H04 Clash of the Invincible Colossi

Book cover

The third book in The Golden Age of Adventures series. It was published in October 2015 while the original Chinese comic, **无敌巨神兵**, was published in August 2014.

## Synopsis

AIMING FOR THE TOP! CHALLENGING THE COLOSSUS!

An ancient artifact known as the Colossus Core is stolen from the Ganges River. This act awakens the artifact's guardians, the Naga, which begin to attack innocent people. Alex and Lulu, who happen to be fishing nearby, are caught up in the chaos. Will they be able to stop the savage Naga and solve the colossal crisis?

## Cast

* Alex
* Lulu
* Ashwin
* Jackal
* Kasha

## Plot

***Spoiler warning!** Plot and/or ending details follow.*

### Chapter 1: Secret of the Sacred River

Ashwin swims under the Ganges River with a sword, for there is a secret lying beneath it. He encounters a puzzle. It is an ancient disc with numbers from one to twelve arranged like a clock. The goal is to divide the disc into six parts where whereupon the numbers on each part adds up to thirteen. Ashwin cuts horizontally (12 + 1 = 13, 11 + 2 = 13, etc.). The center opens up to a scepter and the Naga statues awaken.

Alex goes fishing at the Ganges River because Lulu ate all the food. He ends up catching a Naga statue. More of the statues appear from the River and terrorise the land. Lulu destroys one statue. Ashwin gets out of the River. With the scepter, known as the Colossus Core, in hand, he can awaken the ancient colossus to take his revenge.

### Chapter 2: Rise of the Jackal

Two years ago, in Ashwin's village, Kasha, the King's Army's 17th squad leader, demands the villagers to pay their taxes. Ashwin protests that taxes are due annually, but Kasha says it has been changed: taxes are due monthly. Ashwin's mother, the village chief, pays for the whole village.

Ashwin's family are the Protectors of the Colossus. In ancient times, their ancestors created the colossus to fight against monsters. Their duty is to make sure the Colossus Core does not fall into the wrong hands. Being both a Protector and village chief, Ashwin's mother overworked and fell ill. Her final words are passing the responsibility of Protector to Ashwin. Now in the present, Ashwin plans to use the colossus to wipe out the King's Army.

A mercenary, Jackal, demands Ashwin to return the Colossus Core, for he has committed sins to that of the King's Army and it will stop the Nagas' rampage. He was hired by Ashwin's sister, Fenna, to stop him. Alex and Lulu, with a Naga, interrupt Jackal and Ashwin, giving Ashwin an escape. Jackal destroys the Naga with his spinning blades. Ashwin is nearing the town gate, but it is blocked by Kasha and his forces.

### Chapter 3: A Colossal Secret

Jackal flies away to capture Ashwin, and Alex and Lulu won't stop following him. Kasha tells Ashwin on how he knows about the colossus. Twenty years ago, he was and adventurer. At the Hell's Hold Mountains, he lost his footing, and landed on top of a giant stone fist. He later found an ancient scroll.

Its was about India constantly attacked by monsters, so Shiva enlightened humanity to make a monster to fight the monsters: the colossus. After peace had been achieved, the Colossus Core was sealed and the colossus was put in the Hell's Hold Mountains by the Protectors of the Colossus. So, Kasha thought if he can find their descendants, he can obtain the colossus and be invincible.

Twenty years later, he found out they are Ashwin's family. He crafted a scheme to make Ashwin's mother overwork and fall ill to gain Ashwin's hatred. Ashwin expresses his anger. Kasha shoots him. Alex, Lulu and Jackal hear it. They go to where Ashwin is. Lulu faints from the blood. Alex and Jackal tend to him.

At the Ganges River, the King's Army fights off the Nagas under the commands of Balavan.

### Chapter 4: Colossus Awakened

Jackal transports Ashwin via a seat made out of wood hanged to his jet pack wings with Alex and Lulu hanging on the side. Ashwin directs them to a short mountain. in the colossus cave, where Kasha and his forces are, a puzzle must be solved to awaken the colossus. Puzzle: of the five dice shown, which is not a possible view from of the flattened die. Kasha picks the first option.

All the way at the back, Jackal discusses strategy: he'll deal with the AT-6 Kasha's forces have, Ashwin finds a hiding spot and Lulu protects him. Alex deals with the infantry. Alex's tummy grumbles loudly, making Kasha's forces hear him. Jackal destroys the AT-6, Alex electrocutes two soldiers. Kasha is near to the puzzle. Jackal throws his spinning blade, but Alex deflects it.

Kasha inserts the Colossus Core into the first option. The colossus rises, revealing its anthropomorphic elephant shape. Kasha goes inside its head, inserts the Core into a lock, and the colossus awakens.

### Chapter 5: The First Colossus

Kasha, now controlling the colossus heads towards the Ganges. Jackal and Alex argue. Jackal threw the blade to kill Kasha. Alex deflected because he doesn't want him killed. Jackal flies to the colossus to stop Kasha. Ashwin tells Alex there's another colossus. This colossus doesn't have a Core and was built before the one Kasha controls, the Ganesha Colossus. It was abandoned because of its fatal flaw, but no one knows it.

Ashwin leads Alex and Lulu to the Valley of the Flaming Sword. The are consists of a pillar with a flame-shaped tip, a sun symbol on the floor with a crystal, a large crystal on the wall and four statues holding a crystal. Alex realises sunlight must be used, but the sun is almost setting. He quickly ropes himself to the pillar and raises his magnifying glass. Sunlight reflects to the crystal in the center, then the crystals on the four statues, and finally, the crystal on the wall. Four blades cut the wall, and the first colossus is revealed.

### Chapter 6: Clash of the Colossi

While stomping on the city, Kasha demands Balavan to make the King hand over the throne to him. The first colossus has arrived. Kasha punches it, but missed. Alex uses the knee to knock the Ganesha Colossus down, but it destroys the city more, angering Jackal. Alex demands Kasha to come out and accept his judgement. Ganesha holds up its trunk, releasing a raging flame. It also launches a thundering fist.

### Chapter 7: Lulu Unleashed

The first colossus falls down, while Ganesha stands back up. Kasha used Ganesha's special skill, and the first colossus has one too. Alex taps the button for it, but a puzzle appears. According to the colossus manual, Shiva mischievously put that in, so the colossus was easily defeated. Its technology was studied, and Ganesha, an easier one to use, was built. The Saraswati Colossus was left for abandonment.

Kasha steps on Saraswati's face and readies a punch, but the fist is destroyed by Jackal's spinning blades. Ganesha's face was hit by those too, but it was not destroyed. Ganesha fires from its chest. One shot destroys Jackal's left wing, falling onto Saraswati's forehead. Lulu tends to him. Ganesha's other fist is near to smashing Saraswati's face. Alex tells Lulu to leave with Jackal, but she won't, and her appearance changes from kid to adult.

### Chapter 8: A New Beginning

Lulu, with thrusting force, deflects Ganesha's punch, but she gets injured badly. Alex has finished Saraswati's puzzle, so Saraswati slices Ganesha in the chest, causing an X-shaped explosion. Kasha falls into the Ganges River and is punished.

The next day, Balavan apologises to Ashwin for the King's Army to allow Kasha for joining their ranks. He gives Ashwin a request: he and the Saraswati Colossus will help the King's Army from future threats. Jackal watches from a tree, and leaves.