Mountain Golem

"What do you need?" the girl asked again, this time with more intensity.

"Ripple!" the other girl called out like she was a mother scolding her child. "I'm sorry about her. She's just cautious. Overly cautious."

Elliot shook his head, "No. It was us who sneaked and crept behind you guys. We're sorry."

Ripple lowered her weapon, rolling her eyes when her sister pulled her away when she was still threatening the two.

"My name is Frost, and this is my sister Ripple," the Ranger introduced. "Why are you two here? It's a very dangerous place here."

"We're on our way to a village called Yusta," Connor said with a grin. It was evident that he was excited to come home. Elliot could only smile after seeing his new friend's enthusiasm.

"Oh, yeah? We're on our way–"

A tingling sensation made Elliot shush Frost off. After leveling up from the Strike, his senses got sharper. He was sure that something is incoming.

"Hasty Aspire!" he yelled after realizing what it was.

He ran in front of everyone and used his sword to block the incoming attack. A boulder the size of a house was shot from nowhere. Elliot pushed himself from the ground and into the boulder to stop it.

Connor ran to the side, casting a spell to decrease the impact of the boulder. "Ghostly Flame!"

His attack hit the boulder, but it wasn't enough. Elliot was losing his strength against the boulder. He needed more help.

"True Frost." A large icicle shot was fired from Frost's bow. The attack hit the boulder, passing right through it and cracking it.

Ripple leaped above the boulder. She pointed her daggers at the rock, connecting the tips as she did.

"True Ripple!"

The air on her feet waved like earlier. Like she was stepping on water. She rotated her body and struck it down towards the boulder in one swift motion.

Just in time, Elliot's Hasty Aspire ceased its activation. He fell to his knees and panted. The blocking took a toll on his body. His energy was seeped out.

"Are you okay?" Connor asked, helping his friend up.

Elliot nodded, "Yes. But we have to find where that boulder came from."

"That attack couldn't have been from one of the beasts here," Frost said. "It was too strong for the beasts that live here."

"The Valley of Two Heroes," Ripple muttered, looking at a faraway mountain. "It is there."

"Are you sure?" Elliot asked. She gave him a nod before turning around. "She is stubborn."

"Shut up," was all Ripple said before she leaped and disappeared mid-air.

"I'm sorry for her attitude," Frost said. "She's not usually like this. Well, not before–"

Elliot stopped her seeing as she could barely talk about it. The pain was too clear in her eyes. Like they experienced a horrifying past.

"I think we should avoid the Valley of the Two Heroes," Connor suggested. "Let's take a detour over the mountain. It would only cost us a day or two."

Elliot nodded, "Agreed. If there is a beast that's most likely a Sacred there, we wouldn't stand a chance."

Frost only looked at the two and shook her head. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Wait," Connor said. "Ripple didn't know."

Just as he said that, a scream was heard from the nearby mountain.

It was Ripple.

The three of them ran as fast s they could. Elliot used Hasty Aspire twice just so he could come where Ripple was.

"True Ripple!"

Ripple was fighting a large rock golem. Its size was of a four-story building and it has a massive body the length of a ship.

<< Mountain Golem >>

Grand-Rank

Level 75

HP: 80,000/80,000

The Stealth Knight's attack was ineffective against the golem. She couldn't escape because the golem could easily keep up with attacks.

"Hasty Aspire!"

Elliot leaped and tried to pierce his sword through the golem's head. It only made clank but didn't even dent the bulbous head of the rock giant. Without a mouth, the golem screamed that made Elliot lose his balance and fall.

Ripple caught him before his body landed on the floor. "You're hopeless," Ripple remarked.

"Ghostly Flame!"

"True Frost!"

The two attacks landed in different directions but neither affected the golem.

"It's too strong!" Frost yelled. She shot another arrow again and like last time, it didn't affect the golem.

"It has a ground affinity, elemental attacks could barely harm it," Ripple said. "Our hope is a tank-type or a wind affinity."

A large fist towered over the four. The shadow was so big, it covered everyone with a deadly shade.

"Run!" Elliot yelled.

The golem's fist landed on the ground, creating a large crater. The attack could kill everyone and it was fast. If Ripple hadn't pulled Elliot and Connor out, the two would've become pancakes.

"So pathetic," Ripple sighed and landed on a tree.

"This is the beast that attacked us," Elliot said. "That explains why it could fire a boulder from far away."

"Do we have a chance against it?" Connor asked, trembling. Among everyone, he was the weakest. It was normal for him to be scared.

"I don't think we do," Elliot sighed.

'Do you want more power?'

A message was displayed on his screen. His eyebrow quirked and he said yes.

'You can borrow power.'

'But the consequences are severe.'

While Elliot was thinking, a large hand made of rock snatched Connor from the tree. They didn't notice that the beast was already in front of them.

"Connor, no!" Elliot yelled. Connor was screaming in fear. The grip wasn't too tight but he knew it could easily shatter his body.

"Help me, please!"

"Dance of the Ripples!"

"Rain of Frost!"

The siblings' attacks were fast and strong. Frost's arrows avoided Connor and only attacked the golem's head while Ripple was hitting the critical parts while avoiding her sister's arrows.

But they were useless.

The giant's grasp started to tighten which made Connor scream in pain. "Please, anyone, help!"

"I want power!" Elliot yelled.

'Are you sure?'

Before he could say anything, a white beam light pierced the giant's head.

"White Pierce: Triple!"

There were two more beams that hit the golem, one was on the wrist and the other was on the stomach.

The voice came from someone beside Elliot.

'Lance wants you to be his Acquaintance.'

"Y-Yes."

Elliot answered without thinking and a profile appeared on his screen that made his eyes widen.

<< Lance Ragus >>

Level: 100

Guild: Azure Scorch

Class: Hybrid | Grand Knight – Grand Sorcerer

Subclass: None

Occupation: Vice Guild Master