Tom checked his health bar—it had dropped to just a quarter remaining. He quickly pulled out a healing potion and downed it, feeling the familiar warmth of restoration spread through his body. Though the idea of retreating crossed his mind, he remembered one critical detail from his last fight: the lava giants granted a huge amount of experience points.

  The battle he'd just survived had rewarded him with roughly 8% of a level. That kind of gain was too good to pass up, even if it came at great risk. What Tom didn't realize, however, was that the lava giants he had been fighting were already around level 100—far above his own capabilities. This was why the experience gains were so substantial.

  Unbeknownst to him, the first giant he had fought had already lost two-thirds of its health before he engaged, severely weakening its combat abilities. This stroke of luck had kept him alive longer than he otherwise would have.

  Now, with his health partially restored, Tom surveyed the battlefield for his next target. The choice was obvious—a smaller lava giant nearby, already engaged in combat with a group of scarabs.

  Without hesitation, Tom joined the fray, launching a full-on assault alongside the scarabs. As soon as he closed the distance, the giant's attention snapped to him, its aggro shifting away from the scarabs. The sudden shift gave the scarabs an opening, and they began tearing into the giant's sides while Tom focused on dodging its heavy, lumbering attacks.

  Not all the scarabs survived; a few were crushed by poorly timed movements or stray punches. Despite the losses, the combined effort quickly wore the lava giant down. After only a few minutes, the molten behemoth collapsed in a shower of molten rock.

  Tom received slightly fewer experience points this time, likely because the giant had been at full health when the battle started. Still, the reward was significant enough to encourage him to keep going.

  The hours that followed were a blur of relentless fighting. Tom moved from one target to the next, coordinating with the scarabs whenever possible and carefully dodging attacks to preserve his remaining health. His movements grew more precise, his attacks more efficient as he adapted to the flow of battle.

  Suddenly, the entire battlefield began to tremble violently. This wasn't just the subtle vibrations of a lava giant's footsteps—it was a full-blown earthquake. Tom stumbled, bracing himself against a nearby rock as the ground beneath him shook.

  His eyes darted toward the lava lake, and what he saw next froze him in place. Emerging from the molten depths was a colossal lava giant, its immense form glowing with fiery intensity.

  The creature towered above everything else on the battlefield, standing at least 20 meters tall. Its molten body radiated overwhelming heat, the air around it shimmering with distortion. Tom's stomach dropped. He knew instantly that he had zero chance of surviving a fight with something this massive.

  Before he could make a decision, the remaining lava giants on the battlefield began moving toward the newly emerged colossus. One by one, they melted into its body, their forms disappearing as their molten mass was absorbed.

  Tom watched in stunned disbelief as the 20-meter giant began to grow. Its body swelled with each addition, the glowing veins of molten rock pulsating like a living entity. By the time the last giant was absorbed, the colossus stood at an awe-inspiring 30 meters tall, its sheer size making the battlefield feel insignificant.

  Tom didn't need to think twice. He spun on his heel and bolted, running as fast as his legs could carry him. The heat from the lava colossus was unbearable, even from a distance, and he could feel the vibrations of its every step as it moved.

  Tom expected the remaining scarabs to flee or scatter like the others, but what happened next took him by surprise. Instead of retreating, the scarabs regrouped in a coordinated formation, surging forward with renewed determination. They began frantically attacking the massive lava giant, swarming over its entire body like an unstoppable tide.

  Within seconds, the giant was covered from head to toe in scarabs. Their mandibles bit into its molten surface, and their claws scratched at its fiery exterior. In response, the giant grabbed handfuls of scarabs from its body, crushing them effortlessly in its immense palms. Molten fragments of their broken bodies fell to the ground, their glowing remnants scattered like embers.

  But for every scarab destroyed, another quickly took its place. Reinforcements poured in from all sides, filling the gaps left behind by their fallen comrades.

  At first, it seemed like the scarabs' attacks were ineffective. The lava giant moved with the same destructive force, unaffected by the onslaught. But as Tom observed from a safe distance, he began to notice something subtle: the giant's size.

  It wasn't much, but the colossus appeared to be slightly smaller than when the fight had begun. The change was almost imperceptible, but it was there. Encouraged by this observation, Tom decided to stay and watch the battle unfold. After all, if the scarabs managed to bring the giant down, there might be valuable rewards to claim from the aftermath.

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  Time passed slowly as the intense struggle raged on. The lava giant's movements remained powerful, each swing of its molten arms scattering dozens of scarabs. Still, the relentless tide of attackers continued to chip away at its form. After what felt like an hour, the giant was reduced to its original 20-meter height.

  At first, it seemed like the scarabs might actually win. But then Tom noticed something alarming—their numbers were dwindling.

  The giant, once completely covered in a writhing mass of scarabs, now had visible gaps on its body where no attackers remained. Reinforcements, which had poured in with such vigor at the start of the battle, were now arriving less frequently. The scarabs' relentless assault was slowing, their losses beginning to show.

  Tom stood frozen, torn by indecision. If he joined the fight, perhaps he could tip the scales and make a difference. But the risk was enormous. The lava giant's power was overwhelming, and getting close to it could easily cost him his life.

  Before he could act, however, the decision was made for him.

  One of the smaller scarabs from earlier suddenly appeared behind him, accompanied by a herd of larger, more imposing scarabs. Before Tom could react, they swarmed around him, their coordinated movements offering no room for escape.

  The next moment, the larger scarabs grabbed him and lifted him off the ground. Their powerful wings buzzed loudly as they carried him into the air. Tom's eyes widened in panic as he realized their destination—the lava giant.

  They were flying straight toward the fiery colossus at terrifying speed.

  Tom had no time to prepare. Before he could react, he was unceremoniously dropped directly onto the lava giant's molten body.

  Multiple damage notifications popped up before his eyes as intense heat seared through him. Acting on instinct, Tom leapt off the giant's body, plummeting at least 15 meters to the ground below. Another damage notification appeared above him when he landed, his knees buckling from the impact. But even that wasn't the worst of it.

  As he steadied himself, Tom's heart sank. Every piece of equipment he was wearing had been utterly destroyed. His armor, boots, and accessories—all of it had suffered the same fate as his gloves, reduced to ash and charred remnants.

  The only exception was his hood and cape, which still hung from his back. Although covered in rust and soot, it remained intact. Tom wasn't sure if he was lucky or if the cape's rarity had spared it, but the sight did little to quell his rising anger. The lava giant had ruined almost everything he owned, and he was determined to make it pay.

  The giant, meanwhile, seemed to have taken notice of him as well. Ignoring the scarabs swarming over its body, it turned its full attention to Tom. With a massive, thunderous stomp, it tried to crush the ground where Tom had landed.

  Tom dodged at the last possible moment, the earth shaking violently under the force of the attack. Heart pounding, he began sprinting around the giant, dodging its relentless attempts to trample him. Each time it missed, the giant lost a sliver of health, the minor self-inflicted damage slowly accumulating.

  At first, Tom ran aimlessly, narrowly avoiding the giant's attacks, but he quickly realized that wasn't enough. He needed a strategy. Spotting an opportunity, Tom dashed toward the giant's left foot, weaving through its cumbersome movements and positioning himself directly beneath its towering form.

  The lava giant, slow and unwieldy, struggled to keep up with Tom's erratic movements. Each time it lifted one foot to stomp him, Tom darted behind its other leg, using its own bulk as a shield. The tactic proved effective—by staying close to its feet, he forced the giant to continuously turn and reposition itself, unable to land a single blow.

  As the battle dragged on, the giant's size steadily decreased. Now reduced to about 15 meters in height, the colossus let out an ear-splitting roar, its frustration palpable. Tom braced himself, unsure of what would come next.

  To his horror, the giant began convulsing, and from his vantage point beneath it, it looked like the creature was vomiting. In reality, it was expelling two smaller lava giants, each roughly 4 meters tall.

  The original giant shrank further, now standing only 12 meters high. Tom's confidence wavered. Three lava giants at once were far more than he could handle. Just as panic began to set in, reinforcements arrived. The scarabs, ever relentless, swarmed the two smaller giants, drawing their attention away from Tom.

  With the smaller giants occupied, Tom focused on dodging the original's attacks. Without its smaller allies to assist, its sluggish movements made it easier to evade, and soon the two lesser giants succumbed to the relentless scarab assault.

  Now, only the original giant remained, reduced to a mere 10 meters in height. Victory seemed within reach, but just as Tom prepared to strike, the giant did something unexpected—it turned and began to run.

  Tom stared in disbelief. He hadn't anticipated the creature would be intelligent enough to execute a tactical retreat. But he wasn't about to let it escape.

  "Not today, bitch," he growled, sprinting after it.

  Tom targeted the giant's legs, landing punches and kicks whenever he got close enough. But before he could do significant damage, the giant lashed out with a powerful kick, sending Tom flying.

  The impact was brutal. Half of Tom's health bar vanished instantly as he crashed into the ground. Grimacing in pain, he forced himself to stand, adrenaline propelling him forward. The giant was only 50 meters away from the lava lake now, its glowing mass visibly shrinking with each passing second.

  If it reached the lake, it would escape for sure. Tom couldn't allow that. Summoning every ounce of resolve, he sprinted toward the retreating giant.

  As he closed the gap, Tom leapt onto its foot, clinging desperately to its molten surface. His health ticked down rapidly from the searing heat, but he refused to let go. Between punching, kicking, and gripping tightly, he chugged recovery potions to stave off the damage. His destroyed gear no longer mattered—victory was his only focus.

  The lava giant stumbled, its pace slowing as Tom's relentless attacks took their toll. With each passing second, its size continued to diminish, shrinking closer to 8 meters.

  Just 5 meters from the edge of the lava lake, the giant's movements became unsteady. It struggled to take another step before its legs buckled. The colossus collapsed forward, its body splattering into a massive pool of molten mass.