[Theai lent you her skill Emerald Steps]
[You can now use this skill at your will]
A notification popped up in front of me.
"Wow… Theai can lend her skills at this range?" I muttered, tilting my head as I stared at the skill description.
"So, it's a utility-type skill," I whispered to myself.
"Let's go. Time to collect our materials for our gear," Julian said, raising his fist in the air.
We moved deeper into the forest, the trees growing taller and the shadows from the heavy clouds stretching across the ground. I walked behind them, stepping carefully over roots and fallen leaves. Ahead, a mountain loomed, partially hidden by mist.
"Sentinel's Eye!"
Julian extended his hand forward. From the crystal orb in his palm, an owl emerged. It flew around, leaving trails of magical dust before landing on Julian's arm. He stroked its head, then, with a flick of his wrist, released it.
The owl flew ahead, its glowing eyes sweeping the area.
"It's a utility skill," Julian said, glancing back at me as he walked. "It links to my orb and lets me see hazards or enemies ahead… like a scout, or a spy." He tilted his head slightly, watching the owl glide forward.
"Did you use that skill in the Verdant Forest? I thought I saw an owl watching us," I asked, leaning forward a little and squinting as I tried to remember.
"Oh, that was you?" he said, raising one eyebrow and smirking. "I didn't know you could track it. It blends into its surroundings really well, but… nice eyesight." He shook his head, amusement flickering across his face.
I glanced at Emilia. She stayed quiet, arms folded, her gaze scanning the trees as if she were aware of every possible danger.
Suddenly, Julian's eyes widened. "Oh! My owl just sensed something." He crouched slightly, holding his hand over the orb.
The owl hovered closer, wings beating slowly. Julian waved his hand over the orb, and the crystal shimmered, projecting a distant clearing ahead.
"There's a player battling some… Ogres up ahead," he said, frowning as he adjusted the orb. He waved his hand again, and the image slowly zoomed in.
A familiar face appeared in the orb, surrounded by humanoid ogres. My chest tightened. I leaned forward, trying to get a better look.
It was Freya.
I rushed forward, my feet hitting the ground hard.
Emilia and Julian were also sprinting forward, weaving between trees as they tried to catch up with me.
Freya might be here too, looking for materials for her gear.
"Malachi, stop!" Julian's voice rang out from behind, sharp and urgent, but I didn't slow down.
Suddenly, the ground ahead of me trembled. A jagged rock cracked and shifted, and then something massive began rising from beneath it.
A huge boulder with glowing eyes lifted from the dirt, and something else surged upward right beneath me.
I stumbled back toward Julian and Emilia, my chest tightening with panic, but it was too late. A massive, rocky hand shot up in front of me, slamming down and trying to grab me with crushing force.
"Shrouded Tempest!"
Emilia swung her pristine quill, and a vast, strong surge of swirling mist mixed with sharp feathers shot forward, rushing toward me.
The powerful mist engulfed the rocky hand that was trying to crush me. It staggered and flinched under the impact, several stones cracking and shattering from its surface as it recoiled.
I seized the opportunity, leaping to the side and dodging it. I soared high above the forest floor, twisting midair before landing beside Emilia and Julian.
Emilia's eyes widened, worry crossing her face.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible as my chest heaved.
But before we could catch our breath, something massive erupted from the ground. Its body rose fully, a towering form covered in huge, jagged rocks. Dust and small stones shattered from its shoulders as it loomed over us, blocking our view and sending tremors through the ground with every movement.
[!] Boss Detected [!]
[Monster: Rock Golem]
[Rank: B-Class]
The Rock Golem is a massive, hulking creature formed from stones and boulders. Possessing immense strength and durability, it moves slowly but its ground-shaking attacks are devastating. It can hurl massive rocks and slam the ground to crush enemies.
Special Traits:
[Earthwake Rupture] – Slams the ground to create a mini earthquake that sends cracking shockwaves and flying stones toward enemies.
[Boulder Throw] – Hurls massive boulders at enemies, dealing heavy ranged damage.
[Stone Skin] – Its rocky body hardens, reducing damage taken and making it durable.
‹ Rock Golem ›
HP: 650 / 650
"I didn't expect this to happen," Julian muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Someone must have woken it," Emilia said, glancing at me with narrowed eyes.
I just smiled at her, trying to look innocent.
"Well, we don't have a choice but to slay it, though the problem is we should have taken a boss quest before entering here—this could've earned us some gold coins," Julian said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"It'll give us a big amount of EXP though," I replied, tightening my grip on my weapon.
"Prepare for incoming attacks!" Emilia shouted, raising her pristine quill as small, sharp feathers floated and aligned along its shaft.
The golem's other hand lifted, swinging down toward us with crushing force.
We leapt into the air together, dodging just in time as the ground exploded in dust and flying rocks.
Landing roughly, we stumbled for a moment but quickly regained our balance.
The Rock Golem slammed both fists into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. The earth trembled beneath our feet, and small stones bounced violently in every direction.
A mini earthquake shook the ground beneath us, followed by a roaring shockwave and cracks splitting open, sending large stones tumbling toward us.
"Emilia! It's using its special trait—we have to do something!" Julian shouted, his eyes wide as he gripped his crystal orb.
Emilia's hands tightened around her pristine quill. She lifted it and swiped in a wide, graceful arc.
"Spectral Ward!"
A thick fog of mist erupted around us, obscuring our forms. At the same time, a wide, sweeping arc of dense mist surged forward, cutting a path through the debris.
"Vigilant Owls!"
Julian's crystal orb glowed, releasing three psychic owls that circled around us.
The sweeping mist deflected the oncoming large stones, sending them skidding harmlessly aside.
Smaller rocks rained down, but the owls flapped and intercepted them, each burst of psychic energy protecting us from harm.
We crouched slightly, bracing ourselves, eyes scanning for the next move as the ground continued to tremble.