Chapter 105: Turning the Tide

Eight arrows tore through the darkness like bolts of death, each streaking unerringly toward its target. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A chain of explosive impacts thundered through the hall.

Romina’s signature archery technique, Forest Tempest. With the power of a single archer, she unleashed the equivalent of an entire squad’s volley. It was nothing short of miraculous.

Six fixed nodes positioned across the golem’s torso and limbs were destroyed in rapid succession, erupting into clouds of yellow-brown magical mist.

But just as the final two arrows were about to strike, disaster struck.

With most of its nodes destroyed simultaneously, the Eagle-Headed Golem’s internal energy circulation fell briefly into chaos. Its massive body lurched violently. That single movement was enough. The last two arrows, which should have struck with perfect precision, missed by a hair’s breadth at the final instant, skimming past the edges of the nodes instead.

Nolan stared in disbelief.

Romina’s accuracy had been so absolute that even the slightest shift had ruined the shot.

“Damn it!” Romina cursed under her breath.

“No good! There are still two left! Three seconds until recovery!” Renee cried out anxiously. The nodes were repairing themselves far faster than she had expected.

“I’ve got it!”

Still hanging upside down from the golem’s neck, Vivi noticed the missed shots the instant the construct moved.

The remaining two nodes were far apart. One sat above the golem’s left arm, while the other was behind its left knee. There was no time to wait for another volley.

But she was the finest Nightingale in Veli City.

Without hesitation, Vivi lashed her fluffy tiger tail around a protruding stone ridge on the golem’s neck, anchoring herself in place. Then she released her legs completely and swung downward like a pendulum.

As her body dropped, she drew a specially modified rapid-fire crossbow from her waist, one personally improved by Master Leus.

“Break already!”

With a sharp cry, Vivi pulled the trigger the moment her body leveled parallel to the ground.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Three compact bolts fired point-blank into the node above the golem’s left arm.

A violent torrent of magical energy exploded outward instantly, whipping Vivi’s hair wildly through the air. At the same moment, Renee, who had remained seated in the rear directing the battle through elemental perception, completed her final chant.

Her tightly shut eyes snapped open. Her pale face was drained from spiritual exhaustion, but her gaze shone with startling brilliance. She raised one slender finger and pointed toward the final remaining node, the farthest one, hidden behind the golem’s left knee. A vast, crushing pulse erupted from her small body, completely disproportionate to her size.

In this world of pure earth elements, the surrounding mana resonated joyfully around her, surging to answer her call. The energy gathering around her formed the most powerful single-target spell she had ever cast.

“O sovereign spine of the earth, foundation of all creation, heed my call… Hahl’s Deepstone Spear!”

The moment her clear, resolute voice fell, dense earth-element mana began converging violently before her. A savage two-meter spear of solid stone burst from the ground.

Whoooosh!

Renee thrust her hand forward.

The spear emitted a deep, resonant hum before transforming into a streak of yellow light, ripping through the air toward the final node.

BOOM!!!

The earth spear struck with devastating precision.

The last node behind the golem’s knee exploded instantly. The Eagle-Headed Golem’s colossal body convulsed violently. The streams of unstable magical energy pouring from the destroyed nodes suddenly ceased, like floodgates being slammed shut. The visible surges of mana reversed direction and were sucked violently back into the golem’s body. The icy blue glow in its eyes flickered wildly. Blocked and chaotic mana currents rampaged through its interior with nowhere left to flow. Cracks rapidly spread across its once-immovable stone shell as internal pressure built uncontrollably. Dust and shattered rock rained from its body in torrents.

Nolan and Little Donnie both felt the immense pressure on their shoulders suddenly vanish. The gigantic axe that had nearly crushed them lost all power, leaving only the weapon’s physical weight behind. And for two warriors, that was no longer enough to matter.

The Eagle-Headed Golem’s self-repair process halted instantly.

Frozen in the posture of pressing its axe forward, the construct stopped moving entirely. The blue light in its eyes faded at last into lifeless gray.

The Omnipotence Core had finally entered a state of total paralysis.

“Hah… hah… hah…”

Deathly silence filled the hall, broken only by the group’s ragged breathing.

Little Donnie and Renee collapsed onto the ground at the same time, drenched in sweat.

Vivi released her tail grip and landed lightly, catching herself with both hands before standing upright again. Grimacing slightly, she rubbed the sore base of her tail.

Romina let out a long breath, lowered her greatbow, and gently helped Renee to her feet before walking slowly toward the others.

Nolan’s thighs ached from strain. He crouched slightly to step away from the suspended axe blade. He looked at the blood still running down his shoulder, then at the equally battered Little Donnie beside him. Finally, his gaze settled on Romina standing near the corridor entrance.

A chill ran through him at the thought of what could have happened. If Romina had not insisted on joining them… if not for that monstrous rapid-fire archery technique of hers… this operation truly might have ended in disaster.

Under normal circumstances, the Eagle-Headed Golem was never meant to be fought at all.

Like the stonegate before it, this encounter was originally designed as a test of intellect and deduction. The intended method was to decipher the ancient runes hidden within the wall carvings along the corridor, revealing a command phrase capable of temporarily granting control authority over the golem. Once activated, the construct would enter an absolute defense state, allowing players to pass safely. But if they had done that, every ounce of the golem’s energy would have been redirected into its magical barriers. With the strength their current team possessed, obtaining the Omnipotence Core hidden inside would have been impossible.

That was why Nolan had chosen the hardest and most dangerous path instead.

He had relied too heavily on the experience from his previous life, always assuming everything remained under control. In the end, a single overlooked detail had nearly dragged the entire team into catastrophe.

Thankfully, his companions had been extraordinary enough to turn the situation around.

At least the scare had taught him a valuable lesson.

Nolan slowly stood amidst the wreckage of the battlefield and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Then he nodded toward Romina, who was still catching her breath. “My thanks, Captain Romina. If not for you, my greed might’ve cost all of us dearly today.” The words were completely sincere. Without her astonishing eight-arrow barrage in that critical moment, there was no way they could have succeeded.

Romina blinked in surprise. She had assumed the “greed” Nolan referred to was his decision to risk this dangerous expedition for the sake of the Fountain of Potential. But after the life-and-death teamwork she had just witnessed, her impression of Nolan’s group had changed completely.

He was a lord, wasn’t he? If his “greed” was for the sake of protecting his territory and companions, then how could that possibly be wrong? Weren’t the Wood Elves the same, willing to sacrifice everything for their people and forests?

And… his physique really was exceptional too. Even among Wood Elves, few could compare.

Nolan…

The more she looked at this human, the more pleasing he became in her eyes.