Chương 59: Hammer of the Gods (Inside a Crystal)

Recap: You entered the Geode Instance to purge a Core Parasite. The Parasite lunged at you. You voted to DEPLOY HAMMER (BURST). It was a shadow made of glass. Sharp. Fast. Hungry. It lunged across the white void, claws extended, aiming to shred my lid into splinters. I didn't dodge. I didn't have room. The platform was ten feet wide. The void below was… nothingness. Eat steel, I thought. I focused on the Dimensional Pocket. The Guardian Hammer sat there, heavy and hot. I pushed it out.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Skill Used: Dimensional Release Cost: 0 MP (Retrieval) Item: Guardian Hammer (Unique) Effect: Momentum Transfer The hammer materialized mid-air, directly above the Parasite's trajectory. Gravity took over. The fire enchantment flared to life, reacting to the shadowy substance of the enemy. WHAM. It wasn't a clean hit. It was a collision. The hammer struck the Parasite's shoulder. The glass shattered. The shadow screamed—a sound like grinding teeth.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Damage Calculation: Blunt (Strength 7) + Fire Enchantment Base Damage: 20 HP Elemental Bonus: x1. 5 (Fire vs. Shadow) Critical Hit (Surprise): x2 Total Damage: 60 HP This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Target HP: 40/100 Sixty percent, I thought. In one swing. The Parasite was knocked backward. It skidded across the white platform, leaving a trail of black ichor. It looked at the hammer. Then at me.

"TOOL… OF… KEEPERS…" it hissed.

"YOU… WIELD… WHAT… IS… NOT… YOURS…" The hammer lay on the platform, smoking. I didn't have hands to pick it up. I could store it again, but that cost focus. I could slide to it… but that cost time. The Parasite stood up. Its shoulder regenerated. Glass shards floated back into place. But the black ichor remained. The fire damage was permanent.

"PAIN… TEACHES… ADAPTATION…" The void around us changed. The white floor turned gray. The air grew heavy. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Warning: Instance Hazard (Corruption Spread) Effect: MP Drain (5 MP per Turn) Effect: Skill Cooldown +50% Great, I thought. It's poisoning the arena. I had the hammer on the field. I had full stamina. I had 16 MP (draining). I had 16 HP. The Parasite had 40 HP. It was healing slowly. It was adapting. If I slammed it again… I might finish it. But I needed the hammer. If I used magic…

the drain would hurt. If I bit it… my teeth might shatter on the glass. The Parasite raised its hands. Shadows coalesced into spears. Dozens of them. Floating in the air. Aimed at me.

"DIE… ANOMALY…" I had one chance to retrieve the hammer before the volley hit. Or I could tank the volley and Slam. Current Stats (Level 5 - Ironband Mimic): HP: 16/23 (Unchanged) Mana: 16/18 (Draining 5/turn) Stamina: 28/28 (Full) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Guardian Hammer (Deployed). Status: Instance Solo, Corruption Drain Active, Shadow Spears Incoming. What do you do? A) RETRIEVE HAMMER (DEFENSE) Store the hammer immediately. Use the MP to cast a shield or dodge the spears.

(Cost: 0 MP (Store). Gain: Weapon Safety. Risk: No weapon for counter-attack.) B) SLAM THE PARASITE (OFFENSE) Ignore the spears. Slam into the Parasite while it's recovering. Tank the damage. (Cost: 5 SP. Gain: Massive Damage. Risk: Take Full Spear Volley Damage.) C) TAUNT THE PARASITE (DISTRACT) Use Taunt to force it to melee you instead of ranged. Bring the fight close. (Cost: 3 MP. Gain: Melee Only. Risk: MP Drain, Spears might still fire.) D) EAT THE SPEARS (COUNTER) Open lid. Catch the spears mid-flight.

Convert enemy ammo into HP/XP. (Cost: 2 SP. Gain: HP Regen. Risk: Timing Difficulty, Might miss some.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 58! Option B (Deploy Hammer) was a critical hit! You dealt 60 Damage to the Parasite, but now the Instance is Corrupted and draining your MP!