As Ace finally allows himself to rest on the warm sand, his head resting on his backpack, exhaustion weighing heavily upon his shoulders, he drifts into the realm of dreams where a tapestry of memories and visions unfolds before his mind's eye. In the ethereal landscape of his slumber, he finds himself wandering through a labyrinth of diverse dungeons, each one a testament to his resilience and determination. Amidst the shifting shadows of his subconscious, echoes of his family dance like flickering candlelight, casting a warm glow of comfort and nostalgia over his dreaming mind. Through the veil of sleep, Ace is transported to a realm where past and present intertwine, where the challenges of the waking world blend seamlessly with the cherished moments of his past, creating a tapestry of emotions that stir his soul and illuminate his path. As he drifts deeper into the realm of dreams, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, offering him solace and strength in the embrace of his memories and the promise of tomorrow.
Upon waking from his peaceful slumber and feeling the warmth of contentment enveloping him, a beautiful shimmer catches his eye as it dances down from a nearby glass tower, painting the area in a magical glow.
Stretching out to the horizon are gentle hills of sand, their golden hues blending harmoniously with the shimmering glass pillars that rise like elegant sentinels from the earth. Each pillar stands tall and proud, reflecting the sunlight in a dazzling display of light and colour, creating a scene of unparalleled beauty that captivates his senses.
As he takes in the breath-taking view before him, a sense of wonder washes over him, filling his heart with a deep appreciation for the magnificence of the world around him. Suddenly, a chill grips his heart, weighing it down with a heavy sorrow as memories of Avery flood his mind. The view before him, serves as a poignant reminder of his dear friend's horrific passing. Avery, who had a passion for venturing into the unknown and discovery, always spoke fondly of his love for exploring new places.
Ace packs up his supplies and heads off to explore the nearby village, as he slowly enters from the west side of the town where there are few Golems about, Quickly activating Sonic Speed he wizzes past the golems weaving between the various sandy buildings he makes his way to the centre building.
Gazing at the impressive mansion crafted from intricate sandstone, its grandeur reaching towards the sky, Ace felt a sense of tranquillity wash over him. The glass accents adorning the exterior of the building caught the sunlight, creating a mesmerizing display of colours that danced and shimmered in the warm glow, casting a magical aura over the structure.
As he stood in awe of the architectural marvel before him, the harmonious blend of sandstone and glass seemed to whisper tales of elegance and grace, inviting him to bask in the beauty of their union. The intricate details of the design, from the delicate patterns etched into the sandstone to the reflective surfaces of the glass features, painted a picture of timeless craftsmanship and artistry that resonated with Ace's soul.
Quickly Ace races into the mansion barging through the front doors to find a bland and hollow interior with a Golden throne across the room.
"Who are you?! why are you here?!" Comes booming from the throne as a young man stands up clad in crystals and gold emanating a very powerful aura.
"I am Ace, I came to investigate this town and who might be controlling these golems and possibly learn from them!" Ace explains bowing to the stranger.
"I see, I am Leon the king of the Glass Desert! I control all these golems and they have done a wonderful job at crafting this town around me, I am the only one who has made it to the second floor and I like it that way. Now be gone!" He booms as suddenly Ace feels Sand and rock form around him as a golem forms on top of him trapping him in the body of the golem leaving only his head pocking out of its chest.
"What did you do? I can't move" Ace grunts as his breathing becomes hard.
"That is a special sand golem that absorbs the power of the target till the target dies, it grows in strength as it absorbs power. first it will sap your stamina and then slowly your EXP then your life." The guy explains as he sits back down and commands his golem army again.
Ace thinking of a way to get out, remembers his golem heart and quickly activates Stat Boost and then Forest Guardian. A bright green glow forms as armour forms around Ace, "That will do nothing, no blessing can help you escape from that!" The guy yells as he laughs at Ace for his useless attempt.
Ace quickly tensed all his muscles and attempted to slash as the sand around his whole body. The sand quickly disbursed leaving a hole in the golems side. The guy looks over in shock "How... How?!" he yells as he gets up and starts slowly summoning fire.
"Man... how slow is this guy?" Ace thinks to himself. Ace quickly activates his Origin power and instantly shatters the golem trapping him "Now you have done it! I just came to talk!" Ace yells as he draws his sword and appears Infront of the guy, instantly slashing through the blessing he was using and slicing one of his hands off. The guy yells and screams and begs for his life, Ace mercifully walked towards the golem that trapped him and placed the golem heart on top of its body, quickly the sand and Rock formed around the heart forming a brand new golem. "I'll spare your life but I'll be taking a golem with me" Ace says as he and the golem walks away and out of the building. upon reaching a few hundred metres out the town Ace looks at the golem and looks at it.
Devouring Sand Golem
Blessings:
Devour
Power Level 1
Class: Extraction
Description: The user can slowly absorb EXP and stamina from a target for as long as they are in contact with the target.
Encasement
Power level 1
Class: Support and Element (Earth)
Description: The user can use their body to encase a target fully trapping them not allowing them to move
Stats:
Level: 1
HP: 200
Defence: 50
Strength: 75
Soul: 25
Speed: 25
Stamina: 50
Combat rating: 6
Ace looks at this and finds it intriguing as an Extraction blessing is extremely rare, he has only seen 1 or 2 in his life so far and some never see them.
Ace continues wandering around the glass desert looking for any monsters or guardians.
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Eventually a Giant Rock Ant Soldier Shows up, Ace looks at it and it looks bigger than Ace and has giant pincers.
Giant Rock Ant Soldier
Blessings:
Swarm
Power level 10
Class: Enhancement
Description: The user gains 10% additional Strength, Stamina and Defence for every other Giant Rock Ant Soldier in a 100 meter radius.
Rock Pincers
Power level 12
Class: Element (Earth)
Description: The user infuses their pincers with earth elements making them deal additional damage and increasing their hardness level.
Poison Neutralising blood
Power level 15
Class: Support
Description: The user's blood eliminates all poisons caused by a blessing of power level 15 or lower, causing the user to be immune to poison. The user cant use any poison blessings also.
Stats:
Level: 100
HP: 100
Defence: 500
Strength: 2075
Soul: 25
Speed: 50
Stamina: 50
Combat rating: 121
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Ace still having his origin power in play, beats the solo ant to the brink of its life, Ace summons his new Devouring Sand Golem and allows it to trap the nearly dead ant.
The golem slowly absorbs sand and earth elements and grows in size, becoming like a sky scraper, it quickly traps the ants body entirely in its sandy body. Ace decides to set up camp, letting his wind hawk out on patrol as him and his golem sleep.