Last Resolve 2

"We have to go back there!" Teena exclaimed.

"And then what? Become a burden for Glok? We can't do anything to that lizard! What do you think we can accomplish by going there?! We'll just end up dead and make Glok's struggle pointless!" yelled the goblin, still clutching his right hand. The pain was so intense that cold sweat began to dampen his body.

Teena bit her lip, knowing what her friend said was true. However, on the other hand, she couldn't just leave someone she loved behind. If necessary, she wanted to go with him rather than live without him.

The large goblin walked towards them after checking if there were any other monsters. From his expression, it seemed like only the lizard was following them. Quite strange considering they were already in the deepest part of the forest, but the monsters were becoming fewer. "We're safe for now. But, I still feel unsafe, as if something is wrong with this forest."

"Yes, you don't have to mention it. I can also feel something strange. I don't know what. But it's really unsettling." He looked around, checking once more if they were truly alone and if there was no one watching from the darkness.

"Are... we really going to lose Glok?" Teena asked softly, not wanting to accept the reality that seemed to have already given an answer.

The three of them looked towards where Glok was, the broken arm one responding, "What we can do now is return to the village immediately to save Glok. Even though the chance is slim, I will take it. I won't let Glok die as prey."

At the same time, Glok was fiercely fighting the lizard in front of him. Wounds were visible on both of their bodies, with Glok slightly worse off. Fresh blood poured from each wound, drenching his body and face. However, there was no fear in his sharp gaze that now stared at the lizard with anger.

Glok's hands also felt so painful, constantly colliding with the lizard's hard and hot scales. The outer layer of his skin was gone, leaving the inner skin and a collection of muscles. He wanted to end this fight soon because Glok wasn't sure he could hold on much longer. He had tried every method he could think of, but the creature in front could easily block and counterattack.

Of all the monsters he had faced, this lizard was the most intelligent.

"It seems you're not an ordinary monster. But do you see this?" Glok stretched out both arms, showing every vein becoming more bright. "This is the mark of pride of a Berserker. And you know what that means for you?"

Glok stomped his foot, shattering the ground around him and appeared in front of the lizard.

"THAT MEANS IT'S YOUR DEATH!"

His fist successfully struck the lizard's head, slamming it forcefully into the ground, creating a strong gust of wind. The lizard, suddenly receiving a powerful blow to the head, couldn't stand properly, especially with its blurred and wobbly vision, causing it to be late in avoiding the next attack.

The goblin didn't miss the golden opportunity, delivering a powerful kick to the side of the lizard's head, sending the creature flying sideways, crashing into the trees. A cloud of dust and smoke billowed up, obscuring their vision.

Glok wanted to continue his attack. Unfortunately, the previous strike had consumed a considerable amount of his strength, making his body feel a bit weak now. The pain throughout his body didn't help either, making every movement feel slower with each passing second.

As he was about to step forward, the pain suddenly intensified multiple times, forcing Glok to kneel on the ground, gritting his teeth. He realized that as soon as the lizard noticed him hesitating like this, it would immediately turn to attack. And sure enough, less than a second later, the dust and smoke were blown away by the wind created from the swing of its tail.

Glok's eyes widened as he watched, unable to react as the large and painful tail approached closer. At that moment, he felt death was right in front of him, reaching out to usher him into the afterlife.

In that split second, Ailord appeared between them, blocking the lizard's tail strike with his right hand.

The wind began to blow fiercely again, accompanied by a thunderous sound.

Glok was shocked to see him, wondering if he was dreaming because the figure in front of him—no. More precisely, the creature in front of him, was unlike anything he had ever seen. In his entire life in this world, he had never encountered a humanoid being with a body entirely made of iron. The closest thing to this was the 'Constructs'. But even those were made of copper as mana couldn't move something as heavy and complex as the creature before him.

Ailord threw the lizard forward, making it roar loudly. The same roar that made his ears ache. Luckily, he had added protection to his helmet. So, when there was a sound so loud that it could damage eardrums, the sound would be reduced, or even completely eliminated.

"Rest behind me. Let me handle this," Ailord said as he walked closer towards the lizard.

Glok paused for a moment, still trying to digest what was happening. But quickly, he refocused on the situation, remembering that the fight wasn't over yet and he still needed to limit his use of Berserker mode, or his body would erased much faster.

The goblin retreated behind, approaching the trees while keeping a close watch on the figure in front. A figure that still surprised him as it could speak despite having no mouth. Perhaps it was one of the expensive and secretive Constructs owned by one of the kingdoms, hence much more advanced than the ordinary Constructs.

"Hmm, still 30% remaining. Enough to deal with the lizard ahead," mumbled Ailord as he checked the condition of Walker version 2. Orange light began to fill every crevice of the hand armor with a buzzing sound that always brought a wide smile to Ailord's face.

Adrenaline surged through his entire body, aware that it was time to act.

The same stomping sound occurred again. But this time, it was much larger than Glok's, making him even more surprised and curious. Who was the true creator of the Construct before him? Also, why did someone like that send their Construct here?

The confused lizard was too late to react when a powerful fist flew from below. Its head was thrown backward, pain spread from there throughout its body. The dizziness it felt increased, making it unable to stand. Ailord, of course, wouldn't let such a golden opportunity slip away.

He delivered a powerful kick to the left side of the lizard's head. It could be felt that the skull started to crack from within. However, Ailord intentionally reduced the shockwave's power to savor this a little longer. The two lizards before this one had not satisfied a craving that had been gnawing at him from within for who knows how long.

The lizard tried to stand up despite its entire body resisting. Being an intelligent monster, it knew that its opponent in front was vastly different from the goblin. Even in fleeing, it couldn't escape the grasp of death. Therefore, it decided to fight to the end of its life. Something that had become a trademark of the Black Vermillion Lizard. Something that Ailord greatly admired.

The lizard charged forward, giving everything it had in hopes of at least injuring the metallic being. However, the aftermath of its fight with the goblin rendered its movements sluggish and slower than anticipated. The metallic being easily dodged, delivering another kick right to its lower body.

The pain was excruciating; every internal organ screamed in agony. Blood flowed from its mouth due to the visible spurt of blood that could be seen on the ground. Making the lizard regret chasing the goblins instead of just having its lunch. It had been so long since it last had a toy. Who would have thought that it would end up becoming one?

"Why? Weren't you so eager to kill the goblins behind you? Where is that spirit now?" Ailord taunted, intentionally provoking anger.

When Glok heard him speak for the second time, he realized that Ailord was using a different language. A language he had never heard before, which piqued his curiosity even more.

Then why could he understand his meaning earlier?

Or was it just a reflex to step back, knowing he would only be a burden to him?

A smirk formed on his face, realizing, "So, there is someone much stronger than me after all."