a tremendous impact, sending dust and debris into the air. Kaelen was on it in an instant, straddling its chest and slamming his fists into the giant’s face. The giant tried to swat him away, but its movements were slower now, weaker. Kaelen’s knuckles split open against the bone, but he didn’t stop. He pounded the giant’s skull with relentless fury, each punch fueled by the desperation to survive.
The giant’s glowing eyes flickered as its skull began to cave in. Blue blood sprayed from its cracked face, and with one final, bone-shattering blow, Kaelen crushed the giant’s head completely. The purple glow faded from its eyes, and the creature went limp beneath him.
Breathing heavily, Kaelen collapsed onto the giant’s chest, his bloodied fists trembling from exhaustion. The fight was over. He had won.
Vessira fluttered down from her hiding spot, hovering beside him with a mixture of awe and concern. "Kaelen... you’re insane."
Kaelen, barely able to move, managed a weak smile. "I’m still alive, aren’t I?"
He slowly got to his feet, his body protesting every movement. He looked down at the mangled corpse of the giant and let out a sigh of relief.
[Shan'Karu's Punished Giant Slain. Greater Rune of Defense Awarded. Greater Rune of Strength Awarded.]
[Stat threshold reached. Congratulations on reaching Level 3. Please choose two skills.]
"Good Job Kaelen you leveled up again I'll read you're skills out."
Raging Strike: Unleash a powerful attack that ignores all defense. Your strength is temporarily increased by half of your Constitution, but your Constitution is halved during this time.
Counter Stance: Prepare to absorb incoming damage and retaliate with an empowered strike that deals increased damage based on the damage absorbed.
Endless Resilience: Significantly boosts your stamina regeneration while engaged in prolonged combat, allowing you to maintain your endurance.
Savage Grapple: Engage in close combat to grab your foes, restricting their movement and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
Focused Strikes: Execute three swift slashes aimed at your enemy's weak points.
Heavy Slam: Deliver a devastating smash to the ground, creating a shockwave that deals area damage to all enemies within range.
Battle Focus: Heighten your combat awareness, temporarily increasing your reaction time and agility, allowing for quicker dodges and strikes.
Crippling Blow: Launch a concentrated attack that temporarily slows your enemies, reducing their movement speed.
"Hmm, they’re all interesting. I’ll take Raging Strike first, but I’m a bit worried about my second skill. All of the options are pretty good. I think I’ll go with Endless Resilience for my second skill. I noticed during my fight with the giant that I get tired too easily—it's like I’m just wasting all my energy."
Kaelen locked in the skills and began walking through the door that opened after he defeated the giant.
"Hmph, I would’ve chosen Heavy Slam. Remember how those skeletons were beating you up? One of those, and they all would’ve gone flying."
Kaelen laughed. "That was going to be my first choice, but I doubt I’ll be getting jumped often."