Chương 52: The Crippling Blow

Recap: You confused the Forge Guardian with Core Authority but drained your Mana to 0. The Guardian is counting down to reset. You voted to SLAM THE KNEE (CRIPPLE).

"5… 4…" The countdown was a death clock. When it hit zero, the confusion would clear. The hammer would fall. And I had no mana to stop it twice. I had stamina. I had iron bands. And I had a target. Sorry, big guy, I thought. Knees are weak. I saved 5 Stamina. Just enough. I angled my base toward the Guardian's left leg. The joint was glowing brightest there. The weak point.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Skill Used: Slam Attack Cost: 5 Stamina Current SP: 2/26 Target: Forge Guardian (Level 6) Hit Location: Knee Joint I launched. 120 pounds of Ironband Mimic met black iron golem. CRUNCH. It wasn't a clean break. It was a shearing. My iron bands acted like a blade. The Guardian's joint buckled. Sparks flew. Molten fluid sprayed. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Damage Dealt: 3 HP (Structural) Effect: Mobility Impaired (Slow) Aggro Reset: Forced (You Attacked)"THREAT… IDENTIFIED…" The countdown stopped.

The yellow eyes turned red. Pure, unfiltered hate. The Guardian roared. It didn't swing the hammer. It couldn't. Its leg was broken. It stumbled, falling to one knee. It was now eye-level with me.

"NOW!" Torin screamed. He didn't hesitate. He leaped onto the Guardian's back. He drove his sword into the neck joint. Kara fired an ice spike into the exposed wiring. Renn loosed three arrows into the eye sockets.

"SYSTEM… CRITICAL… FAILURE…" The Guardian shuddered. The molten glow faded to dull gray. The hammer slipped from its fingers. CLANG. It hit the stone floor, vibrating through my base. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The giant slumped. Dead metal.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Boss Defeated: Forge Guardian (Level 6 Elite) XP Gained: 75 XP (Party Share) Current XP: 300/320 (Level 4) Loot Detected: Guardian Core (Fragment), Iron Ingot (Pure), Hammer (Unique) I lay there. Panting. (Metaphorically). 2 Stamina left. 0 Mana. 16 HP. I was running on fumes. But we were alive. Torin jumped off the corpse. He was breathing hard. He looked at the broken knee. Then at me.

"You… you took out its leg. With your body."

"It… worked," I creaked. My hinges were hot. Literally. The friction had heated them up. Kara walked over. She inspected the Guardian.

"This iron… it's pure. Dungeon forged. And this…" She pointed to a glowing shard in the chest cavity.

"A Core Fragment. Like the one you ate." Don't eat it, I thought. Save it.

"We need to rest," Torin said. He sheathed his sword.

"My mana is low. Renn is out of arrows. Box… you look… dim." Dim? I was exhausted.

"The Frost Ward," Kara said.

"It's fading. Five minutes. We need to find a safe spot before the heat kills us." I looked around. The tunnel ahead led deeper into the Furnace. But to the left… there was a small alcove. Blocked by a pile of slag. Safe, I thought. Hide. I nudged the slag pile. It moved easily with my Strength 7. Behind it was a cool stone niche. No lava view. No heat vents.

"Perfect," Torin said. They dragged the Guardian's hammer into the niche with me. (Loot). They settled down. I closed my lid. Camouflage active. Dormant State active. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Time Elapsed: 30 Minutes SP Regenerated: +24 (Dormant Bonus) Current SP: 26/26 (Full) MP Regenerated: +3 Current MP: 3/16 HP Regenerated: +0 Current HP: 16/21 Status Effect: Frost Ward Status: EXPIRED Okay. Stamina full. Mana… still critical. HP… okay. I was ready for Floor 6. But I was close to Level 5. 300/320 XP.

Just 20 XP away. The party was waking up. Torin was sharpening his blade. Kara was studying the Core Fragment.

"We can't stay here," Torin said.

"The heat… it's rising again. Floor 6 is the Crystal Caverns. Ice monsters. Magic hazards." Ice, I thought. After Fire. My wood will crack from thermal shock.

"Box," Kara said. She held out the Core Fragment.

"You… you resonate with these. Should you… take it?" Yes, I thought. Give me the candy. But if I ate it… would I level up? Would I evolve again? Or would I overload? Current Stats (Level 4 - Ironband Mimic): HP: 16/21 (Unchanged) Mana: 3/16 (Critical) Stamina: 26/26 (Full) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Guardian Hammer (Loot). Status: Stamina Full, Mana Critical, Floor 6 Ahead. What do you do? A) EAT THE CORE FRAGMENT (POWER) Consume the shard. Gain XP. Potential Level Up to 5.

Unlock new skill. (Cost: 0 SP. Gain: XP, Potential Evolution. Risk: Mana Overload.) B) SAVE THE FRAGMENT (LOOT) Keep it in inventory. Sell it later or use it for crafting. Don't risk instability. (Cost: 0 SP. Gain: Valuable Item. Risk: Miss Level Up.) C) ASK FOR MANA POTION (SUPPORT) Creak at Kara. Indicate you need mana. She might have a potion or can transfer some. (Cost: 0 SP. Gain: MP Restore. Risk: She might not have any.) D) SCOUT FLOOR 6 (ALONE) Slide ahead into the Crystal Caverns.

Use full Stamina to check for traps before the party moves. (Cost: 5 SP. Gain: Intel. Risk: Solo Encounter.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 51! Option A (Slam Knee) was a success! You crippled the Guardian, allowed the party to finish it, and secured the loot! You're now 300/320 XP (Close to Level 5)!