41. Census Taking (Hard Mode)

Jake opens with an Arcane Powershot and attempts Gaze of the Apex Hunter, discovering the Altmar Census Golem has soul and identity protections. He pierces the veil long enough to freeze it, but his arrow barely nicks the silver body as a dense mana barrier absorbs the hit. The golem counters with powerful light-mana lasers, forcing Jake to rely on danger sense and rapid teleports.

Testing options, Jake splits arrows and unleashes explosions, but the shield holds. The golem engages with jet-propelled movement, modular limbs, and an axeblade that can redirect mid-swing. Jake tries melee with his scimitar yet finds his strikes negated by the barrier’s resilience, and even landing hits rattles his arms from the impact.

Attempting control, Jake takes to the air, spreads poison mist, and builds arcane bolts, but a pulse dispels them. The golem ascends using leg jets and pressures him with a grappling claw and lasers. Forced into close quarters, Jake activates Limit Break, draws the Nanoblade, and bleeds deliberately so corrosive blood gnaws at the barrier while he peppers it with arcane bursts to tax its mana.

A misstep lets the claw latch onto Jake’s arm, delivering brutal electrocution. Jake condenses scales to mitigate damage and, through intense pain, forces Touch of the Malefic Viper into the golem’s true body by eroding the barrier, infusing destructive arcane into the touch. While being smashed into the stone, he overdrives Gaze to freeze the construct and spreads corrosion, blackening and cracking its extended arm. The golem rips the damaged arm free and fires a laser at Jake’s eyes, which he narrowly dodges before chugging a potion.

Assessing its damage, the golem discards and retracts the ruined components, losing weapon functionality on that limb. Unarmed, Jake produces the Pillar of Encumbrance, a weight-shifting metal rod, and clubs the golem with a massive, mana-dense strike that flickers its barrier and launches it kilometers away. Letting the pole float light as air, Jake readies his bow and fires another Arcane Powershot, signaling the start of round two.