Kang Kai failed to block the Construct Behemoth's attack, but with the rapid movement of wind-based energy, he quickly dispelled the vertigo clouding his mind. However, during this process, his high-speed movement was inevitably interrupted, causing his momentum to plummet. For nearly two seconds, he was left vulnerable, caught in a state of stillness.
The Construct Behemoth, having endured repeated assaults, wouldn't miss such an opportunity. A section of its alchemically reinforced armor suddenly opened, releasing dozens of golden projectiles that shot toward every vital point on Kang Kai's body.
These golden lights were actually metal shards, each the size of a palm. Every inch of them was covered in intricate, colorful magic patterns, and in the brief moment Punk had to analyze them, he identified at least five or six enchantments layered onto each shard—Sharpness, Acceleration, Penetration, Curse, Armor-Breaking, and Paralysis.
These enhancements transformed the otherwise unremarkable metal shards into lethal weapons. As they streaked through the air, they left behind trails of searing energy, resembling beams of light. In an instant, they were upon Kang Kai.
At this moment, neither Bahanger—who had leaped away—nor Punk—who was on full alert—had time to intervene. The attack came too suddenly. Who would have expected a heavily armored Construct Behemoth's deadliest move to resemble the precise assassination tactics of a rogue? Even compared to its previous "Mind Roar," this assault was far more abrupt. Punk could only cast a few apprentice-level spells in vain, none of which had any real effect.
But Kang Kai wasn't doomed yet. Just as the shards were about to tear him apart, his mind snapped back into full awareness. He hadn't had time to summon his battle aura for defense, and in that instant, his instincts screamed at him—this was death reaching for him.
With a final burst of desperation, the agile ranger forcibly contracted his muscles, pushing his body beyond its limits. Every joint in his arms and legs dislocated in an instant as he contorted mid-air into an unnatural position, dodging the lethal barrage at the last possible second.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The deafening sound of the projectiles slicing through the air suddenly ceased. Kang Kai had avoided most of the deadly shards, and those that missed their mark embedded themselves deep into the cave wall behind him, leaving behind gaping, blackened holes.
But not all had missed. As Kang Kai landed, he was in terrible condition. Blood seeped from multiple wounds—his left arm had been nearly severed, and a deep gash ran across his abdomen. He barely managed to suppress the bleeding with his battle aura. Without it, he would have already lost a fatal amount of blood.
"What the hell were those things? Why were they so powerful?"
Still reeling from his brush with death, Kang Kai struggled to comprehend what had just happened. He had been executing a finishing blow—why had the boss suddenly unleashed such a devastating counterattack?
There was no time to dwell on the fear of his near-death experience. Kang Kai quickly pulled out a bottle of light-red potion and took a sip, but before he could recover, another swarm of metal shards locked onto him, flying toward him with the precision of a swarm of vengeful wasps.
Badly wounded, Kang Kai had no intention of taking them head-on. Wrapped in wind-attribute battle aura, he became a phantom, barely dodging the projectiles as they relentlessly pursued him.
Punk quickly assessed the situation and made a decision.
"Bahanger, you hold off that big guy with my golem. I need to deal with these damn shards before they cause any more trouble."
Bahanger didn't complain. He had no desire to deal with the swift and elusive metal projectiles anyway. What he truly wanted was to tear apart the seemingly invulnerable Construct Behemoth.
"Leave it to me!" Bahanger roared, gripping his hammer tightly. "Back in my prime, I could stop dozens of trolls on my own! This tin can is nothing! You take care of those pests, and I'll smash this thing into scrap metal!"
Punk ignored Bahanger's boasting and focused on the projectiles.
Something was off. The metal shards were only targeting Kang Kai. They completely ignored Punk, despite him standing right there.
Why?
As he pondered this, a realization struck him. He quickly directed Bahanger to channel his battle aura. The moment Bahanger unleashed his energy, half of the projectiles immediately broke away from their pursuit of Kang Kai and launched toward the dwarf instead.
Bahanger barely dodged the sudden assault.
"Damn it, Punk! Weren't you supposed to stop these things?" he shouted, jumping aside.
Punk didn't respond.
He had figured it out.
"They track their target based on energy fluctuations," he muttered to himself. "And... when they split up, their individual power weakens?"
Observing the intensity of the projectiles, Punk confirmed his theory. The Construct Behemoth's energy signature was constant but not intense. To avoid friendly fire, its targeting system must have been programmed to lock onto high-energy fluctuations. That's why they homed in on Kang Kai's battle aura.
More importantly, these shards were most lethal when grouped together. Once divided, their collective power weakened significantly.
Armed with this knowledge, Punk turned his thoughts to the creator of this construct.
"So that's how it is... The mastermind behind this behemoth isn't particularly skilled in alchemy. The construct's intelligence core is severely flawed—too slow to react effectively in battle. That's why they resorted to adding an automated weapon system for these projectiles instead of relying on the behemoth's own control."
Now that he understood its weakness, the next step was simple.
Punk smirked and swiftly dodged another attack from the Construct Behemoth. At the same time, he began constructing a rarely-used spell model.
Meanwhile, with some of the projectiles now targeting Kang Kai, the dwarf found himself freed up to unleash his own attacks. He grinned, relishing the opportunity.
"Alright, you oversized hunk of scrap, I've had enough of you!" Bahanger bellowed. "I'm tearing you apart piece by piece! I don't care if you turn into a dragon next—I'll still bash your skull in!"
As he shouted, layers of dense, earthy-yellow battle aura began to wrap around him like armor.
"Official-Level Battle Skill—Aura Armor!"
Encased in solidified battle energy, Bahanger resembled a compact, heavily-armored juggernaut. His movements became faster, his attacks stronger. Now, he wasn't just dodging—he was hammering away at the Construct Behemoth's head with relentless force.
The tide of battle was shifting.