The Golem Adventurer

Chapter 26 - Descent

"Arlan, you'll be our front line. Aelinor will stay behind you to detect traps and cover our flanks. I'll be guarding our rear to protect both our mages and our backs in case of an ambush."

Erwyn's marching formation was solid for now. Since I was the most hardy of the group, it makes sense that I would be in front to take any hostile charges. Protecting Tessa and Johann was top priority since they had barely any skill in close quarters combat. Johann only has a small amount of knowledge with a knife and Tessa didn't have the aptitude to use weapons. But I remember how long those chants take. They need as much time uninterrupted as possible to get out their spells.

These cramped hallways were a blessing and a curse. On one hand, my spear gave me an advantage here. On the other, both the mages could only cast lower tier spells to reduce friendly fire. They couldn't summon a lightning strike in these enclosed quarters.

Oracle was constantly giving me warnings in my head. There were numerous red dots littering my radar up ahead and around us. I could only guess that most of them were in the lower floors. Unfortunately I can only tell that they are golems. What kind they are is anyone's guess. This facility was a Quality Assurance test lab during the Old Empire. I feel like a test dummy in a new car driving towards a wall, waiting for it to crash into pieces. This was the kind of place it was, where the creators would watch and write down the results.

Our careful pace brought us to a large descending staircase. We clamored down with Aelinor walking only a foot behind me. She kept a watchful eye forward, looking for anything out of the ordinary with an almost sentinel-like gravity. It's a bit different from what I was used to.

I remember patrolling the desert or abandoned villages separated from each member of my fireteam by at least one hundred paces. It was in case of an IED attack, so that if one exploded only one of us would be a casualty. Of course I'm... familiar with that detail. Sometimes the worst case scenario would pass and the road we traveled was daisy chained with multiple devices. All it would take was a simple phone hooked up remotely to the detonator and disaster would strike. Those were the kind of horror stories I've been told during my deployments. A part of me was glad I'd never have to face that kind of uncertain danger again.

Then again, with all that's happened, one kind of danger was replaced with another.

[Caution: Multiple hostile targets are approaching!]

Behind me, I shouted, "We have incoming!"

Our group tensed as we readied our weapons. Whatever was coming was rushing towards us like a pack of wolves. Erwyn was right when he said that monsters would start attacking as we continued down the second floor.

What looked like several golems entered our view. Unlike me, they were half my size and half the bulk of my frame. In their hands they held a large dagger and a buckler. Watching us with a single large camera like eye, they held their weapons up with lethal intent.

"Are these... Sentry Golems?" Aelinor said startlingly, "They look more advanced than the ones that are suppose to be here!"

Now that I think about it, the ones that Kleid had fought while we ascended the ruins I was found in were more mannequin like in appearance than the golems in front of us. It must be the [Event] causing this. Everything here is now running at full operational capacity.

Whatever the case may be, we stick to the plan. I rush forward, spear in hand towards the group of golems. My weapon hits it's mark as I stab it through the head of the first golem. Another one falls before me as an arrow launched by Aelinor pierces it's unblinking eye.

Three more golems take advantage of my position to slash at me with their daggers. Gashes appear on my arms as I desperately regressed backwards to avoid their advance. I hear multiple chants behind me as two of them are launched back across the hallway by a spear of ice and a bolt of lightning. Tessa and Johann were concentrating through the din of battle as two more golems had Erwyn occupied by their sudden rear ambush.