The corridors seemed towering. Endlessly tall, The walls reached far above their heads. There were neither torches nor any lights...
Shin'ō moved alone, his instincts flared. Something powerful lay ahead. He hurriedly formed a spirit gun, and a light orb which flickered and sizzled in the dark.
Shin'ō thinking to himself. “It’s strong. Whatever it is, I need to be careful.”
With the help of the dull light of the orb. He stepped forward.
Left Corridor — Audaxor & Helwin
Audaxor narrowed his eyes, the flickering flame illuminating the tall stone walls around them.
Audaxor muttered under his breath. “Did you see it…?”
Helwin gave a short nod, his voice just as quiet. “Yeah. A three-eyed monster…”
Audaxor hesitated. That thing—it didn’t feel like a monster. Not exactly. “I think it’s something more.”
Helwin’s gaze sharpened. “Shoot your fireball as a decoy. Light up the area.”
Audaxor gave a small grin and raised a hand. “Alright. Let’s try it.”
A sphere of flame shot out, slicing through the corridor. The flames lit the walls, revealing intricate patterns… and then—
CLANG!
The fireball deflected of a metallic figure, hitting the ground and vanishing into smoke.
For a split second, they saw it.
A monstrous body, plated in iron, crouched in the shadows. Light pulsed faintly from cracks in its armor—its glowing eyes locked on them.
Right Corridor — Bezkon & Jovino
Meanwhile, on the right side of the obelisk, Bezkon and Jovino moved slowly.
Bezkon halted, eyes narrowing.
The metallic creature had noticed them too.
Jovino noticing the monster's gaze said. “Bro… it’s looking at us.”
Bezkon creating a spear and getting ready to throw it said cautiously “Hold on. I’ll throw a spear.”
The spear crackled with lightning, arcing through the air—then struck the ground near the monster.
The golem’s head tilted. Its eyes locked on the weapon. And then—it devoured the spear.
Lightning coursed across its body, crackling along its limbs. The golem was now coated in thunder.
Middle Corridor — Shin'ō
Back in the center corridor, Shin'ō crept forward. His orb of light hovered beside him.
He paused thinking to himself. “…Whatever it is, I’ll sneak up on it… like a ninja.”
The light vanished with a snap of his fingers. Shin'ō stepped lightly, careful not to make a sound. He reached the end of the path—and stopped.
There was… nothing. Just emptiness.
He turned back—and froze.
There was no corridor behind him anymore.
Instead, he stood in a shallow pool of water, the surface smooth as glass. Above him, no ceiling—only an endless void distorted.
The wind picked up. Cold. Hollow.
He turned again—and just like that, he was back.
Back in the same corridor.
As if he’d never left...
Left Corridor — Audaxor & Helwin
Helwin’s body tensed. “It’s locked onto us.”
The Iron Dragon Golem stepped forward, its core glowing brighter.
Audaxor raised his hand again. “Let me try again!”
He fired a fire arrow—fast, precise.
The arrow struck the golem’s chest—but was sucked in instantly. Now, the golem pulsed with Flame.
“Did it just absorb my attack…?” Audaxor asked, stunned.
Helwin keeping his eyes on the target said cautiously. “It did. But… do you see that thing in the center?"
Thinking critically he told. "That core. That’s its weak spot.”
Audaxor exhaled sharply, hand blazing with more flame. “Then that’s our target.
Then suddenly, it opened its mouth getting ready to shoot them! Audaxor shouted. "it’s charging up—we need to move!”
Right Corridor — Bezkon & Jovino
Electricity flared in the golem’s throat.
Jovino’s eyes widened. “It’s charging up! Get behind me!” He slammed his hands to the floor.
Stone erupted in front of them, forming a thick wall.
A second later—
BOOOM!
Lightning tore through the corridor, smashing into the wall and sending shards flying. The force rocked the floor beneath them.
Their ears rang.
Bezkon stumbled back, blinking through the haze.
Middle Corridor — Shin'ō
Still shaken, Shin'ō shook his head thinking. “…What? No. No, I must be imagining things.”
He forced himself forward, deeper into the ruins. Eventually, he stepped into a room unlike the rest. It was circular. The air was still. Time felt frozen.
Etched across every inch of the walls were glowing runes. Strange symbols shimmered softly, like they were breathing.Massive murals covered the stone—faded, cracked, but still clear.
They depicted… worlds.
One showed a scene at a burning planet. Another showed a giant, mechanical star—floating in space.
Shin'ō's eyes locked onto it. “That’s not just fire. That’s a star…”
He took a step closer.
A strange presence lingered in the air, like something ancient… watching. He wasn’t alone anymore...
_————————————————————_
MONSTER LORE—
Iron Dragon Golem: A mechanical beast forged in ancient times. It absorbs elemental energy and releases it in powerful bursts through its jaws. Its weakness lies in its heart—a glowing core exposed in the center of its chest.
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