Having dealt with Shadowfang and Darkwing, the statues focused on Shinon. Their stony fists raised once again. Shinon’s heart raced as he realised time was running out.

He needed to make a decision, even without a complete understanding of the consequences. With a mix of desperation and blind faith, Shinon chose another inscription at random, hitting it with the hammer again.

The symbol glowed brightly, and a surge of power pulsed through the chamber. The statues seemed to shudder, their movements momentarily faltering.

The statues seemed to lose their footing, their movements becoming sluggish. It was as if a veil of weakness had been draped over their towering forms.

A surge of exhilaration coursed through Shinon’s veins as he realised that he had discovered the inscription that weakened the statues.

He wasted no time seizing the opportunity. He swung the Mastersmith’s hammer again, targeting a vulnerable spot on the statue’s weakened armour.

A resounding crack echoed through the chamber as the hammer connected with the weakened surface. The statues staggered, their stony bodies showing signs of damage. Shinon’s hope soared as he repeatedly struck them, exploiting the newfound weakness.

"Not acting tough anymore, are we?" Shinon smirked and kept his attacks on.

As Shinon pressed his advantage, the statues retaliated, their massive fists swinging with renewed vigour. But Shinon was prepared. He summoned various shadowy shields to protect him while he focused on dismantling the guardians.

The battle raged on, a dance of steel, stone, shadow, and force. Shinon’s movements became a blur as he unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the statues, exploiting their weakened state. He darted in and out, weaving through their attacks swiftly and precisely.

However, the statues were not trounced. Despite their weakened armour, they retained some regenerative abilities. While Shinon focused on one of the statues, the other fell back and regenerated, making his efforts go to waste.

With a momentary break in the onslaught, Shinon surveyed the chamber, his eyes scanning for any clues he might have used to protect himself.

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the fallen stone fragments scattered like breadcrumbs across the chamber floor. With a spark of creativity, Shinon knew precisely how to counter the statues. But first, he needed to force them to retreat. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Without wasting any time, Shinon used everything he had to simultaneously break as much of the statues’ armour as he could. Once done, both the stone giants retreated, giving Shinon some much-needed time to proceed with his plan.

Without hesitation, Shinon reached down and grabbed a handful of stone shards. He infused them with shadow energy, manipulating the fragments to form sharp, jagged blades.

With a determined glint in his eyes, he hurled the makeshift weapons at the statues, aiming for their exposed vulnerabilities.

The blades of shadow-infused stone found their mark, piercing through the statues’ armour and impeding their regenerative abilities. The figures staggered backwards, their movements momentarily faltering. It was the opening Shinon needed.

Seizing the opportunity, Shinon launched himself at the statues with renewed ferocity. His strikes rained down upon them. Each blow inflicted more damage, weakening the statues further.

Finally, with a resounding crash, the statues crumbled under the relentless assault. Chunks of stone tumbled to the ground, leaving only remnants of their once-majestic forms. Shinon stood amidst the wreckage, his breath ragged, his body battered but victorious.

"That... was a tough one-" Shinon panted when he realised the system didn’t inform him about his victory.

A sense of foreboding washed over him. The air grew heavy as if filled with an invisible tension. Shinon’s instincts screamed at him to be on guard, to prepare for the unexpected.

He tightened his grip on the Mastersmith’s hammer, readying himself for whatever lay ahead, and then it happened.

Suddenly, the remnants of the fallen statues began to tremble, their broken pieces shifting and reforming. Shinon’s eyes widened in disbelief as the fractured stone merged, forming a new figure—a colossal golem-like creature.

[Second Phase has begun. Please defeat the Guardian Golem to proceed further!]

"Just my fucking luck..."

The newly formed stone golem towered above Shinon, its massive form radiating power. Its stony fists clenched and unclenched, cracks on its surface emitting an otherworldly glow. Shinon’s heart raced as he realised his victory had awakened an even more significant threat.

With an earth-shaking roar, the stone golem charged at Shinon, its enormous fists aiming to crush him.

Reacting swiftly, Shinon evaded the first strike, narrowly avoiding being pulverised under the golem’s mighty blows. He knew that his previous tactics wouldn’t work against this formidable opponent.

But the golem was already on him, even before he could formulate a plan. Summoning his shadow energy, Shinon formed a multitude of shimmering shields around him, creating a protective barrier.

The golem’s fists slammed against the shields, sending shockwaves rippling through the chamber. Each impact threatened to shatter the fragile defences, forcing Shinon to concentrate all his focus and willpower to maintain them.

Gritting his teeth, Shinon sought an opening, a weakness in the golem’s impenetrable form. His eyes darted across the massive stone body, analysing its structure for any vulnerable spot. But try as he might, there seemed to be no weak point, no crack in its defences.

However, at that moment, something weird happened. In that moment of desperation, as if sensing Shinon’s need, the Mastersmith’s hammer trembled within his grasp.

It pulsed with otherworldly energy, resonating with the shadow essence that coursed through Shinon’s veins. Shadows danced along the hammer’s surface as if awakening to its true potential.

With a sudden surge of power, the hammer transformed. Shadow Enhancement surged forth, infusing the weapon with dark energy. The once simple hammer now gleamed with an ethereal black glow, its edges sharpened to a deadly point.

Not only that, the hammer had grown to thrice its usual size, yet it felt as light as it had before. Shinon gripped the hammer tightly.

He didn’t know what triggered the hammer’s transformation, but he knew one thing. If he was going to win, this was his chance. A chance he couldn’t let go to waste.