I saw Friede rush toward Sylens and drag him from his legs. If she hadn't reacted that fast, Sylens would have transformed into mush and sinew. 

I rushed toward Heda, who was watching from a fair distance.

"This must be the guardian," Heda said as soon as I reached her. She turned to me, a grim look on her face. "I can't detect any weaknesses. What are we to do?" 

I spread my senses toward the giant, looking for the crystal that powered it. I couldn't find any trace of the sphere, however. It felt as though neutral energy spread through the giant's body, powering it but without a visible source. 

The giant turned to look at us then. Its slits flashed red. Then it shot its arms toward us. It had humanoid hands. One of them could smash the four of us together in its palm, and still have s.p.a.ce left. We were facing a walking mountain, with no visible weaknesses, and a lot of strengths. 

The giant's hands clicked, and I saw a tube protrude from its palms. Light began building up in the tube. Heda stiffened. She dragged me from my arm and led me away from the beam aimed at us. 

Just as we got out of range, the giant released the light from its hands. A loud explosion ensued, creating a large crater where we stood minutes ago. I looked in horror at the thing's powers. We were standing behind it. My eye darted in all directions, trying to find a weakness. 

The thing's head turned to face us, with its back still to us. It opened its mouth then we heard Rimbaldi's voice echoing in the vast empty s.p.a.ce. "You may have pushed my little spiders away, but you can't best my automaton!" He spoke in a high pitched voice, almost hysteric. "Omega can't have his treasure back. I will not allow it!" 

Through the automaton's open mouth, another tube appeared. This time, no light built up around it. I felt as though something sinister was about to happen. Heda must have felt it too since she urged me to get the h.e.l.l out, then ran the opposite direction. 

I didn't her to repeat her command. I dashed to the side just in time as loud explosive noises left the automaton's mouth. Long bolts flew out of the tube and chased after us. I heard them pierce the ground behind my feet as I ran as breakneck speed. Each bolt was as tall as I was. One hit and I'd be impaled to the ground.

Rimbaldi's shrill laughter echoed, drowning the loud explosions. "You can run all you want. I'd soon have you all filled with new holes. Heeeehahahahaha..." 

The automaton kept on shooting its projectiles toward me. With the corner of my eye, I spied Sylens creeping up toward the automaton's legs. Both his hands glowed. I a.s.sumed he had finally managed to coat his hands with time energy. This would come in handy, given the champion of time used his powers right. 

I didn't have time to worry about Sylens's plans however. The automaton seemed to have eyes only for me. I've really provoked the mad scientist by mentioning my master's name. He wanted me dead before anybody else. Bolts were still furiously chasing after me. I had to do something before they'd eventually pierce me. 

I drew my staff and turned toward the incoming projectiles.

"Vent!" I screamed. 

I was a fair distance away from the others. I didn't have to worry about the bolts flying away and accidentally hitting them. Wind howled as it left my staff then redirected the bolts away. Despite the strength of my spell, the bolts only faltered a moment before resuming their trajectory. 

I cursed under my breath. If I used any more energy to power the spell, I'd end up exhausted and vulnerable before we even figured out a way to bring down the automaton. I dodged the first bolt then dashed forward. I kept changing directions, zigzagging toward our new mortal foe. 

I noticed Sylens climbing up the thing's metallic legs. He grabbed one of the sc.r.a.ps with his coated hands then ripped it away. The automaton didn't notice Sylens's rampage. It kept firing its bolts at rapid intervals toward me. The closer I got to the thing, the faster the bolts flew my way. 

"Keep it busy for a while, will you?" Heda's voice echoed inside my head. "We'll try to cripple then destroy this thing once and for all." 

I grunted in response. What other choice did I have anyway? The automaton had eyes but for me. As it rained bolts down my way, it lifted its arms and aimed them at me. 

"Dodge this!" I heard Rimbaldi's shrill voice scream. 

Beams left the automaton's arms as its mouth kept firing big sharp bolts my way. Technically, I had no way to dodge this kind of attacks. I saw Heda's green eyes twinkle as the beams and bolts simultaneously shot toward me. She wanted me dead. I had my suspicions, but this confirmed it. 

I quickly shot my staff forward and created a s.h.i.+eld around me. Staffs were easier catalysts for magic. As long as you know a few spells, or you know how to channel your energy outwards, you could perform miracles. 

I didn't want to show the group of champions the full extent of my powers. The desperate situation I was in called for desperate measures though. As soon as I erected the s.h.i.+eld around me, bolts and the light beams collided against it. 

I saw the s.h.i.+eld crack. So I channeled more energy into it then activated my third eye. I saw Sylens tearing the automaton apart. Then a sudden surge of energy blew him away. Sylens was fast enough to raise a time s.h.i.+eld around him, which helped slow the explosion and give him enough time to get the h.e.l.l out of dodge. 

That's when I saw the automaton's weakness. I hit my staff on the ground, channeling more energy than I usually do into it.

The earth below me cracked. The fissure quickly traveled underneath the s.h.i.+eld I raised then reached the big automaton. Vines sprouted up from the cracked ground and encircled the automaton's legs. 

I dashed forward then, disregarding the bolts that still rained above my head. I had no time to lose. The automaton, realising it was now bound to the floor, tried to wrench its legs away. I felt the energy inside my conduits drain at an alarming rate. I had to reach my giant foe and execute it before the spell I cast drained me out.

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