The Black Goliath roared, its voice a guttural snarl as smoke poured from its shoulder—struck moments ago by Liliruca's lasgun. Each shot had seared through flesh, yet the beast pressed forward, its rage unbound. Every step it took cracked the floor, the sheer weight of its massive frame warping the terrain beneath.
From the right flank, Ryuu was already moving—fast. She darted beneath the towering creature, the Power Axe heavy in her grasp, far bulkier than the weapon she was accustomed to. Even so, with practiced precision and sheer force, she swung the blade into the creature's leg—severing it completely from the body.
The Black Goliath staggered as Ryuu's strike severed its leg, but it did not fall. With a monstrous growl, it twisted unnaturally, forcing its remaining limbs to compensate. Muscles flexed, bones shifted, and the creature threw its massive arm toward her in a desperate attempt to grab hold. Ryuu didn't retreat. She raised the Power Axe with both hands, bracing herself as the clawed hand slammed into her guard. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, the ground beneath her boots fracturing. Her arms trembled, but the weapon held firm.
The axe's energized edge dug into the beast's palm as it pressed down, its own momentum working against it. Sinew tore. The weight of its assault only added to the damage—it was hurting itself just to catch her. With a hiss of pain and fury, the Goliath jerked its hand back, blood and dark steam trailing from the open wound. Ryuu exhaled sharply and shifted her stance, already preparing for the next assault.
She saw an opening. The monster was off-balance, bleeding, and maimed—its leg severed, its hand torn. Confidence surged through her as she drew the axe back, ready to end it with a clean, killing blow. One more strike. One clean cut. That's all it would take.
But then—impossibly—the Goliath's body began to mend. Not slowly. Not naturally. In a single heartbeat, wounds that should have ended it closed with unnatural speed. Muscle surged, sinew stitched together, and bone reformed with a sickening crack. It rose again, taller and stronger, healing faster than before. Far faster. Looking at the Goliath, which recovered from its injury in a second, she had one thought:
How much hatred does the Dungeon have to create such a monster?
From a decent distance, Liliruca knelt with her lasgun braced against a root. The weapon whined with charged heat as she squeezed the trigger—each burst a brilliant lance of energy hammering into the Goliath's face. A servo-skull zipped beside her, repositioning the energy barrier on her left to counter the blast radius from the last roar. Bolts punched into the monster's charred armor—but this time the injuries were not severe, as the Goliath was stronger while the power of each shot was lower.
Not far behind them, Luthar stood motionless, one hand extended toward the clearing. The air shimmered. Then bent. Then broke. Space twisted unnaturally, folding in upon itself like glass warping under pressure. A spiraling ring of energy formed mid-air—steel began to appear.
The Carcassonne Pattern Quake Cannon.
Luthar's helm glinted as he tilted his head slightly, watching the weapon; it was far quicker than standard. What should have taken a few minutes was now done in twenty seconds. Then the notification appeared in front of his eyes:
[Materialization Accelerated] [Reason: User need for faster materialization has been detected.] [Adaptation Complete.] [Dimensional Assistance Program has been adjusted to new requirements.]
His brow furrowed faintly beneath the mask. This wasn't the first time, but for the first time he realized to improve the function of the system, he would have to put himself in different situations. Of course, this was not the right time to think about the system.
The massive weapon finally finished materializing in front of him. Servo-arms locked into place. Stabilizers deployed like the legs of a giant insect, biting into the earth. A central spike hissed as it stabbed downward, reading soil density and calibrating firing compression. For a moment, even the Black Goliath hesitated—sensing something alien entering its domain.
"Good," Luthar muttered. He moved toward the weapon,gauntlet already interfacing with the control console. The entire surface lit up with luminescent sigils and targeting readouts.
"Now let's end this."
Meanwhile, Ryuu ducked beneath a sideways sweep of the Goliath's claws, flipping backward off a crumbling stone slab. Her cloak fluttered, and she used the Power Axe again on the beast's shoulder joint. Liliruca continued firing, gritting her teeth as another overcharged round tore from her lasgun. "Ryuu, it's moving faster!"
"I know. Hold it just a little longer."
Back at the cannon, the interface projected a targeting reticle in real space, locking onto the center of the Goliath's mangled upper spine.
[Target Confirmed] [Energy Shell Loading – 87%... 94%...]
"Clear the field!" Luthar barked through the comms.
Both women moved instantly. Ryuu vanished into smoke, while Liliruca ducked behind a deep crevice in the ridge. The servo-skull zipped away, recording.
"For machine god" saying this Luthar presses the button within a second The cannon fired.
It did not sound like a weapon. It sounded like the world ending. A seismic blast erupted from the barrel, a compressed force collapsing the air in front of it and then shattering reality in a straight line. Light tore through the clearing, annihilating everything in its path. The shockwave followed, flattening trees, vaporizing roots, and fracturing stone.
The shell hit the Goliath directly.
Its entire back exploded. A soundless detonation expanded outward—mana, bone, flesh, and shadow eviscerated in the blink of an eye. What remained of the monster collapsed into a smoldering crater, half its skull missing, spine obliterated. It did not scream. It did not flinch.
It simply ceased to exist.
And when the dust settled, only silence remained.
Luthar stood before the cannon, steam rising from its cooling vents. His helm tilted downward slightly.
It's a place where your support keeps me motivated