Chapter 100: The Boy Who Never Retreats

Not good! Nolan cursed inwardly.

The golem’s targeting logic was far more sensitive than he had expected. The moment it sensed hostile intent, it activated immediately. In the end, he had still made a rookie mistake. This world could not be understood purely through the mechanics of a game. The icy blue light blazing within the golem’s eyes resembled twin searchlights piercing through the darkness, locking firmly onto Little Donnie at point-blank range.

A golem did not possess concepts like killing intent, yet the instant Little Donnie was targeted, he felt an icy pressure crash over him like a physical wave. Every hair on his body stood upright. A tremor born from the depths of his soul nearly froze him in place.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

Too fast!

The golem moved. Its blade swung toward the stunned Little Donnie in an instant.

It was not that Little Donnie had been frightened senseless. Everything had simply happened too quickly. The massive construct burst into motion with terrifying speed completely at odds with its enormous frame. Dust that had accumulated for thousands of years cascaded from its body like waterfalls, yet its movements remained smooth and efficient, utterly free of stiffness or hesitation.

The beast-like reverse-jointed hind legs exploded with force, shaking the entire floor beneath them. The giant stone battle axe rose high into the air, carrying a violent gale that tore through the atmosphere. Almost the very moment the golem activated, the axe came crashing down toward Little Donnie’s head.

Everything unfolded within the blink of an eye.

Little Donnie had not even fully realized what was happening before the massive axe, gleaming with metallic coldness, rapidly filled his vision. The shadow of death descended instantly upon him. There was no way he could dodge it.

“Little Donnie!”

From afar, Renee’s face turned deathly pale as she cried out in terror. Vivi’s heart leapt into her throat, and she instinctively moved to rush forward. Romina’s right hand blurred as she drew an arrow from her quiver and pulled her bowstring to full draw in one fluid motion.

But someone was even faster than they were.

At the critical moment, a figure wreathed in golden flames burst from the shadows of the corridor like a cannonball fired from its barrel.

Radiant Sun Charge!

The instant the golem activated, Nolan had already triggered his skill. He realized immediately that Little Donnie no longer had time to evade.

But his target was not the towering golem. It was Little Donnie.

Golden light flashed through the darkness as Nolan’s body arrived first despite moving later.

Bang!

An instant before the giant axe descended, Nolan slammed his shoulder into Little Donnie with tremendous force, sending the completely unprepared boy flying several meters away. Little Donnie rolled across the floor several times before finally stopping.

He looked miserable, but he was unharmed.

At the very moment Nolan knocked Little Donnie aside, he forcibly twisted his body, taking the boy’s original position for himself. Simultaneously, he drew Mountain’s Resonance from his waist and raised it against the descending battle axe.

If Radiant Sun Charge targeted an ally, it restored a large amount of health, granted massive damage reduction, and redirected the next incoming attack onto the caster while increasing the caster’s defense by five hundred percent.

Nolan did not care about the healing effect. What he wanted was the enormous defensive boost and damage substitution. He had no intention of dodging.

There was not even enough time to switch Mountain’s Resonance into another form. Gripping the sword in both hands while it remained in longsword form, he crossed it above his head and roared as he met the gigantic battle axe head-on.

Clang! A deafening metallic crash thundered throughout the hall. Sparks exploded everywhere.

Nolan felt an overwhelming force surge through his sword. Against the door-sized axe and the stable output of a Gold-tier construct, the absolute disparity in raw power between them became painfully clear.

He lasted less than a second before the bones in his arms creaked under the strain. The terrifying pressure forced him down onto one knee.

Yet just before the axe could shatter his defense completely, a blazing invisible force field resembling the corona of the sun erupted before him.

The damage reduction and fivefold defense boost from Radiant Sun Charge activated perfectly.

Boom! The giant axe smashed heavily into the golden barrier with a muffled explosion.

The resulting shockwave blasted the surrounding dust into the air, while spiderweb-like cracks spread across the solid stone beneath Nolan’s feet.

The gleaming edge of the axe struck Nolan head-on, pushing him backward three or four meters. His hooked boots carved two deep trenches into the hard stone floor. His defense, amplified by an entire five times, had allowed him to withstand an attack powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stone.

Nolan groaned as though his internal organs had shifted out of place. Sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up blood, but he forcibly swallowed it back down. Thankfully, the enormous damage reduction softened the blow. Though the attack was overwhelmingly powerful, it merely caused his blood and energy to churn violently.

Holy hell, that hurts! So even with boosted defense, pain still hurts like crazy…

Lowering his head, he saw a long red welt stretching across his chest, burning painfully. Still, thanks to the immense damage reduction, it was only superficial damage. Without that absurd defensive enhancement, he would probably have been split clean in half.

However, the ordinary chainmail he had purchased in Veli City was not nearly so fortunate. The armor had accompanied him through countless battles and was already riddled with damage. After enduring force far beyond its limits, a sharp crack rang out from the chest area before the entire suit shattered apart like broken chains. Fragments scattered everywhere.

Nolan’s muscular upper body, covered in both fresh and old scars, was suddenly exposed to the open air. Under the flickering firelight, sweat slid down his bare torso, tracing across sharply defined muscles and carved abs. The sight radiated a raw and untamed sense of power.

The sudden scene left Vivi, Renee, and Romina struck by a chaotic mix of emotions.

Admiration. Worry. Embarrassment. Lingering fear. All of it blended together.

“Brother Nolan!”

Meanwhile, Little Donnie finally regained his senses after being hurled aside. He scrambled to his feet and saw Nolan injured while protecting him. Then he looked at the shattered remains of the chainmail scattered across the floor.

Guilt and shame flooded his chest. If I wasn’t so useless… if I could’ve dodged that first strike… Brother Nolan would never have needed to take it head-on!

“I’m fine!” Nolan shouted toward him.

Then he stomped heavily against the ground and charged straight toward the Eagle-Headed Golem that had just completed its attack, successfully drawing its attention away from Little Donnie in the distance.

“Don’t panic! Stick to the plan!”

Nolan’s steady voice snapped Little Donnie out of his self-reproach.

The boy stared at Nolan’s broad back and clenched his teeth hard.

Now wasn’t the time to wallow in guilt. He had survived the Battle of Rosenberg. He was not some helpless amateur!

“Raaah!”

Little Donnie roared and rushed toward the Eagle-Headed Golem without another moment of hesitation.

He was not foolish enough to attack from the front. Instead, he circled around the golem’s flank, smashed his sword against its lower leg, and immediately turned to flee.

“Hey, big guy! Come chase me!”

The provocation worked perfectly.

The golem’s attention shifted away from Nolan and returned to the “insect” taunting it.

“Brother Nolan, leave it to me!”

The Eagle-Headed Golem’s glowing blue eyes locked onto Little Donnie once more.

Trusting him completely, Nolan immediately disengaged. This was exactly why he admired Little Donnie so much. The talented young boy still had many enemies he could not overcome, but no matter the opponent, he never retreated. He believed that given enough time, Little Donnie would one day become someone truly extraordinary.

But that was a matter for the future.

With that breathtaking exchange of axes, the hopelessly uneven battle had finally begun in earnest.