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—Acrobatics +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.

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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.

Character Sheet:

[Armor Class: 15 (Light Armor)]

[Weapon(s): Sword]

[Hit Points: 30]

[Speed: 30 feet]

Attributes:

- [Strength (STR): 12 (+1)]

- [Dexterity (DEX): 14 (+2)]

- [Constitution (CON): 14 (+2)]

- [Intelligence (INT): 10 (+0)]

- [Wisdom (WIS): 12 (+1)]

- [Charisma (CHA): 8 (-1)]

Skills:

- [Acrobatics: +4]

- [Stealth: +4]

- [Persuasion: -1]

- [Insight: +3]

Progression Stats:

[Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, passive Perception 12]

[Languages: Common, ancient language of the golem]

[Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire damage]

[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]

[Challenge (s): 3 (700 XP)]

Nimble Escape:

[The Golem Hunter can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns]

Actions:

Thunder Magic:

1. Thunderbolt

- [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]

Strategy:

[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.]

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.