The Azure Carved Golem

The Koum Beast moved slowly, but its strides were long, and it had impressive stamina.

After the sun had completed a full cycle and a sliver of it peeked over the eastern horizon again, Jia Ruo, riding on the beast's back, had already spotted the target of their journey.

Th-this... wasn't that the Blue Buff?

So that was what the Azure Magic Pattern Statue meant. But... wasn't this thing a little too huge?

From far away, Jia Ruo watched the Azure Carved Golem wander aimlessly through a chaotic stone forest. The towering stone formations only reached its waist.

Jia Ruo estimated that the Azure Carved Golem was at least forty or fifty meters tall.

Looking at its thick arms, which nearly dragged on the ground, its physical attack range had to be at least a hundred meters in diameter.

Was this the giant he was supposed to distract?

Those five thousand gold coins were burning a hole in his pocket.

When the Koum Beast drew closer, it refused to go any farther. It could sense the danger, too.

"Let's stop here."

Percy signaled for everyone to gather.

"Going by past experience, the Azure Carved Golem attacks whichever target in its line of sight is most active. You'll take turns circling around from in front of it to behind it. Its attacks are fairly simple: it swings its arms and smashes them down. Stay alert, and you'll be fine."

"Understood."

Jia Ruo took a deep breath and followed the group toward the stone forest.

Percy told everyone to split up and circle around the Azure Carved Golem from both sides, so they could draw its attention.

Jia Ruo and Neeko concealed themselves and circled far around to the Azure Carved Golem's rear right, waiting for the action to begin.

Laleno was assigned to make the first move. He lightly tapped one stone pillar after another, darting straight toward the front of the Azure Carved Golem.

On spotting a moving creature, the Azure Carved Golem stopped wandering aimlessly. It slightly raised one enormous stone arm, then brought it down toward Laleno.

Boom!

Dust billowed everywhere. Laleno nimbly leaped to the side, putting some distance between himself and the golem, then immediately concealed himself.

With a thud, a stone struck the Azure Carved Golem's head, which looked rather small compared to its body.

It had been thrown by the guard nearest to Laleno's left.

The Azure Carved Golem turned its head clumsily. Two deep, glowing blue hollows sat where its eyes should have been; it was impossible to tell whether it could see.

Good, Percy thought to himself from his hiding place.

Once the Azure Carved Golem started attacking with both hands, he'd have a chance to strike.

As the guards repeated this simple distraction tactic, the Azure Carved Golem gradually turned toward Jia Ruo.

My turn.

Jia Ruo sprang onto a stone pillar, weighing a fist-sized rock in his hand.

Whoosh!

The rock traced a beautiful arc and struck the Azure Carved Golem right on the head.

Not a bad throw. Still, compared to the Azure Carved Golem, that rock must've felt like a grain of rice hitting a person.

Jia Ruo prepared to dodge the attack that was about to come.

Suddenly, the situation took an unexpected turn.

The Azure Carved Golem, which had been standing still and letting them lead it around in circles, broke into a run on its stubby legs and charged at Jia Ruo.

Those two hollow blue eye sockets stared straight at him.

It really is looking at me!

Jia Ruo was startled. Why had the Azure Carved Golem gone berserk as soon as it reached him?

He hurriedly leaped to another stone pillar behind him.

No good. The Azure Carved Golem's sweeping both arms this time. I need to get farther away!

Jia Ruo caught sight of the golem's movements out of the corner of his eye.

He kept moving, darting through the rugged stone forest.

The Azure Carved Golem pursued him relentlessly. The other guards' pebbles, weapons, and even spells struck its body, but it seemed fixated on Jia Ruo, never once looking back.

Hearing the rumble behind him, Jia Ruo twisted his waist and dodged the shower of rocks flying his way.

Its legs looked short, but they were still seventeen or eighteen meters long.

Jia Ruo fled in every direction, but the Azure Carved Golem's attacks kept coming one after another.

With a deafening crash, the Azure Carved Golem's enormous fist hit the ground just two or three meters behind Jia Ruo.

Time Warp!

Jia Ruo activated his skill, and You Meng immediately flew from its sheath. It swept away six or seven rocks like a swarm of locusts, clearing a path through the air for him to escape.

But the shockwave from the Azure Carved Golem's strike still caught him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Jia Ruo immediately rolled over and spat out the blood rising in his throat. Though he had filled his body with mana, the impact had still injured his internal organs.

Grimacing through the pain in his abdomen, Jia Ruo frantically circulated his mana and pushed his speed to its limit.

But Yi's speed came in explosive bursts. If the chase went on, he really would be finished.

Meanwhile, behind the Azure Carved Golem,

Percy and the other eleven guards were struggling to catch up.

"How could this happen, Master Percy?"

"I don't know, either. Jia Ruo only threw a rock, just like everyone else. Why is the Azure Carved Golem chasing him so relentlessly?"

Percy's brow furrowed into a deep frown.

"Whatever the reason, saving Jia Ruo is our priority. Let's pick up the pace and catch the Azure Carved Golem."

Percy pushed off hard, increasing his speed. The other guards stopped conserving their mana and sprinted toward the Azure Carved Golem.

Perhaps because it had been unable to catch Jia Ruo for so long, the Azure Carved Golem reached into the stone forest, picked up a massive stone pillar, and hurled it at him with a roar.

This is bad.

The attack's range was far too wide. There was no way he could dodge it.

Now, all he had left was...

Meditation!

Purple Haze Aura swallowed Jia Ruo as he braced himself and endured the incoming stone pillar.

Thud.

Stone fragments scattered, and dust billowed everywhere.

Fortunately, Jia Ruo had survived the attack, though it had nearly drained all the mana in his body.

Percy finally caught up with the Azure Carved Golem. By then, he had already climbed onto its shoulder.

He had no time to wonder why the Azure Carved Golem was ignoring him as he climbed up onto its shoulder.

Jia Ruo was at death's door, and the shadow of the Azure Carved Golem's arm had already fallen over him.

"Jia Ruo, catch!"

Percy quickly pulled a Fine Steel Short Spear from the pouch at his waist, then hurled it toward Jia Ruo with all his strength.

As the short spear flew over Jia Ruo's head, he gathered up the last of his mana and leaped into the air.

At the last possible moment, he grabbed the spear tightly.

Percy had no time to steer the spear, but he drove it to its maximum speed, hoping to carry Jia Ruo away from the Azure Carved Golem.

The farther, the better.

The swift spear carried Jia Ruo nearly a thousand meters through the air before gradually dropping toward the ground.

Jia Ruo had already lost consciousness, but he still hadn't let go of the spear.

Inertia dragged him across the grass, carving a long furrow into the ground, streaked with blood.