"What the hell is he doing?!" Alicia shrieked, clutching her staff.
She watched in horror as Lucien sprinted vertically up the Golemâs shin, defying gravity with sheer momentum and Agility stats.
But the Gatekeeper wasnât just a pile of rocks. It was a machine designed to kill intruders.
WIRRRRR.
The mana vents located on the Golemâs chest and shoulders suddenly glowed blindingly bright.
"Lucien! Get back!" Alicia screamed.
[Defensive Protocol: Mana Venting.]
HISSSSSS!
Superheated steam infused with raw mana erupted from the Golemâs armor plates. It was an omnidirectional blast designed to fry anything clinging to its body.
"Tch!"
Lucien clicked his tongue. He couldnât tank that. Even with the Rune, his skin would melt off before it could heal.
He kicked off the Golemâs thigh, launching himself backward into the air just as the steam exploded where he had been standing a millisecond ago.
He landed in a roll, skidding across the stone floor.
"Alicia! Donât just watch!" Lucien roared, racking the bolt of his shotgun as he stood up. "I canât get close while itâs venting! Disrupt its balance!"
Alicia jolted. The fear in her eyes was replaced by the instinct of a warrior who had been given a direct order.
"Disrupt... right! I just have to knock it over!"
She gripped White Edge.
She channeled her mana. The rapier didnât just glow; it ignited. A wreath of swirling crimson fire spiraled around the blade.
[Magic Swordsmanship: Flame Waltz]
Alicia didnât run; she glided. She dashed to the right, flanking the Golem while its attention was fixed on Lucien.
The Golem saw her. It raised its massive foot again to crush the annoying fly.
STOMP!
Alicia didnât stop. She slid under the falling foot, the stone crashing inches behind her heels.
"HAAHH!"
She sprang up, slashing at the back of the Golemâs knee jointâthe only spot where the adamantite plating was thin to allow movement.
CLANG! BOOM!
The fire-infused blade bit into the joint. An explosion of magical energy detonated inside the knee mechanism.
CREAK... SNAP.
The massive stone leg buckled.
The twenty-foot giant stumbled. Its center of gravity shifted violently. It flailed its arms, trying to stay upright, abandoning its defensive venting protocol.
"Nice assist!"
Lucien didnât waste the opening.
[Skill: Adrenaline Surge â Active]
The world slowed down.
Lucien sprinted. He didnât aim for the legs this time. He aimed for the weapon.
The Golem, unbalanced, tried to swing its massive stone greatsword to clear the area.
Lucien jumped
onto
the flat of the falling blade.
He ran up the sword, sprinting along the length of the stone weapon like a bridge.
The Golemâs ruby eyes flashed frantically. It raised its free hand to swat him.
"Too late."
Lucien leaped from the hilt of the sword, soaring through the air.
He collided with the Golemâs chest.
He didnât stick the landing gracefully. He slammed into the stone, grabbing onto a protruding armor plate with one hand.
The Golem roared, its chest glowing blue as it prepared to fire a beam from its core.
"Alicia! Cover fire!"
"[Fireball]!"
From below, three spheres of concentrated flame slammed into the Golemâs face, blinding its sensors for a crucial second.
Lucien pulled himself up. He was inches from the Core. The translucent blue barrier hummed with energy.
He raised his left hand. The black, oily mist of [Mana Corrosion] swirled violently.
"Open wide."
He slammed his palm onto the barrier.
ZZZZZRT!
The sound of magic screaming filled the room. The corruption spread instantly, turning the blue shield grey, then black.
CRACK.
The barrier shattered like glass.
The raw, pulsating blue Mana Core was exposed.
The Golem shriekedâa mechanical sound of terror. It tried to grab Lucien.
Lucien didnât move. He released his grip on the armor with his left hand and swung his right hand forward.
He jammed the barrel of the Benelli M4 directly against the glowing crystal surface of the Core.
"Game over."
He pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
Click-Clack.
BOOM!
Click-Clack.
BOOM!
Three shots. Point blank. Tungsten slugs designed to pierce armor.
The Core didnât just crack. It exploded.
A shockwave of blue mana blasted outward, throwing Lucien off the Golemâs chest. He flipped in the air, landing on his feet (and stumbling slightly) next to Alicia.
Rumble...
The light in the Golemâs eyes died instantly.
The massive titan froze. Then, slowly, painfully, it tipped backward.
KABOOOOOOM!
The giant crashed to the floor, shaking the entire dungeon. A cloud of dust rose up, settling over the silence.
"..."
Alicia stood there, panting, her rapier lowered. Her hair was messy, her dress singed, and her face covered in soot.
She looked at the pile of rubble.
She looked at Lucien.
"We... we did it?"
Lucien dusted off his shoulder, checking his ribs. They were already healing.
"I told you," he grinned, though he was sweating profusely. "Easy."
[Ding!]
A bright blue holographic screen appeared in the air, floating above the wreckage.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have defeated the Area Guardian: Ancient Combat Golem!] [You have conquered the âPrismatic Plainsâ (Hidden Boss Room)!]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Contribution Analysis]
Lucien Ashborne: 65% (Tactical Command, Core Destruction)Alicia Valemont: 35% (Support, Limb Disablement)
[Rewards Acquired]
[Titanâs Heart (Rank: A)]
Type:
Crafting Material / Mana Source.
Description:
The pristine core of an Ancient Golem. Contains immense earth-attribute mana. Can be used to craft High-Tier artifacts or upgrade golems.
[Skill Book: Iron Skin (Passive)]
Rank:
C+
Effect:
Increases physical defense by 15%. Skin becomes tougher against blunt force trauma.
Lucien whistled, swiping the screen.
"An A-Rank Core and a C-Rank Skill Book? Not bad for a dayâs work. The drop rates in reality are much more generous than the game."
He walked over to the rubble, kicking aside a chunk of basalt, and picked up the glowing blue Titanâs Heart. It was heavy, warm, and pulsed with a rhythmic thrum against his palm.
"This will be useful later," he muttered, stashing it in his inventory.
Then, he picked up the leather-bound Skill Book. He didnât use it. Instead, he tossed it through the air.
"Catch."
"Huh?"
Alicia fumbled, barely catching the book before it hit the ground. She looked at the cover: [Iron Skin].
"Me? But... Boss, you did the dangerous part. You tanked the hits."
"You broke the leg. Without that, I would have been fly-swatted into a stain on the wall," Lucien said, dusting off his hands. "Besides, I donât need something like that. My [Rune] handles my survival."
He walked past her toward the exit.
"You, on the other hand, are squishy. I canât have my butler breaking a bone every time she gets hit. Learn it."
Alicia looked at the book, then at his back. A complicated expression crossed her face, but she clutched the book tightly.
"Thank you... Master."
She hurried to catch up.
"Oh! The vibrations... theyâre calming down, arenât they?"
As she said, the terrifying tremors that had been shaking the dungeonâs foundation were subsiding. The dust settled, and the ominous roaring from the deep earth faded into a hum.
Alicia let out a breath of relief.
"We really did catch the Area Guardian, just the two of us. Thanks to that, it seems the disaster has been resolved cleanly."
"Resolved... I wonder."
"Pardon?"
Lucien stopped at the doorway. He smirked, checking his watch.
"As I have been saying all along, Alicia. The Prismatic Plains was merely the âplaceâ where the quest occurred. Hunting the Field Boss here had nothing to do with the âclearâ of that quest."
"Then... why did we kill it?"
"To act as a Trigger."
Lucienâs eyes glinted in the dim mana light.
Earlier, he wasnât sure if the Hidden Event would trigger properly, given how much the timeline had shifted. But the moment the Golem fell and the vibrations ceased, he knew.
The gears had locked into place.
"Rather," Lucien said, opening the door to the staircase, "you should see this as the beginning."
*****
âYou were a child born to hear the voice of the world.â
It was a faded memory, worn thin by time and resentment. The scene was unclearâa warm room, the smell of old paperâbut the voice within it was still clearly engraved in her mind.
The voice of her father. The man she had trusted. The man who abandoned her.
âSo... if the world ever needs you. Please, lend it your ear.â
From the moment she heard those words, her life had ended.
Her âcurseâ had begun.
Darienâs world was always filled with noise.
It wasnât sound. It was thoughts. Desires. Greed. Fear. Lust.
Being able to read othersâ minds just by closing the distance meant that quiet rest had no place in her life. Walking through a crowd was like walking through a screaming storm. Sleeping in a city was impossible without heavy sedatives.
Some in the Church called her ability proof of Sainthood. A divine gift to guide the lost lambs.
â...My ass.â
She gritted her teeth, twisting the massive mana valve in front of her.
She didnât particularly want to tear apart the doctrines of the Silent Vigil. They were the only family she had left.