msmithbooks Chapter 141 – Brute Force
Chapter 141 – Brute Force
With each passing moment, the tremors beneath my feet grew more violent, the earth shuddering as if gripped by a relentless quake that rivaled a six on the Richter scale. Dust stirred into the air while jagged stones rattled and shifted, and from the fractured ground, figures began to rise.
Three distinct types of golems revealed themselves under the pale glow of the moon.
The first resembled the Rockbound Golem I had fought before, its bulky frame carved from rugged stone, its movements heavy yet steady.
The second stood at roughly the same height, but its surface carried a deeper shade of brown, smoother and faintly gleaming as if polished by time or infused with something more resilient than mere rock.
The third lingered behind them, towering over the others with an imposing presence. Its body shone with a metallic silver hue, reflecting the moonlight in sharp glints that made it look far more dangerous than the rest.
Having already experienced the strength of the Rockbound Golem, my gaze shifted toward the unfamiliar two, unease settling deep within my chest as I prepared to assess them.
Name: -
Age: 6
Race: Bronzeguard Golem
Title: -
State: Normal
Mana: 4153/4153
Vitality: 4680
Strength: 4880
Magic Power: 3717
Mental Power: 0
Agility: 500
Dexterity: 2024
Magic Resistance: 3222
Mental Resistance: Infinite
Status Point: 0
Element: Earth
Active Skills:
Element ManipulationElemental BladePassive Skills:
Mana Detection(4)*Trust: Unavailable
*Target does not meet requirement for Status Manipulation
*Target does not meet requirement for Immortal Bonds
Name: -
Age: 7
Race: Ironclad Golem
Title: -
State: Normal
Mana: 8133/8133
Vitality: 7780
Strength: 7880
Magic Power: 7727
Mental Power: 0
Agility: 1000
Dexterity: 4554
Magic Resistance: 3222
Mental Resistance: Infinite
Status Point: 0
Element: Earth
Active Skills:
Element ManipulationElemental BladePassive Skills:
Mana Detection(6)*Trust: Unavailable
*Target does not meet requirement for Status Manipulation
*Target does not meet requirement for Immortal Bonds
“Hey… are you really sure I have to fight them without using aura or mana? They don’t even look like rock. That last one is practically metal,” I asked Len, my voice laced with disbelief as I eyed the silver giant.
“Yes,” Len replied without hesitation, her tone firm and merciless. “If you give up now, I will forbid you from eating for the next three days.”
【Huh?】
{““Huh?””}
She is insane. Absolutely insane. Even Aza, Fia, and Nyx reacted in unison, their confusion echoing my own disbelief.
“H-Hey… don’t you feel even a little pity for Aza and the others? I might be able to endure it, but I doubt they can,” I pressed, trying to appeal to whatever kindness she might still possess.
“Hmm… that’s true…” Len murmured, her expression softening ever so slightly.
Hope flickered within me, fragile yet bright, as all of us waited for her to relent.
“But that’s exactly why you must not give up,” she continued, cutting through that hope without mercy.
“Huh…?”
Her unwavering stance left me momentarily speechless, yet she went on as if it were the most natural conclusion.
“So, I need to add another reason. If you give up, you won’t be allowed any pleasure tonight.”
“At this point, shouldn’t you be offering rewards instead of piling on more punishments?!” I shot back, exasperation clear in my voice.
“Why do you see it as punishment?” Len tilted her head slightly, a faint hint of amusement dancing in her golden eyes. “When we first met, you managed to restrain yourself for years even though we shared the same bed.”
Ugh… I hated that she had a point.
I can’t even argue against that…
But still…
My downfall didn’t come from nowhere! Living together with six equally shameless girls would warp any man’s sense of restraint!
Despite inhabiting a child’s body, my mind remained that of an adult man!
There was no denying it.
If she started indulging me every single day, there was no way I would be able to keep myself in check!
The golems continued their slow, relentless march toward us while we spoke, their heavy steps sending dull tremors through the ground. As they drew closer, their silhouettes sharpened, and their numbers became unmistakably clear beneath the moonlight.
“Huh? You said there were fifty C-Ranks and one B-Rank, right? But I’m seeing fifty-two C-Ranks and two B-Ranks!” I called out, narrowing my eyes as I counted them again.
By rough estimation, there were forty-one Rockbound Golems forming the bulk of the horde, eleven Bronzeguard Golems standing sturdier among them, and two towering Ironclad Golems looming at the rear.
“No. What I said is still correct,” Len replied calmly.
“Huh? What are you—”
Before I could finish, she suddenly dashed forward toward the approaching horde.
But something felt off.
Her speed… was slower than usual.
In fact, she was even slower than me.
“Listen carefully!” Len’s voice rang out as she advanced. “Whether it’s Flamelight Footwork, Luminiferno Steps, Ignistride, or Solar Emberdance, the principles are the same. You only need to control your speed freely.”
So that’s what this is…
Anticipating her lesson, I stepped onto the air and followed from above, keeping close as I activated my air steps.
As the distance between her and the golems shrank to only a few strides, the front line of Rockbound Golems reacted all at once. Their arms moved in unison, and a barrage of jagged rocks shot toward her like a storm of projectiles.
And yet, she didn’t slow down. She didn’t defend. She didn’t even use aura or mana.
What is she doing!?
Is she trying to kill herself!?!
My heart clenched as I watched, unable to tear my eyes away.
“Screw aura and mana!” Len shouted defiantly. “With proper speed control, this is nothing!”
The rocks closed in, converging on her from all directions.
At the very last moment, she adjusted her speed ever so slightly.
The projectiles collided violently, smashing into one another and erupting into a thick cloud of dust and debris.
From within that cloud, her figure burst forth completely unharmed. She didn’t even have a scratch. She just kept running forward.
Closing the distance in an instant, a Rockbound Golem swung its massive fist down at her.
The ground shook from the impact, but Len had already moved.
She slipped past the attack and stepped onto the golem’s arm, ascending it with fluid precision, just like I had done before.
(“When you strike, rotate your ankle joint and let that rotation rise from the ground through your leg.”)
Her voice echoed directly in my mind through Unified Voices, calm and precise even in the middle of battle.
She leapt from the arm to the golem’s chest.
(“Guide that force through your waist, then your arm… and finally into your wrist.”)
Her fist shot forward.
It pierced straight through the golem’s chest, blasting a gaping hole clean through its body. She emerged from its back in a single motion, already propelling herself toward the next target.
She landed lightly on another golem’s shoulder and paused for a brief moment.
(“Hmm… just as I thought. Even after destroying the same type as you, I didn’t obtain the earth element.”)
The golem behind her collapsed heavily to the ground as she casually checked her status.
Then, without another word, she leapt again.
Len moved like a streak of light, hopping from one golem to another with seamless precision. Each movement flowed into the next, her body never wasting a single motion.
When she reached the final line of Rockbound Golems, she launched herself toward the next enemy.
The Bronzeguard Golem.
Her fist struck its chest, caving it in with explosive force. The hole was smaller than before, yet she still forced her way through its body, emerging from its back as fragments of bronze scattered through the air.
Using that very momentum, she stepped off its back and propelled herself toward the next.
She landed on another Bronzeguard Golem’s shoulder, her body already coiling for the next leap.
Her target this time… The Ironclad Golem.
Her fist drove into its chest with a heavy impact. But this time, she didn’t pass through. Her arm stopped just a few inches short of piercing its entire body.
Still… It was enough.
She had struck precisely where its magic stone resided.
The Ironclad Golem froze for a split second before its massive body began to falter.
In the next instant, Len vanished and reappeared beside me, landing effortlessly on the wind platform I had conjured. Reacting quickly, I raised the platform higher, out of the golems’ reach.
“Hm… using aura would definitely improve performance,” she muttered, glancing down at the battlefield. “But even without it, this is more than enough to deal with mere metal junk.”
She referred to the B-Rank Ironclad Golem… as junk.
{“Wow… Big Sis Len is amazing!”}
{“Big Sis Len is so strong!”}
Nyx and Fia’s voices rang out, filled with admiration and excitement.
Then...
The ground trembled once more as the Ironclad Golem collapsed, its massive frame crashing into the earth like a fallen monument.