Verso had put everything he had in this swing which increased the speed of the hammer as it connected with the golem's leg.
BOOM.
A shockwave of dust and pulverized stone erupted from the impact site which completely clouded Verso's vision.
He didn't wait to see the damage as he scrambled backward, his boots sliding on the loose gravel, and sent a sharp mental command to Lil Bone to do the same.
The nine foot golem didn't just stumble but rather it tipped forward like a felled tree. The ground shook as its massive torso slammed into the dirt sending a fresh cloud of debris into the air.
'I still have to finish it off.'
Verso started to move forward with the goal of killing the golem before it got a chance to fight back. He had raised his hammer as he jumped on the golem's body.
But before he could do anything, a sickening grinding sound echoed through the clearing. The golem instead of moving its entire body had just spun its head completely.
The stone neck of the giant rotated a full 180 degrees until the glowing blue crystal on its head was staring directly at Verso.
'Fuck-'
The golem's massive hand shot out with the speed of a piston as it caught Verso squarely in the chest.
THUD.
The impact felt like being hit by a speeding truck. Verso was launched backward, flying several meters through the air before slamming into the ground.
He rolled across the jagged rocks which tore through his clothes as his vision started filling up with white spots.
"Ugh-"
He groaned, he could taste the copper in his mouth as he pushed himself up. His chest felt like it was being crushed by an invisible force.
He looked toward the golem and his heart sank. The legs that they had just shattered were already pulling themselves back together as the shards of rock were flying toward the stumps, reattaching with terrifying speed.
The recovery was significantly faster than any Primitive golem he had faced, clearly showcasing the difference in power between the two.
"Finish it off!" Verso wheezed, pointing his trembling hand at the beast.
Hearing the command Lil Bone did not hesitate. The marble skeleton leaped into the air, landing squarely on the golem's broad, rocky back.
It pulled the stone hammer back, aiming for the rotating head.
But just then, the runes across the golem's body suddenly flared up with a blinding, violent intensity.
Seeing this bright light panic appeared in Verso's eyes, he knew about this ability but had not thought that the golem would use it mere seconds into battle.
"Quick! End it before it self destructs!" He shouted at the skeleton.
Lil Bone understanding his master's worlds drove the hammer down with every ounce of its strength.
The light from the runes had became so bright that Verso had to shield his eyes, tensing his body for the explosion he was sure was coming.
CRACK!
He waited for the searing heat and the deafening boom, but to his surprise the only thing thing that he heard was the mechanical voice in his head.
[Mutant Beast Slain: Stone Golem.]
[Attribute Crystal Dropped.]
"What?"
Verso lowered his arm and blinked several times readjusting his eyes. The light was now completely gone.
Looking towards the golem, he saw Lil Bone standing on top of a massive, unmoving pile of rubble with the stone hammer resting on its shoulder.
"We actually killed it?"
Verso sat back, his adrenaline finally beginning to dip. For a heartbeat, he had truly believed that was the end for him.
"Hey, man... good kill."
He tried to stand up, but a flare of agony shot through his torso making him fall back on the ground.
"Ugh- my ribs are broken for sure..."
He watched from the ground as Lil Bone hopped off the rubble and walked toward him, dropping the manifested hammer.
Verso watched the skeleton approach, a dry chuckle escaping his lips.
"This is the perfect time for revenge, isn't it?"
He half expected the sassy skeleton to kick him or walk away as payback for the time out in the corner. But instead, Lil Bone reached down.
It grabbed Verso's arm and carefully pulled it over its marble shoulder, helping him stand.
The gesture caught Verso completely off guard as he looked at the sleek, dark skull of his summon and felt a genuine warmth in his chest.
For all he knew this could be internal bleeding after getting hit that hard.
"Okay... I forgive you for that prank."
He pulled back the hammers back into his summoning space as the weapons on the ground vanished into thin air.
The pair limped toward the pile of rubble together, Verso's weight leaning heavily on the skeleton.
'It should be here.'
He scanned the debris until he saw it. A shimmering, deep blue rock lying in the dust. Pushing through the pain, he bent down and picked it up.
[Attribute Crystal: Endurance 11]
'Damn, I wish I had this sooner.'
Verso's smile widened as he tightened his grip, absorbing the crystal. As the energy flooded his system, the dull ache in his chest began to recede.
"Ah... that feels better-"
THUD.
The unexpected sound cut him off. Verso looked up, his blood turning to ice.
Standing thirty feet away was another Giant Golem. It was identical to the one they had just killed, and its hand was already stretched out in their direction.
"..."
Silence filled the air. Verso turned to Lil Bone, expecting the warrior to be ready for round two.
Instead, he saw the marble skeleton standing there with its jaw hanging unnaturally wide open in pure shock.
'This guy.'
Verso didn't wait for the beam. He knew he was out of energy and out of time. With a mental tug, he pulled the stunned skeleton back into his summoning space.
As Lil' Bone vanished, Verso felt the last of his strength leave his legs. He looked back at the giant, seeing the swirling sphere of blue mana forming in its palm.
"I'll be back," Verso muttered, a defiant smirk crossing his face.
"Just you wait."
A blinding blue beam filled his vision, and then, everything went black.