The battlefield was silent for a moment.
The spider lay on the ground, its body broken, legs twisted.
Black blood spilled from its wounds, soaking the dirt.
But it was not dead yet.
Its eyes still glowed red.
Its body twitched.
It still had some strength.
Jin stood tall, his stone body cracked in places.
His right arm had scratches.
His chest had a deep dent where the spider had hit him earlier.
But he didn't feel pain.
He only felt one thing—
Focus.
The spider let out a high scream and pushed itself up.
It charged again, this time slower but wild with rage.
Jin stepped forward.
He didn't run.
He didn't flinch.
He raised both stone fists.
"This ends now," he said, voice deep like thunder.
The spider jumped.
Its sharp front legs came down fast—aimed at Jin's head.
But Jin moved faster.
BOOM!
With a roar, he jumped into the air—
Something no one expected from a heavy stone body.
He twisted his body and slammed both fists down at once.
CRACK!
The spider's skull cracked open.
Its body hit the ground.
A loud shockwave pushed dust and wind in all directions.
The trees shook.
The lizardmen covered their faces.
When the dust cleared…
There was silence.
The spider didn't move.
Its red eyes faded to black.
It was dead.
Jin stood over it, chest rising and falling slowly.
Stone pieces fell from his arms.
But he was still standing.
Strong.
Unbroken.
The lizardmen, hiding behind the rocks and huts, slowly came out.
They stared at the dead spider.
Then they looked at the golem who killed it.
No one spoke at first.
They just looked at him…
As if he were not a monster—
But something greater.
A giant who came from the earth to save them.
Then, one by one…
They began to kneel.
The forest was quiet.
The giant spider no longer moved.
Its huge body lay broken under Jin's stone fists.
Black blood covered the ground.
The lizardmen stood still.
Some hid behind trees.
Some knelt beside their injured friends.
Some just stared.
No one could believe it.
The monster that had killed so many of them…
Was now dead.
And the one who killed it—
Was not a man.
Not a beast.
But a giant of stone.
Jin looked around slowly.
His eyes glowed faintly from the cracks in his rocky face.
His heavy body rose and fell with each slow breath.
"They are afraid of me," he thought.
"I am not human anymore. I must look like a monster to them."
He stepped forward, his foot pressing into the soft earth.
Thud.
A few lizardmen gasped.
One older lizardman raised a shaking hand and pointed.
"H-he… saved us," he whispered.
Another fell to his knees.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, all the surviving lizardmen were on the ground.
Heads low.
Eyes closed.
They did not scream.
They did not run.
They bowed.
One voice called out softly,
"Stone Guardian…"
Another followed, louder,
"Earth Protector…"
Then, together, many voices rose,
"Divine Stone… you saved us!"
Jin stood still.
The wind moved gently through the trees.
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds,
casting light on the village and the kneeling people.
Jin's heavy arms lowered to his sides.
He didn't speak.
But inside his chest, where a human heart once beat,
he felt something warm.
These lizardmen—
They were not afraid of him.
Not anymore.
They saw him as a protector.
Not a monster.
Not a golem.
Something more.
A savior.
And though Jin had wished to be a stone,
a thing with no feelings,
he now felt a strange emotion—
Belonging.
The battle was over,
but the pain still remained.
The lizardmen were silent now.
Some still knelt in respect.
Others slowly stood and looked around the village.
There were bodies—
friends, brothers, fathers—
who would never stand again.
Wounded lizardmen cried out in pain.
Some had deep cuts.
Others had broken bones.
One young warrior held his arm, blood running down his scales.
Jin saw everything.
He took a deep breath,
then walked forward with heavy steps.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ground shook lightly under his feet.
He stopped beside a wounded lizardman.
The lizardman's eyes opened wide in fear—
but Jin knelt slowly.
He reached out one large hand,
gently lifting the lizardman like a child.
Jin's hands were strong—
but now, they were careful.
He walked the injured lizardman to a hut
still standing near the back of the village.
He placed him inside softly,
then turned to help the next one.
One by one,
Jin carried the wounded to safety.
The lizardmen watched,
eyes full of surprise and gratitude.
Even though he was made of stone,
Jin moved with care.
He did not speak,
but his actions were louder than words.
After helping the last injured warrior,
Jin looked around the village.
Walls were broken.
Houses had holes.
Weapons were scattered and weak.
Jin raised his hand.
Green and white lights shone from his stone fingers.
It was his magic.
He touched the broken wooden walls—
and they grew stronger,
covered in a layer of stone.
He used his powers to lift heavy trees
and place them around the village.
In just one hour,
the village was safer than before.
Stronger walls.
Repaired homes.
New watchtowers from tall trees.
The lizardmen could only stare.
A being who fought for them,
healed their wounded,
and built their defenses…
He was more than a monster.
He was a guardian.
Jin stood at the center of the village.
The sun shone on his rocky shoulders.
His glowing eyes scanned the peaceful scene.
He said nothing—
but deep inside,
he felt something new:
Purpose.
The village was quiet again.
No monsters.
No cries.
Only the sound of wind moving through the trees.
Jin stood still in the center of the village.
His giant stone body was strong.
But inside, his heart was heavy and silent.
He looked at the sky.
"I never asked for this," he thought.
"I just wanted peace. I wanted to rest… like a stone."
But now, these lizardmen looked at him
with hope in their eyes.
They were not afraid anymore.
Then, from the crowd, a small voice spoke.
"Stone Lord."
Jin looked down.
A young lizardman stood in front of him.
He was small—maybe just a child.
His green scales were scratched.
One of his arms was bandaged with leaves.
But his eyes were clear and bright.
He took a step forward.
The other lizardmen watched in silence.
"You saved my mother," the boy said.
"She was under the spider's leg. You lifted her. You saved her."
Jin said nothing.
He only looked down at the small boy.
"You fixed our home too," the boy continued.
"And the wall. And the big tree house. You are strong and kind."
The boy took a deep breath,
then knelt.
"I will follow you forever, Stone Lord."
Behind him, his mother slowly walked forward.
She also knelt.
Then another lizardman stepped forward.
And another.
And another.
One by one, the whole village dropped to one knee.
"Stone Lord!"
"Stone Lord!"
"Stone Lord!"
They chanted his name like it was holy.
Jin felt something inside him change.
It was not pain.
It was not fear.
It was not the cold feeling of stone.
It was… warm.
Like light.
Like a small fire in his chest.
"Stone Lord…" he whispered in his mind.
"I never wanted to be a lord."
But as he looked around,
he saw faces full of trust.
Not fear.
Not hate.
Only hope.
And in that moment,
Jin Haru, the overworked man who once wished to be a stone,
became something else.
A leader.
A protector.
A symbol.
The Stone Lord.