Lisa looked left, right, and straight toward the Gates that Murai regarded with questionable intentions.
“Alright. Hisagi Murai, Let's get this straight, or you won't move from this spot. See!” She pointed to the pile of gore and small bones left from the Speedo Shark that Murai wasn't willing to care for. “You won't have any food left, so it's time to decide what you have to do. Speak to me, and I may give you some ideas. Isn't that how a Life Companion should act?”
What a hilarious reason that you found yourself important all of a sudden, but whatever. Murai thought and turned his attention to her. “You said it, so I won't deny your worlds. I want access to these rich mana materials, but I doubt Trial of Talent or Wisdom is something interesting. Either sounds like a bother, and I want the Gate of Combat since it is more than fitting for me.” Murai said, thanks to the gained confidence in his battle tactics after the 1st Trial.
“Then why not go along the one gate that is reasonable enough to assume? That one is Gate of Combat for sure!” Lisa pointed to the weapons and tomes at the corner.
I... can see a reason for that, but...
“... no buts. You can still get something out of that flowery corner since the Will of the Battleworld stated it this way. In return for your choice, you can get something specific from the Tomes which should be something to your liking. Shouldn't you be pretty excited about it, or you haven't glanced at them a single time? There are magic helping tomes, and you need them like a fool. Spells and techniques within them should pique even your interest. Probably...” Lisa spoke the facts, which Murai found accurate.
It was true that he viewed those Mana Tomes in some regards, but the core sight of the Everflower was more enticing. He didn't want to lose a single chance at those materials embodied with World Essense. Yet it was true that he could choose from that corner regardless of his choice of the Gate so it made his choice smoother.
2 choices from that trove.
1 additional choice was coming from the Gate.
With that said, Murai smacked the floor with his forehead, crackling the stone floor meters around.
“W-what was that for?” Lisa looked at the Murai, whose forehead was on the floor.
I had to calm down. It seemed the old me got a hold of myself for a second. I forgot my current circumstances and life. Greed is no good Lisa... It's not great.
Murai forced his head up and felt much better. Without another glimpse at the Everflower, he moved towards the Gate of Combat. Lisa was right, and the Will of the Battleworld descended to appease Murai's choice after he took a step inside.
[Gate of the Combat has been chosen]
[Somalis Dungeon, southeast of the Palia Kingdom: version of the Guardian under the jurisdictions of the former Acaman Family]
[Version: Acaman Tower]
[2nd Trial: Gate of Combat: Acaman Grounds]
[Level of difficulty: up to 99]
[Your current battle prowess is around level 20, so the level is there for sure]
[Goal: Defeat the Guardian in its Arena of Combat]
[Time limit: 20 minutes]
[Your foe: Acaman Golem: Elemental magical tool of the former Acaman Family. It is a golem that served for millennia until it met its demise in the destruction of its creators. Although it's a fraction of its former self, it is enough for little duck to be its opponent]
[Affinity: Earth, Undeniable]
[Forceful Level squish to level 23]
[Former Class SS Magic Construct Golem]
[Notable Abilities]
[Earth Defense: Acaman Golem has a high variety of defensive techniques. Ranging from stone, wood, and metallic structures that can make its body very tough against long-range opponents and steady blows of any weapon]
[Grade S]
[Level squished to level 20]
[Elemental Focus: Acaman Golem can absorb the earth's elements. Shooting out stones, using its hand as huge logs, or weapons with the incredible power of strength]
[Grade S]
[Level 20]
[Overall: you better not die, scrub]
[Acaman Golem has high strength and low dexterity, making it quite hard to overrun within the small level differences. It used to be a guardian for the Acaman Family throughout its time, where it endured uncountable fights]
[Alas, it is a golem without a soul. It acts solely through its artificial instinct and inserted will by the decision of the Battleworld]
[The current goal of the Acaman Golem is to trample the ground with the little cheeky Anatidae Panacea and mop the floor with its innards]
[Good luck]
Oh... I...
“Don't comment on it, Hisagi Murai... I can't bear to hear it all the time.” Lisa shut his attempts at a joke or curses, floating alongside him to view the arena that should appear soon.
The Gate that they entered was a long dark tunnel, ending in light in about 100 meters. That was a long, but understandable stretch of walking. After all, Murai had tiny legs, giving him less time to move far distances or move efficiently to his liking.
A few minutes later, Murai walked past the light curtain that revealed the vast cave system like any other.
It was as if a new world was before him, with many kinds of differences from the previous room. There was a large cave system similar to a canyon, at least 50 meters in height and hundreds of meters wide. There was running water around some sections of the walls, making some ponds but none were crazy in mana like Celestial Pool.
In fact, the effects of the Everflower didn't reach this place at all, but some mana materials still littered many walls, making this place not that dark. Trees, and bushes, were rare additions around the ground. The light that came from a few shining crystals was at the ceiling and rocky hills.
It was still deep underground, and the running water made Murai kind of happy. That meant there was a place to get out, but first things came first. He the end of the tunnel that ended at the high-raised hill that overlooked the whole arena. It was directly under a wide stretch of paths, further platforms, and flat stone surfaces that indicated the arena. There were a lot of places to hide and battle.
Murai also noticed the opponent standing on a wide and tall platform. Acaman Golem was there without malice, yet appearing majestic and strong, even with time that left it in a sorry state.
It had well over 3 meters in height, 2 legs, and 2 thick arms. It had a small flat head considering its height, but it was just a boulder with nothing special. As for its limbs, they were thick and strong. Its height and power must be incredibly powerful in terms of raw and brutal strength.
Humanoid Golem? Well, that is up to the standards of many mage families, so that isn't that surprising.
Murai wondered how to defeat this thing that was big and a lot tougher than he liked. He could already imagine this sort of enemy wouldn't be like the Octopshark with low flesh defenses which he pierced with ease. Alas, such wondering thoughts were useless, since Murai had no choice but to start this Trial if he wanted the rewards.
It was at the moment of his clarity that the Will of the Battleworld descended again, causing his mind to skip a beat. It kept sending him one message after the other, it was becoming annoying.
[You've reached the arena]
[Acaman Golem detected your presence and begins the cycle of mana within its Artificial Core]
[Kill, destroy, or subdue the Golem in 20 minutes, or it's considered a partial failure]
[Surive without doing so and the amount of damage it will have will give you a part of some rewards]
[Utmost failure: Any possible rewards will be invalid, but any rewards gained so far or experienced aren't. Though, it depends on the fact if you will be alive at the end of the 2nd Trial, so fight with your best attitude, so you won't have any regrets]
[Now, move and fight]
[Time limit: 20 minutes]
“Shit!” Murai cursed, realizing that the Golem gained an aura of surging mana. There was a deep-rooted Artificial Core in its chest. It acted as a core and followed the base principle of mana as fuel. It was something he found familiar, and it was no surprise this world within the River of Manaflow had this kind of thing.
The Golem was at its core, a machine made by the mages filled with countless variables runes, and methods to make them work. Mana was the core of their beings, and the mages could control, make, and strengthen them with the mana as well.
As for this Acaman Golem, it was trembling and shaking while activating its Core. Floods of mana's undulation came off of its core and fuelled its body, making it move. No... that wasn't right. It straight up jumped into the air upon the surge of power through its limbs, leaping 2 dozen meters toward the platform where Murai was standing. It was a quick, wild, and brutal attack.
“Weak dexterity my ass! You fucking prick!” Murai quacked, flipping its wings, and moving his tiny legs the moment he had seen the golem jump.
The golem was closing much faster than he thought, but Murai successfully dodged the area of effects of the huge smash that cracked the earth and made many boulders fall from the wall and ceiling. It used both hands as smash hammers, cracking the surface of the platform, but it didn't turn it to mush, or too many pieces.
The rock was sturdy, and it seemed level 23 wasn't enough to make the golem overpowered to destroy such enormous pieces of land.
Lisa floated away as easily as she could, even though she had no need for that. Appearing right above panicking Murai, she assumed him to be fine. “You better be careful. Level 23 isn't small, but not big either. I bet you can finish this thing in time. This Golem may have quite some strengths, but also some weaknesses. Maybe you should work around them.” she said without even stating such weaknesses.
It was that kind of help that Murai found lacking. So much so that Murai flared up, and looked at her with killing intent.
“Shut UP!” Murai barked at her while doing his best to flee from this hill. He had no choice but to ignore her since the Acaman Golem was right behind his back.
This hill had no stairs or anything to get away from, so it was quite a dangerous situation he was in. “You floating piece of lazy bitch. How am I... Wh. I.. Fuck....” Murai mumbled inaudible curses at Lisa, who was floating peacefully in mid-air. That, in itself, made Murai more furious since her smile never disappeared from her face.
“Use your own wings if you are so helpless, idiot. Get out of this small platform. You have a lot of places to fight, hide, or consider some strategies from. Getting down to a wide platform is a good idea, or you can try figuring it out here. You chose.” Lisa smirked, finding much enjoyment in his current distress. It was a perfect choice to give him a tough lesson.
“Fuck you!” Murai quacked those words out and had no choice but to do one thing as a duck that he had never experienced. Noticing the golem mana's undulations forming waves and trembling through the ground, Murai felt he had not much time left until the golem found his body.
He had no choice but to be brutal to himself by jumping from the end of the platform that was about 15 or so meters tall. While he did so, he also folded his wings open and pinned his neck with his head forward. He also stretched his legs behind his tail.
He was like a plane, which was ready to take off, but...
The moment that he expected to come, never happened. He began to fall straight to the bottom, his beak pointing straight to the ground as if it were a magnet to the rocky floor.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Murai shouted with his soul, and Lisa quickly came to his rescue.
Flying faster than he ever could, she whispered to his ears. “Use your goddamned muscles in your wings. You don't magically fly because you have them, you know? Use the base of your back and the feelings around them. You better fold them, rather than swing them. Using them as some form of offsetting method against the wind is best. You don't just put them in the air in the hope of flying. It's like this.” Lisa did the same as she explained and turned her 2 demonic wings into 2 parachute-like wings that would go against the air, and not into the air. Murai's fault was cutting into the air, and the wings did nothing but that. They were like wooden boards. Useless.
Murai looked at her midair, still halfway through his fall. Why did you not tell me that earlier and how do you even know it?!
“Succubus knows how to fly, you see? It takes wings to know how to use them,” she smirked, enjoying her once-in-a-lifetime chance to be better at something than this duck in front of her.
Murai wasn't in a mood, nor did he want to curse at her. Instead, he used her advice and moved his wings that he had some familiarity with, but doing so against the wind and in the heat of the moment wasn't that easy.
Motioning them to form a small hug, they indeed acted as an offsetting method against the air, which made him stop falling and instead glide forward. He still almost smashed into the rocky wall, but the quick fold of wings paused his fast fall, which was a welcomed change.
“Good! You know you can do it if you can. Now, use your wings as a guiding tool to work them harder. Spread them, and use their adjustment capabilities to change the direction of your flying. Put one down to adjust the direction. It's like horse riding, but not really. Left is left, right is right. Use the air dynamics of your body and move according to the feeling of the wings with the wind,” Lisa said, floating close to Murai throughout this time.
In fact, she wasn't using her wings, since her soul form had the base ability to float and fly on a whim.
Murai did what she said, but he was so clumsy at it, that he wasn't in any mood to try his hardest. He moved as best as his current agitation allowed him to. Little by little he adjusted himself better.
However, while he was figuring this out, and Lisa was helping him, there was no time for such things in the middle of the Trial. Both of them forgot this in the heat of the moment.
High above gliding Murai, the Acaman Golem was eyeing him with its senses and jumped from the platform. Its aim? The slow-gliding duck was a perfect and easy target according to its purposeful runes.
Lisa, nor Murai noticed its presence. Murai was bothered with trying to fly like a duck, forgetting his situation, and Lisa was too busy feeling good about herself. In a few seconds, a smacking force of the golem's fist forced Murai to fly much faster, but it also forced his posture to end and blood filled his nostrils and mouth. A powerful punch that he didn't expect, brutally assaulted him and pushed him to the ground.