Chapter 312: This Thing Won't Go Down That Easily
Note:
The third floor monster is the Warden from Minecraft
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By the time the three of them reached the third floor and saw the monster waiting silently upon that vast platform, Viviana began to doubt her earlier thoughts.
Had the Black Hole Knight really placed such a creature here with the intention of letting them pass?
The chamber was eerily empty. Unlike the previous levels, there were no hordes of bizarre beasts cluttering the space. Instead, there was only one enemy—yet that lone figure stood like a tower in the center, easily as tall as two full stories.
Its entire body was steeped in a despair-inducing shade of dark blue-black. Worse still were its features—or rather, the absence of them. Its eyes, nose, and mouth had collapsed into bottomless voids, swirling like miniature black holes. Though the giant still vaguely resembled the shape of a man, there was nothing human left in it.
At its chest, a strange core pulsed with a pale blue light, radiating an oppressive presence. Just looking at it for a moment was enough to make one feel hunted.
Above its head, a pair of horn-like antennae quivered restlessly. As Dikaiopolis and the others entered, a faint glow began to spread across the monster's body, as if some dormant device had just been switched on.
Those hollow, abyssal features turned toward them. It made no move to attack, yet the pressure of simply standing beneath its gaze was enough to suffocate.
After all, this was a foe placed deliberately on a higher floor. There was no chance something like this could be dealt with easily.
The trio had barely begun to step forward, preparing to form a defensive formation, when suddenly their vision clouded. It was as though a thick fog had descended over their eyes. Beyond a single meter, everything was swallowed by darkness, leaving them blind. The sudden loss of sight nearly threw them into chaos.
But perhaps… seeing what the monster was about to do would only have driven them to even deeper despair.
The moment they advanced that single step, the creature stirred. Its antennae snapped upright with a sharp crack-crack-crack, glowing brilliantly as it surged forward.
By the time the knights could register its massive frame, it was already upon Dikaiopolis at the front line.
The pounding rhythm of the antennae's snapping mixed with the echo of a heartbeat that rattled in their ears. Then, with terrifying speed, the giant's arm—thick and brimming with overwhelming power—came crashing down.
At such close range, dodging was impossible. Dikaiopolis barely managed to raise his great axe in time, bracing himself for impact.
And immediately regretted it.
The blow landed with a deafening boom, a sound so immense that even the Silverlance Pegasi still battling on the lower floors heard it clearly.
When the dust settled, the once-proud Blood Knight lay sprawled on the ground. His mighty axe had been snapped cleanly in two. The crimson armor over his chest was shattered, leaving his body limp and motionless.
Even a warrior as formidable as Dikaiopolis had been crushed in a single strike, rendered unconscious instantly.
Margaret, startled by the crashing impact, no longer hesitated. Originium arts flared to life around her, wrapping her in a warm glow that spread outward in rippling waves. The radiance cleared the veil of darkness from her and Viviana's vision, while a softer strand seeped into the unconscious Blood Knight, beginning to mend his battered body.
And so the two women bore witness to the monster's merciless strike.
Yet, contrary to their expectations, the creature did not follow up. After felling Dikaiopolis, it froze mid-motion like a machine stuck between gears. It made no move to finish him off. Even when Margaret's light brushed across its body, it offered no reaction at all.
The chamber fell into a suffocating silence. Only the stuttering crack-crack of its antennae and the eerie pulse of that glowing core in its chest echoed in the vast space, each beat like a pounding heart filling the air.
Margaret glanced at Viviana, the barest flicker of her eyes speaking volumes. Both of them understood at once: the monster's strength was overwhelming—but speed was not its forte. And more importantly, it did not see.
Testing her hunch, Viviana raised her candelabrum and gave it the lightest swing. The flame swept across the giant's hollow face, yet it did not stir. But the faint whoosh of air caught its attention. At once, the rhythm of its antennae quickened, and the creature began inching toward her.
Even such a subtle motion had not escaped its perception. Viviana's pupils tightened with alarm, but she forced herself to calm down. With precise timing, she swung the candelabrum again—but this time, her Originium arts activated.
From a patch of shadow across the chamber came the sharp thunk of something striking the floor.
The moment the sound rang out, the giant burst into motion with shocking speed, its massive frame blurring as it lunged toward the empty spot. A pair of pale, monstrous arms slammed down upon the stone with explosive force.
In that fleeting opening, Viviana and Margaret darted forward, rushing to Dikaiopolis's side.
It was like some twisted version of "Red Light, Green Light." Only when the monster moved were they given a sliver of time to act. And once it struck, they were forced to freeze, praying not to draw its attention.
But at least now they knew.
The beast hunted by sound. As long as someone could distract it, the other could slip past and advance toward the path to the next floor.
The two women locked eyes. No words were needed. With a single glance, they had already forged their plan.
Between the two of them, it was obvious who should carry the burden.
The Candle Knight, Viviana—far more adept with Originium arts—was the natural choice to keep the monster occupied.
And Viviana herself had no complaints. She had never expected to be the one to reach the end. Simply being able to help Margaret advance was already more than enough.
Their plan was sealed in a mere exchange of glances. No hesitation, no wasted words.
Viviana raised her candelabrum once more.
The shadows stretched outward under the flickering flame, darting to the far side of the chamber opposite the beast. In an instant, they twisted into a whip-like appendage and lashed the floor with a thunderous crack.
The sound tore through the silence of the floor like shattering glass. A heartbeat later, the monster thundered across the stone, slamming its colossal arms into the decoy spot in a terrifying display of raw power.
Margaret seized the chance. She carefully lowered the still-breathing Blood Knight to the ground, his condition stable enough for now, and then—cloaked in golden light—she sprinted toward the staircase leading to the next floor.
If she could just make it there, the rules that governed this tower should protect her. The moment she set foot on the staircase, the guardian would lose its right to pursue.
And judging from its earlier movements, she was certain that if she went all out, its speed would never be enough to intercept her.
The plan was good. Their execution was near flawless. Their silent coordination bordered on perfect.
Yet…
From his vantage point as an observer, Steven only shook his head.
If the Warden could really be beaten so simply, then it wouldn't deserve its title as the strongest creature in all of vanilla Minecraft.
Yes, compared to that pitiful Ender Dragon who could be bullied with beds, or the Wither who had long been reduced to a mindless quarry machine, this hulking, bull-headed monstrosity was on an entirely different level.
Its raw speed rivaled a sprinting Steve.
Its melee strikes could smash through unenchanted diamond armor in one blow.
And if that weren't frightening enough, its most terrifying trump card was its ranged attack—an unblockable, armor-piercing strike that ignored walls themselves.
In other words, there was no cheesing this fight. No towers, no traps, no cheap tricks.
Sure enough, the moment the beast finished pounding the false noise into rubble, it twisted around with unnerving speed. Its hollow gaze locked onto Margaret, who was racing for the stairs.
A chill gripped her heart. She froze mid-stride, and then she saw it—
A ripple, invisible yet undeniable, burst forth from the monster's core. Space itself warped before her eyes, bending under the pressure of a formless shockwave rushing straight toward her.
If she hadn't stopped… if she had taken even one more step forward… she would already be lying broken beside Dikaiopolis.
Her lips trembled. So… that's its real attack.
For the first time, Margaret felt it—the suffocating weight of true despair.
The towering monster lowered its stance, and with ground-shaking steps, began its charge straight at her.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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