Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Chapter 93- Against the Golem
When the approaches the horizon, the last droplet of sunlight falls on it.

The brightest flower of the world, that contains the remedy of every contamination.

The scent which could make one dazed, and lose the sense of direction.

Standing apart from all its brethren is the red-blooming flower that only appears once in a thousand years.

Austin remembers these lines, which, as the character Rhea, he collected as hints to find the Eternal Flower.

The sun was about to go down and he was slowly identifying the traces of those places which he once saw through a monitor screen.

“Are you tired?” Austin asked since they had been walking for the past one and a half hours.

Valerie shook her head, “No, not at all. It’s just…this place is quite unsettling.” She said while looking around and sensing various hostile presences.

“Well, this is the ultimate training ground for a warrior. They often come here as a newbie, and when they leave, they leave as a veteran warrior.”

Valerie nodded, “Indeed; I only have come here once even though my house is so near to this place.”

Valerie was allowed to subjugate monsters by participating in raids. However, her father had forbidden her to come into the great forest because of the dangers lurking there.

However, she has came here once, by going against her father words.

It was the day when she had an argument with Austin…well, not argument, rather, it was one-sided.

The day was when Austin clearly told her to go away from his life and never show her face in front of him. He also demanded her to never reveal the fact in the academy, that they are engaged.

To forget about what happened, she came here and fought seven A-rank beasts one after another, and that led to the third evolution of her Shard.

Remembering that day…and seeing how close they are today, Valerie couldn’t help but smile in contentment.

Although the path was full of thorns, she had finally reached the position in life she had always dreamed of.

“We are reaching it,” Austin spoke, a sudden rush of excitement she could feel from him, as he pulled her.

Crossing a few more meters and barely avoiding the thick roots snaking across the ground, they finally stepped into a clearing—an unexpected break in the dense, endless forest.

“What is…this scent?” Valerie was amazed by the sudden sweet smell that assaulted her nose as she looked around to find the source.

Austin warned, “Cover your nose or you will get under its hypnosis.”

Valerie heeded his words and instantly pulled the makeshift mask she had made earlier with a piece of her clothes.

Austin’s eyes narrowed as he saw the long curved tree that was flowing towards the sky and had a peculiar design of leaves.

He couldn’t be mistaken about it—the Eternal Flower is within the bark of the tree.

Austin released Valerie’s hand, and told her, “Unless I am about to die, don’t interfere.”

Hearing the word ‘die’ made her panic as she instinctively asked, “What are you going to do?!”

Austin didn’t reply to her; rather, he stepped toward the tree slowly. If his memory serves right—

**KRIK**

The ground rumbled, and inches away from his feet, the surface caved in.

Austin summoned his dagger and got ready for the battle.

The earth trembled as cracks spread across the ground. Dust and loose soil crumbled away, revealing a deep hollow beneath. A low, grinding noise echoed through the air like stone scraping against stone.

Then, from the depths of the ground, something began to rise.

A faceless figure, tall and broad, emerged from the earth. Its body was made of dark, rough stone, its surface covered in ancient carvings that pulsed faintly. As it pulled itself free, chunks of dirt and broken roots fell from its massive frame.

Its head was smooth, without eyes, nose, or mouth, yet an eerie presence surrounded it. The golem’s heavy limbs moved with slow, deliberate strength, cracks glowing faintly as energy coursed through its body.

Valerie held her breath upon seeing the Golem appearing out of nowhere, as she asked, “Austin…please don’t tell me you are going to fight it alone.”

“That’s the requirement, Val. I need to defeat that thing or we won’t get that damn flower.”

Austin flexed the dagger in his hand, the size of the blade increasing as he crouched low and got into a fighting position.

The Golem took a step forward—

**CLANG**

The deep sound of metal brushing against stone resonated as Austin launched into a blur and attacked it head-on, but as expected,

“Not a scratch.”

The Golem turned its massive frame towards Austin, its featureless face showing no emotion, but Austin could tell that it had considered him as its opponent.

“My Shard won’t do…”

Valerie gasped. She covered her mouth as she saw her Lord suddenly summoning something that definitely wasn’t his Shard.

A double-edged axe with a majestic white handle and thunder wrapped around it, appeared in his hand as Austin prepared for another strike.

‘The battle axe makes me a little slower…but with this enemy, I just need to land a decisive blow on its neck.’

Austin lunged forward, and this time, the Golem also moved faster, raising its hand, and several long roots erupted from the ground.

Austin jumped on his feet and used the roots as a platform to launch toward the Golem.

Thunders crackled around him as he launched a front strike toward the Golem, but the thing easily swatted the attack away with its left hand and followed with a right punch.

Austin twisted in midair, narrowly avoiding the full force of the golem’s punch, but the sheer wind pressure sent him flying. He slammed into the ground, rolling several times before stopping on one knee. His body ached, his arms stung from the impact, but he had no time to breathe.

The golem was already moving, raising its massive foot to crush him.

Austin gritted his teeth and kicked off the ground, barely dodging as the foot slammed down, sending a shockwave through the earth. He reached for his axe, but the golem’s next attack was already coming. A thick root shot from the ground, wrapping around his ankle and pulling him

Off balance.

“Tch!” Austin swung his axe in a desperate arc, slicing the root apart just before another lashed toward him.

He rolled to the side and sprang forward, his axe crackling with thunder. He needed to go for the joints. The neck, the arms—any weak spot he could find.

He leaped, bringing the axe down on the golem’s shoulder.

CRACK!

Lightning surged through the blade as it struck, sending sparks flying. A deep fissure split the golem’s stone body, and for the first time, it actually recoiled.

But then—

THUD!

A stone fist slammed into Austin’s stomach, sending him crashing into a tree. The impact stole the air from his lungs. He coughed, blood dripping from his lips as pain exploded in his ribs.

“That…hurt,” he muttered, wiping his mouth.

“Austin! Are you okay?” Valerie appeared beside him out of nowhere, with concern written over her face.

Austin glanced at her, with a smile extending his lips, before he told her, “Just a few minutes, sweetie.”

His figure blurred in lightning as he appeared above the Golem

The inhumane raised its hand to grab Austin however, Austin phased through the arm, appearing behind the Golem before he struck the axe,

**TING**

Loud reverberation erupted, shaking the surface as the Golem was forced forward with that thunder-clad attack.

However, before Austin could have thought of launching another attack, the Golem raised its foot and slammed it against the ground.

The surface trembled before several spikes began appearing from random spots.

Austin’s eyes widened as he jumped in time, or he would have been stabbed.

Letting his Axe disintegrate, he flipped into the air, and landed on one of the branches, before a rock came flying his way,

“Shi-*CRACK*”

**BOOOOOM**

He jumped just in time before the rock took down the whole branch and launched into the air.

Austin was airborne for a moment, as he assessed the battlefield.

The inhumane beast slammed its hand on the ground before a pillar of stone launched toward Austin.

The blond Prince twisted in the air, but it was not enough to dodge the incoming attacks, as he was sent flying way above.

“Guh!”

Austin groaned as he found some of his ribs snapping from that last attack, as he stood to stop the stone pillar.

He was above the forest roof and barely could see the Stone warrior staring back at him with its arm crossed.

“Quite cocky, you are,” Austin growled as he received a notification,

[Skill is ready to discharge!]

A grin formed on his face, as Austin prepared for the final strike.

‘System, use my points to improve my Durability.’

[Host is needed-]

Austin didn’t wait to respond and shot toward the Golem.

The stone pillar cracked upon his launch, as he moved toward the Golem straight ahead with his punch reeled back.

The Golem also didn’t show any intention of moving away as it pulled its right hand back, its hand coiled in a punch.

Valerie held her breath and was prepared to jump in any moment now.

However, she never expected the collision to be so devastating,

**BOOOOOOM**

The instant their fists met, a massive shockwave ripped through the forest. Trees bent and snapped, the ground shattered, and debris blasted outward in every direction. A deafening explosion shook the air as lightning and raw force collided with unyielding stone.

A deep, splitting noise echoed. The sheer impact sent a violent gust tearing through the battlefield, uprooting everything nearby. Dust and smoke surged like a storm, swallowing the scene in thick, blinding chaos.

For a long moment, nothing moved.

Then, as the dust slowly settled…

Austin stood tall, breathing hard, his figure outlined against the wreckage. His arm was reddened because of the impact. But the most noticeable thing was the pile of stones resting around him.

‘Haah…this was tougher than I thought..’

°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.