The Golem

As they made their way toward the quest area, the unease lingered in Amukelo's mind. He furrowed his brow and spoke in a low voice, his concern evident. "Hey... do you think those guys might turn on us in the wilderness? I mean, now there's no one to stop them from doing anything."

Idin, walking beside him, shrugged slightly but answered with confidence. "I don't know... but I don't think that will happen. Because if they do, they'll become straight-up outlaws."

Amukelo glanced at him, still unconvinced. "How do you know that?"

Idin sighed and gestured back toward the guild. "Because everyone saw what happened. If anything happens to us, they'll be the first ones blamed. There were too many witnesses. Even if they got away with it at first, they wouldn't be able to show their faces in any guild again without suspicion hanging over them."

Bral chuckled, shaking his head. "Ohh, come on, don't tell me you're scared now."

Amukelo scowled. "It's not like that. But it's different with humans. I remember I could always tell when a beast would come back. They either thought I was a threat, hated me, or simply wanted to eat me. But with humans... it's harder to read them. You can't tell what they're thinking or planning just by looking at them."

Bral's playful grin faded slightly, and he nodded. "Yeah... sometimes humans are less humane than beasts." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "But I guess we can't just sit there worrying. We need the money, and we've grown stronger. If anything happens, I'm certain we can handle it."

Amukelo nodded, though the tension in his shoulders hadn't fully eased. He let out a slow breath and focused on the path ahead.

After some time, they arrived at the designated area—and the sight before them made them all tense up immediately.

A destroyed merchant cart sat in the middle of the path, its wooden frame splintered as if something had torn straight through it. The cart's side bore a gaping hole, shattered as though it had been struck by something with immense force. Scattered supplies lay strewn across the dirt—broken crates, torn sacks of grain, a few shattered glass bottles glinting in the dim light.

But what caught their attention most was the blood. A large splash of it stained the ground next to the cart, fresh enough to still have a dark sheen. The trail continued, streaks of red leading off into the dense treeline.

Bral gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Damn it... it must've gotten someone." His voice was tense, restrained.

Bao, standing beside him, frowned as she studied the blood trail. "Let's find it."

Idin nodded, adjusting the grip on his sword. "Okay. So let's move like this. Bral and Amukelo will take the front. You two are the most agile, and golems aren't the fastest creatures, so you should be able to dodge if it attacks suddenly. Meanwhile, I'll stay close to Bao and Pao. I can tank the strongest hit if we're caught off guard."

With silent understanding, they fell into formation and began moving along the bloodied trail.

The further they walked, the more unnatural the silence became. There were no chirping birds, no rustling leaves from unseen critters. It was as if every creature in the area had fled or gone completely still in fear of something lurking nearby.

As they advanced, Amukelo whispered to Bral. "By the way... why would a golem even attack humans? I mean, I've seen one before, and it didn't seem to need food like other monsters."

Bral, walking just ahead of him, kept his eyes trained on the path as he replied in a hushed tone. "It's because golems aren't natural creatures. They're usually built as guardians. But if the runist who made them fails in controlling them, they can become unbound. When that happens, they go into a self-preservation mode and start attacking anything that can provide them with mana."

But then rhythmic, earth-shaking impacts sent vibrations through the ground beneath their feet. Bral suddenly squatted, signaling for the others to do the same. His voice was low but urgent. "It's close. But watch out, and don't let yourself get hit by anything. One hit might be all it takes to finish you. We have to be careful."

Then, piercing through the air, a horrible scream rang out—high and raw with fear. 

Then a sickening, bone-snapping sound followed, then another, weaker scream, barely more than a choked whimper. Bral's face twisted in anger. "The person's still alive." His voice was tight with urgency. "Let's move fast!" Without hesitation, he surged forward.

"Bral, wait—" Amukelo barely had time to protest before Bral was already sprinting toward the source of the noise.

Amukelo and the others followed in close pursuit. As they emerged from the thickets, their eyes landed on a grisly scene. A man sat slumped against a jagged cliffside, his upper body crushed almost beyond recognition. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the dirt.

Towering over the dying man stood the golem. A hulking mass of stone and mana, its body composed of interlocked plates of jagged rock, pulsing faintly with runes. Its heavy arms, cracked yet impossibly strong, moved with slow, deliberate purpose as it absorbed the man's remaining mana. Faint, ethereal wisps of energy seeped from the dying man's body and into the golem's core, feeding it, strengthening it.

Bral clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His voice was sharp, fueled with rage. "He must've run from it… until he had nowhere left to go. Poor man." He took a single step forward before yelling with fury. "Let's finish this beast once and for all!"

He launched forward, sword gleaming in the dim light, and Amukelo and Idin followed instantly, their weapons drawn.

As they neared, Bral yelled over his shoulder. "Target the joints! To destroy it completely, we need to shatter the runic crystal at its core. But if you wedge your sword between its plating—at the elbows, knees, or neck—you can disrupt its mana flow and temporarily disable its limbs!"

Amukelo nodded, gripping his weapon tightly. The golem's head snapped toward them. It abandoned the dying man and rose to its full height, the weight of its massive frame sending vibrations through the ground.

A fireball suddenly streaked through the air—slamming into the golem! The explosion sent fragments of rock flying, knocking it forward slightly. A chunk of stone fell from its shoulder, but the beast hardly staggered.

"Good hit," Bral called back, recognizing Pao's magic, but his satisfaction was short-lived.

The golem twisted, its entire body weight shifting violently. It swung a massive stone arm in a wide arc. Bral saw it coming and dropped low, sliding beneath the deadly swing before slashing his blade at the back of its knee joint. The metal scraped against stone, but the golem barely reacted.

Bral's teeth clenched. "Damn it... not deep enough!"

Amukelo and Idin were already upon it. The beast lurched, spinning its entire bulk. "WATCH OUT!" Idin shouted.

Idin had stopped just in time, hanging back to avoid the golem's swing. But Amukelo was too close. He had already committed to the charge, his momentum carrying him straight into the attack's path.

Instead of retreating, he pushed forward faster. The massive stone arm passed inches behind him—barely missing him. He had closed the distance in the smallest window possible.

The golem lifted its foot to stomp him flat. Amukelo jumped back just as the earth-shaking stomp struck where he had been a moment ago. Dust and debris shot into the air.

Then the golem's core pulsed. A sharp, white glow emanated from the runes on its face.

Amukelo's blood ran cold. "Shit..."

A white beam of raw mana energy surged from the golem's core, aimed directly at him. It was too fast—too sudden. He wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

Then a small portal materialized directly in front of him.

Before he could fully process it, the beam vanished into the portal—and then reappeared behind the golem's head.

The blast of white-hot energy struck the back of its skull, forcing the creature to lurch forward, staggering from the impact. The mana beam sliced into the ground, missing Amukelo entirely.

Amukelo's heart pounded. He looked back.

Pao stood in the distance. She lowered her staff before she grinned triumphantly.

The golem groaned, the sound a low, unnatural rumble. It stumbled from the self-inflicted hit—but it wasn't down yet.

Amukelo gritted his teeth. He rushed forward once more, weapon in hand.