Defeating The Golem

Amukelo didn't hesitate. As he reached the golem, he tore his sword free from the golem's shoulder joint and immediately swung with full force at the already damaged limb.

A deep crack ran through the stone.

With another sharp slash, Amukelo drove his sword between the plates, striking at the point where the joints connected. 

Then Pao's voice rang out. "Quickly! Disable its second leg! I'm preparing a mana beam strong enough to destroy its core, but I need time to gather the energy! It can't be allowed to move!"

Amukelo turned to Bral and Idin, who both nodded. They charged forward together, aiming for the golem's one remaining functional leg.

The golem, though crippled, wasn't finished yet. Its massive leg lifted high, and with a deafening crash, it slammed its foot down into the earth.

The impact sent a violent tremor through the ground, shaking everything beneath them.

Amukelo felt his balance slip. His feet wobbled, his knees buckling, and he was thrown off course.

Bral and Idin suffered the same fate, toppling backward as the shockwave disrupted their approach.

But then the runes on the golem's leg began to glow.

Pao's voice cut through the chaos, filled with urgency. "Get away from it! NOW!"

Amukelo threw himself backward, rolling just in time as the glowing cracks in the ground beneath them flared violently, and then exploded.

A massive eruption of mana-infused rock and dust shot up, sending shockwaves outward.

Amukelo was hurled through the air, his body tumbling before he landed hard, skidding across the dirt. Bral and Idin barely managed to escape the worst of it, rolling as they crashed into the ground.

For a moment, everything was dust and chaos.

Then, a whistle cut through the air. Bao's arrow struck the golem's knee. Then a explosion rippled outward, and the golem's last functional leg finally buckled.

The massive construct dropped to the ground, both legs now completely immobilized.

Pao let out a sharp exhale, sweat already forming on her brow as she began to gather mana in her staff. "Hold it down just a little longer!" she called out.

But the golem, even crippled, wasn't finished fighting.

Its rune-covered face pulsed with light, and in an instant, another mana beam began charging, aimed directly at Pao.

Bao pulled another arrow from her quiver. She nocked it, and fired instantly. The arrow slammed into the golem's neck just as the beam fired.

The impact sent a shockwave through its upper body, making its head lurch violently to the side.

The mana beam veered off course. Instead of striking Pao, it shot into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

And in that moment, Pao unleashed her spell.

A massive white beam of condensed mana erupted from her stuff. It struck the golem directly in the chest.

For a second, nothing happened. But as the time passed impact sent cracks rippling through its core.

The entire golem trembled, its body pulsing as if trying to resist.

Pao's hands shook from the strain, her breath growing ragged as she forced more and more power into the spell.

The light intensified, the beam digging deeper into the stone, but the golem wasn't breaking fast enough.

It withstood the full force of the spell. But then its leg twitched. The cracks in its body flared, the runes glowing with a desperate energy. It began to rise. Slowly and painfully, it lifted itself upward.

As it moved, the beam lost its direct contact with the core, shifting upward toward its shoulder instead.

Pao's mana reserves were running dry. She let out a strained breath, breaking the spell. She staggered backward, panting heavily, her legs barely holding her up. "No way…" she gasped.

But as it struggled to rise, the damage became clear. A deep, gaping hole had been carved into its torso. But the crystal wasn't exposed yet. It must be hidden under a thin layer of stone.

Bao narrowed her eyes, her focus unshaken as she pulled back another runic arrow. Her fingers trembled slightly from exhaustion, but she didn't hesitate. "I've got this!" she shouted, and she released the arrow.

It struck the exposed core, the engraved runes flashing brilliantly just before a thunderous explosion erupted from the golem's chest. A wave of dust and shattered rock burst outward.

And it revealed a glowing, pulsating crystal, embedded deep within its torso.

Bao's eyes widened. "We have to strike the crystal! Now!"

But even as she spoke, the stone plates began shifting, reforming, closing around the core like a wound healing itself.

Bral didn't wait. With a determined grunt, he sprinted forward, and he jumped high into the air as he aimed at the crystal.

The moment his blade swung down toward the core, the golem's entire body convulsed violently, a pulse of raw energy surging through its frame.

Its first arm—previously disabled—suddenly twitched back to life. And then, with a movement far faster than anything before, the golem swung its massive limb straight at Bral.

The impact sent him flying. He was flung through the air like a ragdoll, his body twisting uncontrollably before he crashed hard against the rocky ground.

"BRAL!" Bao's voice broke with panic as she immediately dashed toward him.

Idin rushed immediately to finish the job. But before he could arrive, the golem turned to him, and its rune-covered face blazed again, as it sent another mana beam. Straight at him.

Idin froze for a split second, realizing the attack was already mid-charge. He jerked to the side, barely avoiding it, but before he could reposition himself, a fireball materialized in the golem's palm, and it hurled it straight at him.

The explosion rippled outward, blasting Idin backward.

Amukelo's muscles tensed, his breath ragged, adrenaline flooding his veins like wildfire. Before the golem could even process its next attack, Amukelo was already there.

He leaped toward the crumbling hole in its chest, his fingers digging into the jagged, shifting stones as he climbed with sheer desperation.

The glowing crystal was already disappearing behind the stones.

With a burst of raw strength, he lunged forward, twisting his body in the air. And then he thrust his sword forward with everything he had. The blade pierced straight through the crystal.

For a moment nothing happened. But then a sharp, hairline crack formed along the surface of the core. The cracks spiderweb slowly, until the entire crystal shattered.

A violent pulse erupted outward, sending a shockwave through the golem's entire body.

Amukelo barely had time to react before the entire construct began to crumble.

He kicked off the disintegrating structure, leaping backward just in time to avoid being buried under a collapsing mountain of stone.

The thunderous crash of debris echoed through the clearing. And then silence followed. 

Amukelo landed hard, rolling across the ground before finally coming to a stop. His chest heaving. "We... we made it." He turned to see Pao, her face pale but grinning, as she gave him a thumbs up. "Good job, Amu."

Idin groaned as he pulled himself up, his clothes covered in dirt, a fresh bruise forming on his cheek. "Yeah... we did."

But Bao was kneeling beside Bral, her fingers frantically searching through her pack before pulling out a healing potion.

She uncorked it quickly, tilting it against his lips, urging him to drink.

Bral grimaced, his face contorted in pain, but after a moment, his breathing evened out slightly. Still, his entire body trembled.

Bao's shoulders sagged with relief, but her hands were still shaking. Then, without warning, she slapped him on the chest. "Don't EVER do that again!"

Bral winced, coughing, but when he looked at her, he froze. Because Bao's eyes were glistening with tears.

She looked away immediately, trying to compose herself, but her voice cracked slightly. "You rushed in like an idiot. We could've disabled it first. We could've done this easier. You could've died, Bral."

Bral swallowed, then—through an apologetic smile—he muttered, "Thanks, Bao."

Then, his expression hardened slightly, and he exhaled.

"I'm sorry. But when I saw that man trying to escape from that thing, and it just... killed him like he was nothing—"

Amukelo, who had been catching his breath nearby, suddenly snapped his head up. "Wait—what about that man!?"