The NPC Got A System

19. Gargoyle Guardian Defeated

“I can do this.” Greg took a deep breath and stepped forward, his heart racing with fear and adrenaline. He knew that he had to be brave and protect his team, but the memory of losing his best friend not long ago still weighed heavily on him.

As he approached the towering Gargoyle Guardian and went inside the dangerous circle, his legs started to tremble, and his hands grew clammy. But he gritted his teeth and raised his shield, ready to take on the monster.

“Come on! Big boy! Throw that mace!”

The Gargoyle Guardian opened its eyes and swung its massive rock mace at him, but Greg was quick to dodge and counter with a fierce blow from his sword. He felt a surge of strength and courage as he fought, his muscles burning with exertion.

Despite his fear, Greg continued to press the attack, determined to protect his team. He felt a newfound sense of purpose and bravery as he battled the Gargoyle Guardian, his heart pounding with every blow.

“I hold him! Nash!!!!!” screamed Greg with all his breath and from behind, Nash ran with two fists wrapped in a burning aura.

With Greg holding the Gargoyle Guardian's attention, Nash saw his opportunity finally coming and sprang into action.

“Good job, Greg! You’re doing great! Keep it like that!” He did not forget to give a thumb up to Greg before passing in front of him.

He darted around the monster, dodging its brutal attacks with ease, and delivered a series of quick blows with his fists.

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

The Gargoyle Guardian roared in anger and frustration, swinging wildly at Nash, but he was too fast and nimble to be caught.

He darted in and out of range, striking with precision and skill.

BOOM!

Nash attacked the Gargoyle Guardian’s left eye and made it half-blind. It stumbled and fell behind, creating a loud noise when it hit the wall.

“Nice!”

Everyone there was stunned to see Nash’s high movement and did not even blink for a second, too afraid to lose the epic moment they were seeing now.

As Nash continued to whittle away at the monster's health, Lisa used her healing magic to support both him and Greg.

“O Goddess of Light, gimme your divine energy to help those who seek light in their dark way. Heal, activate!” She cast spells that mended their wounds and boosted their strength, giving them the extra edge they needed to defeat the Gargoyle Guardian.

Greg turned his head in a huge excitement toward Nash who crouched on the ground with sweat-drenched all over his clothes. After half people were mass killed, this was the first time the monster received huge damage, and he was a part of it.

“We did it! We did it, Nash!”

Nash nodded along with him. “Yes. We did it.”

Siegrid, who watched them from afar, clicked his tongue in irritation. He volunteered the girl—or Shein as the group member because he wanted to leave a good impression on Lisa’s mind. But it seemed that Lisa had been bewitched by that good-for-nothing greenie boy who only knew how to run and dodge attacks.

(I ten times better, no, hundred times better than him. Well, shall I do something to add fun?)

“W-what’s this!”

As the team basked in the glow of their victory, they suddenly felt a violent tremor beneath their feet.

“The ground’s shaking!”

“LOOK! The monster’s got up again!”

The ground shook and rumbled, and they stumbled and fell as the Gargoyle Guardian slammed its massive mace into the earth.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, throwing everyone off balance and sending them tumbling in different directions. Greg, Nash, and Lisa were all flung apart, their bodies skidding across the rocky terrain.

As they struggled to regain their footing, they saw the Gargoyle Guardian rising up once again, its eyes blazing with fury.

“Ugh—”

“Greg! Lisa! You guys okay?” Nash hurriedly got up and searched for his two group members.

“I think so!” Lisa answered while in a weird position, she was lying on a big rock with her head on the bottom side. But she could still give a smile toward Nash.

“Me too! It’s just I got stuck!” This time was Greg who replied, his shield stuck between two rocks and he had difficulty pulling it from there.

Nash clicked his tongue and got up alone, he could not put them in danger more than this.

SWHOOOOOOOSH—!

The Gargoyle Guardian released a heavy breath that could swipe anything before it and prepared to launch another attack.

Nash wanted to buy more time, but he seemed he could not.

“SHEIN!” called Nash loudly.

“I’M READY!” Unlike those three who fought inside the dangerous area, only Shein remained outside the dangerous area so she would not be noticed by the Gargoyle Guardian when gathering her power.

(I can, I can, I can!)

She felt awfully nervous when it came to her turn to show up.

“F-Fire blast!”

Boom!

Because of her anxiety about failure, Shein’s attack missed from the straight line. It only caused minor damage to the Gargoyle Guardian’s left arm.

“GWOOOOOOOO!”

The Gargoyle Guardian again slammed its mace to the ground, creating another huge shock wave. Nash, who stood up, fell back again and slammed his head hard to the ground.

“Nash!” screamed Shein.

“I’m fine! Don’t be afraid, Shein! I know you can! Just believe yourself!”

As Nash struggled to his feet, Shein remained down on one knee, and her body trembled from fear. But even as she gasped for breath and fought to stay conscious, her mind raced, searching for a way to turn the tide of the battle.

And then, with a sudden burst of inspiration, it came to her. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy, calling forth the full power of her fire magic.

(Nash has give me another chance to prove my worth, I won’t disappoint him again this time.)

SWOOOOOOOOSH—!

“BLAZING FIRE ATTACK!”

With a triumphant cry, Shein unleashed her ultimate skill, a blazing fire that engulfed the Gargoyle Guardian in a raging conflagration. The flames roared and danced, searing the monster's flesh and bone, reducing it to ashes in a matter of seconds.

“GROOOOOOOOOO!”

Shein's teammates watched in awe as the fire subsided, revealing the smoldering ruins of the once-mighty Gargoyle Guardian. They looked on in amazement at Shein, who stood tall and proud, her eyes blazing with the fire of victory.

“WOAHHHHH!”

“SHE DID IT! THE LITTLE GIRL DEFEATS IT!”

“WE ALIVE! WE ALIVE!”

As everyone rejoiced the triumphant of the victory, Nash chuckled lightly and got up from his lying position. He did not want to disturb Shein from getting thrown into the air with full excitement after what she had done earlier.

“You two did a great job too, Lisa, Greg. Thanks for helping me.” He offered his hands toward them with a sincere smile. Lisa and Greg looked at each other first before accepting Nash’s cold hand and standing up.

“I’m the one who needs to say thanks. You’ve saved me from being a coward. Thanks, Nash.”

“No! It’s me who needs to say thanks! I-if it’s not you, I would have died in the first floor back then, t-thank you, Nash. You’re my hero, and by the way, if you don’t mind, would you like to have dinner with—”

“That’s good. Let's do that. A dinner after long and tiring fight sound exciting, right? How about inviting Shein and Greg to join the dinner?”

“Yes? Ah … uh, that’s right. We can invite them, hehe.” Lisa nodded quickly and answered in a bitter tone.

(Nooooo! I want to have dinner only with him! Only the two of us!)

However, Nash could not hear Lisa’s screaming thought and walked away from their place. He focused on the system notification that had kept coming since he attacked the Gargoyle Guardian.

[Congratulation! You collect 4080 exp after defeating Gargoyle Guardian monster! Your level has been raised to 12! You got 250 gold and 20 point skills!]

But that was not even the best part.

[Congratulation! You can copy one of the Gargoyle Guardian’s skill below:

Rock Throw: The Gargoyle Guardian could use its strength to pick up and throw rocks or debris at the team, causing damage and potentially knocking them off balance.

Ground Pound: The Gargoyle Guardian could slam its mace into the ground, creating a shockwave that momentarily knocks the team back and stuns them.

Roar: The Gargoyle Guardian could let out a loud roar that startles or frightens the team, causing them to lose focus or hesitate in their attacks.

Sandstorm: The Gargoyle Guardian could whip up a cloud of dust or sand that obscures the team's vision, making it more difficult for them to aim their attacks or move effectively.

Summon Minions: The Gargoyle Guardian could call upon smaller monsters or creatures to distract the team or block their attacks while it focuses on dealing damage or picking off individual team members.]

[Which skills will you choose?]

“What the hell,” said Nash while covering his mouth, which slowly went up from creating a wide smile.

(This is fucking good!)