Aiden dashed forward without hesitation, closing the distance between him and the towering crystal golem. His body spun with practiced instinct, delivering a full 360° kick straight to the creature's chest.
CLANG!
It felt like kicking a mountain.
"AGHH!" Aiden recoiled instantly, stumbling back and clutching his leg in agony. "What the hell is this durability you have?" he groaned, wincing as pain shot up through his thigh.
The golem—massive, jagged, and gleaming like a monument carved from living gemstone—lifted its granite-like arm and brought it down in a crushing arc. Aiden barely managed to roll aside, the ground shattering where he had just stood. He shot between the creature's legs with a burst of momentum and appeared behind it.
With all his frustration, he threw a sharp jab at the golem's lower back.
CRACK!
Aiden's knuckles flared red, trembling from the impact. "I still can't believe this..." he hissed through clenched teeth, pulling back his now-throbbing hand.
The golem turned sharply and swung with a wide backhand. Aiden ducked under the massive arm, sweat flying off his brow.
"This thing won't go down if I keep punching it. My fists and legs are useless here," he muttered, analyzing the towering enemy. That's when he saw it—tiny fractures spiderwebbed across the golem's crystalline body. Faint, but definitely there.
"Wait… those cracks…!"
Thinking fast, Aiden rushed toward the scattered remains of fallen fighters. His eyes scanned their belongings—anything sharp, anything useful.
A greatsword lay by a fallen knight. He tried lifting it.
"Too damn heavy!" he grunted, dropping it with a clatter.
A dagger glinted nearby. He snatched it up, took aim, and hurled it like a dart. It struck the golem's torso—
—and disintegrated on impact.
"Too small," he spat, frustration mounting.
A rapier next. Elegant, slim. Aiden gave it a single swing.
"Too weak." The blade bent slightly in his hand. He tossed it aside.
Then… something caught his eye.
A sword—simple, yet divine. Its blade shimmered with faint silver light. Golden hilt. Ancient engravings. As Aiden touched it, he felt something hum inside him, like a sacred hymn was echoing in his chest. He gripped it with both hands.
"This one… this one's right."
He charged once again, sword raised. The golem responded instantly, swinging its arm like a hammer. Aiden braced—
CLANG!!
The sword blocked it. Sparks flew. Aiden slid back from the force, knees trembling.
"Ugh… can't dodge with this much weight added," he muttered. "Fine. Straight to the core it is."
He leapt—using the golem's own arm as a platform—and climbed up its stony form with desperate agility. The monster thrashed, but too slow. Aiden reached its head.
There it was.
A wide, jagged crack right at the crown.
With a fierce cry, Aiden plunged the sword down with every ounce of strength he had left.
SHHHHRK!
The blade sank deep. A blinding flash burst from the crack. The golem froze—then its body trembled violently.
CRASH!
It shattered in a thousand radiant pieces, like exploding glass under pressure.
Aiden landed on one knee, panting, sweat dripping down his face. The glowing sword still clutched tightly in both hands.
"This guy… was a pain in the ass to deal with," he muttered.
And then silence fell. Victory—finally earned.