Chapter 46: We Need Professionals
This golden puppet was nearly twenty meters tall, dwarfing even the half-dragon. Its shell was exceptionally smooth, reflecting the surrounding light like a mirror. The monster charged straight into the formation of armored vehicles, the ground rumbling under its heavy footsteps as countless clods of mud and rocks flew up, raising a vast cloud of dust.
During its charge, countless shells slammed into the golden stone demon, but even armor-piercing rounds could only leave pockmarks on its mirror-like surface, occasionally being deflected entirely, completely unable to affect its pace.
The black-haired man naturally noticed the enemy as well. The half-dragon's expression shifted as he sensed a dangerous aura from it—a unique resonance between beings of the same level.
—This stone demon was equivalent in strength to the Gold Realm!
Having endured so many attacks without obvious external injuries, the stone demon crossed several strides to reach the front of the armored vehicle formation. The two points of light in its eyes flashed, emitting a brilliant glow. The Gold-rank stone demon raised its massive fist and slammed it viciously toward the nearest armored vehicle.
The elf's mana-powered armored vehicle had a shell made of specially crafted alloy. Though not indestructible, it was the toughest material available at a reasonable cost-performance ratio. An ordinary stone demon, even using all its strength to ram, could not break through it—at most, it would deform the hull and stun those inside. Under normal circumstances, as long as ammunition was plentiful, a single armored vehicle could steadily eliminate four or five ordinary stone demons without suffering damage itself.
But facing this Gold-rank stone demon's mountain-crushing punch, the armored vehicle was like a tin can. With a deafening crash, the vehicle's entire body was flattened, the soldiers inside crushed into meat paste before they could even scream. The stone demon then grabbed the wreckage with both hands and, with a casual tear, ripped the vehicle apart like a toy.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"
The sudden appearance of a Gold-rank stone demon threw the entire frontline into chaos. The elves had never encountered such a powerful stone demon before. Although they had heard that the Takur Annihilation Order could create extremely powerful stone demons, they had never seen one in person. Now, facing this monster, they had no effective countermeasures.
"Request support! Request support! A Gold-rank stone demon has appeared on the front line! We need the half-dragon's assistance!"
The communications officer shouted into the communication device, but before he could finish, a massive shadow loomed over him. The stone demon had already arrived before him, its enormous foot descending like a mountain, crushing him and the bunker beneath into powder.
"Damn it!"
The half-dragon, having just dealt with a Silver-rank stone demon, heard the commotion and immediately turned to see the Gold-rank stone demon wreaking havoc. His expression darkened as he abandoned his current opponent and charged toward the Gold-rank stone demon.
But the Gold-rank stone demon was far more intelligent than ordinary stone demons. Seeing the half-dragon charging at it, it did not engage head-on. Instead, it turned and continued its massacre of the armored vehicles and bunkers, forcing the half-dragon to chase after it.
"Bastard!"
The half-dragon roared in fury, his body erupting with blazing elemental power as he accelerated, closing the distance in an instant. He swung his claws, tearing through the air, and slashed at the stone demon's back.
The Gold-rank stone demon did not dodge. It allowed the half-dragon's claws to strike its back, but the attack only left shallow scratches on its mirror-like surface. The stone demon then spun around, its fist swinging like a meteor hammer, and smashed into the half-dragon's chest.
With a dull thud, the half-dragon was sent flying, crashing through several buildings before finally stopping. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression grim.
"This thing... its defense is terrifying!"
The half-dragon stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth. His eyes burned with fighting spirit as he prepared to charge again. But at that moment, a beam of light shot through the sky, striking the Gold-rank stone demon's head.
The stone demon staggered, its head tilted back as a massive hole was blasted into its skull. But even so, it did not fall. It turned its gaze toward the source of the attack, its eyes glowing with rage.
In the distance, a black-haired warrior stood atop a building, a massive bow in his hands. The bowstring was still vibrating, and the air around him shimmered with residual energy.
"Looks like I made it in time."
The black-haired warrior smiled, leaping down from the building and landing beside the half-dragon. He was a tall man with short black hair and sharp eyes, wearing a simple leather armor that did little to hide his muscular build.
"Who are you?" the half-dragon asked, eyeing the newcomer warily.
"Just a passing adventurer," the black-haired warrior replied with a shrug. "But it seems you could use some help."
The half-dragon snorted but did not refuse. "That thing is a Gold-rank stone demon. Its defense is incredible. Ordinary attacks won't work."
"I noticed," the black-haired warrior said, nocking another arrow. "But let's see how it handles this."
He drew the bowstring, and the arrow began to glow with a blinding light. The air around it crackled with energy as he released it. The arrow shot forward like a shooting star, striking the stone demon's chest and exploding in a burst of light.
The stone demon roared in pain, stumbling backward. Its chest was now a mess of cracks and shattered stone, but it still did not fall.
"Tough bastard," the black-haired warrior muttered, nocking another arrow.
"Save your strength," the half-dragon said, stepping forward. "I'll finish it."
His body began to glow with a fiery red light as he channeled his elemental power. The air around him grew hot, and the ground beneath his feet started to melt. He let out a thunderous roar and charged at the stone demon, his claws wreathed in flames.
The stone demon raised its fist to strike, but the half-dragon was faster. He dodged the punch and leaped onto the stone demon's arm, running up it like a ramp. In seconds, he reached the stone demon's head and drove his claws deep into its eyes.
The stone demon screamed, thrashing wildly, but the half-dragon held on. He channeled all his power into his claws, and with a final, explosive burst, he tore the stone demon's head apart.
The massive body collapsed, shaking the ground as it fell. The half-dragon landed lightly, breathing heavily, his claws dripping with molten stone.
"Not bad," the black-haired warrior said, walking over. "You've got some skill."
The half-dragon grunted, not bothering to reply. He turned and looked toward the distant city, his expression grim.
"This is just the beginning," he said. "The Takur Annihilation Order won't stop until they've destroyed everything."
"Then we'll just have to stop them," the black-haired warrior said, a grin spreading across his face. "After all, that's what adventurers do."
---
—Lord's Mansion of Moldavia, Main City.
"So, you can't determine when the spatial-temporal passage will open either?"
The black-haired warrior, who had teleported directly from the front lines, sat in the reception room of his Lord's Mansion, frowning at the paladin before him. His expression was serious. "So we can only wait now?"
"Perhaps."
The paladin shrugged, taking a sip of tea. He blinked, then said helplessly, "After all, I'm not a mage. Maybe we should call someone who understands magic. You know, we need professionals."
(To be continued.)