"Why did you accept his request? You could have refused," asked Rio curiously as we had left Underworld and were on our way back to the city, a journey that would likely take 10 minutes.
"Because I don't want to owe him. Besides, he gave us his invention for free. The least we can do is help him, especially since he wants to improve Faker.
Isn't that a very good thing? So, there's no point in refusing" I explained while looking at the pair of gloves I'm now wearing, making me smile to feel that I'm no longer a walking burden that only relies on other people's abilities, but also my own.
"However, we still need to test the device first. We need to understand how it works and how accurate the information provided by Henry is. Because if what he said is true, the device should be better than he thinks.
Just imagine if you could use Tier 10 magic. Even at half the power, it would still be a high-level magic that could change the course of a battle," Celine exclaimed with enthusiasm, imagining herself using such powerful magic.
It was something that had always been a source of pride for races with immense power like the Angels and Demons.
"I didn't realize you were so interested in magic, Celine," exclaimed Rio with a smile, discovering that her friend had a hidden hobby. "I always thought of you as a knight who solely dedicated her life to the sword. Is this a new side of Celine that I didn't know?" she teased.
Celine simply turned her face, trying to hide the reddish blush that made her face resemble a tomato. I could only laugh along with Rayven, seeing the once stern and cold knight transform into an ordinary woman who could also blush.
This feels... soothing. Truly, it's been a beautiful day.
Not even a second later, a strange white cube-shaped object emerged from the depths of the forest, blocking our path with its slightly loud sound, reminiscent of the sound effects of transforming alien robots.
However, this cube in front of us didn't transform into a vehicle; instead, it appeared to be something like a golem without legs, hovering above the ground with two spinning white discs rotating in opposite directions at the bottom of its body. Each part of its body was not connected, floating but not separated as it moved, resembling a magnet.
Two oval-shaped yellow lights, resembling a pair of eyes, now gazed in our direction, growing brighter. Suddenly, its hands, formed from separate balls, discs, and cones, launched an attack towards us, shattering the ground beneath our feet.
Its head moved, scanning the area to locate our presence, with movements that were slightly unsettling yet natural, not occurring simultaneously.
Celine drew her sword and charged forward, channeling mana into the blade. She swung it three times, unleashing translucent blue crescent moons at high speed, which collided with the spot where the Golem had been.
It was astonishing to see how a being of such immense size, larger than a horse-drawn carriage, could move with such agility, making it challenging to keep up with its movements.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The Golem launched another attack, shooting its left hand directly at Celine, impaling it right in front of her. The impact of the powerful energy sent the knight flying several meters backward, despite her use of a mana shield.
Rayven saw an opportunity and swiftly moved forward, firing several arrows, all of which were deflected by the Golem.
However, that was Rayven's intention all along.
He appeared beside it, swinging his mana-infused sword forcefully, successfully sending the Golem flying forward with its right side visibly cracked.
Without wasting a second, Rio leaped and fired several arrows using her crossbow, all of which hit the cracked area with precision, causing it to shatter into pieces.
The Golem appeared enraged, quickly standing up without paying any attention to its damaged side. Some parts of its body fell to the ground, scattering like debris.
Celine advanced towards it, holding her shield forward with her sword ready in her right hand.
A strong gust of wind was created as the Golem's right hand collided with Celine's mana shield, forcing us to protect our eyes from the swirling dust.
Due to that, we were slow to react when the left hand that was previously stuck accelerated quickly towards its owner.
Celine managed to dodge, lowering her body until her knees touched the ground, but that was exactly what the Golem desired. It swiftly moved its left hand towards the kneeling knight.
Based solely on wanting to save Celine, I dashed forward, not understanding my own body.
Only when I reached the space between them did I realize that I would be doomed if the hand's tip struck my body.
In that slow-moving moment, I raised my right hand, directing my palm towards the approaching tip of the cone, no longer hearing the shouts of Celine and her two bestfriends, urging me to evade.
Even, Z, who knows how many times, called me 'stupid' in a loud voice.
Following my instincts, I gathered all my strength in my right hand, preparing to receive the impact that never came.
Instead, the tip of the Golem's left hand was repelled backward, with blue sparks of energy scattering to the sides.
My hand felt as if it had just been shocked with electricity, causing a sharp pain that made me grimace. But I couldn't lower my mana shield just yet. No one knew when the Golem would strike again.
Fortunately, Rayven saw the opportunity.
He quickly moved and utilized one of the arrows that was near the Golem, stabbing it into the body, successfully piercing a bright yellow gem on its chest.
The Golem immediately went silent, and its body parts fell to the ground, no longer exhibiting magnetic effects.
Rayven gasped for breath, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Is it dead?" he asked.
To make sure, Rio shot a bright red arrow that struck the body, causing it to explode into several pieces within a fraction of a second. This startled Rayven, who screamed and jumped back. "Yupp, it's truly gone," she confirmed.
"Are you nuts!? I could've been dead!"
"But you're not hurt right? Stop whining, you just defeated a Golem, you are much stronger than you think" Rio replied cheerfully, then came closer to me who was still frozen in place.
"Are you okay, Zent? You look- ZENT!" she shouted, calling my name, as I fell backward, no longer able to feel any energy, like a lifeless body.
"Zent! Zent!" Celine screamed, catching the man before he fell to the ground. "Zent! Damn it! He used all his strength to conjure a shield as powerful as my Tier 6 shield."
"What? He managed to duplicate your Tier 6 shield? That's impossible," Rayven replied incredulously.
"Of course not, because he managed to deflect the golem's attack earlier," Rio argued, disagreeing as she knelt down, grabbing Zent's leg. "But we'll discuss that later. We need to get him back quickly. His life could be in danger," she asserted, taking charge of the situation and noticing Celine trembling.
With haste, Rayven lifted Zent onto his back and started running towards the city, followed closely by Celine and Rio who were a few meters ahead, so they could prepared everything before the two men arrived.
"Hhhh.. Are you stupid?" Z asked with a frustrated and worried expression on his face.
"Hehe," Zent chuckled in response.