As the two weary travelers approached the small town, the moon hung high in the sky casting an eerie glow on the deserted streets. Hex, the seasoned merchant, had little patience for Riolu, his young apprentice. "Stay in the cart," Hex barked at Riolu. "If you make another trouble, I'll kill you myself."
Meanwhile, Riolu remained in the cart, focusing on training his fire. As he was practicing, a sudden vibration coursed through his hand, and he felt an intense heat emanating from it. He realized that his fire had upgraded to a medium level, and he was ecstatic to discover that the old man's teachings weren't mere lies.
Suddenly, he heard some blabbering noise and knew that someone was coming. Swiftly, he hid behind a box, ready to sneak attack if necessary. But it's actually Hex that grumbled about the lack of upgrading vials in the town's potion store, which claimed to be the best. Displeased with the store's inadequacies, Hex joined Riolu and instructed him to keep the items in the cart safe while he slept.
Riolu was worried about how they would sleep in the cart, given that there was no room for two people. But Hex was adamant that Riolu would sleep first and that they would change shifts. Riolu was hesitant since he couldn't drive the cart, but Hex assured him that his task was to keep the item safe while he slept.
After a peaceful night's sleep, Riolu woke up to find that they were still on the move. Hex stopped the cart and told Riolu to wash his face while he prepared breakfast. Afterward, Hex went to sleep, and Riolu gobbled his food down quickly. As he did so, he heard some noises from the main road but feared getting smacked again if he left the cart to investigate.
Eventually, a few horsemen rode past them, screaming that the Hanur Montain Golem had awoken. Riolu was worried but confident that Hex, being a powerful teacher, would protect them from any monster. Suddenly, an earthquake occurred, and Riolu tried to explain to Hex that it wasn't him who was shaking the cart, but Hex was too busy mumbling in his sleep.
As the second earthquake hit, Hex woke up, thinking Riolu was causing the commotion. He scolded Riolu, but as he turned to look at the sky, he saw something huge that blocked the sun's rays. Hex was puzzled because he had never seen a golem that big, and he realized that it could only mean one thing - there was a valuable treasure nearby.
Riolu asked what they should do, and Hex explained that as a merchant, it was their duty to seek out treasure. The duo knew they had to embark on an adventure to find and secure the valuable treasure.
Riolu eagerly looked at Hex, excited for the adventure that lay ahead. "Finally, some action! I can't wait to see you fight that thing," he said with a mischievous grin.
Hex was taken aback. "Fight? Are you crazy? Even if I had a thousand lives, I wouldn't go and challenge that thing," he replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
"But you're a merchant, right? There's treasure there! You can sell it at a high price," Riolu insisted, hoping to convince him.
"Hell yeah, I'm a merchant, not a fighter. How the hell am I supposed to fight something that big? A dead man can't sell a thing, you know," Hex responded with a hint of irritation.
As they rushed to the cart, Hex rode it as fast as he could. However, the golem spotted them and struck them down. Hex managed to escape, pulling Riolu along, but the cart was destroyed, and the horse was dead.
"Shit... Kid, were you messing with something when I was asleep?" Hex asked Riolu, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"No, I was staying near the fire the entire time," Riolu replied, looking at Hex innocently.
Hex pondered for a moment. "The golem wouldn't awaken if the treasure was not stolen. Therefore, someone must steal the treasure. We must return the item to stop it," he said decisively.
"Before the golem showed up, there were some guys running. They looked like soldiers and brought something covered with a cloth," Riolu informed Hex.
"They must be the thieves. There's only one city near here, Xiji City. Those soldiers must be from there," Hex deduced.
"Yes, I forgot. They did say something about the Hanur golem," Riolu added.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Hex asked, his tone slightly irritated.
"You had just slept. I thought you would slap me if I woke you up," Riolu replied sheepishly.
"Good, you're starting to understand. Let's escape from here and head to the nearest city," Hex said, feeling a sense of urgency.
"How?" Riolu asked, looking confused.
"Golem is stupid. As long as you don't make a lot of noise, it won't see you," Hex explained.
"But it saw us a moment ago," Riolu countered.
"Don't you realize? We camped in a plain area with no trees or bushes to hide us," Hex pointed out.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and the golem started to move.
"Go, fast!" Hex exclaimed, as they ran through the bushes. "It must be heading to the city to take back the treasure."
"Why has it become our problem? They're the ones who stole it," Riolu asked as they ran.
"The governor must not know about it because that mountain is a sacred place. That's why we don't go through it," Hex explained.
Eventually, Hex and Riolu arrived at the city and headed towards the governor's office.
"Halt! State your business," a guard demanded.
"We must tell the governor something important," Hex replied confidently, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As Hex and Riolu approached the governor's office, they were met by a stern-looking guard. "I'm sorry, the governor is busy at the moment. Please come back tomorrow," the guard said, blocking their way.
But Riolu was not about to take no for an answer. "We can't wait until tomorrow. There won't be a city left if we don't see the governor now," he exclaimed urgently.
The guard's demeanor changed, and he leveled a suspicious look at the two. "Are you threatening me, kid?" he growled.
Riolu shook his head frantically. "No, no, it's not like that. We just need to see the governor," he insisted.
But Hex was not in the mood for games. With a swift and powerful punch, he knocked the guard unconscious. "We don't have time for this bullshit," he muttered to Riolu, before breaking into the governor's office.
Breathless and panicking, Hex burst into the room and addressed the governor. "Sir, the Hanur golem is awake and on its way. We need to act now!" he shouted.
But as the governor turned to face Hex, the two men saw something that made their blood boil. A guard was surreptitiously handing over the very treasure they had come to retrieve to the governor himself.
"Did you order them to steal that treasure?" Hex yelled, his voice thundering with rage.
The governor sneered at him. "How dare you break into my office and speak to me that way. Guards, arrest him!" he commanded, pointing at Hex.
But Hex was not one to be taken down easily. As the governor tried to flee the room, Hex magically cut off his leg, rendering him helpless.
"You greedy pig," Hex spat at the governor. "You make your people suffer just to line your own pockets. How can I let you escape?"
With a fierce stomp of his foot, Hex broke the governor's neck and killed him instantly. Riolu watched in shock, unsure of what to say.
As they made their way to the Hanur mountain to return the stolen treasure, the ground shook beneath their feet. "Sir, the golem is coming!" Riolu warned, but Hex remained calm.
At last they reached the secret room where the treasure was hidden, and Hex replaced it, causing the golem to disappear as suddenly as it had appeared. Riolu was amazed, and asked Hex how one person could create such a powerful golem.
"It was the Pride Hero," Hex explained. "He was a great sage level spirit, and he left all his mana to protect the treasure before he died. That's why it was so strong."
Riolu was impressed, but he knew that the treasure was not for them to take. "It's a pity we can't keep it," he said.
Hex shrugged. "It's useless to us anyway. It's probably related to an earth magic technique, and I'm a potion merchant, not a mage."
As they continued on their journey, Riolu couldn't help but feel grateful to Hex for saving his life. "You're not such a bad person after all," he said.
Hex grinned. "Even though I made you my slave?" he teased.
Riolu laughed. "I'll count it as a payback for the potion you gave me. But sir, are we really going to walk to the next city?"
Hex nodded. "Our cart was destroyed and our horse killed by the golem. But I have enough gold to get us through. You should be happy with the condition now," he said, as they set off on foot.