Chapter 15: The Price of the Only Victory
Lilith pointed with her sharp, black-nailed finger toward a specific part of the distant cave wall, where some ancient metallic structures embedded in the rock appeared denser. "The flow of ether here... it is drawn to that point. There was... an organizational node... a metallic artery drinking ether. Perhaps its remnants can still be awakened..."
"Show me." Tian Heng commanded simply.
Lilith moved gracefully, and Tian Heng followed cautiously toward a large metal plate with intricate geometric engravings and thick rods extending from it, disappearing into the rock. As Tian Heng approached to inspect the plate, the ground suddenly trembled. A deep, unsettling grinding sound emanated from the wall, and the nearby crystals began to glow violently.
The wall split open, and slowly emerged the massive mechanical guardian, its crystalline lens glowing with icy blue light, and the plasma cannons in its arms began charging with a terrifying hiss.
[Warning! Defensive entity of class five detected (Ether Guardian)! Threat level: lethal to current user... Possible weak spot: left shoulder joint shows unstable energy readings...] The urgent warning came from the core, but Tian Heng had already jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the first plasma shot that turned his former position into molten dust.
"Lilith! Distract it!" Tian Heng yelled, darting to take cover behind a massive crystal.
Lilith surged toward the guardian like a shadow, evading its heavy strikes with demonic agility and landing swift blows with her claws and black smoke auras. She managed to scratch its armor, barely, but succeeded in confusing it and drawing its attention, fighting fiercely to protect her new master.
But the guardian was not an enemy to underestimate. Suddenly, its central lens glowed more intensely, and instead of firing a concentrated beam, it released a wide blue energy pulse that swept across a large part of the cave. Tian Heng barely managed to dodge it by ducking behind the crystal, but Lilith, being in a more offensive position, was not as lucky.
The energy wave struck her with force, sending her flying like a ragdoll into the far cave wall. The impact was accompanied by a sound of collapsing rock, as some debris from the ceiling and wall fell in that area, trapping Lilith behind a pile of new rubble, preventing her from returning to the fight immediately.
Tian Heng saw what happened in a quick glance. He was now alone, facing this lethal metal monster. There was no time for fear or hesitation. His cold mind began working at maximum speed, focusing on the one piece of information that might save him: the damaged left shoulder joint.
A desperate survival dance began. Tian Heng used every ounce of his newly acquired agility as an "Ether Gatherer" and every crystal in the cave as temporary cover. He dodged the deadly plasma shots and the metallic claw strikes that shattered the rocks around him. He kept his gaze fixed on the guardian's left shoulder, searching for any opportunity.
Each time the guardian came closer, Tian Heng tried to seize the moment. He threw a sharp crystal shard he found on the ground toward the joint – it bounced off without effect. He attempted to direct a faint etheric "push" using his internal power – it caused no damage, but he noticed that the joint sparked briefly when exposed to the push.
This was the only strategy available to him: constantly harass and provoke the weak spot, hoping it would lead to a catastrophic failure.
But the guardian was learning and adapting. During one of Tian Heng's risky maneuvers near the guardian to throw another rock at the joint, the guardian moved with unexpected speed. It wasn't a plasma shot, but a swift side strike with the edge of its metallic arm. Tian Heng felt a burning pain as he was knocked backward, the strike tearing through his left side and leaving a bleeding wound.
He ignored the pain as much as he could, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The situation had become even more desperate now. His movements were a little slower due to the injury. He continued his hit-and-run tactic, occasionally using a metallic lever to try to disrupt the guardian's leg movements, but always focusing on returning to targeting the left shoulder whenever the opportunity arose.
After several more attempts, and as the guardian quickly turned to deliver a finishing blow, Tian Heng hurled the metallic lever with all his strength, not to cause harm, but to force the guardian to move its left arm unnaturally to avoid it. The maneuver worked. The left arm moved at an odd angle, and the sound of grinding metal from the damaged shoulder joint echoed.
The guardian froze for a moment, and a false blue flash flickered in its lens. Its left arm began to shake violently, releasing dense sparks. Something had gone wrong in its internal system due to the stress on the damaged joint.
Tian Heng saw his chance, perhaps his only chance. Ignoring the pain, he surged forward as the guardian struggled with its internal malfunction. He didn't have the strength for a traditional killing blow. Instead, he remembered the damaged energy node they had been examining earlier, which still emitted a flickering energy aura.
In a final, desperate maneuver, he used himself as bait, narrowly dodging around the malfunctioning guardian, drawing it closer and closer to the metal plate and the damaged energy node. Then, using the last of his remaining energy, he directed a focused etheric push – not at the guardian, but at the metal plate itself, targeting an unstable area.
It was a complete gamble, but it paid off. His etheric push, amplified by the already unstable energy leaking from the node, triggered a violent reaction. A massive spark shot out from the plate, accompanied by a brilliant blue electric arc that struck the guardian directly in its torso.
The guardian shook violently, thick black smoke pouring from it. The lights in its lens dimmed, and its plasma cannons stopped charging. Then, slowly, it collapsed onto its metal knees, finally toppling forward with a thunderous crash, turning into a heap of lifeless metal and smoke.
Tian Heng fell to his knees as well, gasping for breath, blood dripping from his side. The glittering cave was now filled with dust and the scent of burning metal and ozone.
He looked at the fallen guardian in front of him. He had won. He had defeated a being far stronger than him, alone. But the victory had come at a cost, and it was bitter. He had barely survived, wounded, and in an environment that had become even more chaotic. He looked toward the pile of rubble that had blocked Lilith, wondering about her condition.