CHAPTER 8: NEW ENEMY

CHAPTER 8: NEW ENEMY

“The location of the second crystal has been determined.” The system that controlled the holy battle announced that the crystal had been detected in the southern mountains, right in the territory of the Dragonians. 

The Dragonians, a race with incredible physical strength and magic, would not be easily defeated.

“We need to move now, if the Dragonians already know the location of the crystal, we might be too late.” Howard said. 

As Loren, Howard, and Anne prepared to head to the second crystal, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly enveloped them. Two robots emerged from the fog, one with a whirring gun and the other firing small explosions that made the ground tremble. The two robots appeared to be highly trained and coordinated. Without warning, they opened fire on Loren’s team, who were immediately caught off guard and cornered. The gunfire continued to pour down on them from all directions, forcing them to act quickly.

“Howard, give me a shield!” Loren shouted, trying to find a gap in the attack. Howard immediately raised his hand, and protective magic began to envelop Loren. 

With that protection, Loren leapt towards the robots, his Sacred Relic sword glowing with holy power. In one swift slash, he managed to cut one robot in half. The firearms-specializing robot was unable to avoid Loren's speed, falling instantly after the holy sword destroyed it.

However, before they could feel relieved, laughter echoed from behind the ruins of the ancient temple. 

"Amazing," said Milo, a summoner from the Engineer race, who stepped out of the shadows with a satisfied look. In his hand was a small remote, and around him were traces of advanced technology that glinted faintly in the sunlight.

"I've been looking forward to this fight for a long time," Milo said confidently. 

"You guys might be able to destroy regular robots, but what about this?" With a snap of his fingers, Milo used his Creation ability. 

A giant robot emerged from underground, almost twice the size of the previous ones, and its body radiated a seemingly impenetrable layer of steel. The robot let out a loud mechanical sound before moving at an unusual speed for its size.

The robot immediately charged toward Anne, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Howard quickly took action, casting a shield spell to protect her. However, the giant robot’s power was too great. In one blow, Howard’s shield cracked and shattered, sending Anne flying far back. She fell heavily to the ground, looking badly injured.

“Anne!” Howard shouted, his eyes filled with worry. He tried to approach Anne to help her, but the robot stepped forward, blocking his way.

Loren, who saw that his comrade was in danger, refused to stand still. With full courage, he charged toward Milo, hoping to stop the summoner before more damage was done. With his sword at the ready, Loren jumped high and prepared to swing the Sacred Relic to cut Milo.

However, just before Loren’s sword could hit its target, his body stiffened. Suddenly, he fell to the ground; his foot was caught in a hidden trap that he had stepped on without realizing it a paralysis trap. Milo, who seemed to have planned everything carefully, smiled coldly.

"You seem to be in too much of a hurry, Loren. I anticipated all your moves," Milo said mockingly, looking at the immobile Loren. 

"Those little robots were just bait. This is a battle of strategy, not just strength."

Loren, now paralyzed by the trap, could only stare in frustration as the giant robot Milo summoned prepared to attack them all. Howard, exhausted, tried to think of another way to protect Anne and Loren, but he knew that his magical power was running low. They were cornered.

However, before Milo could give the final order to his robot to attack, another explosion sounded from a distance. Smoke billowed into the air, and in an instant, small shots hit Milo's large robot, damaging parts of its body.

"Do you need help?" a voice came from the darkness. A tall man in black mechanical armor appeared. It was Veilith, a bounty hunter from the Engineer race. With a plasma gun in his hand, he fired at Milo's robots with astonishing precision.

Veilith approached them with quick, confident steps. His black mechanical armor gleamed faintly in the dim light of the ruins, while the plasma gun in his hand pulsed with deadly energy. Every step he took was steady, and his gaze was cold, focused on Milo and the large robot standing firmly in front of him.

"You guys seem unprepared to face an Engineer," he said coldly, not sparing a glance at Loren or Howard. His focus was entirely on Milo, knowing that the summoner was the key to this entire attack. With quick, practiced movements, Veilith raised his weapon, aiming with deadly precision at specific points on the large robot.

Milo, who had previously been very confident in the strength of the robot he created, suddenly felt uneasy seeing Veilith's appearance. He wondered why Veilith, who was also an Engineer, was attacking him. 

"Destroy him!" Milo ordered nervously. The large robot moved, one arm ready to strike Veilith with brutal force.

However, Veilith had calculated everything. With lightning movements, he dodged the attack, moving as fast as a shadow, weaving around the large robot with agility that was impossible for a normal human. As he ran around the robot, plasma shots were continuously fired from his weapon, hitting vital parts of the giant steel body.

Veilith aimed for the robot's knee joint, instantly throwing it off balance. The robot staggered, trying to defend itself. But Veilith didn't give it a chance. He jumped onto the rubble wall and then fired a series of shots directly into the robot's back, right where its energy generator was located. Small explosions began to occur inside the robot's body, making loud hissing sounds as its internal engines began to explode one by one.

In a matter of seconds, Veilith had disabled the giant robot. With a final, larger explosion, the robot fell hard to the ground, creating a violent tremor and destroying the rubble around it. Dust billowed into the air as the massive machine was destroyed, leaving Milo without any protection.

Milo, who saw his trusted robot destroyed so quickly, looked terrified. His eyes flickered with panic as he took a few steps back, realizing that the fight was over. 

"This isn't over!" he shouted in a trembling voice. Before Veilith could react, Milo threw a smoke bomb to the ground. In an instant, thick smoke enveloped the ruins, and Milo disappeared into the shadows, fleeing into the darkness.

Veilith, who remained calm despite the smoke, only snorted softly. 

“A coward,” he muttered under his breath.

With Milo gone, Loren was finally able to move again after the paralysis trap slowly wore off. Howard quickly approached Anne and gave her quick treatment to restore her condition.

Veilith holstered his weapon and stared at Loren sharply. 

“You should be more careful next time. There are many who are after you, and they are smarter than you think.”

Loren stood up, still panting, but his eyes were filled with determination. 

“I will learn from this. This holy war is not over yet. Thank you for your help.”

“Remember, I am only here for personal gain. Do not treat this as friendship.” Veilith nodded.

He then turned and walked away, leaving Loren’s team to prepare for their next challenge the second crystal that still awaited them in the southern mountains.