It was Elder Rowan, his lips curled with disapproval, as though he chastised a child. She recognized Elder Rowan''s stern tone, which caused her heart to skip a beat as anger swept over her, turning her blood cold.
"I''m sorry, Elder," Seren replied.
"Now you knew not to go poking around where you shouldn''t," Elder Rowan scolded gently. "You were going to get us all into trouble if you kept this up."
He let go of her ear, and Seren stood silent, staring at the ground while trying hard not to show her disappointment. Rowan sighed before speaking again. "I thought you might enjoy a tour around the mountain. It wouldn''t be long, but you should see the views before it got dark."
She stared at him for a minute as an idea formed in her mind. Slowly she smiled and raised her chin. "Thank you, Elder Rowan."
Rowan studied her silently before finally smiling back. "Don''t forget the torches!" His voice faded as he disappeared.
"Sure, Elder." Her mouth stretched into a wide grin as she looked into the distance. Without wasting a second, she turned and ran toward the direction of the stream. Once the water flowed out of her sight, she stopped and glanced around nervously as she heard some voices before stepping forward cautiously. She quickly bent down, put her ear against the ground, and started listening for the footsteps. She could hear them quite clearly now, and they were coming from the opposite direction from where she wanted to go. They were definitely coming closer, and she didn''t want to risk getting caught in their way when she had already made it so far away from the village.
Her eyes darted between the approaching footprints. As the people got closer, she slowly inched backward, ready to run for cover. The sound of shoes clicking together on the wet stone grew louder with each passing second until one pair of feet stepped right into the stream. With a start, Seren dropped behind a nearby rock, pressing herself against the smooth rock wall. The person paused for a moment to look over his shoulder before continuing his journey toward the cave. Seren held her breath, watching as the footsteps got quieter and quieter until eventually they completely disappeared. She waited until after she couldn''t hear any more, just in case, then peeked over the boulder to confirm that there was no one there. Taking a deep breath, she began moving. She began to walk toward the cave when someone pulled her back again.
"Seren?" A young girl''s voice called out. Her green eyes pierced through her, and her brown hair was tightly braided into two ponytails.
Seren felt herself yanked backward forcefully, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Panic surged through her as she tried to move away and evade whatever threat she faced, her eyes darting about wildly in search of an escape.
When she looked behind her, she gasped. Standing at the edge of the clearing was another girl, but this one was older, with brown hair tightly braided against her head in a single ponytail. Seren attempted to push past her, but the young girl grabbed her hand. "Hey! Where do you think you''re going?"
"Nowhere," Seren managed to gasp out, struggling against the strong grip on her wrist.
The other girl frowned deeply and crossed her arms across her chest. "Well come on. You can''t go around by yourself without anyone noticing." Seren looked at them warily, waiting to be dragged back into town or even worse. When neither of them moved, though, she hesitated, unsure what else to do. ¡°Look, I really don''t know who you are. But you can''t leave town alone like this. Why don''t you take us along?"
Seren shook her head violently. "I''m not going anywhere! I was just... just...." The words wouldn''t come out. She knew that if she told the truth, that would make everything even worse.
"Looking for something?" the other girl supplied helpfully.
Seren nodded and swallowed thickly. "Yeah."
"Maybe Kielia, she was going to see Garrick Lucan," the young girl said, looking at the other girl.
"Or maybe not," Kielia said quietly. "Come on, Lira. We don''t have to talk about it here¡ª"
"It''s not like that! I don''t know Garrick. I was just... Elder Rowan asked me to go out, so I came here to see the mountains..."
"Girl, you''re literally standing near the border and still managing to lie to us," Kielia snapped angrily. "You''ve been acting suspicious since we found you outside of town. What''s going on?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Seren bit her lip. "Nothing is."
"Come on, Seren Dorian! The whole village knows the story about how you always cross the borders into the Golem Realm. What is it this time? Looking for shiny rocks, if not Garrick?" Lira leaned against the rock, arms crossed expectantly.
"Yeah, or maybe you¡¯re trying to befriend a boulder. What do you think? ¡®Hey, Mr. Golem, want to grab a drink?¡¯" Kielia snickered.
Seren opened her mouth, closed it, and finally spoke. She wasn''t sure why she was telling these strangers anything. Seren stood there, a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes as she eyed the two girls curiously. Her fingers curled into tight fists. "If you insist," she answered finally. They were relentless, and she liked it, their teasing made it harder to focus on her mission.
She took a step back, pretending to consider their words seriously. "You know, maybe I should just tell you my plan."
Kielia raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "That''s what we want."
Lira crossed her arms, grinning. "Yeah, we¡¯re all ears."
Seren''s mind raced. If she could distract them long enough, she might slip away unnoticed. "Well," she began slowly, "I was thinking about finding a rare flower___Malice Bloom that only grows at the edge of the Golem Realm. You two wouldn¡¯t want to miss that, right? It¡¯s supposed to be absolutely breathtaking!"
Lira leaned in, intrigued. "Really? A flower? What¡¯s so special about it?"
Seren shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "They say it has magical properties. You know, the usual¡ªgrants wishes, brings good luck. The kind of thing you¡¯d want to show off to the whole village."
Kielia¡¯s eyes lit up. "That does sound interesting! When do we go?"
Seren feigned reluctance. "Oh, I don¡¯t know... it might be a bit dangerous. Maybe I should just go alone."
Lira¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. "But what if you get into trouble? You know we¡¯d never let you live that down!"
Seren leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Honestly, you two would only slow me down. It¡¯s a treacherous place, and I¡¯d feel terrible if something happened to you."
Kielia frowned, considering. "Yeah, but we want to keep you safe! What if you run into a golem?"
Seren waved her hand dismissively. "If I do, I can handle it. I know how to stay out of their way. You wouldn¡¯t want to risk getting caught up in any danger, right? I mean, what if we get stuck out there? Besides, I heard Elder Mara talking to the chief that the Golem Realm is in danger and something bad is going to happen there...." Seren¡¯s eyes widened slightly in panic, and she took a few steps back from the rock to avoid being seen. Kielia and Lira followed suit, staying close by and keeping their eyes on her. "So anyway, you guys should probably get back home before it gets too late," she muttered in a rush.
Lira nodded, her excitement waning. "Yeah, okay. Maybe it¡¯s better if you go alone. Just¡ be careful, alright?"
Seren smiled, relief washing over her. "I will! I promise. And I¡¯ll bring you both back something special."
They watched silently as she slipped away, disappearing into the magical borders. Lira sighed in annoyance. "What an odd girl...." she muttered, shaking her head. "I can¡¯t believe she lied about the flower. But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Let''s go back."
After a short while, Seren emerged from the shadows near the cliff face, carefully moving toward the entrance of the tunnels and the secret chamber inside of them. There was a soft rustling of movement somewhere in the darkness ahead of her. She froze as she noticed an orange glow from the corner of her eye and quickly looked back toward her hiding spot, afraid of what might be lurking there. The faint glow continued to grow brighter as she stared into the dark, growing ever nearer.
"Shit..." Seren murmured under her breath. This definitely didn¡¯t seem good. Without hesitating, she took off running deeper into the passageway in search of safety. As she ran, however, she heard a sudden rumbling sound and realized the stone walls shifted. She had no idea what was happening but figured it was best to get farther away before she ran into whatever caused the rumblings. After a few minutes of sprinting, she reached a fork where both paths met; one went left toward the front of the mountain, and the other continued forward. She glanced around for a moment until she spotted a narrow opening between the wall opposite her and decided to take that path.
Seren kept going further and further into the passageways and tunnels. Every once in a while, she stopped to listen and look around for any signs that there might have been people who came here before her, but they were gone. All she had was herself and her thoughts. She began to feel completely alone, and more than once, she thought she saw figures moving through the darkness ahead of her, but when she looked again, they were already gone.
Eventually, she made it to the point where she had to start climbing. That meant climbing the sheer walls of the cave, with the only access to the surface being through another opening at the end of the tunnel. She didn¡¯t particularly enjoy climbing up cliffs because they were slippery and dangerous, especially when they were covered with small sharp stones. Still, she had to find a way out sooner or later. Suddenly she felt herself slipping, sliding across loose rock and dirt. She reached out desperately to pull herself up just before she lost control and fell, her entire body crashing to the floor below. She groaned softly when she hit the hard cave floor, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
After recovering from the shock, she tried to regain her bearings. It didn¡¯t really help much. The passage was empty except for the sounds of heavy breathing and footsteps echoing through every direction. Slowly, she crawled across the dusty floor, trying not to let her fear overwhelm her. It sounded like they were heading right in her direction, and she couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted. She heard something move above her, the noise almost silent. She froze for a moment, unsure of whether to continue crawling blindly onward. Then she forced herself to crawl faster, praying silently that it wasn¡¯t someone following her. She knew she was not alone, and that frightened her more than she cared to admit.
The Cave in Golem Realm
After a minute or so, she managed to get back up onto her hands and knees. Taking deep breaths, she cautiously peeked over a rock she had previously hidden behind to glimpse her surroundings. There seemed to be nothing nearby, but the silence in the cavern unnerved her. She slowly rose to her feet and moved carefully in case she was wrong about the direction she headed. This was the only thing she hated about the Golem realm: the maze-like cavern she had to cross if she wanted to find out about the ancient scroll. It held the knowledge of the Elemental Convergence. Unfortunately, many dangerous creatures lurked there, many of which weren¡¯t friendly.
She shook her head, trying to banish the memories of her encounter with the giant spider. She pushed open the small tunnel that led outside and peered out, searching for an exit. The entrance was blocked by huge boulders that formed an impassable barrier. Ahead, at the end of the passageway, she heard voices. She peered around the rock, staring intently. A group of three men, clad in simple black armor, stood together on the path. One man walked forward, carrying a shield and holding a sword in his hand. The other two followed, each brandishing different weapons. They appeared to prepare for combat, but she knew that wasn¡¯t the case. There was no need to prepare; they were already prepared.
She watched as their eyes scanned the area for signs of danger. When none came, they turned to face the cave, waiting in anticipation for something. She took it as a sign to leave before they found that she was there. She didn¡¯t want to find out what they would do to her once they discovered her. They were the Old Soldiers, famous as walking shadows in the Golem realm, protecting their people. These warriors, once fierce protectors of the realm, had received a second chance at life through a mysterious mechanism said to be crafted by the gods. With their bodies preserved by enchanted gears and magic, they served as guardians against dark forces.
These Old Soldiers lived in constant fear of an ancient curse¡ªone that turned the mightiest of warriors into mindless shadows, consumed by the very darkness they fought against. The legends spoke of the Waking Shadows, malevolent spirits that preyed on the souls of the fallen, seeking to draw them into an eternal night. To avoid this fate, the Old Soldiers followed a strict code:
The first ceremony honored the fallen. Every month on full moon nights, they held a ceremony to honor their comrades who had perished. They believed that remembrance kept the shadows at bay, as the spirits of the fallen would guide and protect them. The people gathered at a sacred clearing nestled within the forest. The air filled with a palpable sense of reverence as the villagers prepared for the event.
The second involved cleansing rituals. They performed cleansing rituals using sacred herbs and chants, believed to purify their spirits and shield them from the darkness. The rituals were meticulous, with each step designed to reinforce their connection to the light. The third was the Guardian''s Mark. Each Old Soldier bore a unique mark, a symbol of their bond to the land and its magic. They renewed this mark under the full moon, a reminder of their purpose and a protective barrier against the shadows. And the last one involved avoiding temptation. They shunned places of sorrow and despair, believing that the shadows thrived in the presence of fear and regret. Laughter and camaraderie became their armor, for joy was a potent shield.
Seren slowly took a step away from the opening and waited until all three soldiers disappeared into the cave before returning to the main cavern, making her way toward the main passage again. She couldn''t help but remember the conversation from earlier that day. "What if I ran into them again?" she thought, closing her eyes as a holographic screen appeared in the air.
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| Skills:
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[Stealth: +5 (DEX)]
[Persuasion: +4 (CHA)]
[Insight: +3 (WIS)]
[Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Passive Perception 12]
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[Dexterity (DEX): 16 (+3)]
[Constitution (CON): 14 (+2)]
[Intelligence (INT): 10 (+0)]
[Wisdom (WIS): 13 (+1)]
[Charisma (CHA): 15 (+2)]
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| Actions:
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Target: One creature
Damage: 1d10 fire damage
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Target: One creature
Damage: 1d6 + 3 (DEX modifier) slashing damage
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: One creature
Damage: 3d6 fire damage
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
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To avoid the shadow soldiers, Seren could use her Nimble Escape to disengage from combat and then hide to reassess the situation. Her heavy armor provided solid protection, while her fire powers gave her strong offensive capabilities.]
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"I already made quite a mistake. Maybe I should just leave¡ª" Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud thump coming from one of the entrances, followed by several shouts. She looked up, expecting to see the Ancient Soldiers returning, but instead saw a figure emerging from the cave. Her eyes widened, and she quickly hid behind the rocks, watching as the person emerged, looking confused.
"What the heck¡" He muttered, taking off his hood to reveal long, wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail, green robes, and a pair of golden bracelets. He wore a silver belt that held various daggers. "What the hell is going on out here?"
"Garrick," she whispered his name softly under her breath.
Garrick glanced down at the floor, seemingly checking to see if he spilled something, but his eyes focused solely on the large boulder in front of him. He stepped closer to the boulder, raising his arms above his head, extending his hands outward until they touched the boulder. His palms glowed a bright yellow, matching the glow emitted by his staff. He closed his eyes and began chanting a strange syllabic language, his lips moving quickly. Soon a small stream of sparks erupted from his hands and flowed upward, reaching toward the ceiling of the cave. After a few seconds, Garrick opened his eyes again and released the stream. He immediately jumped backward, shaking out his hands before he looked down, examining the ground for any traces of footprints. Seeing that there were none, he sighed before turning around and leaving the cave.
"Garrick, down!" Suddenly, he heard Seren''s voice and he turned around. In an instant, a firebolt came down on Garrick. He fell to the ground and hit his head. His eyes shot open suddenly, revealing a dull orange color. Garrick felt pain surge across his body, but before he could react, a massive explosion of light erupted behind him. Seren had used one of her spells; she was so close, and yet Garrick missed his opportunity.
"No!" Seren screamed, watching helplessly as Garrick crumbled to the ground, his eyes remaining lifeless.
Garrick lay there dumbfounded for a moment until he finally recovered. He got up slowly before dashing after his opponent. Seren ran toward him and dragged him away.
"What have you done?" he yelled angrily.
"What happened?" she wondered, glancing around at the smoke-filled cave.
"Why did you attack me?" he growled, trying desperately to pry himself free.
"You weren''t paying attention, and those walking shadows tried to attack you, and I just saved you," Seren said proudly. "You should thank me."
"By attacking me with your firebolt," Garrick mocked sarcastically. He looked around at the wreckage around him. Everything seemed destroyed. Flames rose from the walls of the cave.
"So? Did I win?" she asked.
"Yes, you won." He sighed as he looked at his condition.
"But now the guards would come and take care of us. Why did you not fight with your magic? Didn''t you realize that this was a trap? They''ll kill you," her eyes softened as she looked at him.
"Who cares? What does it matter if my life is forfeit? We already lost everything," he sighed, "It doesn''t matter anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Seren asked.
"This is the 110th time, and I tried to awaken my Golem, but it never worked. This is my fourth day in this cave."
"Are you serious? I don''t understand how you stayed here for four days?" she asked, shocked. "Aren''t you worried about being caught?"
"I didn''t think the guards would risk it since we were clearly not a threat, and even if they did, what was the point? They already knew I was a sorcerer who was soon going to awaken a Golem," he laughed.
Suddenly, the sound of voices reached their ears. Garrick pulled Seren behind a large rock. It was two guards carrying torches.
As they walked past the cave, both stopped and peered inside, scanning the area for any sign of activity. They continued their walk, eventually disappearing through another opening farther down the path. "They were up to something that time," Garrick whispered. Seren nodded in agreement.
"They probably returned later to check the area," Seren observed.
"They better have gotten back early if they expected to get anything that night," Garrick chuckled darkly.
"What did you mean?" she asked.
"When the sun set, there was no one left to protect us," he explained grimly.
"How did you know?" she questioned.
"Didn''t you know about Elemental Convergence?" he asked seriously as he leaned against the wall. "After the dawn of morning, there was nothing but emptiness, darkness, and hunger. No light nor heat. And when night fell¡ the only things left alive were the shadows that lived within the depths of the earth, where they remained until sunrise."
Seren listened silently, thinking to herself about the consequences of what he said. This was what her village Elders talked about¡ªthe dangers of the world outside¡ªand soon everything was going to end. Only she knew who was doing this and why they wanted to destroy every living creature in this realm. Maybe she could help them.
"You could stop hiding," Garrick spoke, startling her out of her trance. "We were safe here."
But that was merely a thought. As soon as they came out from behind the rock, one of the walking shadows attacked them. The guard quickly threw his sword and blocked it, sending sparks into the air. Garrick drew forth the dagger that he kept in his silver belt, using the tip of the blade to deflect some of the blows thrown at her, but one managed to graze her thigh with ease, making her yelp. Garrick slashed across the face of his attacker, making it retreat. Before Garrick could finish him off, the other guard came running over and slashed a slash across his chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Seren rushed forward and attempted to stab the soldier''s arm, but the guard was quick to block, and retaliated by slamming a fist into her stomach and kicking her in the chest, knocking her backwards. She fell onto her hands and knees. "That one hit really hurt," she groaned.
She pushed herself up and rolled to the side. The guard was ready for her next move, but she didn''t make it. To save herself, she quickly threw the fireball right into the guard''s chest, sending him flying backwards. Once she was on her feet again, Seren quickly dashed around, attempting to dodge the remaining swordsman. He spun around and delivered another blow, forcing her to jump back. A series of attacks quickly followed, each one hitting harder than the last. But Seren was too quick, dodging all the incoming strikes without even realizing it, until she was able to land a powerful uppercut, which sent the guard crashing down. The guard got back up quickly and launched an attack towards Seren. However, she easily dodged and kicked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
As the other guard recovered, Seren looked at Garrick. "Do you need healing? I didn''t have many potions, but I would try to find some." Garrick simply shook his head and grabbed his staff, charging it up once more. He pointed the shaft of the staff at the remaining guard, sending a wave of thunder rushing toward him. The flaming sphere quickly encased the figure in flames, burning him to death. With one down, Garrick returned to the center of the room, staring down at his opponent and glaring as much as he could.
Creature of dark magic
The second guard stood quietly behind the first, observing the fight from a distance. When Seren started attacking, she ran toward Garrick and raised her hand above her head. Immediately, a ball of flame erupted from her fingertips and flew toward the guard who was about to attack Garrick. It struck the mage square in the chest, throwing him against the opposite wall of the cavern. He crumpled to the ground, and his mechanism stopped, but she didn''t know for how long.
Garrick held her hand, and they started running deeper into the cave, away from the guard. They kept going until the light around them grew dim, and they heard a sound that resembled the roar of an angry animal in the distance. Garrick pulled out his sword. ¡°Stay here, and I''ll be back.¡± She nodded, and he ran off. In seconds, he came back alone and dropped down beside her on a large slab of rock. The ground trembled beneath their feet. ¡°There are two more guards. They¡¯re in a small chamber with the door blocked. We couldn''t get to them,¡± he reported breathlessly. ¡°I had no idea where our next path led...¡± He glanced around, searching for the source of the noise, and Seren followed his gaze.
She pointed to a shadowed tunnel at the far end of the cavern, and he nodded. They both jumped to their feet and sprinted toward the tunnel. When they reached it, they saw three more guards waiting for them there. They were all men, probably of lower status than the previous ones. Seren couldn''t tell much about them because she had never met any of the mages she fought before. All the soldiers wore the same dark grey robes and swords in their belts. The only difference in color was the purple sash tied around the neck of one. None of them wore any sort of insignia or identifying mark. The leader stood in front of them and gave an order to his minions.
Seren saw something hanging from the leader''s belt. It looked like a bottle or a piece of glass, but it didn''t make any sense for him to carry a flask around when he was fighting two opponents on his own. He must have had an accomplice or some kind of weapon in addition to his swords. There had to be another way for the guard to carry it without being noticed. It looked heavy too¡ªmaybe a magic artifact or an ancient scroll. Seren looked up to meet the leader''s eyes, and suddenly everything went dark. The last thing she heard was a scream, and she felt smoke surrounding her. Then, she woke up lying on the stone floor. She turned her head and saw the cave walls stretching endlessly in every direction.
The air around her filled with white vapor. Everything in her surroundings was pitch black. No sounds could be heard anywhere. All she knew was that there was nothing but her and those walls in front of her. There was not even anything in between. If she tried moving closer, she would simply pass through the wall. So she stayed still. She couldn''t even see anything except for the white fog surrounding her, but she was confident that she wasn''t surrounded by walls. Her instincts screamed at her to stay put, but then she thought about Garrick. Would he think she was dead? Maybe he had already passed through this place. Or maybe he didn''t know she was gone. She tried to call his name, but all that came from her mouth was a faint whisper, which seemed so loud in the silent room. She hoped that he was okay.
"Seren..."
¡°Seren...¡±
Suddenly, she heard a faint voice calling her name. She couldn¡¯t be sure if it was real or just her imagination, but there was definitely someone calling her. ¡°Seren!¡± he called again, and there was no mistaking it¡ªGarrick was calling her.
Her heart raced faster. ¡°We''ve been found out!¡± she shouted at Garrick.
¡°We had to escape!" He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the exit. ¡°Come on, we could outrun them, but we needed a distraction! A diversion so we could escape!¡±
It took them several minutes to move through the white fog, and the entire time they heard the sounds of approaching footsteps getting louder, and then there was silence. Finally, they made it out of the cave. The moment they got outside, Seren looked over and saw Garrick collapsed on the ground, conscious. As soon as she was able to stand without passing out, she rushed over to him. She fell to her knees. ¡°Garrick,¡± she whispered. His eyes fluttered open, and he slowly sat up. Then he gasped in surprise.
¡°What happened?¡± she asked. ¡°You disappeared, and you called me. Why did you do that?¡±
¡°You...you vanished...¡± he stuttered, trying to explain. She helped him to his feet. ¡°I was scared because I couldn''t find you, and I couldn''t feel your energy anymore. So I panicked." He looked confused, and she noticed his arm was bleeding. "But you''re okay now, right?"
She smiled and hugged him. ¡°Of course, I''m fine.¡± Suddenly, she remembered something. ¡°I wanted to go back."
Garrick blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±
"I wanted to go back..." Seren repeated in a panic tone. She stepped away from him and started walking toward the entrance, but Garrick held her hand. "Why?"
"I wanted to get that bottle that the guard had," Seren said, still looking straight ahead. Garrick watched her closely. Something seemed wrong.
¡°Which bottle and which guard?¡± he asked again, sounding concerned.
Seren hesitated. "Just now, Garrick, I saw the guard with the bottle that holds the ancient scroll containing the secrets of the Elemental Convergence. I needed that."
¡°No, you''re not going there,¡± Garrick replied immediately.
¡°What do you mean, ''No?''¡± Seren exclaimed. "I came here just for that, Garrick."
He took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, let''s go," he agreed quickly. But before they set off, he paused and added, "Just for the bottle, though. After that, you''ll go back to your realm." He turned on his boots and headed straight for the cave. Seren followed him, not really understanding why he acted differently, or maybe out of fear.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Garrick stood at the entrance of the cave, the shadows stretching before him as the last light of day faded. A strange energy pulsed from within, wrapping around him like an unseen force. It was an unsettling sensation, one that stirred both curiosity and apprehension. Yet he pushed it aside, focusing on the task ahead.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Seren¡¯s voice broke through his thoughts, steady and resolute.
¡°More than ever,¡± Garrick replied, determination sharpening his features.
She had come too far to turn back now. As they stepped into the cave, the darkness enveloped them, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient secrets. The walls stretched out around them, forming a vast labyrinth and forcing them to walk single file. They moved cautiously along the paths, careful to avoid any obstacles that might slow their progress. They walked past numerous tunnels leading to unknown places, which led to unknown dangers, such as traps or pitfalls. They passed a large pile of rocks blocking a path. The rocks lay scattered around the pile like leaves floating across the river. As they approached the rocks, an eerie green glow appeared above and around them. When they neared the rocks, the light began to grow brighter, creating the illusion of a glowing pathway before them.
They continued on through the glowing path until they reached a stone bridge. Once they crossed the bridge, the corridor opened up into a huge hall with a massive throne placed at the far end. On either side of the throne, torches lit the room from below. In the center stood another throne covered in a thick fur blanket, the colors of which matched the one on the opposite side. At the foot of the throne were two other guards who had drawn their swords and lowered them threateningly.
They ignored the distractions as they walked even deeper. Again, he felt a stronger energy resonating in time with his heartbeat. But Garrick pushed it aside; he couldn¡¯t afford any distractions. He had a mission: to retrieve the bottle and ensure Seren''s safety. "Stay close," he whispered, glancing at Seren.
¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe?¡± she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
¡°It¡¯s a risk we had to take,¡± Garrick replied, though unease gnawed at him.
He had never ventured into this part of the cave before, which was why he felt uneasy and sensed the strange energy. But he had no choice: the bottle was more important than anything else in the world. And Seren¡he had promised himself that she wouldn¡¯t be hurt ever again. So he decided to ignore the feeling. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like it meant something bad; it just meant they had to proceed with caution.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Seren asked, gripping her sword tightly.
¡°More than ready,¡± Garrick replied, his determination palpable. ¡°But we needed a plan to confront the guards. They weren¡¯t just mindless soldiers; they operated on some kind of strange mechanism, like in those old tales.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Seren nodded, her mind racing. ¡°We could use distractions to split them up. I could create some noise on one side, and you could slip in from the other.¡±
Garrick thought for a moment. ¡°I could channel a thunderous blast to draw their attention. Once they were distracted, you could make your move.¡±
Seren¡¯s confidence surged. ¡°And if they got too close, I could use my Nimble Escape to disengage. I¡¯ve got my spells ready: a Firebolt for ranged attacks, or I could use my Flame Blade if things got too heated.¡± She knew her armor would help her withstand a few blows, but she¡¯d also rely on her agility to evade strikes.
¡°Perfect,¡± Garrick said, glancing at the chamber¡¯s entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±
With a deep breath, they stepped deeper into the shadows of the cave, the air thick with anticipation. The faint glow of torches illuminated the stone walls, and as they ventured deeper, the strange energy intensified. They didn¡¯t have to look to know where the guards were hiding; there was no mistaking their presence.
The first one to appear caught them completely by surprise: an enormous beast stood on all fours at the other end of the hallway, towering over them, its body hidden by a black cloak. "A creature of dark magic," Garrick mused. With his enhanced vision, he made out the details. This being was about the same height as the guards and roughly the size of a normal humanoid. From what he observed, it didn¡¯t have facial features like other beings he had encountered, only two glowing red eyes and a wide gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth.
As the dark cloak fell to the ground, Garrick saw its long muscular arms extend outward from a pair of short arms attached to its lower limbs. One of the arms ended in a claw while the other ended in a sharp point. Each of these claws had at least three fingers, although each one ended in a different color: a bright yellow claw was the color of sunlight shining through the cave; a red claw shone like blood.
¡°So that¡¯s where that monster came from,¡± Garrick murmured. Seren nodded silently beside him. The thing had to be the dark golem, the creature they had seen before awakening it. Now Garrick had another reason to destroy the dark golem: so that it couldn¡¯t awaken any others. Seren looked at her holographic screen before striking it.
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[Hit Points: 30]
[Speed: 30 feet]
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- [Dexterity (DEX): 16 (+3)]
- [Constitution (CON): 14 (+2)]
- [Intelligence (INT): 10 (+0)]
- [Wisdom (WIS): 13 (+1)]
- [Charisma (CHA): 15 (+2)]
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- [Stealth: +5 (DEX)]
- [Persuasion: +4 (CHA)]
- [Insight: +3 (WIS)]
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[Languages: Common, Infernal]
[Damage Vulnerabilities: Psychic damage]
[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]
[Challenge: 1]
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1. Firebolt (Ranged Spell Attack)
- [Range: 120 feet]
- [Target: One creature]
- [Damage: 1d10 fire damage]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
2. Flame Blade (Melee)
- [Range: 5 feet]
- [Target: One creature]
- [Damage: 3d6 fire damage]
- [Casting Time: 1 bonus action]
- [Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes]
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| Combat Strategy: |
[To navigate confrontations effectively, Seren could employ her Nimble Escape to first hide and wait for her turn before attacking. This allowed her to reassess the battlefield, using her superior Dexterity to dodge incoming attacks. Her fire powers, particularly Firebolt and Flame Blade, provided strong offensive capabilities against multiple foes, while her armor ensured she could withstand damage.]
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Change of plan
They stayed silent as they watched the creature carefully. Finally, it shifted slightly, and Seren raised her sword to strike, but Garrick grabbed her wrist and shook his head, signaling for her to stay quiet. As much as he hated leaving Seren alone against this enemy, he didn¡¯t put her in danger by placing her in front of the attack. He focused and concentrated, trying to summon lightning to his hands, then attempted to cast the Lightning Bolt spell. However, all his efforts resulted in failure. His power remained stagnant. No matter how hard he tried, he could muster no lightning, no thunder, nor heat.
¡°This is not good,¡± he whispered as he stared intently at the dark golem.
His attention turned suddenly towards a sound behind him. A figure slipped silently through the darkness in the direction of the dark golem, its movement almost invisible as it moved with the stealth +5 and silence typical of most demons. For a moment, the shape stopped near the dark golem, as if listening. Then, without warning, it dashed forward. The shadowy figure raised her flame blade and struck the monster directly. Sparks flew, and the creature howled in agony as it stumbled backward into the wall. Then the figure raised its flaming weapon again and charged toward the monster, its steps echoing across the great hall.
Garrick''s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he saw it was none other than Seren. He couldn''t believe she was so reckless to face something that powerful all on her own! He didn¡¯t have time to consider his options as the shadow approached. The figure swung her fire blade, and it struck true. Sparks flew in every direction, and Seren landed back on the floor in a heap. Garrick gritted his teeth and prepared to fight. This was their only hope for getting out alive. But his attempt proved futile as he watched in shock while Seren slowly crawled to her feet. Blood trickled down from her left eye where the creature had struck her. It was a miracle she hadn¡¯t lost her eye yet, or worse.
¡°Are you alright? Did it hurt you?¡± Garrick quickly walked over to her.
Seren shook her head numbly. She looked around, and finally her gaze settled on the shadowy figure standing across the room, her flaming sword still raised. Her expression held an emotion Garrick had never seen before.
"When I told you to stay behind, why did you attack?" Garrick asked, his voice full of anger. "You could have been killed!" Seren lowered her gaze. After a while, she murmured a single word, ¡®sorry¡¯ in an exhausted tone. He scowled, angered that she had put herself in harm''s way.
"Do not apologize for your actions! You should be proud that you fought back instead of lying and cowering like a useless girl," Seren flinched as though struck, and Garrick''s anger instantly dissolved as quickly as it had appeared. It was hard to get angry at a young woman who was only trying to protect herself from a monster.
"I... I had to confront this monster," Garrick was just about to intervene when she threw the blade aside and ran toward the golem. Seren leapt up onto one of the black rocks scattered about in the room.
¡°Watch out!¡± Garrick yelled, filled with concern. But as he watched, Seren jumped over the dark golem again and landed right next to it. It screeched in pain and surprise. Garrick realized that even a creature had a weakness: fear. With this new knowledge, his fury flared anew. He cast a thunderball in response, striking the dark golem and sending sparks flying. He sprinted after Seren, but the golem was too quick to regain its position.
As it brought its claws down on her right leg, she screamed, the sharp edges cutting through the bottom of her trousers and drawing blood. Seren cried out in pain and staggered. Her left hand reached out for the stone beside her. Garrick watched helplessly as she desperately tried to grasp it. Just as the golem lifted its claws once more for another blow, Seren wrapped her fingers tightly around the rock.
Her right hand trembled violently as she struggled to raise her sword, but finally, she managed to bring her weapon to bear. Before the beast could move, a bright light erupted from the blade as Seren prepared to strike. But the creature was too quick; it lunged forward, claws poised to attack. Just in time, Garrick stepped between them, shielding her with his own body. The creature''s claw grazed Garrick''s shoulder as it withdrew.
Seren looked at him in horror. Without hesitation, she launched another fireball at the creature, which dodged it with ease. Garrick''s heart began racing in panic. If they did nothing, then the golem would take both her life and her magic system away. If they attacked, they would kill it first. In desperation, Garrick called upon his lightning, the lightning that flowed inside of him and that he could use in battle. But again, it didn¡¯t work. He could conjure neither lightning nor air.
¡°Stop it, Garrick, and get out of here first!¡± Seren urged, pulling him behind the rock. ¡°It¡¯s safe there, at least for the time being.¡±
Garrick groaned in pain as the wound on his side burned. He knew that Seren was right, but there was nothing else he could do. He turned around and looked at the creature. Its arms stretched out towards the two of them, and Garrick heard the sounds of bone cracking and shattering, as if the thing was breaking a limb.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
He looked back at Seren and took a deep breath. ¡°Be careful, and don''t try anything foolish again.¡± He hoped he sounded reassuring enough.
Seren smiled weakly at him. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Garrick. I should have listened to my system,¡± she said, frustration evident in her voice. ¡°I should have waited before attacking,¡± she admitted, regret heavy in her tone.
They heard its guttural roar in the distance. Garrick closed his eyes as the sound echoed across the great cavern, shaking the very walls. He heard Seren sob quietly. He forced his eyes open and looked at her in worry. She looked pale and shaken, and he felt bad for making her feel guilty.
¡°Don''t blame yourself. We''re going to get through this,¡± he assured her, but she merely nodded.
The golem continued to charge toward them, but it slowed as it approached the narrow space between the two rocks where they hid. Its glowing eyes narrowed, glaring angrily at Garrick. It snarled loudly in frustration, clearly enraged by its predicament. Garrick could tell the golem struggled to contain itself, and it seemed to grow even stronger each time it roared in fury. The noise vibrated through the cavern and caused vibrations through Garrick''s very core. Even the stone beneath Garrick and Seren shook.
Garrick clenched his jaw at the sight of his best friend suffering and the creature attempting to destroy everything he loved. Seren stood next to him, her body trembling in fear, but she refused to show any signs of weakness or doubt. She was determined to defeat the golem, but Garrick feared she wouldn¡¯t survive the battle. They were doomed if the creature didn¡¯t stop soon.
"Seren, listen to me. This golem is unlike anything we''ve faced before. It feeds on fear and doubt," Garrick said urgently. ¡°We can¡¯t go in there together. The golem is too powerful."
Seren¡¯s eyes widened with concern. ¡°But what do we do then?¡± she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"We''ll need a distraction," Garrick mused. He looked back at the creature, which stood still as a statue. His gaze focused on them.
¡°You go and take the bottle from the guards, and I¡¯ll deal with the golem,¡± he said firmly. ¡°We came here for that.¡±
"But we¡¯re stronger together! We can¡¯t just split up. What if something happens to you?" She shook her head. "No way am I letting you fight alone." She looked around, searching for inspiration. ¡°We need help!¡±
Garrick glanced over the chamber. Dozens of pillars littered the floor, some large enough to hold up three of his opponents. However, they were far too short to provide any real protection against the creature. And besides, it wasn¡¯t like there was much they could do anyway.
¡°I didn¡¯t see a better idea coming," he sighed reluctantly.
"Then let me fight with you!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips defiantly. "Besides the guards are always on high alert. They won¡¯t just let me waltz in and take it."
"It¡¯s too dangerous here," Garrick shook his head. "I can draw its attention. You have to get the bottle from the guards."
"What if something goes wrong? I''ll just end up losing myself in this place. Then it will be no use, anyway."
"I believe in you. You¡¯re quick, and you know how to blend in. If anyone can do it, it¡¯s you," he stated, giving her a reassuring smile. The words warmed her heart. Despite his protests earlier, he couldn¡¯t ignore that she cared so much about their safety. A small part of him wished he hadn''t made such a decision.
"What if you can¡¯t hold it off?" Seren''s voice trembled. "What if it breaks through the door while I¡¯m gone?"
Garrick''s expression softened at her distress. "Then you need to promise me something. If I¡¯m not back in ten minutes, you leave. You find somewhere safe."
Seren stared at the ground. "But-"
He gripped her shoulder and made her look at him. "You have to, Seren! This isn¡¯t just about us anymore. It¡¯s about everyone depending on us. If you get that bottle, it could turn the tide," he explained, looking directly into her eyes.
"But¡ what if I couldn¡¯t get it? What if I failed?" Tears brimmed in her eyes, her face grew red, and tears began streaming down her cheeks.
Garrick wiped one away and placed his free arm around her shoulder. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. You faced danger before. Remember when we snuck past those mercenaries? You were brilliant!¡± he said seriously. ¡°We needed that ancient scroll. That¡¯s what this mission was about. Remember what we told ourselves?¡±
"That was different, Garrick¡ this was a golem made of shadows and despair." A small smile broke through her panic as she sniffed. "And I''m not sure I remembered that correctly."
"Well... remember now."
"Okay..." she whispered in uncertainty. She paused for a moment. "But you had to promise me you¡¯d stay alive. No heroics."
Garrick gave her shoulders a slight squeeze. ¡°No promises. You knew me too well."
Seren gripped Garrick¡¯s hand tightly, her voice trembling. ¡°Just be careful. I couldn¡¯t lose you, Garrick.¡±
Garrick squeezed her hand back reassuringly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. Now, go! I¡¯d be right here when you got back.¡±
She hesitated momentarily, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, but then she nodded and darted off as he instructed. With one last glance at the ominous door, Seren felt her heart race. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the dark corridor, determination propelling her toward the guards. Garrick crept along the top side of the stone wall and made his way to the back door. It was locked. He scanned the area, searching for an entrance somewhere. There wasn''t one, but maybe there was a window above that led up to the roof. But it would mean climbing up the pillar.
Seren dashed down the corridors, ignoring the burning feeling in her feet, knowing she must have been leaving her mark behind her. When she reached the guards, she was immediately tackled to the ground, her attacker slamming her to the cold floor as a boot connected to her ribcage. She grunted in pain as the air knocked out of her lungs, forcing her to cough up a mouthful of dirt. Her attacker lifted his foot from her ribs, allowing her to take several deep breaths before reaching for her sword. She managed to pull her dagger from her boots and throw it at his leg, hitting the skin and causing him to howl and pull his leg away.
Seren faced the guards
Using the opportunity, she quickly rose to her feet and dived for his legs, slashing at them mercilessly. He shouted in pain, dropping his sword, and fell heavily onto the ground. She scrambled away from him as he pulled himself up and grabbed his weapon again. This time, when he reached for her, she ran away in desperation. Unfortunately, he had other plans. He caught her by surprise as he lunged forward, grabbing her by her ankle. She tumbled to the ground with a startled yelp as his weight hit her with the full force of his body.
Her breath left her as she skidded on the hard floor, his knee digging painfully into her chest. She pushed herself backwards, away from him, and tried to scramble away. However, she didn¡¯t get very far before he lunged once more, this time using his weight to pin her to the floor, straddling her waist with his thighs as she fought valiantly to shove him off. His fist collided with her cheek with a loud crack, and she instantly saw stars, her head spinning violently from the blow. She gasped in pain and struggled desperately to push him off of her, but she couldn¡¯t move his bulk any further.
She felt her strength begin slipping away, and a sense of helplessness set in as his heavy weight pressed down on her chest and prevented her from moving. The only option she could see was to stay still and hope that somehow, he would give up. Her heart sank. This was it. No more running away from him, no more hiding, no more fighting. She was going to die here on the dirty ground beneath her tormentor. Her eyes closed against her will, tears filling the corners. Her lungs burned. She knew if he killed her like he planned to, they would never find her body- it would just be gone, buried under another pile of trash. Another blow slammed into her chin, knocking her head hard against the cold stones. Dazed, she struggled to regain her senses as she watched her assailant approach.
Her hands scrabbled weakly behind her, trying to find something that might help her escape, something to defend herself, anything that might even remotely slow him down. She heard a soft scraping sound behind her and froze as she recognized what it was, what she needed to do. With a final surge, she twisted, flipping their positions so now he was pinned under her. He struggled briefly against her weight and managed to free an arm to grab her wrists, but then she shoved all of her weight into one last push. A sickening crunching noise broke through the air, followed closely by silence. She slowly lifted her head to look down. His face had been crushed flat.
She stared down at it blankly for several seconds before her brain finally caught up with her actions, screaming at her for daring to kill him with such ease. But it hasn''t been easy. It certainly wasn''t pleasant. In fact, it had nearly killed her, too. And yet¡ She had done it. She dashed forward, sword drawn, her heavy armor clanking as she moved. The guards, startled by the sudden noise, began to turn, but Seren was already in motion.
¡°Hey! Over here!¡± she shouted, drawing their attention fully.
One guard lunged at her, and with a quick sidestep, she dodged his attack. ¡°I¡¯m faster than you think!¡± She countered with a swift Sword Attack, the blade slicing through the air and catching him off guard. He stumbled back, but not without retaliating. She felt a sharp pain as another guard¡¯s fist struck her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Still struggling to regain her breath, she lashed out with another Sword Attack, hitting the third soldier squarely across the face. He crumpled to the ground, his mechanism stopped working, and she kicked him over with her foot. She moved quickly, her heart racing as she grabbed for her sword. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she prepared to face whatever came next. The corridor felt darker now, shadows looming around her as she steeled herself for the fight ahead.
As the soldiers charged forward, she held up her sword, ready for them to strike. They attacked in perfect unison - all three coming in at the same time, each one attempting to use their superior numbers against her. She met their blows head on, deflecting them, deflecting attacks from every angle, blocking and countering and counterattacking. They were relentless, and she wasn¡¯t about to allow herself to fall prey to their overwhelming odds. If she couldn¡¯t win, neither could her attackers. Her enemies were determined to break down her defense, though she was unwilling to let them succeed. Every blow brought on another pain. A sharp slice along her arm drew blood.
She bit her lip against the pain, pushing through it. She kept on attacking until she could take no more. As the guards began to wear themselves down, she stepped back. The momentary pause gave her time to catch her breath. She raised her injured hand, her teeth clenched against the pain. Blood dripped from her fingertips onto the cobblestone. Pain bloomed across her ribs as they drove her against the wall, driving her head against the stone. A stab in her side brought on intense agony. An elbow hit her in the throat and forced her to spit blood. Suddenly she was falling backward as one of the guards leapt at her but she managed to dodge his slash. The guard landed and she scrambled to get upright, but then he was charging right towards her again. She rolled out of his reach and got back to her feet. As she turned her attention back towards the others, she noticed that two of the guards were unconscious on the ground, and the remaining two were staring at her with wide grins.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°That one hit really hurt,¡± she groaned, but she quickly regained her stance, rolling to the side to avoid another blow. The first guard was recovering, and she seized the opportunity, throwing a Firebolt right into his chest. The flames burst forth, sending him flying back against the cave wall. As he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Another guard rushed forward and jumped at her. She managed to dodge his attack and block a second punch before lunging forwards, plunging her sword into his neck, twisting sharply, making sure to cut cleanly through the artery as she did. He dropped to the ground, unmoving, and she continued to fight the remaining soldiers. She slashed her way through a fourth guard, then dodged a sword thrust and stabbed the last soldier through the shoulder, pulling the blade out of his flesh before the soldier toppled to the ground and died. Panting and shaking, she lowered her sword as her vision blurred. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she could hear faint footsteps approaching.
She looked up in time to see one of the guards who had attacked her rush past her. He was reaching for his belt. With another cry of frustration, she dove for him, knocking him onto his back with a powerful kick, her weight crushing his ribs. She held her sword over his throat, ready to end his life if necessary. She quickly left him there without killing him and walked off to find the guard with the purple sash who had the bottle. She used her Nimble Escape to slip away from the fallen guard, her movements swift and silent. With each calculated step, she darted through the shadows, feeling the tension in the air. She glanced around her in the darkened corridors of the carven to make sure that there weren¡¯t any more guards nearby or waiting for her.
Finally she reached the stairs leading to the cellar. The dim light filtering down to the bottom lit the steps. She slipped inside the room, searching blindly in the dark. After searching frantically for several minutes, she spotted the familiar blue glow shining from underneath a large barrel in the corner. She quickly made her way over, ignoring her wounds. Her fingers brushed lightly along the barrel, testing it to determine whether she was correct. Once she had confirmed that it was the one she wanted, she pulled the lid off gently, holding it above her, ready to swing downwards.
She knelt down beside the barrel and peered underneath. There were some crates piled there and, picking one up, she threw it aside. Inside lay a long length of rope. It took her several tries, but eventually her fingers hooked around the handle of the knife hidden within the rope, and with a grunt of effort she pulled it out of its hiding place. A single blade slid easily free, and she tossed the rope aside, turning her attention instead to the cask at the other end of the barrel. Catching the edge between her hands, she heaved upwards with all of her strength. The container tilted slightly and she strained harder. It tipped over completely and fell heavily to the ground behind her. Quickly she snatched up a crate to hide the weapon while still remaining visible enough to see whoever entered the room. When the figure came into view, her brows rose, her mouth dropping open as she gasped in surprise.
It was him. He stepped forward into the beam of light, revealing himself to her in gray robes and a purple sash. The fabric swayed slightly as he moved, and she noticed the bottle still hanging from his belt. It had the ancient scroll. The bottle''s contents glowed with a soft light, hinting at the magic contained within. She focused intently on him, recognizing that this was her chance to turn the tide of the battle. She took a breath, her heart racing, knowing this could be the moment that changed everything. She lunged at him with a speed of 30 feet, her dexterity of 16 +3 giving her a swift and agile edge. With a Strength score of 12 +1, she reached out, aiming for the bottle at his belt. Her heart raced, fueled by adrenaline and a resolve that surged within her. Every ounce of her dexterity and strength focused on this moment as she closed the distance, ready to seize the ancient scroll and turn the tide of the confrontation.
He saw it all in slow motion: the blade swinging down toward him, her eyes fixed on him, her lips curved into a cruel grin, the anticipation and excitement in her eyes. At the very last minute, he instinctively twisted out of the way. The tip of her blade sliced deep into the top of the barrel instead, splintering the wood as the liquid within spilled over. He cursed as she followed up her attack, slashing across his arm and forcing him to drop to the ground, where she pinned his arms with a knee.
¡°Aww! That was fun,¡± she said, lifting her arms.
He flapped wildly in the air as his body turned, allowing him to duck under her attack. The momentum of her swing carried her onward, but before she could recover, he leaped forward, landing directly on top of her. In an instant, the world went black, the impact stunning her and stealing her breath away.
As she struggled to regain her senses, her mind raced. She knew she had to use her +5 Acrobatics to wriggle free from beneath him. With a sharp inhale, she focused on her surroundings, relying on her +3 Insight to assess the situation quickly. If she could just shift her weight and use her agility, she might still turn this fight around. ¡°I won¡¯t let you win,¡± she thought, determination igniting within her as she prepared to fight back. But before she could move, he suddenly released her, taking a step back and letting her fall to the floor. She landed in an awkward position, and her breath caught in her throat as the pressure on her stomach pushed the air out of her lungs. For the briefest moment she considered surrendering, but the words never passed her lips. Instead she kicked backwards, catching him squarely in the knees as he bent over to retrieve his fallen sword.
Found the ancient scroll
Without warning, he swept the tip of his sword upward, hitting her square in the chin. She fell onto her back as the force of the blow sent her crashing into the barrels. She felt the wind knock from her lungs as she stared at the ceiling. She was strong, she was fast, and she could move faster than anyone else ever could. But so far, she wasn''t nearly fast enough. As she struggled beneath him, her mind raced, trying to think of something clever. She recalled everything she had seen and heard about him, focusing on her skills.
With her +5 Acrobatics, she knew she had to exploit her agility. If she could just create a distraction, perhaps she could escape his grip. She thought about using her +5 Stealth to blend into the shadows, catching him off guard. But first, she needed to gauge his next move, relying on her +3 Insight to read his intentions.
¡°Think, think!¡± she urged herself, searching for a way to turn the table. If she could outsmart him, she might just reclaim the upper hand.
Suddenly she heard a loud crack. She raised her head in time to catch a glimpse of the tip of his sword piercing through the wood at the top of the barrel. She didn¡¯t hesitate to leap to her feet, running as fast as she could in the opposite direction of where she had been sitting. She could hear heavy footfalls behind her, echoing throughout the tunnel. She knew if she stopped moving for even one second, he would catch up to her. She sprinted forward as fast as her legs could carry her, ignoring the pain tearing at her chest and abdomen and concentrating only on putting as much space as possible between them.
As she ran, she cast her glance behind her. She could still sense him following closely behind her. She clenched her jaw tightly, willing herself to run faster. She could almost feel the tip of his blade nicking at her heels, threatening to pierce her leg and draw blood. She forced her muscles to move faster, pushing her limits.
Suddenly, without warning, she stumbled, tripping over a pile of loose rocks. She rolled, barely managing to keep upright, her vision going blurry. Pain pulsated through her ankle as she hit the ground. She grit her teeth against the sting. She needed to stop. She tried to raise herself up on her hands and knees, only to feel two hard fingers clamp over her shoulder. Her eyes flashed wide as she looked up at the guard standing over her, his eyes staring intensely. His expressionless face gave nothing away as he tightened his hold on her shoulder. A surge of fear shot through her veins, causing her to tremble violently. She slowly brought her head up. Their faces were mere inches apart now.
He leaned towards her, tilting his head slightly to the side. Suddenly, he lifted her into the air and tossed her over his shoulder. She screamed in panic, gripping desperately onto his shoulder as they swung through the darkness. Suddenly the lights of the cavern disappeared as the sound of clanging metal faded away into silence. She continued struggling against him, screaming incoherently, until she found herself lying face down on the cold stone ground.
Maybe she could trick him into underestimating her. She racked her brains for anything she might remember, and then it hit her: Firebolt.
It was a ranged spell attack, capable of hitting a target up to 120 feet away. With a casting time of just one action, she could unleash it instantly, dealing 1d10 fire damage. If she could create a distraction or mislead him into thinking she was defeated, she might catch him off guard and strike.
Determined, she focused on summoning her magic, preparing to unleash the firebolt at the right moment. All she needed was a chance to turn the tide and show him just how dangerous she could be. Suddenly he dropped her to the ground again, sending a shock wave throughout her entire body. She cried out in agony, cradling her left arm close to her chest as she collapsed to the ground.
She opened her eyes; he was close enough that she could tip her flame blade to his chest, its fiery glow illuminating the darkness around them. With a swift movement, she focused her energy, recalling the details of the spell. The Flame Blade was a melee attack with a range of just 5 feet, targeting one creature and capable of dealing 3d6 fire damage.
She felt the heat radiate from the blade, and with her heart racing, she declared, ¡°This ends now!¡± The casting time had only taken a bonus action, and now she concentrated on maintaining her hold, ready to strike. The flickering flames danced dangerously close to him, and she could sense his hesitation. This was her chance to reclaim control of the situation.
Her voice shook as she shouted, ¡°Now I activate my weapon''s attribute, +20 HP!¡± She watched as his features morphed from indifference to surprise. Before he could react, the flame blade sailed past his ears, slamming directly into his chest.
When she disrupted his mechanism, he fell unconscious, and she quickly snatched the bottle containing the ancient scroll from his belt. With a heavy sigh, she lay back on the ground, utterly exhausted but filled with pride.
Her Hit Points stood at 30, and her Speed was 30 feet. She reflected on her attributes: Strength 12, +1, Dexterity 16, +3, and Constitution 14, +2, which had all played a crucial role in her victory.
As she rested, she thought about her skills¡ªAcrobatics +5 and Stealth +5 had helped her maneuver effectively, while her Persuasion +4 and Insight +3 had kept her sharp during the confrontation.
With darkvision extending 60 feet and a Passive Perception of 12, she felt secure in her surroundings. The battle had tested her, but now she knew she could rely on her special ability, Nimble Escape, to hide if necessary. Despite the exhaustion settling in her bones, she couldn''t help but feel triumphant. She had faced a challenge and emerged victorious, the scroll now in her possession.
Garrick shook his head as he surveyed the area once more. This could not be happening. The dark golem was still growling at him, and Garrick¡¯s fingers were itching to get rid of it. He couldn¡¯t climb up the pillar because of it. He could feel something inside of him wanting desperately to strike out with magic and destroy the evil creature, even as part of him knew that he would probably fail spectacularly at killing it if he tried. The golem was made entirely of darkness, after all, which made it nearly impossible for Garrick to see any sort of weaknesses he might exploit. It was simply too hard. He was stuck with only thunder magic - a small one at that - against this dark being of pure malice. The only way to deal with it would be to take its life, but that didn¡¯t appeal in the slightest.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Garrick sighed loudly. ¡°What am I going to do now?¡± he muttered as he looked back at his own body, surrounded by darkness. His skin had gone an unnatural greyish pallor, like the skin of dead fish. ¡°It¡¯s not really me, is it?¡± he asked himself.
That thought alone was enough to make him want to puke, though he couldn¡¯t really explain why. Was the corruption in his soul making him sick? Perhaps. Or maybe it was just that he had a weak system. He still had to awaken a golem for himself if he wanted to level up. But it seemed that there was no way for him to do so. Not without doing everything over again.
He groaned softly as he turned to look at the golem one last time. Its red eyes were glowing brightly, glaring at Garrick from across the room. He glanced at his system as the holographic screen appeared in the air.
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| Attributes: |
- [Dexterity (DEX): 14 (+2)]
- [Constitution (CON): 14 (+2)]
- [Intelligence (INT): 10 (+0)]
- [Wisdom (WIS): 12 (+1)]
- [Charisma (CHA): 8 (-1)]
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- [Stealth: +4]
- [Persuasion: -1]
- [Insight: +3]
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[Languages: Common, ancient language of the golem]
[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]
[Challenge (s): 3 (700 XP)]
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| Actions:
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Thunder Magic:
- [Range: 60 feet]
- [Target: One creature]
- [Damage: 2d6 thunder damage]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A bolt of thunder strikes the target, creating a loud noise that can be heard up to 300 feet away]
2. Thunderwave
- [Range: Self (15-foot cube)]
- [Target: Creatures in range]
- [Damage: 2d8 thunder damage, and pushed 10 feet away]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from the Hunter, pushing enemies back and dealing damage]
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| Strategy:
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[The Golem Hunter utilizes stealth to approach the dark golem unnoticed, employing an Insightful Maneuver to assess its attack patterns. He uses the Dodge action to minimize damage while preparing to unleash his thunder magic. With spells like Thunderbolt and Thunderwave, he can deal significant damage and create space when overwhelmed. Utilizing the cave''s features for cover, he remains mobile, striking swiftly with his sword and retreating to avoid capture, all while harnessing the power of thunder to turn the tide in battle.]
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As the dark golem growled and charged toward Garrick, the tension in the cave electrified the air. He quickly readied his Thunderbolt spell, feeling the surge of magic coursing through him. With a swift motion, he aimed at the approaching golem, calling forth the power of thunder.
"Now, let''s see how you handle this!" he shouted as he unleashed the spell. A bolt of thunder shot forth, striking the golem directly. The impact resonated with a loud crack, echoing through the cave and filling the space with a vibrant energy. The golem, momentarily staggered by the blow, felt the force of the thunder rip through its rocky exterior, dealing 2d6 thunder damage.
The noise, a booming roar, could be heard for miles, signifying the intensity of the battle. He prepared for the next move, knowing that every moment counted as the dark golem closed in. In addition to taking damage during combat, the golem¡¯s physical defense depended on its HP. Once damaged, the monster would cease to function. As long as the golem remained alive, he could maintain his advantage. Garrick would need to make quick work of it. The dark golem moved forward, its massive legs shaking.
He summoned another bolt of thunder with both hands, aiming to drive it into the enemy. However, at that point, the golem stopped moving, instead focusing its attention completely upon the human. Its face contorted in anger, and it took off running towards Garrick. The creature was gaining on him fast, and despite the golem hunter being protected by several layers of armor, the sudden burst of speed was disorientating. Garrick stumbled backwards, falling onto the ground. The golem approached, and before Garrick could react, the creature reached down, grabbing hold of him with two clawed hands and hoisting him up by the shoulders of his armor. The claws cut deeply into Garrick¡¯s flesh, drawing blood from where they dug in as the golem lifted Garrick high into the air.
He struggled, trying to escape the grasp of the strange creature, but to no avail. He looked at the creature in horror as it pulled him upwards, crushing his lungs as it squeezed, causing his throat to burn with the effort of breathing. Garrick choked and struggled, unable to breathe properly due to the pressure and the iron grip the creature had on him. Then, as abruptly as it began, the squeezing ceased, and the golem tossed Garrick aside as if he weighed nothing. Garrick hit the ground hard and rolled over twice, coming to a stop with his back pressed against the wall.
Blood dripped from a gash in his cheek, staining the dust and gravel beneath his palms red. The golem stood above him, looking down as if examining a prize it had won. Garrick''s vision swam dizzily as he gasped for breath, gasping for air as he tried to control his heart rate, his breathing. After some time passed, he recovered enough to raise his hand to try to heal himself of the wounds the golem had dealt. The wounds immediately faded, leaving them as smooth and unbroken as ever.
A Golem Awakens
Garrick rose unsteadily to his feet, his gaze fixed upon the dark figure standing mere meters away. He could not see it well enough to determine whether its red glow was due to the flickering light from the torches surrounding the golem or if its skin were actually burning with a flame inside itself. He could barely make out the details of the monster''s shadowy form against the bright blue glow emanating from within its chest -its hunched posture, hunched head, bulging red eyes.
All he could see was the glowing white shape behind it. The golem took a step closer, looming above Garrick with its giant size. It raised its arms slowly, bringing them to rest above its head and stretching out as if it had to stretch itself out as much as possible to get as close to Garrick as possible. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to move as the golem drew closer, not even as the golem reached out with its hands, closing in around his body. His hands trembled uncontrollably as the golem grasped his neck in between its fingers. He tried to cry out, but found that he didn¡¯t have enough strength to summon any kind of sound. He could feel the huge warm hands pressing into his windpipe, squeezing, crushing it until it was almost impossible for him to speak.
In an instant, Garrick felt his entire life flash before his eyes. He saw his family, saw them laughing. Saw their faces. Saw himself on the floor, crumpled and dying in a pool of his own blood. Saw the look of disappointment on his mother''s face. Saw his father shaking his head and saying, ¡°You can''t do this to us Garrick, you can''t¡±. He saw himself, standing alone by the lake, staring down at the ground in shock. He saw his mother¡¯s tears spilling over her cheeks as she watched him walk away. Garrick closed his eyes tightly, hoping that maybe all those images would go away when he opened them again, but it only made his vision blur more rapidly than it already was.
Suddenly, Garrick remembered a conversation that he hadn¡¯t heard in years: his mother crying into his shoulder, ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair, Garrick, how could they do that? Why can¡¯t they leave me alone?¡± Her words were muffled by the fabric of his coat. He had held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut tight, praying that she wouldn¡¯t hear the tremble in his voice. But she had always been able to hear everything he did say, no matter what he was trying so hard to keep quiet about, so he knew that she would know immediately just how broken he really felt. Only he possessed enough strength to save his mother and prevent their divorce.
The dark golem threw him back against a stone wall hard enough that he slid to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs and causing his body to ache violently. His eyes remained closed as his consciousness fled and left him lying on the cold, stone floor, surrounded by darkness and pain. The golem grunted. Its mouth stretched wide open, revealing rows upon rows of razor teeth that gleamed unnaturally in the pale illumination coming from inside the gaping maw of the golem.
Garrick couldn''t let this be the end. The thought of Seren, whether alive or lost, fueled his determination. With the dark golem barreling toward him, he summoned every ounce of his strength and channeled his magic into Thunderwave.
¡°Not today!¡± he shouted, as he unleashed the spell in a powerful surge. A wave of thunderous force erupted from him, sweeping through the cave. The energy crackled as it moved outward in a 15-foot cube, enveloping the dark golem and any other creatures nearby.
The spell roared to life, dealing 2d8 thunder damage and pushing the golem back 10 feet. The thunderous boom echoed off the cave walls, reverberating like a storm. Garrick felt the weight of the magic course through him, giving him a moment of respite as the golem stumbled, momentarily disoriented.
This was his chance to regroup and search for Seren, knowing he couldn¡¯t give in to despair while there was still a fight left to be had. His gaze darted back to the tunnel, then back to the golem, searching desperately for some sign of movement. It seemed to hesitate, unsure of what to do next. The golem turned, facing a different direction for the first time since Garrick arrived. Garrick could see his opportunity, so he bolted towards it and charged forward. Before the golem could react, Garrick had tackled the creature and pinned it to the floor. He slammed the heel of his palm against the creature¡¯s exposed throat, forcing his magic onto it. As it convulsed under the onslaught of magic, the darkness faded and the golem went limp. Garrick released it.
With one last burst of adrenaline, Garrick gathered the energy in his chest and launched Thunderwave once more. This time he focused the magic on the golem, hoping that he might cause it some physical damage. The dark golem grunted as the attack impacted it, crumbling away and leaving it bare and vulnerable underneath. Garrick used that opening to roll away from it, taking advantage of its weakened state. He jumped to his feet, his fist clenched in anger as he glared at the fallen golem, ready to unleash yet another spell. The spell roared to life, dealing 2d8 thunder damage and killing him on the spot.
Garrick was surprised that the golem made a noise in such deep silence. The sound came from its throat, filled with thousands of small black beetles that flew out from within the creature¡¯s chest. In less than a second, the entire area was covered in black beetles, each clinging to the body of the creature like burrs to a tree branch. The beetles writhed, crawling along the flesh until they had completely engulfed the monster. It twitched several times but otherwise remained unmoving. Garrick stood frozen as he stared at the golem in horror, unable to move, helpless to avert the fate that he had caused.
As the darkness finally consumed the golem, Garrick felt the grip on his mind loosen slightly. His eyes snapped open, focusing once more on reality. The sound of beetles buzzing around him snapped Garrick out of his trance, forcing him to shake his head sharply to clear his vision. The beetles dissipated from his surroundings in a flurry of activity. He looked up, gasping slightly as the image of the golem dissolved around him. His heart pounded wildly against his ribcage as his breathing returned to normal. For a few moments, he forgot everything except for the fact that he needed to find Seren. Then he heard a high pitched whirring sound coming from directly behind him, causing his ears to ring and making it hard to focus. There was something else there as well, but Garrick couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. He strained to see it, straining to listen.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
He could sense the vibrations of whatever was behind him, but it was too faint. He had never experienced anything quite so strange in his entire life. Even though it was familiar to him, nothing was ever quite this loud. The sound grew louder until he was sure that if he continued paying attention to it, he would eventually find it. Within its stone walls, a powerful golem rested¡ªan embodiment of stone and magic, waiting for a master to awaken it. Many had come to claim its strength, but none had succeeded. He felt the same energy rush inside him that he experienced when he entered the cave with Seren. He knelt before the colossal statue of the golem, tracing his fingers along its intricately carved stone. Garrick remembers his name¡ªhis true name¡ªknown only to a few. He recalls the Council of Elders, their wary glances as they spoke of him in hushed tones. ¡°The Lost One,¡± they had called him, exiled from a world that once embraced him.
He closed his eyes, grounding himself in the ancient magic surrounding him. He whispered incantations from forgotten tomes, his voice steady and clear:
¡°__Awaken, spirit of stone,
Elemental force, hear my call.
With earth and sky, I seek to bind,
Together as one, let our strengths combine.
From the depths of the earth, rise with might,
Guardian of the valley, join me in this fight.
Let our spirits intertwine, as the winds entwine the trees,
I pledge my heart and soul, so come forth and seize.__¡±
As he spoke, he felt a connection spark between them, a flicker of awareness igniting in the golem¡¯s eyes, responding to his words with a deep, resonant energy that pulsed through the air. His eyes shot open, watching intently as the light began to glow. The golem¡¯s figure began to melt away, becoming smaller, and smaller until it disappeared completely. Soon after, the stone walls of the cave collapsed, bringing down with them an avalanche of stones that blocked off the entrance and created a thick layer of dust to obscure any signs of the previous battle. After a long moment, the dust settled, clearing the room away from where he lay.
Slowly, the golem began to stir, its immense form awakening from centuries of slumber. Garrick''s heart raced as he sensed the golem¡¯s power responding to his call, a deep bond forming between them. The golem''s stone features softened as it took its first steps, moving toward him with a deliberate grace that belied its size. Garrick stood firm, feeling the weight of the connection deepening as the golem drew closer. Each step echoed in the temple, and he could feel the energy radiating from the golem, a fusion of earth and magic that enveloped him in warmth. It was as if the golem recognized him not just as a master, but as a partner in a shared destiny. He is no longer the Lost One; he is Garrick, reborn from the depths of the earth, ready to reclaim his place in a world that still needs him.
He held his breath, anticipating the moment that the golem will take the final step toward him, ready to meet him halfway as equals and become one, as partners and friends, companions and master. It''s orange eyes locked onto him, burning with the fiery glow of life. The glow slowly morphed into a warm golden hue, and its body began to shimmer, as if the colors were reflected off the surface of water. In the center of his chest, a large white gem appeared, glowing brightly, casting its own light upon the room.
"Rise, spirit of earth, let us bring our forces together." A blinding flash of brilliant light emanated from the golem, engulfing both of them in the brilliance. When the light cleared, Garrick found himself standing before the golem, arms crossed, staring down at the giant, imposing figure that bore the likeness of his own form. He smiled as he glanced at his dashboard again. His system became more powerful.
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| Attributes: |
- [Dexterity (DEX): 16 (+3)]
- [Constitution (CON): 16 (+3)]
- [Intelligence (INT): 12 (+1]
- [Wisdom (WIS): 14 (+2)]
- [Charisma (CHA): 10 (+0)]
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| Skills:
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- [Stealth: +6]
- [Persuasion: +0]
- [Insight: +5]
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[Languages: Common, and ancient language of the golem]
[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]
[Challenge (s): 7 + 2,800 XP]
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Thunder Magic:
- [Range: 60 feet]
- [Target: One creature]
- [Damage: 4d6 thunder damage]
- [Casting Time: 1 action ]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A powerful bolt of thunder strikes the target, creating a loud noise that can be heard up to 500 feet away.]
- [Range: Self 15-foot cube]
- [Target: Creatures in range]
- [Damage: 4d8 thunder damage, and pushed 15 feet away]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from the Hunter, dealing damage and pushing enemies back, potentially knocking them prone.]
- [Range: 60 feet]
- [Target: Golem ally]
- [Effect: Allows the Golem Hunter to issue one command to the golem, which can be executed immediately on the golem''s next turn.]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: The Hunter can command the golem to attack, defend, or use a special ability, enhancing teamwork in battle.]
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| Strategy:
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[With the awakening of his golem, the Golem Hunter''s power surges significantly. He utilizes enhanced thunder magic to unleash devastating attacks, such as Thunderbolt and Thunderwave, capable of overwhelming multiple foes. This newfound strength, combined with the golem''s resilience and his ability to command it strategically, makes him a formidable force in battle, able to dominate his enemies and protect the valley.]
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Garrick was proud that after spending so many years in misery and struggle, he had finally awakened the golem and become its master. But he didn¡¯t know that he had awakened the most powerful and ancient golem: Tharok.