Chapter 101: Little Donnie’s Growth
Calling it a battle was not entirely accurate. Against the overwhelming strength and speed of the Eagle-Headed Golem, Little Donnie’s attacks and defenses were little more than a joke. Naturally, he was no match for the construct. Forget counterattacking. Even the fierce wind pressure generated by the giant axe left his cheeks stinging painfully.
The scene unfolding before them resembled less a fight and more a desperate struggle for survival.
One pursued. The other fled.
The Eagle-Headed Golem locked onto the tiny yet agile creature before it, each swing of its massive axe unleashing a roaring gale.
Contrary to the common belief that golems possessed power but lacked agility, the construct’s beast-like lower limbs and fluid movements made it every bit as swift and nimble as a living creature of flesh and blood.
Horizontal sweeps. Vertical cleaves. Diagonal slashes. The heavy axe crashed repeatedly into the ground, exploding stone and dust into the air while deafening thunder echoed throughout the hall. Little Donnie looked like a lone boat tossed amidst a raging storm, forever on the verge of capsizing.
Boom! The giant axe slammed down once more onto the exact spot where Little Donnie had been standing a split second earlier. The solid stone floor shattered as easily as tofu, leaving behind a crater nearly two meters wide while fragments of rock scattered everywhere.
Little Donnie rolled awkwardly across the ground, narrowly escaping the strike by the thinnest margin. He could even feel the pressure of the blade’s wind scraping across his back, cold sweat instantly soaking him. Yet that brush with death seemed to awaken something inside him.
Being dragged back from the brink by Nolan had shocked the fifteen-year-old boy fully awake, shaking him free from the fear and tension that had gripped him moments before. In their place emerged astonishing battlefield instincts and reaction speed utterly unfitting for someone his age.
The golem’s reverse-jointed hind legs granted it not only immense strength but terrifying mobility as well. Every explosive push against the ground allowed it to cover several meters instantly, giving it unrivaled advantages in straight-line charges and short-distance bursts.
Little Donnie noticed this very quickly. He stopped trying to outrun the golem in a straight line and instead began exploiting the one advantage he possessed.
His size.
When he first joined the Rosenberg Guard, Hank had nearly driven him away for being too short. But now, his still-underdeveloped frame actually reduced the chances of being hit by such a gigantic opponent. Using scattered rubble and the uneven terrain of the hall as cover, he constantly changed direction, rolled, halted abruptly, and darted away again like an agile dancer performing atop the blade of death itself.
Collapsed stone pillars. Falling debris from above. Everything became part of his stage. He resembled a nimble monkey dancing around a rampaging bear. Again and again, relying on razor-sharp instincts and remarkable agility, he escaped the descending axe by mere inches.
Watching from afar, Vivi and Renee felt their hearts seize repeatedly. Several times they were certain Little Donnie was about to lose his head, only for him to slip away from danger at the final possible instant.
Even while dodging frantically, Little Donnie shouted toward Nolan, “Brother Nolan, I can still keep going! Focus on finding the circuit!”
His breathing came in ragged gasps, breaking up his words, yet his voice remained astonishingly firm.
Circling around a massive stone pillar near the center of the hall, Little Donnie narrowly avoided another sweeping strike from the golem. Somehow, he even found enough spare energy to turn back and pull a face at it.
“Over here, idiot!”
Nolan had already been preparing to step in and relieve him, but hearing those words made him stop in place. A trace of approval flashed through his eyes.
Little Donnie’s growth was happening even faster than he had anticipated.
This kid really does have talent.
An ordinary warrior would have had their courage shattered by the very first strike. Yet not only had Little Donnie endured, he had rapidly adapted under overwhelming pressure and found a way to survive.
That sudden burst of growth bought Nolan something invaluable: enough time to focus entirely on sensing the golem’s internal workings.
“This kid’s impressive…” Vivi muttered in amazement. She had never expected the usually carefree Little Donnie to possess such sharp combat instincts.
Romina silently nodded as well. The way she looked at him now carried a hint of genuine recognition.
Nolan immediately sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. He immersed his entire consciousness into sensing the surrounding elemental flow.
As the wielder of Mountain’s Resonance, he possessed the trait Earth Affinity. Within this earth-element subplane, that affinity had been magnified countless times over. In his perception, the physical world vanished completely, leaving behind an endless ocean of yellow-brown elemental particles. And within that sea of light, a massive humanoid outline churned violently.
That was the Eagle-Headed Golem.
With every swing of its axe and every burst of movement, the Omnipotence Core known as “Korlotis” frantically absorbed earth elements from its surroundings, converting them into the energy that powered its colossal body. Huge torrents of elemental energy surged into the golem like raging rivers before flowing through its intricate magitech circuits to drive the massive construct. The more the golem attacked and charged, the more violent and distinct the elemental flow became.
Several minutes later, just as Little Donnie narrowly escaped yet another sweeping strike, Nolan’s tightly shut eyes snapped open.
He had finally unraveled it.
The incredibly complex web of elemental pathways had been completely reconstructed within his mind.
“Renee!” Nolan called out sharply and clearly. “The circuit starts from the core in its chest, flows into the central nexus, then splits into three separate loops! One goes upward directly into the head! Another branches left through the left arm joint before flowing back downward! The last goes right through the right arm joint and down again!”
“A… reflux-style energy guidance system?”
Renee, whose mind had remained in an intensely focused state the entire time, instantly understood Nolan’s meaning. This type of complicated energy circuit maximized efficiency to the greatest possible extent, but it also meant the structure was far more complex and contained many more nodes.
“Exactly.” Nolan nodded. “I’ll help draw its attention too. The more power it outputs, the faster the energy circulates, and the clearer the nodes should become. The rest is up to you!”
The moment he finished speaking, Nolan sprang to his feet, drew Mountain’s Resonance, and charged directly into the battle.
“Little Donnie! I’ll switch with you!”
At the same time, Little Donnie’s condition had indeed become increasingly dangerous.
Under the golem’s relentless pursuit, he was gradually reaching his limit. His stamina was draining rapidly. Several times, delayed reactions caused him to be grazed by flying debris, leaving bloody cuts across his body. His breathing had become heavier and heavier, sweat soaking through the lining beneath his armor. Yet he still clenched his teeth and endured in silence. He did not possess Renee’s overwhelming magical talent. Nor did he have Sister Vivi’s agility. And he certainly lacked Brother Nolan’s strength and vast knowledge. The only thing he could do now was use his own body to buy time for his companions. That was all he could offer.
Because he believed in the beautiful future Nolan had described to them. He wanted to help Brother Nolan. He wanted to help everyone. He wanted to help his homeland too. Every young boy carried a dream of becoming a hero.
So he had to do whatever he could, even if it meant holding on for one more second. Even if it cost him his life. That pure and unwavering determination allowed him to surpass his limits again and again.
But courage and willpower alone could not completely bridge the massive gulf in strength between them. The stone chamber was not endless, and most of the obstacles inside had already been destroyed by the golem.
Now, nothing remained between Little Donnie and the monster pursuing him.