CHAPTER 43: HIDDEN DOUNGEN [4]

[Activating Annihilation Mode]

"Holy motherf—!"

My words caught halfway between panic and disbelief as the golem’s body began to move again with a heavy, mechanical click... click... click.

[Laser firing preparation complete.]

"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me..."

The golem’s stance shifted, its torso locking into place as if it had just finished charging some terrifying weapon.

[Fire.]

Every nerve in my body screamed move!

I threw myself to the ground.

ZEEENG—KWAAANG!!!

The beam tore through the air above me, so hot it felt like it was searing the back of my neck. The moment I turned my head, the wall behind me exploded—stone, dust, and molten debris scattering like fireworks.

My heart pounded in my ears.

That wasn’t an attack I could block.

That wasn’t something I could survive head-on.

If I hadn’t ducked at that exact second, I’d be nothing more than a smoking crater right now.

Instant death.

That was the only way to describe it.

[Laser firing preparation complete.]

Again? Already?!

"...You’ve got to be kidding me!"

I bolted sideways, boots sliding across the dusty floor.

[Fire.]

ZEEENG—KWAAANG!!!

The next beam carved through where I’d just been standing, slicing a burning path straight through the air. The wave of heat that followed was unbearable.

I hit the ground and rolled, coughing from the smoke. My lungs burned, my ears rang, and my whole body screamed in protest.

"Damn it... this is insane!"

I could smell scorched metal and melted stone. The room looked like a war zone—everywhere the beam touched was reduced to slag.

The golem’s chest whirred again, gears grinding, the inner core pulsing brighter and brighter.

[Laser firing preparation complete.]

"Already?!"

No time to breathe. No time to think.

I forced mana into my legs and dashed again, barely keeping ahead of the next blast.

The beam chased me like a flash of divine punishment, vaporizing everything in its path.

Each time the light flashed, I could feel my survival chances shrinking.

ZEEENG—KWAAANG!!!

The ground split apart. Debris flew past me like shrapnel.

My instincts screamed—this thing wasn’t just trying to kill me. It was erasing the entire room.

I needed to do something. Fast.

If this kept up, there wouldn’t even be rubble left to hide behind.

"I can’t win like this..." I muttered under my breath, heart pounding so fast it hurt.

The golem’s core began to hum again—louder, sharper, almost vibrating the air.

[Overclocking reactor output.]

I had no idea how to deal with this thing.

If I knew how to wield sword energy, maybe I could’ve closed the distance and sliced through that thick armor. But unfortunately, I don’t. And now, after unleashing my so-called "ultimate attack," the only thing I accomplished was helping that damn monster recharge.

At this point, I had absolutely no means to harm it.

The reality of my situation finally sank in, cold and heavy. I’d been far too reckless—charging into this place without preparation, blinded by greed for a magic-boosting artifact. If I’d just waited one more day, if I’d used the bookmark to check for any dangers beforehand, I wouldn’t be in this mess.

Regret came too late.

The only small relief was that, while its destructive power was terrifying, the golem’s attack seemed to take a while to charge, and its aim wasn’t particularly precise. Still... that didn’t make it any less deadly.

"Is there really no way out of this...?" I muttered under my breath, dodging another swing that cracked the stone floor where I’d just been standing.

Running was all I could do.

If I could just stall it long enough for it to burn through its energy supply—maybe then I’d stand a chance. But even that hope felt slim. My legs were already heavy, and my lungs burned with every breath.

And then—

[Fire.]

That mechanical voice echoed in the chamber again.

KWAAANG!!

Another beam of light tore through the air. I barely rolled out of the way, the heat brushing past my cheek. My heart pounded as I stumbled to my feet, ready to dodge again—

—but then something caught my eye.

As the beam struck the marble floor, its path... bent slightly. The light refracted off the smooth surface before fading.

"...That’s it."

A spark of realization flickered in my mind.

I didn’t understand the exact mechanics, but a laser—at its core—was still light. And light could be reflected.

If I could somehow bounce that beam back at it...

It was a crazy idea. Dangerous. Reckless. The kind of thought I’d normally dismiss instantly.

But right now, I had no other option. If I kept running, exhaustion would finish me off before the golem did.

I clenched my jaw, steadying my breathing.

"...Let’s try it."

This might be insane.

But if it works... it could turn everything around.

I took a deep breath and forced out the last remnants of my mana, channeling every drop into the Dream Orb.

The orb, which had been floating gently in my palm, began to tremble. Its surface rippled like water, distorting and expanding until it slowly reshaped itself into something new—

A mirror.

No... not just a mirror. A massive one, almost as tall as I was.

"Please... let this work," I muttered under my breath, gripping it tightly.

The golem’s chest began to glow again.

[Laser firing preparation complete]

"Damn it—already?"

There was no time to think. I slammed the base of the mirror into the ground, angling it slightly forward, and crouched behind it like a shield. My hands shook as I tightened my grip on the handle.

The red light inside the golem’s chest flared once more.

[Fire]

ZEEEEEENG!!

"Here it comes...!"

A deafening roar filled the chamber as the laser shot out, slamming into the mirror with a thunderous impact.

THUD!!

The sheer force of it pushed me back a step. My arms trembled violently, the mirror vibrating under the pressure.

And then came the heat.

"Guh—!!"

It felt like my skin was about to melt off. Every instinct screamed at me to drop the mirror and run, but I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

Not yet....