With the plan set in motion, Graviel and the group swiftly assumed their designated positions, perfectly set to confront the mechanical golems.
“Begin!” Graviel’s voice echoed through the chamber. “{Frostbite Barrage}!” he chanted, conjuring sharp icicles infused with frigid energy and launching them toward the golems with rapid speed.
“{Thunderclap Blitz}!” Jared followed suit, invoking crackling bolts of electricity that zigzagged toward the golems, seeking to engulf them in a storm of lightning.
“{Tectonic Wreck}!” Dorian’s voice rumbled as he summoned the power of the earth, causing the ground to tremble and sharp shards of stone to erupt from the metallic floor, impaling the targets.
“{Verdant Vortex}!” Lastly, Elara summoned a swirling vortex of thorny vines and foliage that ensnared the golems.
These were the most powerful spells at their disposal. Although all of them were ultimately Aleph-tier spells, when they were combined together, not even an Elemental Adept Magus would dare to take them head-on.
The chamber erupted into chaos as the spells collided with the targeted mechanical golems with precision. The metallic forms of the constructs shuddered under the barrage of spells, some showing visible signs of damage as cracks formed along their sturdy frames. Yet, they proved to be remarkably resilient, with only one of them incapacitated and the rest only somewhat damaged.
Nevertheless, this combined offense inadvertently activated the golems, prompting them to launch toward the group with alarming speed. Their sleek design made them extremely swift at closing the distance, and they were quickly about to engage Rowan and Felix, who stood firm at the forefront, ready to intercept any golems coming their way.
“Brace yourself!” Rowan shouted, clanking his axes together as he wrapped himself with ki, looking like a wall of steel.
The sound of metal clashing against metal soon rang out as the golems engaged the group in combat. While these mechanical golems were not as bulky as typical golems, their melee prowess was not to be underestimated. Agile and swift with their rapiers, they caused a lot of trouble even for a Ki Master like Rowan. Despite his skill, Rowan could only hold back four of the golems, while Felix struggled heavily just to confront one. The remaining four golems veered toward Graviel and the other acolytes.
“Keep firing at the golems! Don’t stop!” urged Graviel. He cast another spell at an approaching golem, encasing it in ice temporarily.
The others too launch their own spells at each of the golem, slowing down their approach. However, none of the golems showed any signs of halting their relentless march.
“Oh shit! The moment they reach us, we’re toast!”
“Should we use the magic scrolls?”
Jared and Dorian voiced their concern. Obviously, they couldn’t remain calm in the face of charging mechanical golems.
“That’s right,” Graviel settled decisively with a determined face. “Let’s use the magic scrolls to take these golems down!”
Thus, recognizing the need for additional firepower, the acolytes swiftly retrieved and activated their magic scrolls. Explosions reverberated throughout the chamber as the spells contained within were detonated, engulfing the four golems in searing blasts of energy. Shards of metal flew through the air as the mechanical golems were torn asunder, reduced to twisted wreckage scattered across the floor.
The spell contained in these scrolls was called {Giga Flare} — a Bet-tier Pyro spell — and they had all chosen the same type for a reason. Mixing different spells could lead to interference, which would undermine the effectiveness of their combined assault.
Despite the initial success, Graviel remained vigilant, knowing that their victory was not yet assured. The five remaining golems continued to overwhelm Rowan and Felix, with the former having suffered numerous small injuries. They couldn’t afford to become complacent.
“Quick, use your remaining infused mana to aid them!” Graviel commanded the group.
Jared, Dorian, and Elara nodded in unison, channeling their remaining mana into spells to support their allies. Slowly but surely, the tide of battle began to turn in their favor as the mechanical golems faltered under the relentless barrage of attacks. With each passing moment, their numbers dwindled one by one until, at last, the final golem fell. Its frozen form collapsed to the ground and shattered into irreparable pieces by Rowan’s mighty axe.
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With the immediate threat neutralized, the group paused to catch their breath. The acolytes were not only physically and mentally exhausted, but their infused mana reserves were also completely depleted. Luckily, the Twilight Apples they had plucked before worked wonders in aiding their recovery.
“Is that the last of them?” someone uttered amid the heavy silence.
Graviel didn’t pay attention to who spoke those words, but he looked around for any sign of more golems. The overseers had yet to reappear, and the door to the next chamber remained firmly shut. This meant that the first trial wasn’t over.
Suddenly, the door before them slid open with a heavy groan, and thumping sounds echoed from within. It soon revealed a white colossal mechanical beast. Resembling a dragon in appearance — those powerful beasts that roamed the world in ancient times. But this was not a dragon. It was too metallic, too bulky. Instead of wings, it boasted two strange appendages, emitting jets of fire. Instead of a dragon-like head, it had a long, bulky nose that shone like a lamp in its center.
“There’s more of them! Well, shit!” It wasn’t Jared who cursed this time; he stood frozen in place, unable to utter a word. It was Graviel himself.
He, or more accurately everyone present, had never encountered or even heard of a golem quite like this before. The ones they had faced earlier were already unique enough in design, but this one was a true marvel — unlike anything they had ever seen. Its sheer size and imposing presence sent shivers down their spines, and the thunderous thumping of its footsteps caused their heartbeats to quiver in fear.
Graviel’s mind raced as he assessed the situation. It was clear that brute force alone would not be enough to defeat this formidable adversary; they would need a plan. Fortunately, the metal behemoth came to a halt twenty meters away from the group, implying that it would remain passive as long as they refrained from attacking it first.
But would they even possess enough firepower to do that? Even if they did, that would be by using all magic scrolls and trump cards at their disposal. It was simply not worth it.
Looking at the imposing mechanical beast, Graviel couldn’t shake the feeling that this golem was exponentially stronger than the ten they had just confronted, possibly even rivaling the power of an Elemental Adept Magus. However, he couldn’t be certain.
“Wait…” A realization dawned on Graviel as he noticed that the door from which the mechanical beast emerged remained open. Unlike the ten golems that they fought before, this one came from outside and left the passage open, almost as if inviting them to venture forth.
However, it was unlikely that the golem would simply allow them to pass without a fight. Graviel gathered the others to discuss their predicament, and it became evident that they could bypass the golem by distracting it. With a plan in mind, Graviel tasked Rowan and Felix with diverting the mechanical golem’s attention while the rest of the group made their escape toward the exit. Of course, “diverting attention” meant sacrificing the distractors.
Upon receiving the command, Rowan could only clench his teeth and acquiesce. Despite being a Ki Master and a renowned warrior, at the end of the day, he was a pawn raised by the Merlin family. He was bound by a magic contract that made him unable to go against the Merlin family’s order, which dictated his obedience to Graviel’s orders.
“Fine. It shall be done.” Rowan closed his eyes, seeming to have already accepted his fate.
Meanwhile, Felix remained silent, and no one seemed to care enough to ask him in their current dire situation.
Since everyone had accepted their roles, the group sprang into action.
Rowan took a deep breath, channeling his ki with intense focus. As the air crackled around him, he unleashed his ultimate technique.
“Break for me! Iron Fortress!” A surge of energy erupted from Rowan’s body, enveloping him in a radiant aura as he charged toward the towering golem. Both of his axes were gleaming radiantly, as though they could destroy anything that stood in their way.
Rowan’s ki-infused attacks slammed into the mechanical beast with incredible force, causing sparks to fly and echo throughout the chamber. And yet, despite the ferocity of his assault, the mechanical golem merely staggered back momentarily before retaliating with a sweep of its hammer-like tail, sending Rowan flying several meters back. If not for his quick reaction to deflect the attack, he would have been crushed.
Graviel and the others seized the opportunity, slipping past the distracted golem and darting toward the open door clandestinely. Their hearts pounded with adrenaline as they feared the golem would turn its attention towards them at any moment. If even a single strike from the golem hit them, they would be reduced into nothing more than meat paste.
As expected, the mechanical beast refused to let them pass unhindered. It flew into the air through the propulsion of the jet-like wings and fired off a volley of bullets at them.
“Be careful! This golem has a ranged attack!” Graviel’s urgent warning pierced through the chaos.
“Oh no!”
“Run faster!”
“Cast defensive spells!”
The group ducked and weaved through the volley of bullets while casting various protective spells to shield themselves. However, their legs didn’t even pause for a moment as they propelled them forward, as their only hope of survival lay in reaching the safety of the open door.
Fortunately, Rowan quickly recovered from the golem’s earlier assault and launched himself at the golem, causing its attention to turn back to him. While still hovering in the air, the mechanical beast charged toward Rowan with terrifying speed. It took him his all to just narrowly evade the charging path of the mechanical beast. But fate had a cruel twist in store, as Felix, who had positioned himself not far behind Rowan, bore the brunt of the golem’s charge.
“Aaaah!” Felix’s agonized scream echoed through the chamber as he was flung towards the wall. His fate was unknown.
Despite the harrowing turn of events, Graviel and the other acolytes didn’t pay any more heed to the fate of the mercenaries as they successfully made their way into the open door. Without looking back, they disappeared into the darkness beyond, leaving behind the two disposable pawns.