The air in the dungeon grew thick as Lorelai descended the winding stairs, the chill of stone creeping into her bones. The flickering light of their torches cast long shadows along the jagged walls, stretching far into the deep. Lorelai felt a knot of unease twist in her stomach, not from fear, but from the constant vigilence as she descended deeper into the dungeon. The task ahead, to retrieve the Wayward Compass, felt more like a burden—one made to the terrifying Demos.

Behind her, the rhythmic, heavy footsteps of Thrax resonated through the stone, while the almost eerie silence of Aeryn’s steps lingered as she moved with the grace of a predator in the dark.

Thrax was a formidable sight, shadows dancing on his rippling muscle with every movement. The Thermic Predator had a deadly reputation for both his physical strength and way he could manipulate temperatures from scorching heat to frigid ice. Thrax was no stranger to using the fire and capitalized on utililizing his draconic blood in battle. Lorelai knew she could rely on his strength in the fight ahead.

Aeryn, on the other hand, was something far more… supernatural. Her vampire heritage, combined with her mastery her class, Blood Witchblade, allowed her to devastate the battlefield with the blood of her enemies, turning it into deadly weapons. Her cold, pale skin and sanguine eyes gave her the appearance of a noblewoman—albeit one you’d never want to cross.

The group had reached the second floor. A low rumble echoed from the distance, followed by a grating sound like stone scraping against stone. Lorelai’s eyes narrowed. It was the sound of something massive shifting, and it wasn't a good sign.

The cavern they entered was vast, impossibly wide, with towering stalactites and jagged rocks dotting the landscape. Large stone pillars reached from the floor to the cavern ceiling and in the distance, the stone rumbled again. Lorelai felt the ground tremble underfoot, as something huge moved within the dark.

From the farthest corner of the cavern a massive golem; a construct of jagged stone and glowing orange veins rose from the earth, dragging itself to its feet with a grinding roar. More followed, each one larger than the last, their glowing eyes like molten lava. The golems were made of rock, layered in rough-hewn stone, their jagged limbs moving like slow, relentless crushing machines. As they stepped forward, the cavern seemed to grow colder, heavier, their sheer weight rumbling the air around them.

Lorelai drew her sword, but a sinking feeling settled in her gut. This wasn’t the kind of foe she was accustomed to, rock and stone were poor materials for slashing weapons. Her sword, built for precision and agility, would be practically useless in this situation.

Aeryn’s voice cut through the tense silence, low and controlled. “The worst part for me is the golems have no blood, so what I can do will be limited. We need to smash the rock around the chest to reveal the cores. The monster's defense is extremely high.”

Lorelai nodded, her eyes scanning the incoming threat. Aeryn was right. She’d need to adapt her fighting style, and quickly. Slashing wouldn’t be enough. She’d have to find a way to break through the golems’ stone skins.

Thrax, with his characteristic smrik, took the lead. “Time to get serious,” he said, his voice like the crackle of embers. He reached into the air, and Lorelai could feel the ambient temperature plummet around him. A low crackling, like stepping on thin ice, began to emanate from his hand as frost started to coalesce forming a giant maul. As a Thermic Predator, Thrax could physically manifest fire to form weapons or create them with ice magic. These manifestations were not weaker than their steal counterparts.

Aeryn, meanwhile, drew her wicked-looking blood blade, her rapier, from her waist. Her pale fingers running over the serrated edge as she whispered a dark incantation. Her blood-red eyes flickered, glowing with eldritch energy. “I’ll deal with the left flank. You two focus on the rest.” Lorelai could see blood outlining Aeryn's rapier, fortifying the blade. Lorelai stored her sword in her spatial storage opting for the piercing power of her mithril spear, hoping that it was strong enough metal to pierce the hard defense of the stone golem.

Thrax smirked, testing weight of his weapon. “No need to tell me twice.”

With a roar Thrax charged forward, the heat radiating as fire ignited from his feet propelling him forward. His body igniting the very air as he slammed his giant maul into the chest of first golem. His draconic strength concaved the golem's chest, but the core remained undamaged. The golem staggered but did not fall, its molten eyes flaring brighter. With a deafening groan, it raised a jagged arm and swung at Thrax with the force of a landslide. Thrax pivoted, dodging just enough for the blow to graze his shoulder. Even with his enhanced resilience, the impact sent him skidding backward.

“Thicker than I thought,” Thrax muttered, shaking the dust from his shoulders. The air around him shimmered with heat as he planted his feet, increasing the fiery intensity in preparation to launch himself with nearly reckless abandon. “Guess I’ll just have to hit harder.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Aeryn darted to the left, her movements a blur in the dim cavern. She slipped past two smaller golems, her rapier flashing as she struck precise points along their joints. The blood-enhanced blade shattered the stone more effectively than Lorelai expected, chipping away at their defenses. It made it so their movements were more inhibited. This would be a battle of attrition.

“They’re slow, but resilient,” Aeryn called out. “Keep their attention off me, I’ll weaken them for you!”

Lorelai nodded and took a steadying breath. The spear feeling lighter in her hands compared to her sword. She sprinted toward the nearest golem, aiming for the glowing cracks around its chest. The first thrust connected, her mithril spear driving deep into the fractured stone. A sharp, high-pitched crack echoed as the spearhead lodged into the golem’s armor, but it wasn’t enough to reach the core.

The golem retaliated, a massive arm swinging down like a hammer. Lorelai barely rolled aside in time, the impact sending shards of rock flying. One grazed her cheek, drawing blood.

“Careful, Lorelai!” Aeryn shouted, her voice tight as she fended off her own foes.

Lorelai adjusted her grip and lunged again, this time angling for the shoulder joint. The spear struck true, severing the arm with a satisfying crunch. The golem’s movements became sluggish, its balance faltering without its limb. Seizing the opportunity, Lorelai aimed for the chest again, her spear glinting as it plunged deeper into the crack. This time, she felt the satisfying shatter as the core gave way. The golem froze mid-motion before collapsing into a pile of rubble.

“One down!” she shouted, adrenaline surging, but there wasn't anything to celebrate. She had only gotten to the core because Thrax had hit it hard enough in the chest to create cracks in its exterior. When she felled one, another golem advanced, its glowing eyes locked onto her.

Across the cavern, Thrax let out a feral roar as he slammed his maul into the chest of the largest golem yet. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, fissures spreading across the golem’s torso. But its core remained protected, buried beneath layers of stone. “These things are stubborn!” Thrax growled, his frustration evident. He swung a flame covered fist, flames erupting with the force of the blow. This time, the golem staggered backward, molten cracks spreading further across its chest. He was able to shatter the rock by freezing it with his maul, rapidly heating it with his intense blue flames, but it was far too inefficient in mana expenditure.

Aeryn was a blur of crimson energy, darting between her foes with deadly precision. She twirled her rapier in one hand, while the other extended, summoning jagged shards of blood to hurl at the golems. Though the constructs lacked blood of their own, Aeryn’s mastery over her magic allowed her to manipulate her own lifeblood as a weapon. The shards struck like arrows, chipping away at the stone.

“Lorelai, to your right!” Aeryn warned.

Lorelai spun just in time to see a golem bearing down on her, its arm raised for a crushing blow. [Dash] she retreated just in time, nearly losing her footing from the force of the impact. " Aeryn, make it fall backwards!" Lorelai shouted with a sudden idea.

Aeryn didn't hesitate, she recalled the shards of blood she had thrown and forged them together. She elongated it, stretched and strengthened it to form a rope of solid blood. Like a lasso, she tightened it around two stalagmites behind the legs of the golem.

[Dash]

Lorelai used her movement skill to gain momentum while reducing her weight with her gravity magic; she leapt into the air increasing her weight as she slammed into the golem, the blood rope knocking it backwards. "Thrax now!" Lorelai shouted as she pressed her hands down towards the golem [Oppression].

Thrax leapt into the air above the golem, he was surprised when the powerful invisible force from Lorelai's magic launched him downward. A primal roar from the thrill of battle echoed off the walls as Thrax's maul obliterated the construct’s chest, shattering it into pieces with a thunderous roar, core and all. Using that strategy was the fastest they had been able to take out a golem. Since they were relatively slow they were able to repeat that process over and over until no more stood.

The cavern trembled again, this time from deeper within. The remaining golems scattered inanimate pieces on the ground. Lorelai glanced at the far end of the cavern, where a faint glow pulsed rhythmically. Her heart sank.

“The Wayward Compass?” She whispered. Was it the artifact?

“We’re not done yet!” Thrax called, as another golem lumbered toward them.

“Then let’s finish this quickly,” Aeryn said, her voice cold and determined. She met Lorelai’s gaze, her blood-red eyes alight with purpose.

Aeryn, ever quick, didn’t waste a moment. She darted between two other destroyed golems from the left, her movements graceful. The flick of her wrist was all it took for the blood blade to elongate, dripping with dark crimson energy. She lunged, plunging the blade into the base of the golem’s neck. The blood blade sank deep into the stone, hitting the golem’s core with unnerving precision. The golem let out a low groan, its eyes flickering with a brief flash of life before it collapsed into a pile of rock.

As the last golem fell into a pile of broken stone and dust, Lorelai glanced at her companions. Thrax was wiping the sweat from his brow, though he looked pleased with the battle. Aeryn, unfazed as always, was already eyeing the shadows in the far corners of the cavern.

“We’ve only just begun,” Aeryn said, her voice low but sure. “Let’s keep moving.”

They marched deeper into the labyrinth, where the shadows grew longer, the air colder. Lorelai did not reveal what Demos tasked her with, and with her friends she explored the second floor still trying to locate the compass. After the first wave the golems started coming one at a time, as if to tire them out.

The trio had found themselves at a dead end. Each of them drew in a sharp breath, attached to the wall on the far end of the cavern was the second floor boss. It was a stone golem made out of crystal, probably many times harder than the stone ones they had just fought. The Wayward Compass was embedded in its head.