Chapter 38 - An Unrivaled Will
Adam felt like smacking his head—how could he have forgotten something so crucial? Sure, it was all new to him, and he hadn't been focused enough to remember every detail of his strange situation, but this was far too important to overlook. The only silver lining was that at least he now had firsthand information on how that bizarre title seemed to function, though it only raised more questions than answers, something he would like to investigate further later. However, now was not the time to dwell on it.
The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy in an instant. After the system warned about the failed button selection, a kind of black light began to project itself all around. Black light? Was that even possible? It felt more like beams of focused darkness were sweeping across the area as if they were flashlights, something that defied all logic. And yet, Adam was witnessing it firsthand, right in front of his eyes.
A loud mechanical sound echoed through the chamber, startling both Thaddeus and the rest of the team watching from just outside the entrance. Suddenly, four holes opened up in the ceiling, and from them, four heavy bundles came crashing to the ground, hitting it with a dull thud like old, filthy sacks of cloth.
"What happened?!"
Thaddeus exclaimed, rushing back to Adam’s side, his eyes darting around, unsure of what had just occurred. But before the boy could respond, the four bundles began to shake violently, their size increasing—or rather, they were starting to rise. The scene was bizarre beyond words, as if the heaps of scrap metal were assembling themselves, pulling together automatically until four golden figures finally emerged, standing tall and menacing.
In front of the two boys stood four beings whose appearance was both similar to and distinct from the automatons they had encountered before. These creatures wore no armor; instead, they were golden human skeletons with their inner workings exposed. A pulsating mass of gears and black smoke seemed to function as their organs, with a brilliant blue flame flickering at the center of each, like a beacon in the darkness.
[Sacred Guardian of Envy - Rank B ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠A high-tier undead guard made with the mixture of necromancy and technology by followers of the ‘Envy Sect’ in the ancient ‘Golden Pavilion’. It wears a black robe made of cursed fiber with the emblem of "Envy" on the back, and its body is held together by internal mechanisms within a human skeleton made of pure gold. It has a program inside its mind that will make it attack everything it recognizes as an enemy in the vicinity of the “Inner Vault”. It can conjure [Onyx Hex of Envy Lv7] on a single target and wield a pair of golden blades fused to its arms with the skills [Inflict Cursed Wounds Lv7] and [Anti-Healing Lv7].⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: ‘Sacred Guardian of Envy’ has lost its masters long ago but it regained its conscience and intelligence.⌡ ⌠Warning: Pre-programmed conscious undead will obey their orders with human-like intelligence.⌡ ⌠Hint: Undead creatures are immune to any mental attack.⌡
The information window appeared, but Adam didn’t have time to read it properly as the creatures began to slowly advance toward their position. His first instinct was to run for the exit, just like Thaddeus tried to do, but he couldn’t. For some reason, his body refused to respond, and his hands remained glued to the book on the pedestal.
“What?!”
Adam couldn’t understand what was happening or why he couldn’t move, not even his legs. At that moment, Admiral Augustus suddenly appeared beside the two boys, grabbing Thaddeus by the arm and disappearing in a blur of motion, likely heading for the exit. Adam couldn’t see them, as he was facing the opposite direction and unable to turn his head far enough due to his immobility. But that hardly mattered now. Detecting such a blatant disruption, the four guardians lunged toward Adam, their blades extending from their arms, clearly intent on striking him down.
“Move, move, move!”
He told himself this as he strained with all his might to move his body, but it was no use. All he could do was watch in horror as the golden monstrosities closed in on him. In that final moment, his instincts kicked in, and he shut his eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact... But it never came. Two, three, four seconds passed, and Adam felt nothing.
“...?”
When he slowly opened his eyes, he finally understood why, as the imposing figure of the elderly Admiral stood before him with arms crossed, having blocked the eight sword strikes from the guardians with his own body without spilling a single drop of blood.
“Looks like you can’t move, huh? Don’t worry. My mission may be specifically to protect young Volta, but I’d never let a young man like you perish in a place like this, hahaha.”
Adam was stunned by what had just happened, both by Augustus’s words and by the fact that he could remain so calm amidst four enemies without taking any damage. Was it some kind of skill? His question was quickly answered by a notification that appeared behind the Admiral.
[Skill: Iron Skin Lv10] [No info available]
A level 10 skill? That was extraordinary. It meant the Admiral’s abilities were either on par with or even superior to Adam’s curse, which, according to Li, was something he had never seen before. Was it normal to encounter such powerful characters in a C-rank world? This contradicted what Li had said, leading Adam to wonder why he would lie about something like this.
The boy couldn’t think any further, as the presence of someone so powerful caused the guardians to jump backward. Each of them opened their mouths wide, revealing a black stone inside that emitted an unusual “dark glow” as if it were darkness itself. It was then that Adam realized exactly what these small fragments were, but he could only open his mouth and shout a warning that was too late to be of any use.
“Be careful, that’s—!”
But before he could finish, strange red chains materialized around the Admiral, binding his arms and legs, only to break apart and disappear immediately.
[Skill: Onyx Hex of Envy Lv7] [No info available]
Augustus also seemed to notice something strange but couldn't move from his spot due to Adam's inability to leave. Thus, he had to finish it all in one go, even if that meant destroying the place.
[Skill: Onyx Hex of Envy Lv7] [You have seen the skill twice, data is being collected] [A special curse from the “Golden Pavilion”, casts a dark enchantment that afflicts its victim with the condition [Skill Sealing].] [Target has resisted]
Again, those red chains formed around the old man only to break and disappear immediately. Adam started to understand what was happening: the four guardians were each using the hex corresponding to their sect with a small fragment of the respective stone. However, it seemed that the Admiral was powerful enough to resist their effects, which was a great relief. Immediately after, Augustus began to tense his muscles and flex his legs as the surroundings started to tremble slightly.
⌠Warning: Skill [The Man that Shattered the Stars - Lv?] has started charging.⌡
A new system window appeared, alerting Adam to something that made him realize he was about to witness something truly spectacular. He wasn't the only one who seemed to understand this; two of the golden guardians lunged violently at the Admiral, brandishing their blades in a desperate attempt to stop him. However, they didn’t even come close to reaching him. Both were struck violently by two punches so fast that no one present could follow their motion with their eyes, leaving only the aftermath: one of the skeletons was driven into the ground, while the other was thrown against one of the walls.
[Skill: Onyx Hex of Envy Lv7] [Target has resisted]
The third guardian also attempted to use its hex, but it had no effect. The Admiral was far too powerful, and a skill three levels below his average wouldn’t easily affect him. With no other option, the golden skeleton appeared to charge at him, or so it seemed at first. Just before reaching the same distance at which the other two had been repelled, the guardian made a sharp turn and headed straight for the exit—more specifically, toward the rest of the group.
However, before the guardian could reach them, a black figure appeared out of nowhere in its path—Augustus. He had moved at an imperceptible speed, his body now radiating steam from every pore, his face twisted into an unnervingly wide grin. The kind, composed Admiral was gone, replaced by a beast watching its prey, relishing the moment as if he were enjoying himself more than ever.
Without a word, in the brief second, they stood face to face, the golden guardian’s head was violently crushed between the Admiral’s fists, which slammed together from either side like a mechanical press. In less than a second, the decapitated skeleton collapsed to the ground, seemingly lifeless. Augustus simply chuckled and turned his gaze toward the last standing guardian, ready to finish it off. However, as he took his first step toward the final target, something stopped him in his tracks.
“Hmm?”
It was the fallen guardian's body, still moving despite being headless, which made sense given that they weren’t living beings but reanimated corpses.
"They're nothing but simple beasts, right? I couldn’t expect more from soulless machines, hahaha."
Augustus said, laughing heartily, clearly unfazed by the headless automaton’s movements as more and more smoke poured from his body. Without losing his smile, he lifted his free leg, ready to crush the still-moving body clinging to him. But before he could strike, two figures rushed toward him, grabbing his arms—none other than the two battered guardians he had repelled just moments before, now back on their feet.
“Come on, guys, this is pathetic.”
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The man taunted, barely phased as he finally crushed the skeleton beneath his feet. The other two guardians clung to his arms, but their efforts were useless—Augustus could still move them with ease, despite their grip. Just as he was about to shake them off and finish them for good, something unexpected happened. A violent screech echoed through the room, drawing everyone's attention, especially those with [Analyze], as a new system alert appeared before them.
⌠Warning: Guardian ‘Sacred Guardian of Envy – Rank B’ is resonating with the unstoppable enemy in from of it, it does not want to fail its mission!⌡
⌠Warning: Guardian ‘Sacred Guardian of Envy - Rank B’ is evolving to ‘Cursed Lord of Envy – Rank A-’⌡
To everyone's disbelief—except for Adam, who couldn't turn his head and could only read the message—the decapitated skeleton, now with its torso completely destroyed, began to shake violently and grow in size as if its parts were multiplying. It reached an immense height of ten feet (3 meters) and transformed into a horrifying creature resembling more of an insect than a human skeleton. Its body was now arched with four legs, its arms elongated, and instead of blades, it wielded two enormous golden scythes. However, it still lacked a head.
Its interior continued to pulse, despite now leaking steam and something resembling oil. Several of its gears had ceased functioning, yet the blue flame in its chest burned brighter than ever, flickering with intense energy.
“Hoho~ Now this is something an old fossil like me can be excited with, but…”
In the middle of the elder’s words, the newly transformed Lord charged violently at him, intent on using its newfound powers to strike. However, all it managed to do was receive another completely imperceptible blow straight to the chest. Although it finally reacted in time to position both scythes in front of itself for defense, the force of the impact still broke through its defenses, shattering the last remnants of its chest armor and exposing its vulnerable inner workings.
“...It’s not enough, hahaha!”
It was incredible—despite the new transformation and its high rank, the Lord still couldn’t stand up to the Admiral in his current state. It seemed there was nothing to fear. Even Kazue was cheering on each of his movements. Seizing the brief pause, Augustus took the opportunity to shake off the two remaining guardians clinging to his arms, hurling them violently to opposite ends of the room with just a flick of his limbs.
Determined to finish this once and for all, the Admiral took a step forward toward the Lord of Envy, who still hadn't fully recovered from the previous impact. However, upon realizing that Augustus was approaching, the creature lunged again, this time swinging its scythes so rapidly that they vanished from the sight of everyone present—everyone except Augustus.
"For some reason, I sense desperation, pain, and determination in your movements, as if they belong to someone ready to give their life for their mission."
Augustus said, matching the guardian's speed and blocking each slash with his bare hands, without even a scratch on his skin. Yet, he was puzzled by why he could feel such emotions from an inanimate object. It was something he had witnessed and lived through countless times during his many years of service in the Ironclad Armada. Undeniably, it felt as if he were facing a soldier who refused to surrender, willing to crawl to achieve their goal if necessary.
In a final desperate attempt, the Lord of Envy raised one of its scythes, charging it with a strange black energy as the flame in its chest flared, shining brighter than ever. With immense force, it swung a vertical slash, so powerful that the air sizzled from the friction, causing a sharp whistle and kicking up a small cloud of dust around them. As the dust settled, the scene revealed the Admiral standing tall, his right arm raised, effortlessly holding the golden scythe of the guardian. The blade trembled in his grip, unable to cut through him, despite everything the Lord had tried.
"I don't know if simple machines can have consciousness, but let it be clear—this isn't your fault. You never stood a chance."
His voice carried a serene finality, a stark contrast to the violence that had just unfolded, as if offering a last bit of comfort to a creature doomed from the start. However, unlike the previous attempts, a thin scarlet thread trickled down his forearm.
"But if it's any consolation, rest knowing that your determination was strong enough to make me bleed, at least a bit."
He finished speaking just as another strike, even stronger than the last, completely shattered the chest armor of the Lord, sending it crashing to the ground, trembling and convulsing weakly. The battle was over, and it was clear that as long as the Admiral was there, there was nothing to fear. But then, something unexpected happened.
[Skill: Anti-Healing Lv9] [Target has resisted]
[Skill: Inflict Cursed Wounds Lv9] [Target has partially resisted] [Decreasing resistance to Curses]
“Hmm? It’s itchy”
Augustus, unable to see the system message, only noticed a slight itch from the small cut he had received. It had even stopped bleeding and had closed up, but for some reason, he felt something unusual. At that moment, the red chains reappeared around him, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso. This time, instead of breaking apart, they vanished after binding his body.
[Skill: Onyx Hex of Envy Lv7] [All skills are now sealed]
“What?”
The effect was immediate, and the old soldier felt it; his body stopped producing that vapor and felt unusually heavy. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, a powerful blow struck him directly in the stomach, sending him crashing toward the back of the room. He passed by Adam and slammed into one of the walls, fracturing it. Adam was the only one who saw what happened, from his position, the only thing he could see was the fourth golden guardian, which had remained on the sidelines throughout the conflict, as if calculating the situation, and as soon as it found the perfect opening, it used its hex on the vulnerable Admiral, finally managing to affect him.
After that, the Lord began to rise with great difficulty, still able to stand, and turning its enormous, deformed body toward the group outside the room that had been watching the entire fight. It was as if it were observing them despite lacking a head… A screeching sound came from the exposed mechanisms in its chest, and the creature charged at them fiercely, wildly swinging his scythes.
“Fall back!”
Li shouted forcefully as he and the others retreated at full speed, narrowly avoiding the Lord's charge, which crashed into one of the nearby walls. It was clear that the Lord was extremely weakened, but both Li and Kazue, along with Drake, had seen with their [Analyze] that this creature was of rank A-, making it nearly impossible to defeat. Still, with it in such a near-death state, there might be a chance. After all, their only option was to fight for their lives.
"Alright guys, I think we might just hit the jackpot here. Let's hit it with everything we've got! Old man with the bird, with me, you know what to do!"
The man in the straw hat exclaimed, nervously smiling with his heart pounding, as he couldn't recall the last time he had faced an enemy of such magnitude, especially with a group of novices. Fortunately, everyone understood and gathered together, with Kazue and Drake in the frontline due to being the only ones that fight in close combat, however, this time, they wouldn’t be left to fend for themselves, as both Li and Falk, the small aviatrix, shouted in unison.
“Physica Naguru”
“Physica Naguru”
The spellbook glowed intensely, and two bursts of energy shot out like streaks of fire, rapidly moving through the group and entering the bodies of the girl and the blonde, significantly boosting their physical and offensive abilities.
"Let's go!"
Li shouted to signal the start, as Kazue and Drake charged forward, closely followed by him and Falk, who was flying nearby. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Nikolai, and Thaddeus remained behind, the latter being the one who glanced back into the room, realizing that even though they faced a fearsome enemy, others were still behind them. He cursed himself, thinking Adam was still standing there like an idiot, he would need to find a way to help him out, as he was still needed.
Meanwhile, Adam remained paralyzed, unable to move, as the last of the golden guardians approached him with its blades extended and clear intentions. For the second time, it nearly delivered a cut when a massive figure appeared out of nowhere and tackled it, pushing it several meters back.
"Hahaha, that hurt! My old bones aren't up for this kind of roughhousing."
It was Augustus, who had returned to the fight, though unlike before, he now looked ordinary and lacked the imposing presence he had shown earlier. Not to mention, he had a bruise on his face and the small cut on his arm was surrounded by black veins. However, none of this dampened the old soldier's jovial attitude, even when not only did the guardian he had tackled get back up, but the other two he had thrown earlier also rose, although clearly battered.
“Mr. Redmon, are you alright?!”
Exclaimed Adam, his eyes filled with nervousness.
"Oh my, such formality, hahaha. Don't worry, kid, this is nothing. I've faced much worse throughout my long years in the Armada."
The old man replied as the three guardians charged at him. This time, Augustus knew what was happening to his body and wasn't going to rely on easily stopping them as he had before. Instead, with an almost unreal agility for his age, he efficiently dodged the golden blades and countered each attack with powerful punches that made his enemies stagger and retreat. However, gone was the strength with which he had previously sent them flying with a single blow..
Adam didn’t know what to think or what to do. While he was grateful that Augustus was protecting him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the old man was ignoring orders and putting his own life at risk. Why would he do something like this for someone he barely knew? The old man, even while fighting, noticed the puzzled expression on Adam’s face and simply laughed again.
"Hahaha, wipe that expression off your face, kid. I told you I wouldn't leave anyone behind, and especially not let a youngster perish here, right? I might have my reasons, but I won't leave you here, besides…"
He said while dodging a couple more cuts, though he was slowly losing ground.
"All my skills may have been sealed, but..."
After that, the golden blades finally struck him, with three of them—one from each guardian—embedding themselves into his arms. This time, they penetrated normally, triggering the windows that announced their effects.
[Skill: Anti-Healing Lv7] [Medium-tier passive ability: Any wound inflicted by the user on a living target cannot heal naturally. It also slows the natural healing rate of the affected individual.]
[Skill: Inflict Cursed Wounds Lv7] [Target has partially resisted] [Decreasing resistance to Curses]
Even with everything, Augustus had managed to resist the effects of one of these abilities from all three fronts, and despite the agonizing pain it caused him, he never lost his smile.
"Don't forget that I'm still an Admiral of the Ironclad Armada!"
And with that final shout, he threw his arms wide with such force that the three guardians were sent flying backward. Two of them crashed violently against the walls again, while the third was brutally charged by the old man, who wasted no time and continued attacking.
Adam was at a loss for words as he watched the scene unfold; it was both equally incredible and terrifying. At that moment, he was witnessing human pride in all its glory, even if it was just a character within the scenario. But then, something struck him, causing a sting of pain as he saw one of the guardians weakly trying to get back on its feet after the last impact.
⌠Consume ■■■ … It ■■■… Now ■■■ … NOW ■■■⌡
Finally, his arms and legs were released from their restraints, and his body was free to move and flee, or perhaps...