Lord Of Puppets-Chapter 147 – Dungeon Raid – Part 18.

Both adventurers knew they were at their limit.

Both of them knew that they can kill the golem, but at the same time, the golem may try to unleash something that may fatally wound them.

However, they very also fully aware of the fact that the golem beaten up body was now extremely vulnerable, with its front and back being heavily damaged.

And with that in mind, both adventurers went for the finisher.

Obviously, the better play here would be to play safe and stall like before, allowing the damage to pile up and then just finish off the golem.

However, Markus's bleeding wound and Elizabeth exhausted body was making that task impossible.

Not only that, the sheer amount of golems that entered the room was putting a lot of pressure on the C-ranks, completely locking them from giving any form of support to the B-ranks.

So, the both fighters used their remaining power to pull of all their power in their next strike.

Elizabeth got ready to fire her [Doryanthes Excelsa Spear Art: Final], ready to sacrifice her other arm in order to attempt to finish off the creature or at least wound it enough to give Markus opening necessary to destroy the creature.

On the other hand, Markus used up as mana as he could muster as well as his physical strength, draining everything he had to the point it put a strain on his body and made blood gush out from his wound.

And the attack he went with?

[Wind Sword Magic Art: Tempest Stab]

He also went with "stab".

Two piercing attacks that will go right through the golem body and finish it off.

On Thauma side? It wasn't doing so hot.

With the current amount of mana it has left, firing off even a single spell will end up hindering its body function, resulting in its speed taking a heavy hit…. Which now could be a dead sentence.

And there are also C-rank adventurers who were fighting the golems.

True. Thauma did called fourth a large number of them, but again, these C-rank adventurers already defeated these golems before and even with their exhausted and injured bodies they still had a chance to take down these golems.

And that would mean Thauma would have to face the adventurers itself.

However, right now Thauma biggest concern were the duo of B-rank adventurers, rushing at it.

It knew that their attacks were far too deadly and its body was reaching breaking point.

(Too weak attack will be destroyed.) – thought the golem.

(Too obvious attack will be dodged.)

(Should I wait for counter?! No! They are also expecting it!)

(Earth? No! They are wary of it!)

(Arcane!? No! I don't have anything that would blast area all at once, without completely using up all of my mana!)

(No! I can't risk it! I need to fire powerful attack! But what?!)

And that when the golem realized…. It wouldn't work.

Even if it were to fire off another barrage of earthly blade or if it were to go with arcane magic to unleash explosion, both of the B-ranks would expect something like that.

Even if they are not necessary expecting arcane magic to be used, they were still ready for ANY form of new attack the golem would throw their way.

Golem in split moment quickly went over its option and realized…. That none of the cards it current has on hand would work.

Be it attack, defense or attempt at dodging, none of it would work.

…

(No.) – thought Thauma.

(I have one last card.)

Thauma completely dropped its defenses and put 3 of its arms together from both sides…. Stretching towards duo of adventurers.

(MAGIC!) – both B-rank adventurers realized that the golem was about to try and fire off a spell, which made duo hasten and quickly close up the distance, managing to arrive at their striking distance.

However, Thauma instantly broke off its stance and launched its arms towards the duo weapons as they were about to unleash their attacks.

But it failed.

The duo of adventurers unleashed their last attacks, which clashed with the golem arms, breaking two of them, before then hitting the main body.

The two strikes landed a solid blow on the golem sides, peeling off the parts of the golem metallic body and leaving the golem stagnated.

And left its damaged chest completely exposed.

Markus rushed in before golem could even attempt blocking the attack with its arms…. And in the very next moment, Markus's blade pierced right through the golem core.

"!"

The golem tried reaching for the Markus with its arms shaking…. But in the next moment, they just stopped in place, before then just going numb.

Markus removed his blade from golem and right after that, the golem body fell flat on the ground with big thud.

…

The golem no longer shown any form of activity.

"…"

"Is it dead?" – asked Elizabeth as she let go of her spear while trying not to scream from the pain that was caused by unleashing her second ultimate weapon art, which ended up making both of her arms completely useless.

"Yea…. He ain't moving…" – said Markus as he breath heavily while making sure that the golem was truly dead.

"….Why…. Why didn't it... Fired magic?" – asked Elizabeth as she ended up on her knee out of exhaustion.

"Probably…. It couldn't." – said Markus.

(It ran on the mana, so if it were to use all of it, the golem would definitely just die.) – thought exhausted young man who was still keeping his guard up as he watched over golem's body.

"…"

The man kicked the golem in the side once again and even thrusted a tip of his sword into the golem head through the damage eye…. Trying to see any form of reaction, only to be met with nothing, causing the young man to pull out his sword and move few steps away from the golem.

"…"

"It's probably…. Fuck…." – said Markus as he tried taking a breath.

(Mana exhaustion…. I've used up way too much and my own physical body is already beaten up…. I've lost already too much blood.)

"…You okay?" – asked Elizabeth.

"No…. I'm not…. Neither are you." – said Markus as he used his sword to support himself.

"But…. I guess we maybe needed…. Fuck me. There is way too many of those." – said Markus as he realized the C-rank adventurers were still fighting the golems.

"Anyway, come here."

"I have some remaining potions…. At least we can somewhat… Deal with pain for now." – said Markus as he slowly reached for his potion and take them out, while the exhausted young woman walked towards the young man who was about help her out with her potion dose.

*Crack*

"…"

However, right as the adventurers were about to take their potions, they heard something right behind them.

The adventurers tried to quickly move away, but they couldn't.

Their ankles were locked in place by the hands created with earth magic that sprouted from the ground.

And right in the very next moment, they saw Thauma, getting up and charging straight at them.

Markus tried rising up his guard…. But unfortunately for him, he didn't had time to muster enough strength to pull out another weapon art or magic.

The golem claws grabbed the adventurers by their heads, before in the next moment the second pair of claws came closer and slashed the two adventurers' necks.

Blood began pouring out from the wound at alarming rate, while the golem itself once again fell flat on the ground, right between the two adventurers.

"!?" – the two adventurers tried grabbing onto their throats…. Bu the wound that the golem inflicted was way too deep.

They couldn't stop the bleeding and before long, both of them got on their knees as the golem once again rose up.

(H-how!?) – thought Markus as it gazed at the golem in both furry…. And terror.

[What happened?]

Simple put, Thauma knew there was no way it could survive the B-rank adventurers' attack.

It knew for long time now that their attack power was way higher than Thauma's.

Even if it would unleashed some sort of explosion, hitting them, their attacks would just pierce through...

And so Thauma controlled its mana, retreating it completely from its core, leaving it completely empty, before its body was wrecked by two hits.

At the time when Markus has struck the golem, it was already in the middle of being deactivated.

Golems needs mana to circulate through their bodies and through their cores.

Through the body to move object around.

And through the core for its controls and all other important functions to be active.

However, Thauma can control its own mana, unlike the golems.

True, the core is the main parts of its being.

Even if it doesn't need it to handle the commands, it still needs it as it is still a main organ of the golem.

But even so, Thauma threw it away.

Thauma manual circulate mana through its own body, allowing it to not shut down.

However, Thauma mana organs were also damaged in the strike and there is limit of what the golem can do with its body. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But it knew.

Thauma gambled fully knowingly what would happened.

And as it turns out?

It managed to outsmart the duo of the B-rank adventurers as it stood victories over two fallen brave and powerful adventurers.