The monster shouted in a deep voice:
"You will never take our mine!"
Alex frowned. He couldn't sense any presence other than the monster's.
So why did it say "our" mine?
Alex observed the monster's massive axe, a smirk curling his lips.
"So that's one of the weapons given by that shady guy you told me about, Andris?"
Andris simply replied:
"Yes, boss."
Alex stepped forward slightly, his gaze locked on the weapon.
"Let's see what you've got."
He activated his new skill, Arcanscope Eye, and visualized the stats of the monster's weapon.
[Name: Test Weapon]
RANK: Omega
TYPE: Long Axe
DURABILITY: Unstable !!! / Unstable !!!
AFFINITY: Earth / Iron
STATS:
• Physical ATK: +64
• Attack Speed: +30%
• Accuracy: +10%
• Critical: +25%
• Endurance: +20
• Power: +71
• Sharpness: +50
• Balance: +44
• Resistance: +87
SPECIAL EFFECTS:
— None
"Whoa… those are some insane stats!
But with better materials, I'm sure I could do better."
He narrowed his eyes at the data screen.
"'Omega'? And why is the durability unstable…?"
Before he could think further, the monster charged at him with its massive axe, swinging a downward vertical strike.
Alex leapt aside, narrowly dodging. The impact tore the ground apart.
Alex let out a nervous smile.
"Phew… that was close, huh?"
From behind a tree, Andris looked up in panic, the slime trembling beside him.
"Boss! Be careful!"
Alex shot him a quick glance.
"Stay hidden, Andris. Let me handle this."
He dashed toward the monster, gripping his twin hatchets tightly.
The colossus tried to pull its axe from the ground, but it was too slow.
Reaching striking distance, Alex swung a horizontal blow from the left with his right hand.
The monster instantly let go of its weapon and stepped back to dodge.
But Alex, carried by his momentum, didn't stop.
The colossus took the opportunity — it lunged forward and delivered a brutal kick with its right leg.
Alex was violently thrown to the left, smashing through a tree and shattering it to pieces.
Dazed, he got up immediately… but the monster was already upon him.
Gripping its axe with both hands, the creature unleashed a horizontal swing of terrifying power.
Alex ducked just in time — the shockwave sliced through three massive trees behind him, cutting them cleanly in half.
On one knee, Alex jerked his head up and leapt toward the giant's face.
His knee slammed into the monster's chin, forcing it to stagger backward.
Alex didn't give it a chance to recover and continued his relentless assault.
The monster regained its focus and swung its axe vertically downward.
Still mid-attack, Alex charged his right hatchet with energy and launched a rising diagonal strike.
The two weapons collided with a deafening crash.
Shock Strike activated, releasing a devastating shockwave that blasted the colossus backward.
It crashed into a tree, cracking it under the impact before dropping to its knees.
Alex, unharmed, took advantage of the opening and pushed off the ground to jump into the air.
"Don't die on me just yet…"
He threw his left hatchet. The weapon spun like a deadly drill, whistling through the air.
Instinctively, the creature leapt aside — the hatchet buried itself deep into a tree behind it.
Alex landed smoothly, a faint grin on his face.
"Not bad… you're worth the trouble."
The monster roared in frustration, ripped its axe from the ground, and charged straight at him.
Alex, already ready, dropped to one knee and extended his hand toward the enemy.
The colossus didn't understand, but kept charging, shouting:
"It's too late to surrender!"
Alex smirked.
Suddenly, the hatchet buried in the tree tore itself free and flew back at high speed.
It embedded itself in the monster's back with a dull thud.
"GRAAAH!"
The colossus roared in pain as Alex, amused, murmured:
"Oh, how I love telekinesis…"
The monster's eyes burned with rage. It gripped its axe so tightly its knuckles turned white.
Alex activated Lightning Step — his body vanished in a burst of blue sparks — and reappeared behind the colossus.
He ripped the embedded hatchet out of its back, releasing a spray of black blood.
The monster howled again and turned, ready to cleave him in two.
But Alex had already disappeared a second time, blinking through space.
When the creature finished its swing, there was nothing in front of it.
"Here."
The colossus spun violently, head whipping around — but Alex struck first.
His left fist crashed into the monster's face.
The impact shook the air, a shockwave exploding around them.
Yet the monster's head didn't move an inch.
It absorbed the blow without flinching, crimson eyes locked on Alex.
"Damn it…" Alex hissed through his teeth.
The colossus swung its axe diagonally.
"Shit!" Alex shouted, teleporting backward.
The ground exploded from the impact, dust and debris flying everywhere.
"If only I could remember all my skills…" he muttered. "I could've chained that."
Blinded by the dust, he scanned the area — but a massive silhouette emerged from the cloud. Too late.
The axe came sweeping horizontally. Instinctively, Alex jumped, tucking his knees midair to dodge by a hair's breadth.
Still airborne, he charged his left hatchet with energy and struck the monster's weapon handle.
A shockwave triggered by the hatchet's effect rippled through the air, forcing the creature to release its weapon.
Without hesitation, Alex charged his right hatchet with energy and hurled it at the monster's feet.
The weapon's effect activated on impact — a violent explosion erupted, sending the colossus flying backward despite its effort to resist.
Alex dashed forward instantly, recalling his hatchets telekinetically.
The blades spun through the air, returning to his hands.
Without wasting a second, he leapt high into the sky, ready to strike from above.
Below, the disarmed monster looked up. It tensed its muscles, then launched a rising kick.
Compressed air burst outward, creating a shockwave that slammed into Alex midair, blasting him away.
The explosion blew away the dust cloud, revealing the charging colossus once more.
Alex tried to think — but nothing came.
"Damn skill overload…" he growled.
They rushed at each other. Just before impact, Alex teleported behind the monster.
The colossus, carried by its own momentum, smashed through a tree with its shoulder.
"I need to focus… or I'm dead," Alex muttered.
"Alright… let's get serious."
He activated Blackstone Shield — an obsidian armor unfolded across his body, gleaming darkly.
At the same time, he triggered Ember Core and Lightning Charge.
His body ignited, flames intertwining with crackling arcs of electricity.
In an instant, Alex looked like a demon of fire and thunder, ready to annihilate everything.
The monster sensed danger.
Its muscles bulged violently, the wound on its back sealing shut.
Its body grew — from two meters to two and a half. Veins pulsed, muscles doubled in size, hair lengthened down its back, and its eyes turned blood-red with fury.
Alex smirked.
"So you get it too… time to end this."
In an instant, both vanished.
"Where are they?!" Andris shouted in panic.
They reappeared immediately, weapons colliding midair.
The impact unleashed a massive shockwave that devastated the area. Trees were uprooted, the ground split apart, and Andris — along with the slime — was blown away like a leaf in a storm.
"Aaaaaaah!" Andris screamed, swept up by the force.
[Next Evolution: ???]
Time remaining before evolution: 5 minutes.