Gin succeeded in dispatching three of the Horrors he suspected were in charge of their respective domains. Employing the same tactics he utilized against Two Faced, he incinerated the Horrors until they were reduced to mere ashes.
These last three Horrors proved to be the least formidable among the original eight, suggesting that the entities left were independent creatures with a mind of their own.
As for the ones left, these are the types of Horror Gin that need to be watched out for, especially the cobblestoned Horror whom he will be fighting right in this instant.
It's because these Horror had formed subconsciousness and had a certain degree of understanding of what their essence was.
"I think those sturdy stones wouldn't work against the fire. At least, on the surface." Gin mused under his breath as he continued with a sigh, "I'm lucky enough if I managed to burn some of his body parts, but who am I to worry about luck when I don't have it anymore?"
Observing the Horror from the vantage point of a nearby tree, Gin recalled every detail he had gleaned about this particular entity: its mannerisms, distinguishing characteristics, and formidable strengths.
'This thing is hellbent on protecting what's his. His essence is obviously related to stone. Based on the three fights I've seen on this Horror, this thing will attack the moment someone enters fifteen meters of his territory.'
Despite its imposing size, Gin considered that some Horrors might leverage their intelligence to utilize their appearance as a form of strength, masking their true capabilities with intimidating exteriors.
Gin discovered that the cobblestoned Horror possessed remarkable swiftness. This revelation occurred during the aftermath of his initial encounter with the slime Horror.
In a subsequent battle, teetering on the edge of defeat, the creature strategically harnessed its incredible speed to pulverize the head of another Horror.
Its speed was on par with the current figure, his teacher.
'But I'm all aware now.'
For Gin, as long as he got information that was deemed important, was enough.
Approaching with caution, Gin ventured slowly toward the cobblestoned Horror, wary of its swift and potentially lethal capabilities.
Rustle—!
As Gin advanced, he noticed curious onlookers casting their gaze upon him. However, he couldn't help but notice that their numbers had dwindled over the past three weeks.
While Gin dedicated himself to studying the island's leaders, he continued his relentless pursuit of the lesser Horrors.
Dispatching these ordinary threats didn't demand intricate planning; rather, it required only his combat prowess and determination to eliminate them swiftly and decisively.
He struggled at some of those Horrors but in the end, he was the victor.
Now, he's going to do the same thing for the rest of the Horrors who dwell in this area. Since Horrors who gained subconsciousness have a mind on their own, he knew most of his plans wouldn't work.
Now, Gin resolved to apply the same approach to the remaining Horrors inhabiting the area. Recognizing that those with gained consciousness operated with independent minds, he acknowledged that many of his usual strategies might prove ineffective.
No, he had already anticipated that all of his plans would not work.
Still, being prepared was better than nothing while fighting head-on.
Step—!
Coming to a halt just within the range of the cobblestoned Horror's domain, Gin gazed up at the eerie, green eyes of the formidable golem, poised for whatever confrontation lay ahead.
They stared at each other, not wanting to let go.
However, before Gin could even advance, the cobblestoned Horror caught him off guard with a surprising move, lunging forward with unexpected swiftness.
"Huh!?"
Gin found it even more astonishing when the Horror, with its bewildering speed, launched an attack from beyond his fifteen-meter-range territorial borders.
Thud—!
Despite Gin's effort to defend himself by placing his dagger in front, the Horror rendered his weapon ineffective by swiftly altering the direction of its attack, delivering a powerful kick in response.
"Bleurgh!"
Being blown to the nearest tree, Gin's eyes wavered as his expression turned blank.
The nearby Horrors hastened their pace once they saw this, determined not to let a potential meal slip away.
Slash!
However, their hasty decision proved to be their undoing, as Gin stared at them with contempt. Within a matter of minutes, he mercilessly killed them all, leaving them to regret their ill-fated pursuit.
Once the carnage was over, Gin grabbed hold of a Horror's body to wipe the bloodstains from his daggers, efficiently cleansing them.
Then, with a grimace of pain, he cracked his neck and spat out blood, the toll of the battle evident on his weary body.
"Now, you've done it."
Looking at the green eyes of the golem while emitting smoke from its mouth, Gin touched himself, feeling a few broken bones inside.
But that was still manageable.
'If I find it too dangerous, I'll leave right away.'
Gin comprehended the gravity of the situation, acknowledging its severity. However, he realized that consistently fleeing whenever things became uncertain wouldn't align with his character or principles.
In the future, he would encounter more of this situation just like he did in the past.
There's no shame in running away but it would be different if you repeatedly doing it.
"Pheww…"
With his heightened senses pushed to their limits, Gin surged ahead and collided with the Horror at the halfway point, causing massive tremors to ripple through the ground.
Thud—!
The two made contact.
Crash—!
Gin's aggression surged as he lunged with his dagger, repeatedly striking the robust stones of the golem, focusing on its ankles, knees, and feet.
But it was too sturdy.
As Gin became aware that his initial assaults merely grazed the formidable stones without achieving the desired impact, he swiftly adapted his strategy.
Shifting his focus from speed to sheer power, he persisted in relentlessly directing his attacks toward the lower parts of the Horror, aiming to deliver forceful blows that could potentially breach its formidable defenses.
Rumble—!
Witnessing Gin repeatedly slip from its grasp and sensing the relentless assault on its lower structure, the Vicious Golem reacted with a powerful stomp, causing everything to briefly lift off the ground in a chaotic whirlwind of debris.
Thud—!
The nearby stones, trees, leaves, and even Horrors that couldn't withstand the shock slightly flew into the air.
The golem's eyes widened in realization as it observed Gin persistently grounded. Undeterred, Gin drove the chained daggers into the earth, utilizing them as anchors to support himself amidst the tremors caused by the golem's stomp.
He started adapting to the situation.
'I knew he would do it. This fucking sly golem.'
"Groaaar—!"
Unleashing a primal roar, the golem tapped into its essence, conjuring massive stones into the air before hurling them at Gin in a formidable display of force.
"!"
As the life-threatening cascade of stones descended toward him, Gin clicked his tongue in annoyance, swiftly evading each projectile with nimble and calculated maneuvers.
At first, he was doing well.
But that's just it as eventually, he made a bad decision.
In the seventh stone that came after him, Gin felt the intensity of the impact as it hit his chest.
"Kuhhh—!"
Relentlessly pushing Gin backward from the ground, the golem continued its assault, with the remaining stones hurtling forward, granting him no respite and leaving him with little room to catch his breath.
"Groaar—!"
The golem roared once more as another set of stones was made while it remained standing.
In a split second, Gin obliterated the stone on his chest, and his mind accelerated, racing to conceive any possible ideas to reverse the precarious situation.
Thud—!
"Groaaor!"
Observing the relentless formation of stones, despite successfully dodging them all, Gin realized the imminent danger of any potential impact. With each new stone posing a significant threat, his resolve wavered as the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on his mind.
'Should I run away?'
There's no reason to stay here any longer.
'I've done enough. I'll come back next time I've countered that spell. When I return, I'll become stronger and more prepared.'
Thud—!
Skillfully evading the massive stone, which narrowly missed his head, Gin instinctively followed its trajectory to pinpoint its origin, fixing his gaze on the looming figure of the golem.
Suddenly, the stones weren't coming for him.
It stopped all of its attacks for a moment as the Vicious Golem let out a malicious smirk, clearly mocking Gin from its standpoint.
"Groaar—!"
With another thunderous roar, the golem condensed the scattered stones into a colossal mass, shaping it into a gargantuan rock nearly a quarter the size of the entire island.
The golem looked at Gin once more, clearly emphasizing that 'can you even do this' with a smug face.
"Oh?"
Amused by the golem's apparent challenge, Gin interpreted it as an invitation to a contest of power. The golem seemed confident in its perceived advantage, perhaps finding some amusement in the situation and willing to indulge in a bit of fun.
'Hah… Hahahaha!'
And for him, he was shocked.
Gin was in utter disbelief that he crackled up on his own, not even afraid of the incoming stone that could squash him right on this instant.
'You're having fun, huh.'
A smirk played across Gin's face as he clicked his tongue, his mind contemplating a daring idea that, under different circumstances, he wouldn't even entertain.
But he screw all that as he nodded, 'I'll give you something fun.'
Crackle—!
Placing his right hand in the middle of his chest as two of his fingertips were up, just like when he was reciting the spell from when he fought Two Faced, he continued.
"Echoes in the clouds above. Rumbles in the darkened skies,"
Crackle—!
"In my grasp, this spell I weave, Lightning bolts, my foes to cleave."
Gin adjusted the positioning of his hand, keeping two fingertips aimed directly at the golem, ready for the impending confrontation.
Crackle—!
As if detecting a disturbance in the unfolding scenario, the golem acted swiftly without hesitation, hurling its massive stone. A momentary uneasiness gripped the Horror, the lingering sense that something was amiss refusing to dissipate.
But it was too late.
Taking advantage of the opportunity the golem unwittingly provided, Gin maintained his arrogant smirk as the vicious creature shifted its attention toward him, seemingly unaware of the impending danger.
Crackle—!
"Discharge."
Whoosh—!
In a sudden display of power, the stone launched by Gin spontaneously split in half mid-air, disintegrating into fragments upon being struck by a thunderbolt.
Crackle—!
Shortly after, lightning bolts descended from the skies, enveloping the entire area in a dazzling display of electrical currents that struck the ground relentlessly.
The vicious golem bore the brunt of the assault, enduring the majority of the electrifying onslaught.
Rumble—!
Gin was no exception to this spell.
Crackle—!
Even as the golem attempted to reinforce himself with conjured flames, the living-like bolts of lightning proved relentless, wreaking havoc and obliterating everything in their path upon impact.
The fiery defense seemed futile against the animated and destructive force of the lightning.
"Guh!"
In the span of a minute, the relentless barrage of lightning reduced the once formidable cobblestoned Horror to nothing but blackened ashes, marking the swift and decisive end of the intense confrontation.
"Urgh!"
Electricity surged through Gin's body, threatening to overwhelm him and induce collapse, yet he fought valiantly to maintain consciousness despite the taxing ordeal.
Not wanting to let that happen, Gin swiftly entered into meditation, seeking to replenish his nearly depleted soul. Ninety-five percent of his essence had been expended, and now he focused on restoring what was nearly exhausted.
While immersed in meditation to replenish his depleted essence, Gin's heightened awareness began to wane, prompting him to swiftly revitalize himself.
Unaware that the nearby surroundings had also been affected by the earlier onslaught, Gin focused on restoring his own strength.
Unlucky souls.
Unbeknownst to Gin, the Horrors that had been mere spectators in the vicinity were also reduced to ashes by the remnants of the intense onslaught, leaving no trace of their presence.