0139 The Unbearable Weight of Life

Calmly, she touched the small magical array in the palm of her hand. Carefully weighing the scant magical energy left within her, she realized that relying on such a meager reserve to confront the enormous beast before her would require some serious ingenuity. This creature’s strength and magical energy reserves were undoubtedly still full, and it possessed the ability to erupt into a berserk state at any moment. The current stalemate existed only because the massive beast had never encountered her earth-type magic before and was momentarily cautious.

If this deadlock continued and the beast discovered her true frailty, things would no longer be so favorable.

With this in mind, she made her decision. Her magical energy quietly concentrated in her palm. The previously incomplete magical array, worn down over time, gradually repaired itself. The faint golden earth element, sensing the summoning from the newly formed array in her palm, instantly gathered. As she began to move, the enormous beast hastily tried to advance and stop her, but before it could take more than a few steps, earth golems materialized around it, blocking its path.

At her mental command, three earth golems of varying heights, their crude forms barely shaped, charged cheerfully and in unison toward the colossal beast. The beast, unwilling to let her act freely, opened its massive jaws once more. A tremendous blaze burst forth, unlike the gradually intensifying flames it had unleashed before. This time, the fire, fueled by a long buildup, erupted as a scorching inferno, illuminating the entire forest. The heat distorted the surroundings, while thick black smoke obscured the path ahead. Yet these obstacles posed no problem for the earth golems, who required no clear vision to operate.

They completely disregarded the damage the flames inflicted on their bodies. Despite their seemingly cumbersome forms, their movements were surprisingly agile. Their legs moved with perfect biomechanical precision as they advanced steadily toward the beast. The beast had never anticipated its fire would have no effect on these seemingly fragile earth golems. As they closed in, it chose not to flee. With a roar to the sky, it transferred all its magical energy into its fists, then took three steps forward and struck one of the innocent golems before it.

Boom. Crackle.

The poor golem was pierced through the chest by the beast’s full-strength blow, earth and gravel spilling from its wound in heaps. Yet still, the golem did not falter. As the faint golden elements within the golems worked tirelessly to repair the damage, the wound inflicted by the beast visibly and rapidly healed. Seeing the scorched golems ignore its attacks, the once overwhelmingly confident giant beast felt a rare flicker of fear.

The golem that had been punched through, at the cost of its chest being utterly destroyed, was the first to reach the beast’s side. Its distorted, menacing grin pressed against the beast’s face without hesitation. The beast shuddered inwardly, closing its eyes, fearing the end was near. But then, after feeling a slight impact on its forehead, two astonishing, melodious snaps and thuds echoed.

Crack. Snap.

The beast opened its eyes in bewilderment to see the earth golem that had once hung on its arm reduced to dust on the ground. Before it could comprehend what had happened, the second golem arrived, grinning fiercely. With a determined, murderous headbutt, it smashed into the beast’s head. Then, following the laws of action and reaction, its head was dislodged, and the entire body crumbled to dust in place.

“…” The beast’s face was a silent expression of disbelief. Its anger at being toyed with far exceeded the despair it had felt moments before when it thought it might die. Many things could be forgiven, but the dignity of a magical beast was not to be violated by a mere human girl.

A furious howl erupted from the beast’s mouth. Its body instantly swelled, eyes glowing a fierce red. Claws, wings, and fangs transformed in an instant, imbuing the beast with newfound power. Its senses sharpened exponentially, and its keen nose discerned the scent of the two reckless girls who had fled, hidden somewhere in the fragrant forest. With a mighty flap of its vast wings, the beast dived toward the direction it had identified and vanished from sight.

Long after, the battleground slowly regained life. The small creatures and insects that had hidden away cautiously returned to their homes, wiping away tears as they tidied the remnants of their scorched dwellings. Thanks to their diligent efforts, the unburned patches of earth soon regained order and vitality. The trampled, crooked bushes and grass were righted and restored. The land buzzed with busy activity.

Yet even the scorched earth was not subdued. A heavy breath emanated from beneath the ground, startling the industrious creatures into silence. They held their breath and quietly observed the suspicious patch of land.

Crackling sounds echoed from the scorched soil. Long fissures appeared, widening and revealing a hidden, intact space beneath the surface. Then, a pale human hand emerged from underground, resting on a patch of undamaged earth. Slowly, with great effort and aided by the earth beneath, its owner began to lift themselves up.

Rustle.

As the figure rose from beneath the ground, the dust and soil that had clung to her body slid down, forming a small mound at her feet. Though protected by a thick layer of soil and earth elements, the beast’s immense weight was no small matter. It had only stepped on her twice by accident, yet her fragile body was already protesting with soreness and bruises, a testament to the unbearable burden imposed upon her life.