James started down the last 4 dolls as he broke the ends off the arrows in his back with a swing of his tail before rushing diagonally at the archer and mage dolls.
The dolls responded with constant arrow shots and fireballs being thrown. James dodged the fireballs and a few of the arrows while deflecting others but was still hit in nonvital places by some of the arrows.
Once James got close the archers even as the tried keeping distance they pulled out short swords that were on their waist and moved in tandem to limit his movement for the mage to finish him trying to stay in his blind spots and slice his ligaments.
James wasn't gonna put up with this shit and couldn't afford to waste more time on these two as he couldn't let the mage hit him with a spell and suffer lots of damage especially when the spear doll was still left still watching the battle unfold.
James grabbed the first archer doll by the shoulder scrapping his claws against the metal as he swung his blade down onto it's head splitting the metal head and helm like a melon. James' hands were becoming numb from slamming his axe into all this metal and the sounds were becoming deafening but he pushed forward bisecting the second archer doll as it cut into James' right thigh deeper than he'd like as a fireball approached.
James jumped away barely dodging yet again struggling to keep track of everything that's been going on before charging the mage who created a stone wall in front that James just sidestepped before throwing his axe into the mage doll slamming it into the wall as it fell limp onto the floor leaving only the spear doll left for James to fight.
The dwarf was very impressed with James' performance thus far and hoped he could climb the final hurdle of the spear doll but was a little worried he couldn't do it since of this group of golems it was the strongest and smartest one plus the other advantages...
The dwarf gripped his hammer tightly and watched intently hoping the young lizard can push through.
James retrieved his axe but was anxious as hell watching the spear doll just standing there watching and observing this whole time but also concerned as this doll was bigger and had obviously better gear than the others. It had a mix of scale mail and plate armor across it's body with the joints being unimpeded and a large plate helm with a large serrated spear the size of it's body(think like a dragoon style armor and spear).
As James slowly approached and steadied himself the spear doll started to slowly approach in turn before suddenly appearing in front of James startling the shit out of him as it did rapid thrusts of his spear that James was barley keeping up with thanks to Rage still being active as he deflected with the Devourer axe trying to get a swing in but continuously getting pushed back regardless.
James didn't know what to do other than to persist but finally he saw an opening in the series of attacks and swung his axe at the dolls side cutting partially into the armor but going no further as white runes glowed across the armors surface before being impaled by the serrated spear and coughing up blood before feeling electricity course through the spear electrocuting James from the inside out.
"AHHHHHHGHHH!!!!!!"
James screamed out in pain before slowly turning to further anger ending in a roar of fury.
[You have taken 70 damage]
James grabbed into the helm of the doll digging his claws into it.
"You wanna play with lightning huh?!!! Well fine you metal bitch you can taste mine!!!!"
James casts the [Lightning] spell with both hands repeatedly covering the spear doll in so much lightning all that could be seen was a massive blue bolt raging between James' hands after 5 double casts James ran out of Mana and was panting as the doll dropped it's spear that was still I'm embedded in James falling to it's knees charred black by the onslaught...yet it was not dead yet.
The dolls head raised to stare at James as it struggled to stand reaching out grabbing onto the end of it's spear pulling James back in and grabbing him by the throat with immense strength.
James used his tail to grab his axe while he tried prying the hand of the dolls hand from his throat which was futile.
As James was starting to run out of air he got his hands on his axe and choked it into the gap of the helm and shoulder cutting into the dolls neck and and kept chopping till it's head was severed and it's hand released James' throat causing him to pant continuously and cough up blood.
"Fuck...you...you metal piece of shit!!! Also fuck you dwarf, what kinda test nearly kills you!?"
[You gained 45 XP] x3
[You have gained 90XP]
[Total XP: 660/600]
[You leveled up]
[You are now level 7]
The dwarf smith laughed heartily and walked over ripping the spear out of James' gut before shoving an open bottle of a purple liquid into James' mouth and releasing a green light like Cloud did from his hand closing James' wounds like they never happened.
"The kind of test that won't actually kill you but make you see how serious it is unless you're stupid or too weak to be taking the test in the first place you foolish lizard. You passed and you did damn good. I'm surprised you brought that golem to it's knees like that and even cut it's head off but considering how easily you cut through iron golems with that axe I'm not entirely surprised. Especially when I made that axe a few centuries ago as one of my first real pieces."
James finished the drink and felt his mana and stamina return as he stood up and was surprised at the dwarf's words.
"You made the Devourer axe?"
The dwarf laughed at his question, "Is that not what I just said lad, that was an axe I made a long ass time ago when I was young and naive and only had basic metals to work with but I got a hold of one special material for it which is why it hungers for flesh and grows stronger the more it feasts. Sadly because of the limitations of the other materials used it can only become so powerful so it'll never become a masterpiece like others I've made. For a newbie like you though it's alread perfect and better than you deserve. Where'd you find it anyway?"
James was intrigued but realized there's only so much this axe is capable of after listening to the dwarf, "I claimed it off the corpse of a goblin chieftain after killing the rest of it's kin in the Great Forest of Danevere."
The dwarf nodded, "Well I'm glad it's in competent hands now instead of the fool I sold it to and his stuck up family all those years ago or those shitty goblins. Now enough of this you passed my trial for a piece of equipment but you're not getting a masterpiece from me when you're this weak or you'll never grow on your own."
James was automatically irritated, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, I kicked the shit out of your stupid metal puppets and only the best you had was able to really screw me up so how am I too weak for something actually good!?"
The dwarf sighed and looked at the remaining countless inactive dolls that didn't fight James, "You really are stupid, you fought the weakest and most shitily equipped of my golems and even the last one was subpar compared to the rest of them and the rest would curb stomp you without putting up a fight so by my standards you're weak as shit kid. I'm still gonna make something suited for you and something that'll last based on what you want but you aren't ready for the extent of what I can make just based on the fact the Mana in this room and what's in that case back there was too much for you when we first came down so quit your bitching and tell me what you want and I'll get forging while you wait."
James was still frustrated but started to get it and let it go after a few moments of calming himself down and finally deactivating Rage that he forgot to turn off.
"Preferably a chest piece, armguards, and pauldrons if possible but no helm, leggings , or greaves since it'd slow me down."
The dwarf sighed, "Kid you just are really stupid. I am a forge master, I smith, tailor, enchant, and when it's worth it engrave runes into my works so I can make the armor lightweight but still strong and durable for you so if you want armor tell me what you'd want other than it being strong and light and I'll do the rest.
James just gave a reply, "Make it absorb blood to self repair except for mine so it doesn't suck me dry and resistant to electric attacks both natural and magical if you can."
The dwarf thought about it and gave a short reply, "I think I can do that and to match your scales I'll make it black and adjust it's size to the wearer. Now go sit on the stairs or something I can't have you watching and trying to learn my skills even if I highly doubt you'll learn shit."
The dwarf walked over to his forge pulling several varying materials out of what is guessed to be his storage ring under his gloves as James walked out and up the stairs hearing the dwarf begin the forging process.
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[Status]
Name: James Stormblood
Lvl: 7
XP: 60/700
EP: 240
Race: Lizardfolk
Class: N/A
Health: 360/360
Mana: 250/250
Height: 7ft 9in
Weight: 310lbs
Attributes:
Strength- 25
Dexterity- 20
Intelligence- 25
Wisdom- 15
Constitution- 24
Charisma- 8
Skills:
Active- Rage, Primal Intimidation
Passive- Hand to Hand Combat, Axemanship, Mana Circuit
Spells: Lightning(evolveable)
Traits:
Dragon Eyes, Iron Stomach, Monster Eater, Strong Body, Tracker
Aspects: Blood of The Dark Blood Wolf
Free Attribute Points: 3
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