The king shrieked again.
The sound echoed unnaturally through the chamber, scraping against the walls like something alive. It wasn't just noise—it carried intent, command, hunger.
This time, no one needed Michael to translate.
"It's casting something," Kane said under his breath.
Benson didn't respond.
He was already watching the mana.
Dark energy gathered in front of the king, pulling inward from every direction like a collapsing star. The air grew heavy, thick enough that breathing felt slightly harder. Even the faint light in the room seemed to dim as if it were being swallowed.
Too much, Benson thought, narrowing his eyes. This isn't a normal spell.
The mana didn't stabilize—it churned.
Compressed.
Twisted.
Then—
It took shape.
At first, it was small.
Barely the size of a dog, flickering like a failed summon. Its form wavered, unstable, as if it might collapse at any moment.
But instead—
It grew.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Bones of shadow stretched upward, forming a crude skeletal frame. Limbs extended unnaturally, joints locking into place with dull, echoing cracks. More mana poured in, layering over the structure, thickening into something solid.
Muscle.
Armor.
Mass.
By the time it reached the size of a man, the pressure in the room had already doubled.
Still, it didn't stop.
The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet as the construct continued to expand. Its body hardened, the dark energy compressing further until it resembled polished black stone. Every inch of it radiated density—weight far beyond what its size alone suggested.
Lily swallowed.
That thing… it's not just big. It's heavy. Like really heavy.
It grew again.
And again.
Until it stood towering over them—easily three times Benson's height.
A giant dark golem.
It stood there, unmoving.
Waiting.
Benson exhaled slowly, forcing his heartbeat to steady.
There's a delay. It needs a command.
The king shrieked once more.
The golem moved.
Its arm rose high into the air, blotting out what little light remained—then came crashing down toward the group with devastating force.
"Everyone scatter!" Benson roared.
They reacted instantly.
John grabbed Christina's arm and pulled her backward just as the attack landed. The ground shattered beneath the impact, cracks racing outward like spiderwebs as fragments of stone exploded into the air.
The shockwave followed a split second later.
It slammed into them like a wall.
Christina stumbled, barely managing to stay on her feet. If that had hit directly…
She didn't finish the thought.
On the other side, Lily and Kane dove away, the wind pressure alone throwing them off balance.
"Are you okay?" Kane asked quickly.
"I'm fine—" Lily started, then glanced back at the golem.
Her voice faltered.
"…I think."
Benson didn't retreat far.
He stood alone.
Facing it.
From the shadows behind them, Michael remained still.
Watching.
There was something unsettling about it—he wasn't helping, wasn't interfering.
Just observing.
Almost… enjoying it.
Benson tightened his grip on his sword.
"Big doesn't mean strong," he muttered.
But even as he said it, he analyzed.
Slow movement. High density. Probably reinforced with mana layers… cutting it down directly would take too long.
The golem swung again.
A wide, sweeping attack.
Benson stepped forward instead of back.
Speed is the weakness.
His blade flashed.
One strike.
The moment it connected, he felt the resistance.
Not quite solid.
Not quite energy.
Compressed mana… layered.
The blade sank in slightly—but not enough.
Yeah. Not worth fighting head-on.
Before the golem could adjust, Benson dropped low and slipped beneath its massive frame. The creature turned sluggishly, its movements delayed by its own weight.
And Benson was already gone.
He sprinted straight for the king.
Aura surged into his blade, flaring to life with a sharp glow. The energy wrapped around the sword, amplifying its edge, its speed, its force.
Break the caster. End the spell.
The king reacted—but too slowly.
Benson closed the distance in seconds.
His blade cut across the side of the king's face.
A clean strike.
The shriek that followed was sharper—angrier.
The king leapt back, dark energy gathering instantly around him. Dozens of condensed mana bullets formed in the air and fired all at once.
Benson twisted.
Dodged.
Stepped.
Most missed.
Some didn't.
A few grazed his arm and shoulder, slicing through armor and flesh. Pain flared, sharp and immediate.
Fast… and dense.
But he didn't slow down.
If I stop now, it resets.
He kept advancing.
"Benson's pushing too hard…" Kane muttered, watching the exchange.
His eyes flickered between the king and the golem.
Even if he reaches him, that thing's still active…
Lily shook her head.
"No… he's right."
Kane blinked. "What?"
"If the king loses focus, the golem falls apart," she said. "That's what he's aiming for."
She paused.
Thinking.
Then—
Something clicked.
Her eyes lit up.
"I have an idea."
Kane immediately frowned. "That sentence never ends well."
But Lily was already moving.
She ran toward Michael.
Each step felt heavier the closer she got. The air around him was thick with residual mana—unstable, lingering.
Don't hesitate.
She forced a smile.
"Hey, Michael," she said lightly. "Can you pour your mana into my staff?"
The puppet tilted its head.
"Sure! But… why?"
"Because I need it for a spell," she replied. "Thanks!"
Please don't question it…
Without hesitation, he began.
Mana flowed.
Not gently.
Not controlled.
It flooded into the staff like a broken dam.
Lily's hands trembled.
That's too much—
But she held on.
The staff vibrated violently, glowing faintly as it absorbed the overwhelming energy.
More.
More.
More.
Her arms started to ache from the pressure alone.
Just a little more… just enough to overpower him—
Michael froze.
Something was wrong.
He looked down.
His mana—
It was almost gone.
"…What?"
Realization hit.
"She tricked me."
His voice darkened.
"I thought you were just an innocent girl…"
"…but you're a snake."
Lily didn't respond.
She ran.
She reached Kane, breathing unevenly.
The staff hummed with power—unstable, overflowing.
"I'm ready."
Kane placed his hand on her shoulder.
The moment he did, he felt it.
This is insane.
The mana inside the staff wasn't just large—it was chaotic, unrefined.
If we mess this up, it explodes in our faces.
But he didn't pull away.
"Let's do it."
Lily closed her eyes.
Focused.
Fire.
Wind.
Two elements she understood.
Two elements she could control.
Normally.
"Flamethrower."
"Tornado."
The spells formed instantly.
Fire roared to life.
Wind spiraled around it.
But instead of stabilizing—
They compressed.
Forced together under overwhelming pressure.
The flames intensified, shifting color at the core.
The wind sharpened, forming slicing currents that tore at the ground.
The entire construct began collapsing inward.
Denser.
Hotter.
More unstable.
"This isn't a fire cyclone anymore…" Kane whispered.
It wasn't.
It was something else.
Something dangerous.
Lily opened her eyes.
All or nothing.
"Plasma cannon."
The beam erupted forward.
Blinding light filled the chamber.
The air itself seemed to split as the attack traveled, leaving a distorted trail in its wake.
It reached the king instantly.
No time to react.
No time to defend.
The beam struck.
And erased him.
His body disintegrated layer by layer, consumed by overwhelming energy until nothing remained.
Silence.
The golem froze.
Then—
It collapsed.
Crumbling into fragments of fading darkness.
For a moment—
No one moved.
Benson exhaled slowly.
They did it…
He lowered his sword and turned.
Then walked toward Lily.
Bonk.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" he said. "If Christina hadn't warned me, I would've been caught in that too."
Christina, kneeling beside him, continued treating his wounds quietly.
Lily rubbed her head.
"…Sorry."
kane was already on the ground catching his breath.
he had been continuously injecting mana in lily for her spell.
he thought
how does she cast such complex spells without combining them first?
Benson sighed.
"…But still."
A faint smile appeared.
"Good job."
Kane let out a breath.
It's finally over…
Then—
He frowned.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"Where's the puppet?"
A laugh echoed through the chamber.
Low.
Distorted.
Wrong.
They turned.
Michael stood in the distance.
Dark energy swirled around him violently as he crouched over what remained of the king.
Absorbing it.
Consuming it.
The mana didn't flow smoothly.
It resisted.
Fought back.
But Michael forced it in anyway.
"YES…!" he screamed, his voice breaking apart. "FINALLY…!"
The energy around him surged wildly, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
"I HAVE REGAINED MY LOST GLORY!"
Lily's eyes widened.
He's not just absorbing it… he's merging with it.
"NOW…" Michael continued, his voice warping further, "I CAN TAKE REVENGE… AGAINST MY DISCIPLE!"
He stood slowly.
The darkness around him pulsed like a living thing.
Unstable.
Violent.
Hungry.
Then—
He turned.
His gaze locked onto Benson.
For the first time—
Benson felt something cold crawl down his spine.
This is… different.
Not like the king.
Not like the golem.
Something worse.
A grin spread across Michael's face.
Wide.
Unnatural.
"Well…" he said softly.
"We can't have any witnesses… can we?"
The air grew heavier.
The battle—
Wasn't over.