Chapter 104: The Ranger Captain’s Decision

The intensity of the battle rose to an entirely new level the moment Nolan began launching direct counterattacks.

His health steadily declined under the repeated strain of those violent head-on collisions. But Nolan paid it no mind. These injuries remained completely within his tolerance.

Meanwhile, the Eagle-Headed Golem detected the tiny insect lurking behind it. Abandoning its clash against Nolan, it suddenly twisted its massive body and swung one gigantic arm toward the back of its own neck.

“Now!”

Nolan kicked off the ground violently, unleashing every ounce of strength within him without reservation.

Divine Infusion.

Aura of Conviction.

Assault.

Every skill capable of increasing his offensive power activated simultaneously. 

For the first time, Nolan’s savage strike forced the golem to recognize him as a major threat. It had no choice but to abandon its previous action and meet him head-on. Greatsword and battle axe collided once more with devastating force.

BOOM—!

This clash surpassed every previous exchange. Even the unknown metal edge of the giant axe, gleaming with icy light, chipped beneath the impact of the elemental holy sword.

There were no tricks. No finesse. Only pure, brutal force crashing against force.

Nolan’s plan was simple: pressure the golem into direct confrontation and create as many openings as possible where the magic shield weakened or failed.

For the first ten seconds, the two sides appeared evenly matched, locked in complete stalemate.

But the moment Assault, his burst skill, expired, Nolan immediately began losing ground in terms of raw strength.

The crushing force combined with the immense weight of the battle axe shattered the stone floor beneath his feet. Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly across the ground as Nolan was forced onto one knee, the bones in his arms groaning painfully.

The Eagle-Headed Golem seemed to have completely identified Nolan as the greatest threat before it. Its icy blue eyes locked firmly onto him while torrents of earth-element energy surged throughout its body, causing yellow light to glow from every seam in its frame. It continued pouring on more force, determined to utterly crush the tiny creature daring to resist it.

Nolan felt as though his flesh and bones were struggling against a descending hydraulic press. His arms trembled beneath the unbearable pressure.

The gleaming edge of the axe moved closer and closer toward his shoulder, slow yet unstoppable. 

The sharp blade bit into the flesh of his right shoulder. Warm blood instantly flowed out, staining his armor crimson. Still, Nolan gritted his teeth and held firm. Within his elemental perception, the golem’s power output had reached maximum capacity.

This was the perfect opportunity.

“Brother Nolan!”

Little Donnie, who had only just regained part of his strength, watched anxiously from the side. Without even thinking, he grabbed his sword and rushed forward. Rather than attacking uselessly from the front, he darted beside Nolan and braced his longsword sideways against his shoulder, as though carrying an impossibly heavy sack.

Then he slammed himself against the side of the descending battle axe.

“Move… damn you!” The boy’s furious roar echoed throughout the hall.

Little Donnie planted his legs firmly, every muscle in his body tightening to the limit as his flushed face twisted with effort. A beast-like howl burst from his throat.

His contribution was little more than a drop in the ocean, yet it successfully halted the axe’s relentless descent for a brief moment.

The sharp edge of the axe and the sword he used to brace it both cut deeply into his shoulder, but Little Donnie seemed incapable of feeling pain anymore. He simply clenched his teeth and shared the terrifying pressure alongside Nolan.

And in the instant the two of them created this fleeting opportunity through sheer desperation—

Vivi and Romina moved simultaneously.

“Hah!”

Hidden behind the golem’s neck, Vivi let out a sharp cry and drove her black dagger downward in a reverse grip toward the location Renee had identified earlier.

Her target was the node above the hawk-head’s eye socket.

Clang!

Her first strike was repelled by the fading blue magic shield. But unlike before, the shield flickered weakly and unstably, nowhere near the durability Nolan had encountered earlier.

The golem had diverted most of its energy toward overpowering Nolan, leaving its autonomous magic shield critically weakened.

Vivi had anticipated this. Without hesitation, she adjusted her angle and twisted her waist, swinging around the golem’s side like a pendulum.

Gripping the dagger with both hands, she concentrated all her strength into a single point and launched a second strike.

Crack! The weakened magical barrier shattered instantly. The black dagger pierced deep into the node without the slightest resistance.

At the exact same moment Vivi succeeded, three arrows glowing with green light screamed through the air from the far side of the hall.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The arrows flew in a triangular formation and struck with astonishing precision, simultaneously hitting the nodes located at the golem’s right arm joint, torso center, and left hind knee.

Three muffled explosions merged almost into one.

Four nodes had been destroyed nearly simultaneously.

Streams of yellow-brown magical energy burst violently outward from the shattered nodes like floodwaters breaking through a collapsed dam.

“We did it!”

Joy flashed across Vivi’s face.

But before she could celebrate, Renee’s anxious voice rang out suddenly, “No! My lord! The destroyed nodes… they’re repairing themselves rapidly! The magical pathways inside it haven’t fallen into disorder!”

The moment Renee shouted those words, Nolan’s mind buzzed violently as forgotten memories resurfaced.

There was another condition required to cripple the “Korlotis” core through node destruction. 

All the nodes had to be destroyed within an extremely short timeframe. About fifteen seconds. If only part of the nodes were destroyed, the core’s self-repair mechanism would immediately activate. The damaged nodes would regenerate quickly, rendering all previous efforts meaningless.

Damn it!

The intensity of the battle had clouded his judgment so badly that he had forgotten such a critical detail.

“Shit…” Nolan forced the word out through clenched teeth. “Vivi, Donnie, fall back first! I’ll hold it here. We’ll think of another way…”

Right now, the golem had him completely pinned down. He could not free himself to coordinate anything. Little Donnie was in the same situation. The two of them were trapped like meat on a butcher’s block.

This plan… was going to fail.

“No! This is our best chance! Let me try!”

Just as despair began sinking into Nolan’s heart, Romina’s cold yet unwavering voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

She inhaled deeply. And the aura around her changed completely. The calm green eyes that had remained composed the entire time now burned as though stars themselves had ignited within them. Her massive bow drew into a perfect full moon.

Arrow.

Draw.

Aim.

Release.

Every motion flowed together so quickly that they blurred into a single phantom-like sequence.

Thrum! Thrum! Thrum! Thrum!

The vibrating bowstring no longer sounded like individual notes. The rapid succession blended into a fierce and stirring battle hymn.

In less than two seconds, eight arrows formed an airtight storm of projectiles and shot toward the remaining eight nodes on the golem’s body like a raging tidal wave.

Peerless precision.

Unmatched rapid fire.

At this moment, the Ranger Captain from Forest Home finally revealed the smallest glimpse of the terrifying talent that would one day make her a legendary powerhouse.