The Invincible Young Master

The Asura let out a guttural roar, shaking the very foundations of the chamber. The ancient carvings on the walls seemed to pulse with energy, reacting to the presence of their ancient guardian. The air buzzed with a palpable tension, the atmosphere heavy with impending danger.

The three had formed a tight circle around Leon, their weapons at the ready. Fear and determination flickered in their eyes as they faced the colossal entity before them. Their breaths came in quick, shallow gasps, and beads of sweat glistened on their foreheads.

"Don't stay close," Leon shouted, his tone urgent and commanding. "Spread out!"

For a giant this big, staying in a tight formation was no different from asking to be stomped to death. The recruits hesitated at first, their instinct to stay together battling with Leon's command. But the urgency in his voice pushed them into action. They each moved to different sections, scattering across the chamber.

"Master, any advice?" Leon called through the voice transmission, his eyes never leaving the Asura.

"There should be a core of this ruin somewhere," Merlin replied, his voice calm and steady. "As long as you destroy it, the barrier should disappear."

"Core?" Leon echoed, his mind racing.

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"Yes. It could be a crystal ball or a runic formation on the ground," Merlin explained.

Hearing his master's words, hope reignited in Leon's eyes. He shouted to the three recruits, "I'll distract the giant. You three search for the core of this ruin. It looks like a crystal ball or a rune formation."

"But Sir Leon, will you be okay?" asked the bald recruit, his voice tinged with concern. His eyes darted nervously between Leon and the monstrous Asura.

"Yes, now go while it's focused on me." Leon's tone was resolute. As the strongest in the group, he felt the Asura could sense his strength, as its gaze didn't leave him.

Leon knew that even with the three recruit's help, they wouldn't make much of a difference against the colossal foe. For these ordinary mercenaries who had hunted normal beasts their whole lives, it would be impossible to hurt this giant.

As the three scattered, Leon took a deep breath, his focus sharp. He needed to buy them time. The ancient carvings around him seemed to whisper in an unknown language, adding to the heavy tension in the air.

With a surge of energy, Leon charged toward the Asura, his movements swift and precise. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and the air crackled with magical power.

Reaching near the Asura, Leon raised his hand, conjuring a powerful spell, and hurled it at the giant.

The spell exploded against the Asura's chest, opening a small wound. But to Leon's shock, the wound began to close at a visible rate.

"What?!" he exclaimed. The spell was meant to penetrate deeply and expose the Asura's heart, but the result was not as expected. Although he had expected the Asura's defense to be resilient, he had not anticipated it being this formidable.

From the details his master had given him, one of the most fearsome abilities the Asura possessed was its high-speed regeneration. Leon hadn't fully believed it could regenerate so quickly, but now he saw it with his own eyes.

The Asura's eyes blazed with fury, and it turned its full attention to Leon. With a roar, it swung one of its massive arms at him. Leon dodged, the force of the swing creating a gust of wind that sent dust and debris flying.

"Come on, you overgrown brute!" Leon taunted, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Is that all you've got?"

Wraaaaahhh!

The Asura roared again, its rage intensifying. It charged at Leon, each step shaking the ground. Leon danced around the attacks, his movements fluid and controlled. He cast spells and struck with precision, always keeping just out of the Asura's reach.

He had used speed enhancement on himself, making him swift as the wind, and with his small size, it was hard for the giant to track his movement. This was an advantageous position, or so he believed.

Meanwhile, the three frantically searched the chamber for the core. The bald guy, now more focused and determined, scanned the ground for any signs of a rune formation. His eyes squinted in concentration, and his breath came in measured bursts. The other two climbed over piles of treasure, their eyes darting around for any sign of the core.

Leon continued to distract the Asura, drawing its attacks and keeping it away from the others.

But after a while, the Asura stopped its advance towards Leon. Realizing it was pointless to attack him, it turned its attention to the three recruits scrambling around the chamber. With two swift steps, it arrived in front of them.

"Sh#t," Leon cursed, snapping into action. With his enhanced speed, he zoomed across the chamber toward the giant.

"Stop, brat!" Merlin called out through the voice transmission. "That's a trap—"

But before Merlin could finish his warning, Leon had already gone after the Asura.

The giant noticed Leon moving toward it and turned its body, swinging a massive leg at him. This time, it was too fast, and Leon was caught off guard. He couldn't dodge in time.

Desperately, he conjured a large stone wall in front of him, but it couldn't stop the Asura. The giant's leg smashed through the stone wall and struck Leon's body.

Bam!

Leon was flung back like a ragdoll, smashed against the invisible barrier. His armor fell apart, pieces scattering on the ground, unable to withstand the blunt force of the attack. He groaned in pain, the impact having knocked the wind out of him.

The Asura roared triumphantly, its eyes gleaming with malevolent satisfaction. The chamber trembled with its fury, the ancient carvings on the walls seeming to dance in the flickering torchlight.

Leon struggled to his feet, his body aching from the impact. He could see the three recruits staring at him in horror, their earlier determination replaced by fear.