---
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.
