The air in the chamber crackled with energy as the group's combined magic collided with the guardian golem. The dust settled, and there was a moment of deceptive calm before the golem's eyes flared with a renewed and terrifying light. Far from being defeated, the creature seemed to absorb the magical onslaught, its stone body knitting back together, growing larger and more menacing as it became engulfed in a radiant fury.
"It's regenerating!" Jaxon yelled, dodging a swing from the golem's now-glowing fist. "And it's not just healing, it's getting stronger!"
Elara, her leg wounded from the fall, gritted her teeth and said, "It must have a power source. Something's fueling it."
Kaiser, his mind racing, observed the golem's reactions. He noticed a pattern; each time they hit it with magic, the glow at its core grew brighter. "It's the mana," Kaiser realized. "It's drawing strength from our attacks!"
Tara, clutching her staff, grimaced in pain but nodded in agreement. "We need to stop feeding it magic. Let's go mundane!"
They switched tactics, resorting to physical attacks to avoid empowering the golem further. Blaze, Jaxon's wyvern, swooped and clawed at the golem, while Kaiser used the staff like a spear, aiming for the joints in the creature's rocky armor.
The golem roared in frustration, its movements becoming more erratic as it struggled to adapt to their new strategy. It lashed out wildly, causing the chamber to tremble with each blow.
"We need to find that mana stone," Kaiser shouted over the din of battle. "That's the key!"
Professor Merlindor, seeing the change in strategy, finally stepped forward. "I'll create a distraction," he said, raising his hands to conjure a series of illusions that made them appear to multiply, confusing the guardian.
As the golem swung at the illusions, Kaiser spotted it—the faint pulsing of the mana stone embedded in the creature's chest, the source of its power. With a plan forming, he called out to his companions, "Cover me! I'm going for the stone!"
Jaxon and Blaze took to the air, drawing the golem's gaze skyward, while Tara summoned a barrier of thorns to impede its movements. Elara, despite her injury, directed Lumina to shine with blinding intensity.
Kaiser darted forward, using the staff to vault over the golem's sweeping arms. Reaching the creature's torso, he focused all his will into the staff, turning it into a conduit for his own life force rather than raw magic.
He thrust the staff at the golem's chest, and the tip pierced the stone exterior, connecting with the mana stone. A surge of energy flowed through Kaiser, a battle of wills between him and the guardian.
The chamber was filled with the sound of Kaiser's strained breathing and the golem's enraged howls. Slowly, the light from the mana stone began to dim, its energy ebbing away.
With one final push, Kaiser drew the mana from the stone, and the golem's movements halted, its body crumbling to dust around the now-dull mana stone.
Panting and exhausted, Kaiser picked up the stone, its light now faint. "This... was the heart of the guardian," he said, holding it up to the fading light. "And maybe the heart of the ruin's magic."