The Stone Golem charged like an unstoppable avalanche.
Rayan didn't move.
Instead, he calmly pointed toward the cracked stone pillar.
"Sketch!"
The tiny robotic bird instantly understood.
"On it, Master!"
Its wings unfolded as blue energy gathered inside its body.
A concentrated energy blast shot through the air.
BOOM!
The attack struck the base of the giant pillar.
CRACK...
CRACK...
CRAAAAASH!!
The entire stone pillar collapsed toward the charging golem.
Thousands of tons of rock crashed onto its body.
The valley shook violently.
A massive cloud of dust swallowed everything.
Silence.
Rayan slowly exhaled.
"...Did it work?"
Sketch tilted its head.
"I... don't know."
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The mountain of rubble exploded apart.
Huge boulders flew across the battlefield like cannonballs.
The Stone Golem walked out of the dust.
Covered in cracks...
But completely alive.
Sketch's mechanical face froze.
"...Master."
"...We're in trouble."
The giant roared.
Its entire body released an overwhelming pressure.
Without warning—
It slammed both fists into the ground.
BOOOOM!!
A devastating shockwave erupted in every direction.
"LOOK OUT!"
Rayan barely managed to jump away.
Sketch wasn't as lucky.
The tiny robotic bird was blown through the air before crashing into a massive boulder.
Metal fragments scattered across the ground.
Its wings sparked violently.
"System... error..."
"Sketch!"
The little bird tried to fly.
Nothing happened.
The Stone Golem slowly turned toward the helpless machine.
One massive step.
Then another.
It raised its enormous fist.
One attack...
That was all it needed.
For a brief second...
Everything became silent.
Rayan's breathing stopped.
"No..."
Not again.
He had already failed to protect one life.
He refused to watch another disappear before his eyes.
Kai's memories surged through his mind.
A blank canvas.
A sculptor shaping stone.
Every masterpiece began with creation.
Creation...
Wasn't made to destroy.
It was made to protect.
Rayan slammed both hands onto the ground.
The earth beneath him trembled.
Broken rocks from across the battlefield began floating into the air.
One after another...
Hundreds of stone fragments gathered together.
Compressed.
Reshaped.
Refined.
They merged into one gigantic weapon.
A massive Stone Hammer.
Unlike the rough body of the golem, the hammer looked elegant.
Balanced.
Beautiful.
Like a work of art carved by the hands of a master artist.
The Stone Golem's fist came crashing down toward Sketch.
Rayan gripped the hammer.
"...You're not touching my friend."
His feet exploded forward.
He charged straight toward the giant.
"SKETCH!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Stone Hammer collided head-on with the Stone Golem's fist.
A terrifying shockwave exploded across the valley.
The ground beneath Rayan shattered.
Nearby cliffs cracked apart.
Trees in the distance bent from the force alone.
For one breathtaking moment...
Everything stood still.
A lone human.
Standing against a giant born from stone.
Then—
CRACK...
A tiny fracture appeared across the golem's arm.
Another.
Then another.
The cracks spread like spiderwebs.
Rayan smiled.
"...Found you."
The Stone Golem staggered backward.
Its rocky armor had begun falling apart.
Hidden beneath the shattered stone...
A glowing crystal pulsed inside its chest.
Blueprint Vision instantly analyzed it.
---
Heart of the Golem
Core Identified.
Destroy the Core to eliminate the target.
---
"So that's your weakness."
The golem roared once again before throwing another punch.
This time...
Rayan didn't dodge.
He rushed straight toward it.
Sliding beneath the giant's arm, he jumped high into the air.
Both hands tightened around the hammer.
"This..."
"...is my first masterpiece!"
He swung with every ounce of strength left in his body.
KRAAAAAAAAAAASH!!
The Stone Hammer struck directly into the glowing core.
The crystal shattered instantly.
A blinding blue light burst from inside the giant's chest.
The Stone Golem froze.
Its glowing eyes flickered.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
CRACK...
CRACK...
CRAAAAAAASH!!
Its gigantic body collapsed into thousands of lifeless stone fragments.
Silence returned to the dungeon.
Rayan landed on one knee, breathing heavily.
His entire body ached.
His hands were covered in blood.
But...
He had won.
His first dungeon.
His first real battle.
His first victory.
A familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes.
---
[Dungeon Boss Eliminated.]
[Reward Acquired.]
[Item Obtained: Heart of the Golem.]
---
A crimson crystal slowly floated above the pile of broken stones.
Rayan reached out and grabbed it.
The moment his fingers touched the crystal...
He felt a strange heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
As if...
The core was still alive.
Sketch finally managed to fly back onto his shoulder.
"C-Congratulations, Master..."
"You survived."
Rayan laughed weakly.
"Barely."
Just then—
His phone vibrated.
A breaking news notification appeared.
> 『Breaking News』 The Elite Team of Asterion Academy has successfully cleared the first four floors of the Tower within a single day after graduation. Experts call it an unprecedented achievement.
Rayan stared silently at the screen.
"...Four floors?"
He looked toward the three colossal Towers piercing the clouds beyond the dungeon entrance.
"So that's the gap..."
"I almost died clearing a single B-Rank Dungeon..."
"...while they're already climbing the Towers."
He closed his phone.
A determined smile slowly appeared across his face.
"Then I'll climb faster."
"I'll create my own path."
Holding the Heart of the Golem tightly in his hand...
Rayan walked deeper into destiny.
To be continued...