It took a slow step forward and swung its massive fist toward him.

Neo's eyes narrowed.

He sidestepped quickly, avoiding the blow with minimal effort, but he could feel how sluggish his body was.

And.

The air was suddenly torn apart.

The golem, while slow, was powerful.

Its simple movements could create shockwaves.

The next golem followed.

It lunged at him with surprising coordination for such slow creatures.

Neo's hand moved to his sword hilt instinctively.

With a quick push of his thumb, the blade slid a fraction from its sheath — and the debuff lifted.

Neo's body surged with renewed energy.

The fog that had clouded his reflexes dissipated, and his movements became crisp and fluid.

Neo darted forward.

He closed the distance between him and the golems in a blink.

His sword flashed, wrapped in red lightning.

It cut cleanly through the first golem's leg, causing it to collapse into a pile of mud and stone.

The other golems responded in unison, but Neo was faster.

He moved like a shadow and weaved through their attacks.

One golem slammed its fist into the ground where Neo had just stood, creating a crater in the arena floor.

Neo leapt into the air.

He landed on the golem's back and drove his blade through its core.

The creature groaned before crumbling to pieces.

The first wave was reduced to nothing more than piles of dirt scattered across the arena floor within a few seconds.

But Neo had no time to rest.

The second wave was already emerging from the gate.

These golems were larger and more menacing than the first.

They were reinforced with stone armor, their bodies were bulkier, and their movements were faster.

'Eight of them.'

Neo counted.

'Seems like these ones have better coordination.'

Neo's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

He could feel the challenge growing.

The golems surrounded him quickly.

They attacked him from all sides with powerful.

Their attacks were synchronized, leaving no room for him to dodge.

Neo's body turned into a blur as he tried to evade the heavy blows while blocking the undodgeable ones with Ocean's Embrace.

He did not just dodge.

He parried, skillfully weaving counterattacks in his blocks.

But their defenses were stronger.

His blade, though sharp, struggled to pierce the stone armor that covered their bodies.

Each attack that landed was absorbed by the golems' thick, hardened shells.

Neo couldn't land a decisive blow.

'I can't use an Aura Blade so early. My Divine Energy reserves are too lacking for it.'

Sweat trickled down his brow as he calculated his next move.

The golems' attacks were becoming more precise.

They were adapting.

Neo lunged toward the closest golem with a burst of speed.

His blade sliced through its arm, but the golem retaliated with surprising agility.

It swung its other fist toward him.

Neo twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the blow.

The golems didn't relent.

They pressed the attack with their impeccable coordination.

Neo used his superior agility to continue moving and dodged their attacks.

He cleaved through the head of one golem with a well-timed strike, then spun around to deliver a fatal blow to another.

Within minutes, the second wave had fallen—but Neo could feel his muscles burning from the effort.

The gates trembled again.

The third wave emerged—ten golems this time.

Their bodies were darker and more menacing.

These golems weren't just stronger; they were faster, and their coordination had reached a new level.

They moved as one, surrounding Neo in a perfect formation, leaving him no room to move around.

Neo's chest heaved.

He was desperate.

His blood boiled with excitement.

With a deep breath, Neo activated his blessing.

A surge of power coursed through his veins.

His muscles felt lighter and his reflexes became sharper.

The air around him crackled with energy.

The third wave attacked with terrifying speed.

But Neo was faster.

His body moved like a shadow and he countered their blows with devastating precision.

His sword flashed, cutting through stone and mud alike.

He struck at their weak points, dismantling their formation piece by piece.

One golem fell, then another, and another.

The creatures couldn't keep up with Neo's newfound speed and power.

In a flurry of strikes, the third wave crumbled before him.

Before he could celebrate his victory, the fourth wave was already upon him.

These golems were unlike any of the others.

Their bodies were massive, their forms reinforced with dark obsidian that gleamed in the sunlight.

There were twelve of them now, each one more dangerous than the last.

Neo's breath came in ragged gasps.

He could feel the strain on his body.

His Divine Energy wouldn't last long.

He had to finish quickly.

The golems charged, and Neo met them head-on.

Giant bolts of red lighting thundered around him.

His blade clashed against their obsidian armor.

A powerful shockwave spread out.

The creatures attacked relentlessly.

Neo parried and dodged, but even with the blessing, he was struggling to keep up.

He was nearing his limit.

The Essence Breath Spell couldn't support him for long.

One golem's fist grazed his side, sending him skidding across the arena floor.

Neo gritted his teeth.

He ignored the pain and forced himself back to his feet.

He couldn't fall here.

With a roar, Neo lunged forward.

His sword turned into a blur of steel and darkness.

He targeted the joints of the golems, where their armor was weakest.

His blade cut through their defenses, severing their limbs and shattering their cores.

The fourth wave was strong, but Neo was stronger.

As long as he could hold one, he would win.

One by one, they fell, until only a single golem remained.

Neo, panting heavily, met its gaze.

It charged with its obsidian fists raised.

Neo cleaved the golem in two with a single powerful strike.

But as it fell, the gates trembled once more.

The fifth and final wave emerged.

Neo's heart remained calm.

His body might have been in tatters, but he had faced worse situations and survived.

This wasn't enough to defeat him.

The golems were enormous, towering over him with bodies made of pure stone, reinforced with Divine Energy.

There were fifteen of them.

The ground shook with their every step.

Neo's body screamed in protest.

It wanted to rest.

'Move.'

'This isn't the time to rest.'

Neo unleashed his Aura of Death and Darkness.

An overwhelming presence descended.

The golems faltered.

Neo did not let go of the chance.

He dived amidst them.