Chapter 55

"Oaaaaaaah!"

The Mithril Golem glared at Luuce and started to lunge at her.

It seemed to have concluded that she, who had dealt massive damage with <Dice Thrust>, was a greater threat than me.

If Luuce were targeted, she wouldn't stand a chance, but of course, I had a plan for that.

I quickly stepped on the Mithril Golem's shadow and activated <Shadow Step>.

However, due to the significant difference in status between the Mithril Golem and me, my feet were dragged by the Golem.

I lowered my hips and thrust the blade of the <Black Steel Sword> into the ground, forcibly staying in place.

"Alright, I've stopped... but"

The Mithril Golem, giving up on forcibly breaking my <Shadow Step>, quickly turned around and charged at me.

"Being the center of attention is troublesome in its own way. One problem gone, another comes."

I released <Shadow Step> and jumped backward.

I didn't forget to check the ground behind me.

The terrain here was very uneven, and if I kept jumping backward, I might trip and fall.

The Mithril Golem swung its arms wildly, smashing through walls as it pursued me.

I was quickly cornered, and its large right arm reached out to grab me.

I deflected the blow with the surface of my shield, barely managing to pin its fist to the ground.

The Mithril Golem's body leaned forward significantly.

"Here's my chance!"

I reactivated <Shadow Step> and stepped on the Mithril Golem's shadow.

I then pushed its shadow with all my might, dragging it along the ground.

The Mithril Golem's arms, specialized for striking, were quite heavy, and its center of gravity could become unstable depending on its posture.

This was the perfect opportunity to destabilize it, especially after it had swung and lost its balance.

I had deliberately led it to this unstable ground to exploit this weakness.

The Mithril Golem fell forward, kneeling.

It was a momentary opening.

But it was more than enough for a decisive strike.

"Go, Luuce!"

"<Dice Thrust>!"

Luuce, who had been chasing the Mithril Golem's back, thrust her knife straight forward.

The knife was embedded in the Mithril Golem's large back again.

The number that appeared in the air was... [3].

"Ugh... I missed..."

"Ooooooooooh!"

The Mithril Golem twisted its body and flung Luuce backward.

Luuce used the momentum to jump, kicked off the wall, and quickly repositioned herself, readying her knife.

Missing was inevitable.

I never expected <Dice Thrust> to roll [6] consecutively from the start.

But this was the critical moment.

If the Mithril Golem regained its footing, it would never kneel again.

If that happened, it would recover its HP with <Auto-Heal> before we could land another strike, and even if we used <Dice Thrust> again, we wouldn't be able to finish it off.

If that happened, our chances of winning would be virtually zero.

Until Luuce rolled a [6] with <Dice Thrust> again... I had to pin the Mithril Golem to the ground with all my might.

If it regained its footing, it would be over.

I needed to attack aggressively.

I had to be prepared to take a hit and keep the offensive.

To ensure I could withstand an attack and recover, I should activate <Life Shield>.

"<Life Shield>!"

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<Life Shield> [Normal Skill]

Activates by paying 20% of maximum HP.

Covers the entire body with a shield that has the same durability as the HP paid.

――――――――――――――――――――

My life force materialized, covering my body like a layer of light.

――――――――――――――――――――

[Elma Edvahn]

Class: Heavy Knight

Lv: 46

HP: 47/110

MP: 27/45

――――――――――――――――――――

I paid [22 HP] and activated <Life Shield>.

I then charged at the Mithril Golem.

The Mithril Golem extended its arm, ready to counter.

I struck its extended arm with my sword, deflecting it, and closed the distance quickly.

I had to keep attacking aggressively.

With <Life Shield>, I could recover even if I took a hit.

I reactivated <Shadow Step> and launched a <Shield Bash>.

Due to the status difference, my body was thrown back forcefully.

I lowered my hips and braced myself, trying to keep my feet on the ground... and on the Mithril Golem's shadow.

The Mithril Golem's shadow was stretched by the force of the <Shield Bash>.

Pulled by the shadow, the Mithril Golem's movement was also halted.

Because it was being pulled toward me, it couldn't turn to face Luuce, who was approaching from behind.

This was a rather aggressive move, but by using <Shield Bash> to propel myself, I could use <Shadow Step> in this way.

However, it required precise calculation of the status difference to use it reliably.

Luuce launched her third <Dice Thrust>.

But the number that appeared was [4].

"Of all times, to miss twice in a row...!"

Luuce said regretfully.

"Luuce, keep going!"

I charged at the Mithril Golem again.

Using the tension in the shadow to gain momentum, I rushed at the Mithril Golem.

The Mithril Golem readied its arms to counter.

It didn't extend its arms recklessly.

It seemed determined to counter me effectively.

When I got close enough, it finally extended its right arm at me.

I jumped to the opposite side of its arm and swung my sword at the back of its hand.

"<Parry>!"

My hand went numb.

The brute strength of the Golem was transmitted through the sword.

I barely managed to parry, and its right fist was deflected into the wall, shaking the cave.

It was a 50-50 chance, but it worked!

However, my fingers, which were gripping the sword, lost their strength.

The Mithril Golem's left arm quickly extended toward me.

I couldn't avoid it!

I braced my shield and hunched my body.

The Mithril Golem's immense strength shattered my <Life Shield> in one blow.

It then struck my shield.

The impact lifted me off the ground, and I crashed into the floor.

Its attack power was truly terrifying.

With the double buffer of <Life Shield> and my shield, I barely managed to withstand it.

The Mithril Golem was clearly adapting to my movements.

It no longer extended its arms recklessly and was clearly becoming more cautious of <Shadow Step>.

My options were running out.

The tactics I used earlier wouldn't work anymore.

"This time... I'll finish it! <Dice Thrust>!"

The fourth <Dice Thrust> was launched.

Cracks ran through the Mithril Golem, and finally, its massive body collapsed.

I saw [6] float in front of Luuce's hand.

[You have gained 1343 experience points.]

[Your level has increased from 46 to 49.]

[You have gained 3 skill points.]

We finally defeated the rare monster, the Mithril Golem.

"Great job, Luuce!"

"That's a relief... I was so worried when I missed twice in a row..."

Luuce let out a deep sigh of relief and slumped to the floor.

"Rolling [6] twice out of four times is pretty lucky...?"

Even with Luuce's luck, I was prepared to have her use <Dice Thrust> five or six times if the odds were against us.

Now we would get the mithril, and my level had increased significantly.

I had a bit more leeway with skill points.

It was about time I started to fight more like a Heavy Knight in <Magic World>.

Whether to enhance the explosive power of <Smoldering Fang> first or to stabilize the unstable <Smoldering Fang> with <Heavy Armor Oath> first was a tough decision.