Glade groaned as he came to, the pain radiating throughout his body causing him to seriously rethink several of his life's choices.

His arm throbbed in time with the angry red flashing bar, most likely warning him that his HP were low. As if he needed a reminder. At this point in his life, pain was an old friend, and his friend was currently telling him he either needed to move now or finally, blessedly, let go.

“Not today,” he growled, gritting his teeth as he forced himself into a sitting position at the base of the stone carved throne.

Warning! Your left arm has been crushed by a Stone Golem, causing multi-compression fractures from crushing damage – this may be a good time to rethink your decision making skills. -45 HP. Debuff added: - 15% to perception; + 20% to perceived pain; -10% to mental functions.

Warning! You have been thrown like the little rag doll you are by a Stone Golem into a wall of, you guessed it, stone: Miraculously, no bones were broken, but blunt force trauma to the head, chest, arms, and legs have created multiple internal injuries. - 51 HP bludgeoning damage.

Warning! Internal bleeding detected: -2 HP every 4 minutes.

Total HP Remaining: 13/120

The notifications explained why his left arm felt like a half empty box of chiclets and why Glade felt like he had been worked over by a two-ton man made of stone.

A shudder ran through his body as his remaining 13 HP dropped to 11.

“Right,” Glade sighed, inspecting his mangled left arm. “Internal bleeding.”

Dismissing the screen, Glade tried to get his bearings.

He was leaning against the base of the stone carved throne; his body numb from either shock or pain. Knowing his luck, probably both.

A crash echoed throughout the ruins, drawing his gaze in time to see Krazzik leading the Golem in a chase as Bragden leapt out from behind a snowbank, clipping the Golem just enough to draw the brute’s attention. This allowed the dwarven chief to duck out of sight behind a pile of rubble.

Bragden led the Golem on a merry chase through the ruins, the monstrosity shaking the ground with every step as it closed on the bald dwarf. The Golem closed the distance, reaching out with its arm to grab the dwarf when Krazzik appeared out of nowhere, clipping the Golem from the side and darting off in another direction. This action forced the walking mountain to change targets yet again. Then it was Bragden’s turn again to distract the walking statue, the Krazzik’s; the pair of dwarves' alternating attacks and confusing the Golem relentlessly. The very act of back-and-forth movements was utterly mesmerizing, like watching a dark comedy of inept geniuses.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Krazzik slid past the Golem on a stretch of ice, his stub of an arm swinging wildly to keep his balance. Just when Glade was certain the Golem was going to crush his newest acquaintance, Bragden came out of nowhere, striking a glancing blow with his pickaxe.

The Golem flailed as it tried to switch targets yet again, its remaining arm stretched out to crush Bragden before he could get out of range.

Without warning, a rock pinged off the back of the Golem’s head.

“I’m over here, ye sorry excuse for a garden gnome!” Krazzik yelled, hitting the Golem with another rock.

The Golem tried yet again to shift its attention mid lunge, missing Bragden by inches and crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

“NOW!” Krazzik yelled.

Kedryn’s head popped up over a snow drift with a crossbow already firmly planted against his shoulder, lining up his shot at the downed behemoth.

A loud twang rang out over the chaos, the bolt shattering against the Golem’s shoulder.

“I told ye to aim for the blue thing on its head!” Krazzik yelled, gasping for breath as he climbed up the closest pile of rubble.

“I know!” Kedryn yelled back, furiously cranking his crossbow back for another shot.

“Then why aren’t ye slagging aiming for it?” Bragden panted, already pushing away from the rising Golem.

“I thought elves were supposed to be good at hitting things from a distance!” Krazzik complained.

Out of nowhere, Riya whipped around the corner of a pillar, her arm already mid swing as she threw what appeared to be a bright glowing rock with all the grace and speed of a major league pitcher.

Confused at what he was seeing, Glade simply watched in awe as whatever Riya had thrown flew with perfect accuracy, connecting squarely with the Golem’s blue eye.

An explosion of flame and wind engulfed the Golem’s head, knocking the giant to the ground with a crash. It was in that moment that Glade realized Riya had thrown one of the magical arrowheads they had found.

There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to the elf, their eyes wide.

“We are,” she said with a shrug.

Krazzik whooped loudly, rushing toward the fallen giant with his club raised, the top of which was already glowing a familiar shade of brown.

“BRING THE HAMMER!” Krazzik yelled with a crazed grin, bringing his club down onto the Golem’s leg with incredible force.

The weapon shattered on the black stone, sending a golden wave of kinetic force into the Golem’s limb that Glade instantly recognized as the clan’s Sundering Strike technique.

The limb never stood a chance.

“STORM THE WALLS!” Bragden roared shortly after Krazzik took the monsters leg, his pickaxe mid-swing as the steel point drove into the Golem’s elbow, shearing through the black marble as if it were glass.

As a group, everyone took a step back to catch their breath, the Golem all but immobile thanks to the combined efforts of dwarves and elves.

Another shudder ran through Glade, reminding him he was still losing HPs.

“If you don’t mind,” he rasped out, causing everyone to turn his way. “Could I get some help?”