The golemite countered.

  Nineteen arms swung like industrial mechanics.

  Parrying over fourteen giant combatants it rattled its frame.

  Everyone in Fracturon knew one thing about the titans.

  Do not let them live and learn.

  The once army of fifty giants reduced to mere fourteen — their state disheveled and blood soaked their garments.

  ‘More, it needs to grow more.’

  [00:25:41]

  As Cain checked his timer, the ground suddenly rumbled — two more giants arrived.

  ‘These two look like young elites.’

  In his view, he saw one of them with a skin of persian red, the other a shade of cornflower blue.

  Each stood twelve meters tall, their tattoo signified that they had killed more than a thousand prey.

  ‘It seems the giants are now taking the fight seriously.’

  With finely crafted blades in hand, one fought left-handed, the other right.

  ‘Golemite, you have to win.’

  The rest of the giants retreated to the side, trying to regain some strength.

  Some readied their weapons, their intentions were to intervene if the golemite was proven too strong.

  “Midi ngalanap nong poya rakut!”

  (I am Midi from the fire tribe!)

  “Dilim ngalanap nong oley rakut!”

  (I am Dilim from the ice tribe!)

  Looking at their confident faces, Cain became anxious.

  ‘What if these guys are too strong. Also… Why do they feel like their reporting their names… To a stone nonetheless.’

  He gulped three more gel rations and recovery potion for magicules.

  He didn’t re-adjust the timer, he needed the extra energy to make two sniper shots.

  ‘This potion cost a gold a piece. This venture better be worth it.’

  His two device firearms merged into one.

  The previous twenty charges converted to for two shots.

  The chamber was loaded with two special explosive salvos.

  Cain had done all the preparations, his eyes never left the monitors.

  Magic beasts closed in on the giant runts from the northeast.

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  From the north, Midi and Dilim circled the golemite like predators.

  The golemite mirrored their caution — tense, coiled, ready.

  ‘The bastards don’t seem intent on fighting, let me make them then.’

  He took the remote from his bag — Click.

  Boom!

  Ore and stone fragments blasted out at high speed.

  The golemite lost both arms, one shredded into useless wreckage.

  Shrapnel ripped into flesh and muscles of both giants.

  During its evolution, Cain had planted enough bombs inside the titan to blow it to kingdom if push comes to shove.

  “Ginagaxox ayat gigga pailalum kaskas!”

  (This stupid creature dare mock us with his sneak attack!)

  The red giant Midi barked. The blue giant Dilim nodded silently yet its face couldn’t hide its anger.

  Burning with rage and humiliation, they lunged forward — unconvinced to be outdone by a mere stone.

  Energy surged as Midi raised his sword. It ignited, fire roaring along the blade’s edge.

  Across from him, Dilim mirrored the motion. Frost crept up his weapon, coating it in jagged ice that shimmered like broken glass.

  ‘Wow! Isn’t this Prana. I better study all of them!’

  The old man was a scientist before a soldier after all.

  This made the grandfather and grandson endured through their shared love for science.

  It was their common ground, even Arthur let him peek a few times at his research.

  ‘An exemption, this is for science. Right, this is for research purposes.’

  Cain pushed the sweet thoughts aside, fixed his gaze on the battle, and reluctantly drank another potion and sipped three more rations.

  Steel rang out, deafening, as the red giant unleashed a flurry of strikes.

  It was targeting joints between the arm.

  The metal shell flushed crimson—then froze solid in the next breath.

  The twin-like giants took turns striking the same point, again and again.

  Fiber strands stiffened mid-motion, turning brittle.

  Cracks spread like veins. Then — snap.

  After the arm dropped, they moved on to the next.

  The shardling couldn’t grasp the logic behind it.

  But — it grasped something.

  It spun, flinging its limp arm into the blue giant’s side.

  The blow wasn’t lethal, but the force behind it sent him flying, slamming him across the field.

  The golemite’s fifteen remaining arms began to glow.

  Seven burned with flame. Seven shimmered with ice.

  The last arm tried to hold both — fire and frost clashing.

  It failed. It exploded.

  Cain couldn’t pry his eyes from the scene.

  ‘So, this is why the old man warned me — let them learn, they’ll counter everyone.’

  While he observed the giants on the side, the magical beasts weren’t fooling around.

  They hunted the giants down, one by one.

  Each beast’s snapping jaws curled like a savage grin — extremely pleased on victorious hunt.

  Cain stepped back as a wolf passed by, its gaze fixed on him.

  Clutched in its jaws was a five-meter giant, bleeding, limp and still trying to escape.

  ‘Who’s the good dog… It’s you right? Look away, come one.’

  Seeing no threat, the wolf moved on and didn’t spare him a second glance.

  Cain let out a silent breath of relief.

  ‘That was close, now where was —’

  Cain couldn’t finish the thought.

  Both giants stood ahead, swords shattered, blood streaming from deep gashes.

  The golemite was down to eight arms and three remaining sensing crystals.

  It’s body was now able to synchronize fire and ice — forging and tempering itself in the process.

  Impurities fell away one by one. Its body, once rough ore and stone, now gleamed metallic and crystalline.

  ‘Those blade fragments must be special material.’

  “Did I just… Did I make it too strong?”

  Cain gulped, he felt the need to open his back up plans.

  As giants, the two didn’t falter despite injuries piling up.

  Pride was deeply engraved into their bones. They’d rather die standing that beg for forgiveness.

  Midi took flight, sword slashes formed flame crescents in air — trying to buy time.

  Dilim drove his blade into the ground. Ice spread, glazing the gravel in a slick, glassy layer.

  The giants knew the golemite still had to adapt to the terrain.

  The golemite tumbled.

  It slid helplessly across the ice.

  “Noya!”

  (Now!)

  Midi and Dilim both struck — two more arms and a sensing crystal shattered on impact.

  However.

  It spun, shredding ice and tilling soil in its path like an industrial meat mincer.

  Midi and Dilim’s faces turned white. They were also familiar with the feeling — death approaches.

  Then two hooks suddenly tugged through their garments flinging them far behind.

  Another adversary has arrived.