Chapter 57 - CHAPTER 57: Fighting Gargoyle Again!

And as it reached the critical 50-meter mark, the fireball did not lose power—in fact, it gained. The wind current Lian continued to cast only amplified the fireball's overall strength, sustaining and propelling it forward like a fiery arrow. At seventy-five meters, the fire began to lose intensity, but the inner layers remained intact and stable. Lian held his breath, eyes wide. "Come on…" he murmured, his heart pounding with anticipation. At ninety meters, the fireball had shrunk, losing another layer, but it was still visible—a compact sphere of yellow-orange flames, sustained by the air vortex. And moments later, the stone statue on the right, the one struck by the stone block a week earlier, still bearing cracks on its body, was hit by the fireball. BOOM— A muffled explosion echoed, and a cloud of dust and debris rose from the tower's entrance, a dramatic eruption of destruction. "Fire isn't the best choice against rock, after all…" Lian murmured, watching the smoke clear. The gargoyle statue trembled, visible cracks widening on its surface, but it did not fall. "Damn it!" Lian cursed, stepping back as he noticed the trembling in the stone statues. They were awakening. He would be lying if he said he was not scared. The trauma from his defeat was still vivid in his mind, despite his power increase. He could not afford to face them directly, not yet. But his plan had worked, at least partially. The fusion of Circle and Triangle had extended his spell's range beyond all expectations. "I need more power…" he whispered, retreating a few steps. He did not want the gargoyles to get close. However, the only way to gain more firepower, besides growing stronger, was to cast spells at closer range. As the smoke cleared, Lian wasted no time, retreating with quick but controlled steps, his mind working at full speed. The gargoyles, now fully awakened, flapped their wings with a sound like shattering stone, kicking up dust and debris as they lunged forward. The cracks on the right statue were more pronounced, a sign his attack had dealt damage, but not enough to stop it. "I can't let them get close," Lian thought, his heart pounding in his chest. He remembered all too well the pain of their claws, the speed with which they had overwhelmed him last time. "But if I attack from this distance, they'll surely dodge. I don't want to, but they need to get closer…" Lian continued retreating a few steps, occasionally glancing back at the two monsters. They were fast and would reach him in seconds. When they were about fifteen meters away, Lian stopped. He closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing the four concentric circles again. The lines closed with precision, mana flowing from his body like a rushing river. "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus." The fireball formed, compact and scorching like the last, streaking toward the approaching gargoyles. Without breaking the flow, he immediately shifted to the image of a triangle. He had no time for the concentric variant. "Ventus Surge, Aura Levis." A breeze, much less powerful than the last, rose again, enveloping the fireball and propelling it forward like a fiery comet. The wind fueled the flames, increasing their intensity as the sphere traveled at greater speed, a desperate strike aimed with precision. It was very different from the previous attack, but it served its purpose. The gargoyle, stunned by the speed of the fireball, could not dodge in time. An explosion roared, shaking the ground, a thunderous impact reverberating through the air. Stone fragments flew everywhere, and the monster staggered, a large crack splitting from its chest to its head. But it did not fall. It roared, a low, grating sound, and continued advancing, slower than the other gargoyle, which had now overtaken it. "Damn, it's tough," Lian cursed under his breath, retreating further. His mana was draining quickly; the spell combination was far more taxing than it seemed. But he could not stop. If the gargoyles reached him, it would be over. Meanwhile, the leftmost gargoyle was dangerously close. The boy had to act fast. Focusing harder, he decided to use the stone block, more massive and compact. It would push the monster back more effectively than the fireball's explosion. "Geometric Spell, Square" This time, he visualized a giant square, drawing the lines with speed and precision. "Terra Petra, Terra Fortis." An enormous, heavy, solid stone block materialized, striking the gargoyle mere meters away. A deafening crack echoed, sending the monster tumbling like a broken kite, a devastating blow that shifted the tide. The strike was so heavy and powerful that the gargoyle was thrown back dozens of meters, dragged and smothered by the stone block. It was fortunate these monsters lacked powerful long-range attacks like the golems. Their magic focused more on physical enhancement and mid-range. "Perfect, now I need to hurry and end your life!" Lian exulted inwardly, staring at the other monster bombarded by fireballs. Its rocky skin was riddled with cracks, with visibly shattered areas. After closing to about ten meters from Lian, the gargoyle began swinging its arms, creating small earth spikes that materialized from the ground beneath the boy. Though they were now over 100 meters apart, the gargoyles continued to pursue and attack him fiercely. Lian rolled to the side, dodging a spike that emerged where he had been a moment before. Thanks to his recent physical improvement, reaching Iron 4, Lian could handle close combat better than before. However, due to exhaustion and lack of food and water, his body could not sustain such effort for long. "I need to finish it quickly before the other gets too close," he thought while running. The only thing that could help him gain distance was the wind. Without overthinking, Lian began forming a triangle in his mind, uttering the formula for the air current. "Ventus Surge, Aura Levis." Using the thrust of this technique, Lian gained speed, running faster than the gargoyle. "Geometric Spell, Square" Glancing back to aim, Lian launched a stone block at the wounded monster. "Terra Petra, Terra Fortis" The block grazed it but was enough to inflict further wounds. This time, one of its arms crumbled to the ground in pieces , a critical hit weakening its defenses. "Good!" Lian exclaimed, thrilled. Victory was within reach. Meanwhile, the other gargoyle, struck by the giant stone block and nearly buried by it, stood up. The stone block had vanished into mana particles, freeing the monster from its tomb. After all, Lian needed to focus and actively consume mana to maintain the stone block. The gargoyle was cracked all over but did not care. Darting with speed, it approached its companion, only to see a massive stone block, larger than the others, land on its body, shattering it into a thousand pieces, a final blow sealing its fate. The surviving monster froze for a moment before charging at Lian with even greater fury. But now that it was alone, it did not take long for the boy to deal with it too. Some time later… Lian fell to his knees, panting, his body trembling. "I did it…" he murmured, staring at the Mana Cores in his hands. They were both Bronze 5, naturally, and Lian could not absorb them. For now. "It's finally over; I got my revenge!" Lian's exclamation echoed across the surrounding land, his eyes falling on the half-buried structure in the ground. "Now… I can enter that tower." His gaunt face lit up with a faint smile. "But first, let's rest a bit…"