98: Wife's Worry?

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Golem howled, punched pillar in fury, dislodging ceiling chunks. Kai found cover as stalactites rained. Dust clouded, reducing golem's vision. Kai sprinted through smoke, climbed a fallen column to the height of the core cavity then jumped. He landed on the chest slab. He hammered the knife into the crack, pried. Plate broke open, exposing a glowing quartz heart.

He plunged the spear straight into the core. Light exploded, throwing him back. He hit the floor hard; HP ‑90. Golem froze mid‑roar, fractures racing across body, then it collapsed, shattering into gem‑filled rubble.

Silence heavy as a tomb.

[Ding! System notifications-

Sandshard Golem (3★ Alpha) defeated.

EXP +400

Large Mineral Core ×1]

Kai's chest heaved. Victory high washed fatigue momentarily. He picked shards, pried the baseball‑sized core free. Its ridges pulsed with earthy energy prime feast.