Upon entering the experience space, the scenery instantly transformed into a dense forest blanketed with grass and rocky terrain. Not far ahead stood a towering rock golem, its stone body subtly shifting as it registered Luo Wei's presence.
Luo Wei narrowed his eyes warily. A shimmer of holy light surged across his frame, enveloping him in a shield of pale gold.
Divine Protection—Activated.
A boulder hurtled through the air, flung by the rock golem with staggering velocity. Though its raw speed was impressive, the golem's ability to track moving targets paled in comparison.
Dodging a direct hit from such an assault was nearly impossible without Divine Protection. A single boulder could easily be fatal.
Even as the Divine Protection manifested, the rock golem followed up with a thunderous swing, its stone arm morphing into a massive hammer-like fist.
Holy Light Strike!
With a shout, Luo Wei raised Verrigan's Fist and brought it down with full force. Flames and holy radiance erupted in a powerful arc, clashing with the oncoming boulder.
BOOM!
The boulder shattered, debris scattering in all directions. Luo Wei stumbled slightly from the impact but quickly regained balance and dashed toward the golem at full speed.
The golem raised another arm and hurled a second boulder.
This time, however, the distance between them had closed significantly, and the golem's sluggish turning speed became its weakness. Luo Wei evaded the projectile with a swift sidestep.
In the blink of an eye, Luo Wei struck.
Verrigan's Fist blazed with divine fire and light as he launched Judgment, the energy warhammer detaching from the real weapon, flying toward the golem's leg.
BOOM!
The hammer struck the golem's knee—the equivalent location on a human—causing a cascade of stone fragments to collapse from the impact site.
Unlike the weaker clay golems, the rock golem's durability was formidable. The blow left only a jagged crack, not a clean break.
Even as debris crumbled from its knee, stone from surrounding areas surged inward, rapidly repairing the damage. By the time Luo Wei arrived at close range, the knee had fully regenerated—proof of the golem's impressive resilience.
Suddenly, the rock golem brought down a colossal fist aimed at Luo Wei's head.
Reacting instinctively, Luo Wei twisted his body and slid low beneath the strike, propelled by his own forward momentum. As the stone fist crashed harmlessly into the earth behind him, Luo Wei countered, swinging his warhammer across the golem's knee.
Holy Light Strike!
BOOM!
Another strike landed. The weakened knee finally buckled, sending the golem crashing down.
Without pause, Luo Wei pivoted, repositioned, and launched another radiant strike at the golem's remaining leg.
Though the initial hit didn't destroy the second leg, Luo Wei didn't let up.
BOOM!
The second blow shattered the joint. But as the massive form toppled, one last desperate projectile left the golem's hand—a stone launched with pinpoint force.
Luo Wei had no time to dodge. The boulder slammed into his chest.
A violent shock tore through his body. His heart and lungs rattled under the force of impact. He collapsed, momentarily paralyzed, gasping for breath.
Grimacing through the pain, Luo Wei summoned a healing prayer, focusing divine energy inward.
But even as his injuries began to mend, he could see the golem's legs regenerating far faster than his own recovery.
Soon, the rock golem had reassembled itself—though significantly reduced in size. Its towering form had diminished to that of an average man.
Luo Wei rose slowly, drawing deep breaths as he reactivated Divine Protection.
He had faced the rock golem many times over the past months. He understood its behavior well.
The golem's size directly influenced its strength and inversely affected its speed. A smaller form meant less brute force, but faster, more agile movements.
Sure enough, another flying stone came at him. He attempted a dodge—but the golem's enhanced speed was evident now. The stone struck his shoulder, sending waves of pain through him.
Thanks to Divine Protection, Luo Wei remained functional. Gritting his teeth, he charged, swinging Verrigan's Fist and smashing one of the golem's arms clean off.
Despite having the opportunity to target the golem's head, Luo Wei held back. Prior encounters taught him that the head was purely ornamental—destroying it yielded no results.
He continued his assault in close quarters, enduring another retaliatory blow but managing to destroy both of the golem's arms.
The pattern became clear.
Luo Wei would break its legs, then during the golem's regeneration, target the arms. When it repaired its arms, he'd go back to the legs.
This relentless cycle chipped away at the golem's strength and mass.
Eventually, the golem had been reduced to half Luo Wei's height.
"It's over!"
BOOM!
Luo Wei's final hammer strike exploded against the miniature golem, shattering it entirely. A puff of smoke replaced its form, and a glowing page materialized in the air.
"Hahh—"
Luo Wei dropped to the ground, breathing heavily.
Defeating a fourth-level creature was a massive leap toward challenging Hogg.
Despite the ache in his body, Luo Wei instinctively reached for the page.
[Devotion +55.17]
[New Enchantment Acquired: Rock Mark]
Rock Mark?
Luo Wei's brow furrowed. He opened his Sanctuary and pulled up the enchantment's details.
---
[Enchantment: Rock Mark]
Description: Imbues an item with the power to transform rocks into controllable rock golems. The caster must supply ongoing energy, or the construct will collapse.
Supplement: Very low chance of birthing a sentient rock lifeform.
---
Summoning a rock golem on demand?
Luo Wei's heart pounded with excitement. The implications were staggering.
He immediately exited the experience space, eager to enchant Verrigan's Fist with the new power.
But then he paused. Verrigan's Fist was already enchanted with fire. Could he apply another enchantment?
Uncertain, he sought out Scala, the Sanctuary's resident master enchanter.
"Master Scala."
Scala didn't look up from the scrolls on his desk. "What is it?"
"I have a question. If a weapon already has an enchantment, can another be added?"
"No," Scala replied without hesitation. Then, after a pause, he added, "Well… not usually. There are rare exceptions, but they're very rare."
Luo Wei nodded. That settled it.
If Verrigan's Fist couldn't be re-enchanted, he'd have to apply Rock Mark to something else.
Fortunately, he still possessed the plundered spear-staff from the raiders—a fourth-level item, equal in tier to Verrigan's Fist.
The fact that a looter used such a high-tier item as a melee weapon was baffling, but it now served Luo Wei's purpose.
He placed the staff on the holy altar and performed the enchantment.
Unlike the fiery spectacle of previous enchantments, the Rock Mark concluded with only a brief flash of light.
Simple, but effective.
Staff in hand, Luo Wei rushed out to a secluded area. He located a cluster of boulders and selected one large rock.
"You'll do."
He aimed the staff at the rock and channeled divine energy into it.
"Arise—Rock Golem!"
Cracks formed. Stones shifted. The boulder disassembled and reconstructed itself, piece by piece, into a humanoid form.
Faint holy light shimmered between the cracks of its body.
It stood like a paladin clad in stone armor—an image both imposing and majestic.
Luo Wei's eyes widened with exhilaration.
A Holy-Light-infused Rock Golem.
He grinned, his mind racing with possibilities.
Soon… very soon, the Frost Giants would tremble.
"Just wait, Jotunheim—your reckoning draws near. My army of Rock Paladins shall rise!"