Gripping the tree troll's limb with both hands, I stepped toward it, twisted my body, and swung with full force. The heavy limb smashed into its chest with a loud crack.
For a second, I thought I had done real damage, then the limb itself shattered.
The golem only stumbled back a couple of steps. Faint cracks formed on its chest, but that was it.
I stared.
"What?"
It was just a Level 8, yet it barely flinched from my hit.
Then what about the Level 9 and Level 10 ones I had seen earlier?
I narrowed my eyes, feeling my heart heat up as my Generator Core worked overtime, generating Essence.
Clenching my fist, I channeled Essence into it and stepped toward the golem. It swung its massive arm in a wide arc at me, and I did the same, matching its speed.
Our fists collided in the middle. I held my ground, my muscles tensing from the impact.
I pulled my fist back, stepped in close, and drove my knee into its midsection. Cracks spread across its rocky body.
Without hesitation, I spun on my heel, leaped, and brought my foot crashing down on its neck. The force shattered the connection, sending its head toppling. The golem crumbled and fell.
I scoffed and sprinted toward Steve.
The closer I got to the checkpoint, the more Abominations gathered.
The number of Tree Trolls far outnumbered the golems, but most of the golems were clustered near the pillar, standing like silent sentinels around the prize.
I shifted my gaze toward Steve. He was down on one knee, breathing hard.
My eyes widened slightly. I took a deep breath and activated another skill.
[Psynapse Boost]
Essence surged from my heart and flooded into my eyes.
A green glow flickered in my vision as the world dulled.
The chaotic battlefield seemed to slow, each movement clearer, sharper. I could feel the rain sliding across my skin, the distant vibration of thunder before it even rumbled.
I watched my own feet strike the damp ground, splashing through puddles. Without hesitation, I funneled four units of Essence into Strength, pushing it to 29.5.
My legs bent, power coiled within them, and I shot forward like a bullet.
I had to be efficient. My stamina was already low from the constant running. My Essence store was still charging. There was no room for wasted movements—I had to cut through them fast.
A Tree Troll lunged at me from the side, its bark-like skin splitting open as it raised its massive arm to strike.
I ducked under the swing, my body sliding across the wet ground as the rain pounded against my back.
Without stopping, I twisted my waist and drove my fist into its exposed ribs, sending a pulse of Essence through my arm. The impact cracked its wooden frame, forcing it to stagger.
I didn't give it a chance to recover.
Stepping in, I slammed my shoulder into its gut, lifting it off its feet and driving it back into another troll behind it. Both went tumbling down in a heap of snapping branches and splintering wood.
Another one rushed at me from the front, its hollowed-out eyes glowing faintly. I grabbed a broken tree troll limb from the ground and swung it like a bat, smashing it against its face. The limb shattered, but so did its head, exploding into chunks of rotten wood.
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the battlefield for a brief second. In that moment, I saw three more trolls charging toward me.
I planted my feet and exhaled, my muscles tensing.
I leaped forward, dodging a grasping hand, and drove my elbow into the side of a troll's knee. It buckled, and before it could react, I twisted and kicked it straight in the chest, sending it crashing into the mud.
The second one swung at me wildly, its gnarled fingers aiming for my throat. I sidestepped and caught its arm, using its own momentum to flip it over my shoulder and slam it onto a jagged rock.
The third troll was smarter. It waited, observing, its glowing eyes studying me. I could hear the creaking of its limbs as it shifted its stance.
A loud crunch.
My body moved on instinct. I leaped backward just as a massive black fist smashed into the ground where I had been standing. Mud and broken rocks exploded into the air.
A Scorched Golem.
I narrowed my eyes.
[Scorched Golem – Level 9]
It lifted its cracked stone arm again and swung. I ducked, but the sheer force of the wind from the strike sent droplets of rain spraying into my face.
I clenched my teeth and lunged forward, driving my knee into its midsection. Cracks spread along its body, but it held firm.
I needed more force.
I infused Essence into my right arm and swung a straight punch into its chest.
The impact boomed through the air, the cracks widening before its body crumbled to the ground in a heap of shattered rock.
I turned to continue forward, but another troll blocked my path.
I had no time for this.
I surged forward, ducking low, and drove my shoulder into its midsection. The moment its body lifted off the ground, I spun and hurled it into the approaching trolls like a wrecking ball. They crashed together in a pile of broken limbs and splintered bark.
A second Scorched Golem stood ahead, positioned directly in my path.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto me, and it moved with slow, deliberate steps. This one was bigger, at least nine feet tall, with deeper cracks along its body.
I needed to take it down fast.
I channeled the final bit of Essence to my legs and shot forward.
The golem swung down, a hammer-like strike aiming for my head. I pivoted, dodging to the side, and leaped onto its arm. My feet found grip on the cracks in its rocky frame as I climbed up in an instant.
Before it could react, I cocked back my fist, Essence surging through my arm, and smashed it straight into its head. The entire top half of its skull exploded, and its body crumbled beneath me.
I landed lightly and exhaled.
There were still more trolls in my way.
I grabbed a fallen Tree Troll limb from the ground. My body was tired, but I had no time to stop.
I swung.
The club smashed into a troll's chest, sending it flying back into another. I spun and brought it down over the head of another, splitting it in half. I twisted, dodged, and swung again, clearing a path with pure, ruthless efficiency.
The checkpoint was getting closer.
Steve was getting closer.
I pushed forward.
Suddenly, the world rushed back to normal, and I felt [Psynapse Boost] deactivate.
I checked my Essence.
0/10.
I clicked my tongue in frustration. My body felt heavier without the boost, but I didn't stop. My eyes locked onto Steve, and for the first time, I could see him clearly.
His condition was bad.
Bruises covered his body, even his face. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, mixing with the rain and trailing down his cheek. His breathing was ragged, his movements slower than before.
My blood boiled. Anger coursed through me.
I clenched my fists and surged forward, dodging past the trolls instead of engaging.
My priority was reaching Steve as fast as possible. The more I moved, the more my Generator absorbed the energy around me, slowly refueling my Essence. I needed to build it back up.
But it wasn't that simple.
There were too many trolls. Even as I weaved through them, a few still blocked my way. Some swung at me, forcing me to react.
A troll dropped down in front of me, blocking my path entirely. I had no choice but to engage.
I let my momentum carry me forward, stepped in close, and leaped smashing my knee into its face.
The impact cracked its bark-like skin, making it stagger. I grabbed its face with both hands and smashed it down onto the ground, splintering its head into pieces.
I exhaled sharply and sprinted forward again.
I barreled through the trolls, smashing and shoving them aside as I reached the base of the rocky mount.
Without slowing down, I grabbed onto the uneven surface and began climbing, my fingers digging into the wet stone.
A troll lunged at me mid-climb, I grabbed its arm, yanked it down, and sent it tumbling into the horde below.
Another tried to reach up from the side—I kicked it square in the face and kept moving.
Finally, I pulled myself over the edge and kneeled face-to-face with Steve.
He was still on one knee, breathing hard, his sword hanging limply in his grip. His eyes flickered up to meet mine, dazed but sharp enough to recognize me.
I grinned, shaking the rain out of my hair.
"You look like crap."
Steve huffed, barely managing a chuckle.
"Yeah? Well, you smell like it."