The two giant golems charged and rammed their fists with the strength that can crush a bear to the bones. Right on when the four seasoned warriors dispersed away. Using her natural agility, Maven climbed the wall and jumped all over, occasionally striking right at the joints of the crystal giants. The opponents were unfazed and kept throwing punches. The girl easily evaded their heavy and slow attacks.

Elsewhere, a golem fist was already an inch away from Declan, who was accompanying Maven in fighting the punching golem. What was worse, the cleric still suffered from the wave residue of the golem’s powerful punches. Declan fell on the slippery crystal floor of the palace. He tried to get up, before slipping and getting up again by leaning on the nearby crystal wall.

Suddenly, another fist was about to hit him in the face. Instinctively, Declan dodged to another way. The fist crushed the wall behind him, scattering the crystals and leaving a narrow crater where the scattered crystal pieces were.

Noticing the opponent’s tendency against Declan, Maven tried to sneak behind the golem. Quickly she climbed on the crystal monster until she reached its crown.

Then she thrusted one Treacherous Stab with both her daggers on one target, the ruby golemium crystal eye. The chime of blade cracking on its glassy surface and the crystal dust it scattered was followed by a cracking noise coming from Maven’s ribs. The pain reverberated through her bones.

The golem swept its hand blindly against her, like a man would slap a fly roosting near its eye, and made a clean hit. It was more than enough to send the little elf flying far away. Truly a hefty price to pay, but it wasn’t in vain. Maven fell in sitting position, plagued with crushing pain all over her body.

When she reopened her eyes, she found Declan leaping very high. The young man was thrusting his trident while shouting, “Eat this, glass-eyed giant! Singular Voice of Truth!”

Again the sound of collision between metal and crystal could be heard. This time even louder.

The giant golem was stunned. A moment later it fell to the ground. Declan pulled out his trident and stomped over the giant crystal corpse. He then bounced acrobatically backwards to land squatting on the floor.

The hard-muscled man then approached Maven. “Here, let me treat your wound.”

“No need," answered the weakened girl. “It’s not that bad, I’ll recover in a minute. You should go to Reyl and Sophia with your ‘perfect tactic’.”

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“Oh, all right. Take care, Mave.” Declan dashed away.

Rather far from there, the racketry of fighting was still going on, with its chimes of colliding hard things. Maven sighed, then turned her gaze towards three black silhouettes the size and shape of man dashing right towards her.

What a pinch! Maven tried to rise up, but a punch already landed on her before she could do it. It felt like being hit by a sledge hammer.

Maven moved her hands. Suddenly a pair of hands sneaked from behind, arrested and locked her shoulders and nape. She was unable to move. The first black figure then showed its face, which turned out to be a mere red orb. It then changed its two arms into a pair of long blades and charged to finish Maven. Her eyes were wide open in desperation.

Suddenly a bigger figure stroke at the black one, pushing away its deadly limbs.

Before Maven could recognize the big figure, another much smaller one immediately swung its sledge hammer to crush the red orb on the face of the black thing.

Tension on her shoulders loosened. She squirmed quickly and thrusted her dagger backward without looking, breaking another red orb on an enemy’s face into pieces. Her Treacherous Stab brought it down swiftly.

The pain from her previous wounds returned to plague over Maven. Before her she could faintly see the two figures, big and small, approaching her. The elf readied her combat stance, and only sighed in relief when it became clear who they were.

“Bangor and Tobar!” She greeted cheerfully. “You came right on time to save me one more time. Again, I thank you!”

The bear replied with a soft grunt. Then the beast dashed to attack the remaining crystal golem. While the dwarf with braided beard took out a red healing potion, shed a few drops of it onto Maven’s outer wound on her shoulder.

“You must be out of your mind, little elf. For the second time you were alone, surrounded by strong enemies.”

Maven smiled weakly. “Well, what can I say, perhaps it’s my talent to draw myself into pinches and get saved all the time, no matter how careful I would be… Ah, by the way, what has brought you guys here? Doesn’t Tobar…”

Bangor lifted his shoulders, “Well, that’s animal instinct for you. At first he ran way in fear, then next moment he turned around and entered this place himself. Besides my hunch is pestering me to guide y’all brave younglings out of this place alive, also to quench my curiosity about the core of this palace, the only place I’ve never entered so far. Oh, right, I do recognize this place, and this place is in fact the reason I live in this forest.”

“Well then, Bangor,” Maven who could feel her wounds closing and recovering rapidly, quickly rose up. ”Let’s go help our friends!”

==oOo==

When Maven and Bangor caught up with their friends, Reyl’s sword had already been buried into the eye of a golemium who was already scattering on the ground, no different from a fallen statue.

“Thank you, Declan for this perfection,” complimented Reyl sincerely and softly, while Declan only nodded under Maven’s sharp glare.

“Ah, it’s Bangor and Tobar!” Sophia was ecstatic to find these reinforcements.

“I’m so glad you’re here. With your help we can surely reach the core more quickly.”

“Hey, hey, who said we’re going to guide y’all into the palace? Y’all misunderstood.” Bangor raised his palm. He then smiled. “We’ll also fight along y’all to the end. Don’t ask why, y’all come with us now!”