The monsters in this game were generally divided into three categories.
First, the common monsters.
They made up more than 90% of all monsters. Almost all the monsters belonged to this category. They were pretty much fiendish beasts obsessed with killing humans.
Second, the elite monsters.
Also known as Elites, these creatures were selected from the general monsters. In the lore, they had survived for a long time and accumulated experience, making them significantly stronger than their counterparts. Their levels were adjusted to a higher scale and they received various stat bonuses. Some of them even evolved into semi-boss level entities, also known as Named. In cases where the boss monster did not appear, these creatures took on the role of the stage boss.
And lastly, the third category, the boss monsters.
These were the real monsters, quite different from the previous two categories. They were typically the commanders leading their respective monster legions, often high-intelligence entities with leadership abilities. But more than their high intelligence, their overwhelming power posed the bigger problem. As the pinnacle of a legion, they possessed an immense power that was impossible to fathom for a single entity.
Therefore,
Roaaar!
The spell to summon a boss monster, although one-time use, was treated like a cheat key.
The boss monster I summoned - a giant steam golem - let out a ferocious rumble.
Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!
Subsequently, it single-handedly started charging towards the approaching golems, about 50 in number.
If the approach of the 50 golems felt like a high wall closing in, then this creature's charge felt like an island cleaving through stormy seas.
Monsters are typically programmed with the primary directive to kill humans.
But they are unusually sensitive to 'traitors'. The gaze of the golem legion turned all at once to the boss golem.
Roaaar!
Roaaar!
The sight of these massive golems charging at each other was beyond surreal. Was this a super golem showdown?
In an instant, they approached each other, just before the point of collision.
Bam-!
They clashed abruptly.
Glove fragments and broken parts scattered into the air.
The boss golem rampaged like a lion who had rushed into a pack of hyenas.
Every time its long, thick arms and legs, akin to ancient temple pillars, cut through the air, the enemy golem legion shattered one by one, rolling grotesquely on the ground.
But no matter how much a lion rampages, hyenas don't retreat.
The golem legion was 50 units strong.
Even if they were weaker individually, their sheer numbers gave them a collective combat power that far surpassed the boss golem.
Roaaar! Roaaar!
Even as they were crushed under the boss golem's fist, the rock golems and steam golems desperately reached out, trying to inflict as much damage as they could on the boss golem.
Their efforts soon paid off.
Crack! Creak!
The boss golem's fingers were bent in a grotesque direction and dangled limply.
The moment the fist made contact, the hit golems counterattacked.
The boss golem, stunned for a moment, was swiftly climbed upon by the other golems.
The Golem Legion began to scale the body of the boss golem, starting to apply force to rip off its armor.
"..."
I swallowed a dry gulp, observing the scene.
It was like watching a mantis being devoured by an army of ants.
'I never expected the boss monster to defeat all of them from the start.'
No matter how much the boss steam golem was a powerful entity, the enemy golem legion was also a large monster. Furthermore, there were fifty of them.
One can't beat them all alone.
While that buddy attracted as many enemies as possible and grabbed their attention--
"We should take this chance to escape."
The 36th stratagem is the best.
"Huh?"
Evangeline, who had been gaping at the sight of the monsters fighting each other, questioned me. I nodded my head.
"That guy is a one-use tool anyway. While it's buying time, we need to escape."
I didn't come here to win. I came here to survive with her.
I pointed at Evangeline's leg.
"How's the leg?"
"I can walk. It's still difficult to run at full speed though..."
"Then let's run."
"Eek."
A broken leg can be fixed, but there's no remedy for a lost life.
I took another standard potion from the batch I brought and poured it onto Evangeline's leg.
Sssss-
A cloudy steam rose from the bandage and the sprained area. Evangeline gritted her teeth and bore the pain.
"Let's go."
"Yes...!"
I led the way, and Evangeline closely followed me.
The direction was north.
That's where the horse I had tied up was.
"Ugh?!"
But before we could even take a few steps, Evangeline turned around, gasping for breath. I looked back as well.
Vrrrr-
Magic Stone Golems.
Two magic-specialized golems were floating in midair, aiming their arms at us.
It seems they are targeting us since magic attacks do not work well on the boss golem.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
That was not all.
About ten golems, scattered widely to avoid the boss golem, were running towards us.
"Damn it!"
I clicked my tongue.
"They're not letting us off easily."
"Magic attack, incoming-!"
With a flash of light, the red beams shot out by the magic stone golems headed towards us.
Evangeline put her arm around my shoulder, lowered my posture, and then raised her shield to deflect all the flying beams.
Bang! Boom!
The light beams that were deflected off the shield's surface exploded in the surrounding ground. I grumbled.
"Lowering the posture is a good thing, but does it have to match your height? My back already hurts."
"Well, who's that tall? Then stand up straight and take all those hits!"
Arguing is fun, but the magic bombardment is a threat. I hurriedly issued a new command to the boss golem.
"Attack the Magic Stone Golems as a priority!"
Rooooar!
The Golem Boss, surrounded by the Golem Legion, was battered, a glint flickering in its cyclopean eye.
Its gold-tarnished arms rose, aiming at the floating Magic Stone Golems in mid-air, and it fired a beam of magical light from its fingertips.
The two Magic Stone Golems that had noticed the anomaly changed their target to the Golem Boss as well.
Ping! Beeping!
Boom!
Soon, beams of magical light showered each other like a storm in the distant sky.
I whistled sharply. Good, no more magical attacks coming this way.
However, my speed had significantly decreased while dodging the attacks.
And in that brief moment, the pursuing Golems almost caught up with us.
Grrrr-!
A Rock Golem that had chased us all the way to our back roared hideously and charged.
"Damn it!"
Evangeline, who had clicked her tongue, leaped into the air while running, spun halfway in mid-air, and thrust her spear backwards.
Thud!
The shining tip of the spear precisely pierced the chest of the Rock Golem, and upon contact with the Magic Core, a huge explosion occurred. Bang!
As the Golem exploded into pieces, Evangeline pulled out her spear, used the recoil from the explosion to spin halfway in reverse.
Evangeline, who landed facing forward, continued to run by my side as if nothing had happened.
Her fluttering hair following the trajectory of her body was the only proof that her previous maneuver was real.
I clapped spontaneously.
"Wow, that was incredible."
"Don't, don't suddenly compliment me!"
Evangeline, weak against compliments, blushed.
I would have liked to keep teasing her, but there was no time for that.
Thump! Boom!
The other Golems were closing in rapidly. There was a limit to how much time we could buy with Evangeline's tricks.
"Where the hell is the horse?!"
"Right there!"
I reached forward. The horse I brought was tied to a tree not too far away.
Neigh!
The horse neighed in fright at the sight of the Golems chasing us and started to struggle. It seemed like it was about to run away on its own.
Just stay still for a moment, buddy. Let's run away together...!
That's when it happened.
Ping! Beeping!
A red beam of light flew in and struck near the tree where the horse was tied.
Boom!
A terrible explosion and smoke obscured my view.
"What-"
When I hastily looked back, I saw one of the Magic Stone Golems raising its hand towards us.
Even while being battered by the Golem Boss's magical attacks, it had managed to suppress us. This damn creature...!
"Damn it!"
I looked forward again. When the pillar of fire subsided, there was no trace left of the tree or the horse.
We stopped. Evangeline, her face pale, slowly looked up at me.
"Do we have any means to escape?"
"...We have a Plan B."
To be honest, I didn't have high hopes of escaping safely. That's why Plan B was my original plan.
"What's Plan B?"
"What do you think?"
I turned around. The golems we had been fleeing from were right on our tails.
With a Lucky Strike held in my hand, I smirked.
"Kill them all."
"WHAT?! All these golems? Just the two of us? Are you out of your mind?!"
"It's our only chance of survival."
Crossroad is a 30-minute ride away. On foot, it takes around two hours.
And in two hours, these monstrous beasts could easily catch up with us and kill us.
I glanced down at Evangeline.
"It's do or die. So, what do you say?"
"...Argh, damn it!"
Evangeline, following my lead, spun around and raised her shield. I patted her on the back.
"Good. Evangeline. I'll instruct you on our tactics."
BAM!
The onrushing Steam Golem's fist hit Evangeline's shield. Suppressing a groan, Evangeline clung to her shield.
"Your primary focus should be on defense. Only use your spear when your [Damage Save] is full. Got it?"
"Then who's going to attack?!"
"I will."
I flexed my left hand and lunged forward. My fist struck the golem's chest plate.
Ding!
Lucky Strike activated, and on the edge of my vision, the slot started to spin. What would it land on?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
0, 7, 2!
72 damage!
Groan!
The golem's chest armor burst apart, and riding the momentum, I thrust my fist inside, yanking out the magical core.
Thud!
The golem, with a hole blasted through its chest plate, fell limp to the ground. I nodded.
"Just like that."
"What's the principle behind that punch?!"
Principle?
Aside from the blessing of RNGesus, there's nothing else.
Groan! Thud!
Two more rushing Stone Golems met the same fate.
Evangeline defended, and I finished them off with a Lucky Strike.
The problem arose afterward.
ROOOOAR!
Two Steam Golems, one from each side, attacked simultaneously. In a hurry, I gave directions.
"Kill the one on the right with [Damage Payback], and block the attack from the left!"
"Got it!"
Evangeline followed my instructions faithfully.
A glowing spear pierced through the golem on the right in an instant. Simultaneously, her shield took the blow from the left.
I swung my left fist at the chest plate of the blocked golem. The slot started spinning again.
Ding!
0.
Units place, 0.
At that moment, I had a bad feeling.
Ding!
0.
Tens place, 0.
It was the same sensation as during the 777 Punch.
My gamer instincts were screaming. Something was off. I should run away without looking back.
But the slot was already spinning.
And finally, the hundreds place number.
Ding!
0.
"..."
000.
"Ah."
So, it finally happens.
Damn.