The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: 03/12- Game on!
Kael barely had time to process Aeliana’s words before a guttural snarl echoed through the dungeon. The sound reverberated off the cold stone walls, a deep, throaty growl that sent an instant jolt of tension through the group. Shadows twisted unnaturally in the dim torchlight as something moved just beyond their line of sight, its hulking form barely distinguishable against the dark.

“Positions. Now,” Kael ordered sharply, unsheathing his battered sword in one fluid motion. He knew their weapons were compromised, but they couldn’t afford hesitation.

Aeliana cursed under her breath, pivoting swiftly into a defensive stance. Her grip on the hilt of her failing blade tightened, her muscles coiled, ready. “Garrik, do you see—”

“Yeah, yeah, I see it,” Garrik interrupted, swinging his axe into a ready position. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a sharp focus as he tracked the creature’s movement. “And it’s big. Too big.”

The thing in the shadows let out another guttural snarl before stepping forward, revealing itself in the flickering light. It was massive—easily twice the size of a man—its thick, chitinous hide gleaming like polished obsidian. Multiple eyes, dark and glassy, reflected the torchlight as it regarded them with eerie intelligence.

Kael gritted his teeth. “An armored wargolem,” he muttered. “Great.”

Aeliana shot him a sharp look. “You sound like you’ve fought one before.”

“Once.” Kael’s expression darkened. “It didn’t go well.”

The wargolem moved with unsettling speed, closing the distance in seconds. Its front limbs, thick as tree trunks, slammed against the stone floor, cracking the ancient surface.

“Move!” Aeliana shouted, springing to the side just as the creature lunged. The impact of its strike sent a shockwave through the chamber, nearly throwing her off balance. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, and she coughed against the sudden haze.

Kael dodged in the opposite direction, his sword already swinging. The blade struck true, but as expected, it barely left a scratch. The dull edge skittered uselessly against the wargolem’s thick armor, the failed strike sending vibrations up his arm.

“Damn it,” he hissed, quickly adjusting his stance. “We’re going to need more than brute force.”

Garrik, unfazed, let out a low whistle. “Okay, so hitting it is a bad idea. Noted.” He shifted his grip, eyes darting around the chamber. “Anyone got a Plan B?”

Aeliana’s mind raced. Their weapons were compromised. Direct attacks were pointless. But the dungeon itself—

“There!” she pointed towards a cluster of jagged stalactites hanging precariously above the wargolem. “If we can bring those down—”

Kael caught on immediately. “Garrik, think you can hit the support column?”

Garrik grinned. “Oh, I like where this is going.” He adjusted his stance, rolling his shoulders. “Cover me.”

The wargolem, sensing movement, twisted its bulky frame towards Garrik, its massive limbs poised to strike again.

Aeliana reacted first. “Over here, you oversized rock heap!” She darted forward, slashing at the wargolem’s leg joint. Her blade, dulled as it was, did nothing—but it got the creature’s attention. It let out a distorted roar and swung at her with terrifying force.

She barely dodged in time, the wind from its strike whipping past her face.

Kael seized the opening, striking the beast’s side to keep its focus split. “Garrik, any time now!”

Garrik steadied his grip on his axe, taking aim. With a sharp exhale, he swung with all his strength, the force of the blow cracking against the weakened stone column. The impact sent fractures splintering up the pillar.

“Not enough,” he growled. “One more hit—”

Aeliana saw the wargolem shifting. “Garrik, move!”

He dove to the side just as the wargolem retaliated, its heavy limb slamming into the space where he’d just stood. The dungeon trembled from the force.

Kael moved fast. With a powerful strike, he drove his blade into the damaged column, forcing the fractures wider. A deep groan echoed through the cavern as the structure gave way.

Aeliana braced herself. “It’s coming down!”

The stalactites above shattered free, cascading toward the wargolem like deadly spears. The creature let out a distorted screech as jagged stone impaled its armored body, piercing through even its thick carapace. It twitched violently, its limbs thrashing, but the weight of the collapse pinned it in place.

For a long, tense moment, silence fell over the dungeon.

Aeliana let out a slow breath, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Well. That worked.”

Garrik pushed himself up from where he had landed, brushing dust off his armor. “I mean, I prefer fights where I get to actually use my weapon, but sure, let’s call it a win.”

Kael exhaled, surveying the fallen wargolem. “If we had better weapons, we wouldn’t have needed a gamble like that.”

Aeliana met his gaze. “Then we make sure this never happens again.”

Garrik stretched, cracking his neck. “Right. So after we’re done dealing with the blacksmith, we’re buying drinks, yeah?”

Kael sighed. “One problem at a time.”

Aeliana smirked faintly as she turned toward the exit. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before the dungeon decides to throw another surprise at us.”

With one last look at the fallen wargolem, they pressed forward, more determined than ever to reclaim what had been stolen from them.

Aeliana’s heart pounded as she tightened her grip on her failing sword. There was no time to hesitate. No time to overthink. They had one chance to take this thing down before it recovered.

“One…” Aeliana started, her voice sharp with focus.

Kael shifted his stance beside her, his battered sword raised, muscles coiled like a drawn bowstring. His gaze flicked toward Aeliana, and in that moment, no words were needed.

“Three,” Kael said, skipping the count and launching forward.

Aeliana moved in perfect sync with him, matching his pace without missing a beat. She surged forward, angling her body to strike from the left while Kael took the right. Garrik, already attuned to their rhythm, charged straight down the middle with his axe raised.

The wargolem, despite its injuries from the falling stalactites, let out a distorted screech and began to push itself up. Its thick limbs trembled as it tried to rise, but it was slow—too slow.

Kael reached it first. His blade, dulled though it was, sliced at the creature’s exposed joint where the stone had cracked through its armor. The impact wasn’t enough to sever, but it was enough to disrupt. The wargolem jerked to the side, unbalanced.

Aeliana saw her opening. She pivoted mid-stride and slashed at the same joint Kael had struck. Her sword barely bit into the thick plating, but the repeated strikes were weakening the connection. Small fractures spiderwebbed across the creature’s limb.

Garrik roared as he leapt, using the momentum of his sprint to bring his axe down in a brutal arc. The weapon crashed into the wargolem’s head, sending a shockwave of impact through its body. The force alone didn’t kill it, but it dazed the creature enough that it staggered, its damaged limb finally buckling beneath its weight.

It crashed back down with a thunderous slam, sending a tremor through the dungeon floor.

“Keep going!” Aeliana shouted, stepping back to regain her stance.

Kael didn’t need to be told twice. He twisted his blade and drove it into the wargolem’s exposed torso. Sparks flew as metal scraped against stone, the enchantment on his weapon barely flickering to life before fading again. It wasn’t enough.

“Damn it!” Kael growled, pulling his sword back as the wargolem convulsed. “We need more force!”

Garrik cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. “Alright. Move.”

Aeliana and Kael both leapt back just as Garrik spun his axe with expert precision. With a deep breath, he let out a booming war cry and slammed the weapon down onto the weakened limb joint. The metal edge found its mark, sinking deep into the fracture they had created. A sickening crunch echoed as the wargolem’s arm finally snapped.

The beast let out an agonized shriek, thrashing wildly, but with one of its primary limbs destroyed, it struggled to regain control.

“This is our chance!” Aeliana shouted.

She dashed forward, flipping her grip on her sword. If cutting wasn’t working, then brute force would have to do. She jumped onto the fallen wargolem’s back, using its ridges for footing.

Kael was right behind her. “Aeliana—”

“I’ve got this!” she yelled, already raising her weapon.

The wargolem, sensing her movement, thrashed violently. The sudden jolt nearly threw her off, but Kael was there. He grabbed her arm, steadying her just enough for her to regain balance.

Aeliana met his gaze for the briefest second, and then, with all her strength, she drove her sword straight into the exposed seam of the wargolem’s neck.

The steel barely held, but it was enough. The tip of her blade pierced through the vulnerable core hidden within the creature’s stone plating. A rush of energy burst outward, and the wargolem let out one last, shuddering screech before going still.

The dungeon fell silent.

For a moment, Aeliana just breathed, feeling the weight of exhaustion press down on her. She slowly pulled her sword free, sliding off the now-lifeless beast and landing on solid ground.

Kael released a slow breath, scanning the motionless creature. “It’s done.”

Garrik let out a low whistle. “Well, that was messy.”

Aeliana scoffed, wiping sweat from her brow. “At least it worked.”

Garrik chuckled, slinging his axe over his shoulder. “I’ll give you that. Not bad for a bunch of warriors fighting with glorified scrap metal.”

Kael sheathed his ruined sword, shaking his head. “We’re replacing these weapons as soon as we get out of here.”

Aeliana exhaled, rolling her shoulders to shake off the lingering tension. “Agreed. And when we do, that blacksmith better have a damn good explanation for selling us this junk.”

Garrik smirked. “Or we’re getting a refund. One way or another.”

Aeliana nodded, already feeling the fire of determination reignite in her chest. “Let’s get out of here.”

With the wargolem defeated, the three of them turned toward the dungeon’s exit, the weight of battle still lingering in the air. But one thing was certain—next time, they wouldn’t be fighting with broken weapons. And whoever had scammed them would regret ever crossing their path.