Chapter 175. Wasn’t it a little... easy?

The Colossus stepped over the remains of the Ravagers.

Its front foot struck the gravel beyond the fallen rib, pushing broken bones aside.

The skull hung above Carlos's party, with a lower jaw long enough to reach across their whole front line.

Carlos backed toward the open ground beneath the tall ribs. He wanted space around the creature's legs. If they stayed in the gap, one swing of that jaw could press all of them against the same bone.

"Come here!" he called. "Archers behind that spine. Keep moving along it."

Kaia drew the front line back with him. The Troll turned after the last Bearkin cleared the fallen rib, keeping itself between the monster and the carried basket.

The Colossus followed along and blue light moved through its joints as its six legs carried the immense body forward.

Carlos inspected it again, looking past the grade and level this time.

--

[Ossuary Colossus]

[Animation core located within central rib cage]

[Core protection: Layered bone plating]

--

He showed Kaia the record while they moved. The bright structure sat above the legs, behind plates fitted between the ribs.

"Bring it down enough to reach that," Carlos said.

The skull swept toward them. Brann ducked beneath the jaw and struck its side as it passed. The hammer broke a row of smaller teeth, but the head kept moving.

Carlos caught the end of the swing on his shield. The impact threw him backward against the gravel.

His shoulder hit first, and the spear slid out of his hand.

Kaia reached him before the nearest foot came down. She pulled his coat while the shield Guardian pushed against the descending leg, changing where it landed by enough to keep it off them.

Carlos grabbed the spear again and got up, his arm aching inside the coat.

"The legs first," he said. "Brann, that front one. Try and hit the joint."

The Colossus bent its head toward the Guardian who had pushed it aside. Nessa's arrow struck the bright connection behind its jaw. The shot barely damaged it, but the head turned toward the spine where she stood.

Brann reached the front leg while it was lifting. His hammer struck the narrow connection above the foot, and the bone cracked across one side.

Carlos sent the Warden Chain around it before the leg could plant again. The links tightened against the broken surface. He pulled toward the fallen rib while Brann hit from the other direction.

And this time, the joint gave way.

The Colossus dropped forward, driving its skull into the gravel. Dust rose around the party, and Carlos loosened the chain before the falling weight dragged him beneath it.

"Other side!" Kaia shouted.

The Troll and hammer-carrying Guardian struck the opposite front leg.

The creature twisted to keep that joint away from them, bringing its ribs lower on Carlos's side.

He could see the opening he wanted. He could also see two thick plates between his spear and the blue light.

"Brann, with me."

Carlos advanced along the fallen rib, using its lower end to get above the gravel.

Brann climbed after him, hammer held close so it would not catch against the curved bone.

The skull came around again and Kaia met its lower edge with her shield while the other Guardian pushed from beside her.

Neither could hold the whole creature still. They only needed to turn its head away for a moment.

Carlos shouted before they lost that moment.

"PUSH IT BACK! BRANN, WE BREAK THIS THING NOW!"

His War Cry carried across the open ground. The Guardian below answered with a roar and drove his shield against the jaw again.

Brann stepped past Carlos, raising the hammer toward the exposed side of the rib cage.

The glow of Crushing Blow formed around its head.

Brann struck the outer plate. It split beneath the hammer, breaking inward against the layers behind it. Blue light poured through the damaged opening.

Carlos stepped forward with his spear.

One of the Colossus's middle legs folded upward and caught the fallen rib beneath them.

The whole length moved and Carlos's foot slipped, making him drop against the edge, barely keeping his weapon.

Brann caught the back of his coat before he fell beneath the creature. It had happened two times now, how different teammates at different times had pulled him up by the coat.

It was embarrassing but what worked worked.

The Guardian hauled him up with one arm, then planted himself between Carlos and the moving leg. Bone struck Brann across the side. He grunted and bent, but his hand stayed closed on the coat until Carlos had his feet beneath him.

"Got you," Brann said.

Carlos looked at the fresh blood along his side. Anger rose so quickly that his grip hurt.

"Keep it down!"

The Troll caught the damaged front leg and pulled. Kaia ordered the others against the opposite side, forcing the creature to lean toward them rather than rise fully.

Carlos sent the chain around an exposed rib beside the opening.

He used it to steady himself, not to hold the Colossus's whole weight. The strain ran up his forearm as he drove his spear through the broken plates.

The point struck the lit core and slid along its hard surface.

He pulled back enough to change the angle. Nessa's Focused Shot entered the same opening, cracking the outer shell where his spear had scraped it.

Carlos drove forward again.

This time the point entered. He leaned into the shaft, shouting as he forced it deeper. The core split around the iron, and the blue light snapped through the ribs like a fire drawing its last breath.

"MOVE!" Kaia called.

Carlos tore the spear free and released the chain from the Colossus's rib. He jumped down with Brann beside him. The others scattered away from the legs as the Colossus collapsed, its head striking the ground where the Troll had stood only seconds earlier.

They ran until the falling ribs stopped moving.

Carlos turned, breathing through an ache that spread across his shoulder. There was no light beneath the bones now.

--

[Ossuary Colossus defeated]

[Graveyard Guardian defeated]

[Hellbound Conquest Level 6 complete]

[Calculating rewards]

--

He went straight to Brann. The Guardian was holding his hammer with one hand and pressing the other against his bleeding side.

"Sit down."

Brann looked at the fallen skull first. "Dead."

"Yes, so sit now."

Carlos opened one Troop Recovery Potion and helped him take it. The bleeding slowed as its effect spread. Kaia checked the others while Carlos stayed with Brann, watching until the Guardian could breathe without tightening his whole body.

Then another panel appeared.

--

[Bearkin Guardian Brann has leveled up]

[Level: 4]

--

Brann stared at it. Carlos read the number and finally smiled.

"There you go. You got your fight."

The Guardian nodded, looking more pleased about the dead Colossus than the panel. Carlos left him sitting while the rewards settled into his inventory.

--

[Hellbound Conquest Level 6 Rewards]

[Epic Troop Building Upgrade Stone x1]

[Stone x600]

[Wood x200]

[Iron x300]

[Iron Ore x40]

[Copper Coins x1,200]

[Mana Crystal x10]

[Slime Core x100]

[Troop Recovery Potion x3]

[Medium Recovery Potion x2]

[High-grade Recovery Potion x1]

[Territory Expansion Token x2]

[Building Relocation Token x1]

[Complete Building Restoration Token x1]

[Troop Promotion Token x1]

[Rare Equipment Upgrade Stone x1]

[Guard Tower Blueprint x1]

[Iron Wall Material Pack x2]

[Basic Crop Seed Selection Chest x1]

--

Carlos reached the first line and stopped.

"Epic..."

Then he saw how much more there was beneath it. He kept reading, finding another thing he wanted every few lines.

Two expansion tokens. A tower blueprint and wall materials.

They had only just made more space in Ironroot, and the new land still needed protection.

There were recovery potions too, including a High-grade one. He looked at Brann again before checking that they had all arrived.

The promotion token went beside the one he had bought for Mira.

He was keeping hers for her, but now he had another. The equipment upgrade stone and seed chest could wait until he had time to look through them properly.

Even the relocation and restoration tokens were useful things to keep.

Carlos smiled at the long list. Most of the special rewards came in ones or twos, but he was happier seeing so many different things than another large pile of stone.

He returned to the first item and opened its record.

--

[Epic Troop Building Upgrade Stone]

[Used to upgrade a compatible Rare troop building to Epic Grade]

[Building requirements must be met before use]

--

He looked from the item to Brann. The Bearkin Guardian Hall was already Rare. He wanted to see its upgrade preview as soon as they returned.

"Wasn't this battle... easier?" Kaia couldn't help but mutter, making Carlos nod.

"We all could feel the danger increase but I guess there are types to dangers too. Some we struggle with, some we can pull off naturally."

Kaia and the others nodded at that. Even the troll seemed to be smiling as if relieved of something.

The return became available after the clear. Carlos checked that all ten were together, collected the basket with its one unused tomato and led them through.

The packed food had stayed in his inventory during the interrupted rest; they could eat at Ironroot now.

Garr met them near the portal. Carlos asked about the territory while Kaia directed Brann toward Ada's table.

The answer was short. There had been no attack, the positions held, and the workers had continued.

Ada washed her hands before touching Brann's side. Carlos told her what had struck him and that he had taken a potion. She examined the wound rather than starting with the first spell she knew.

"The bleeding is controlled," she said. "I can treat the remaining tear. Keep him sitting."

Pale light gathered beneath her hands. Brann's shoulders loosened slowly, and Carlos stayed until Ada finished checking him.

His own shoulder and the others' smaller injuries were next.

Mira brought food while they waited. The buyer's third renewed order was due tomorrow, and she had the supplied ingredients ready.

He took the upgrade stone out after Brann was settled. It rested heavily in his palm, with a bright mark inside its dark surface.

Carlos called Garr closer and turned toward the Bearkin Guardian Hall.

"Come with me. I want to see what this can do for your building."