After a few minutes of walking, the corridor began to widen, transforming into a vast chamber. Willow tightened his grip on the spear and cautiously stepped forward, entering the room.
The chamber walls resembled the corridors, constructed with black bricks as if darkness itself had molded into solid form. The ceiling loomed high, vanishing into shadow. To Willow's surprise, a statue stood in the center of the room, initially appearing to be an ordinary humanoid figure made of stone. Around this statue and throughout the hexagonal chamber, torches burned with purple flames that danced silently, casting an eerie stillness over the space.
Willow paused after his first step, his eyes fixed on the statue. He recognized this room, having stumbled upon it a few times while farming XP. Yet something felt different now, something he didn't recall from his previous visits. The statue… well, it had never been there before.
"What the hell?"
In the game, this initial chamber had always been empty, merely a lobby for the larger room ahead, which housed a stone pedestal containing the grimoire he sought. However, the chamber with the pedestal was now sealed by a large stone door featuring a brilliantly glowing purple crystal at its center.
Willow frowned, his mind quickly piecing together the situation. The statue was not merely a statue, but a golem. He had never faced one of these creatures before, but he recalled reports and stories from other players indicating that each golem in Ether Online possessed unique characteristics and abilities that directly reflected the wizard who had created them. Given that this crypt housed the Grimoire of Valendoor, it was wise to assume that this grimoire had been crafted by the legendary Valendoor himself, making it an unlikely adversary.
'That damned thing is there, asleep, waiting to attack anyone who dares approach the door. I'll probably only be able to open it if I kill him. Shit, I don't even know what level it is, and I don't have any magic skills yet. This is all I've got…' He glanced at his spear.
Of course, Willow felt a surge of fear. Anyone would. Still, he took a cautious step forward, slowly approaching. There was no plan he could devise, as he had no access to external resources, no friends, and not even the environment's resources to aid him. All he needed was luck and, like in very challenging games, the courage to face a boss that could kill him with a single blow.
He had previously confronted enemies more powerful than his in Ether Online, but the situation felt different now. Everything seemed more real, more intense, and fear coursed through his veins.
With every step he took, the stone floor beneath his feet creaked slightly. Willow then halted a few meters from the statue, observing it more carefully. The humanoid figure was crouched, one hand gripping a stone sword embedded in the ground, while the other held a massive shield. Its face was obscured by a helmet adorned with three stripes, emanating an aura of power. Moreover, as he got closer, Willow noticed a purple crystal embedded in the golem's chest. This crystal bore a striking resemblance to the one on the door leading to the Grimoire of Valendoor.
'If I can destroy that crystal, the golem will probably perish, and the door will open for me.'
At that moment, a familiar translucent screen abruptly appeared in his vision, interrupting his train of thought.
[You have received a New Kill Mission!]
[Kill Mission: Blackened Golem.
Description: You encountered the Blackened Golem at the end of the Blackened Crypt. To open the path to the Grimoire, you must defeat this creature.
Objective: Kill the Golem by destroying the crystal in its chest.
Difficulty: D.
Rewards:
+5000 XP
+1 Skill Point.
+ Access to Valendoor's First Vault.]
Willow could lament the meager rewards given the risk, but while he continued to scrutinize the mission window, he noticed the purple crystal on the golem's chest beginning to glow. Suddenly, the statue began to rise, creaking ominously. Willow's heart raced. It was happening.
The enormous stone sword scraped against the ground, producing a dry, chilling sound as the golem reached its full height. Previously concealed by its crouched position, its towering stature was now apparent—the creature stood nearly three meters tall. The gaps in the helmet's visor glowed with the same hue as the crystal, confirming that the golem was alive, despite its lack of organic components.
Willow took an involuntary step back. Everything in his body screamed at him to run, but He knew that was no longer an option. He had to win. He had to keep moving.
"Okay. Focus, Willow. Focus." He attempted to control the rising tide of panic.
The golem was a heavy, slow creature, which technically gave Willow a movement advantage. However, that advantage felt insignificant when a single blow from the monster could be fatal.
"If I can dodge its attacks and find an opening, I can strike the crystal... It's my only chance."
It wasn't long before the Blackened Golem noticed Willow's presence and made the first move. The entire chamber trembled as it did.
Willow broke into a cold sweat. He knew he shouldn't remain still, not even for a second, if he wanted to survive.
Then the golem attacked. The stone sword rose and then came crashing down with brutal force, the wind whistling as the stone blade sliced through the air.
Willow managed to leap backward, and the shock of the sword meeting the ground reverberated through the chamber, cracking the stone floor and stirring up dust. Relieved, Willow dashed behind the creature to search for an opening.
The golem turned slowly, though faster than Willow would have preferred. "Damn... he's surprisingly quick."
Nevertheless, Willow surged forward, trying to catch the creature off guard. He swung his spear and lunged, executing a classic piercing maneuver.
However, as if anticipating the attack, the golem raised its shield, blocking his strike. Surprisingly, the shield was fragile, as the spear pierced through it, embedding the blade in the stone.
Willow's eyes widened as the golem lifted its heavy sword once more. He had to move quickly or risk being crushed. He tried to extract the spear, but the blade was stubbornly stuck. Leaving it embedded in the shield was not an option.
'Shit... I have no choice.' Willow cursed internally. 'System, allocate all 10 attribute points to Strength!'
The system immediately confirmed the allocation, and Willow felt a strange sensation coursing through her. His muscles contracted and expanded. Though he wasn't a warrior and didn't possess an exceptional physique, at that moment, his body transformed. Upon reaching the 30 Attribute Points mark in Strength, his previously slender form became much more robust.
The golem's stone sword sliced through the air, barreling toward him with terrifying force. Instinctively, Willow raised his left hand, and in a move he never thought possible, he halted the blade with his open palm. The impact reverberated through his arm, making his bones and muscles vibrate under the colossal force of the blow. A grunt escaped Willow's cracked lips as he planted his feet firmly, feeling the shock of the collision surge through his entire body.
Had it been a real blade, it would have severed his fingers and possibly broken him in half. However, it was a stone blade, designed more for crushing than cutting.
"Damn..." Willow felt the overwhelming pressure of the blade pressing against his palm. "I didn't intend to expend all my attribute points like this, but... if that's the case, I'll make the most of it."
Willow pushed back against the stone sword with explosive force, causing the monster to stagger back a step. This afforded him enough time to free his spear from the shield, liberating himself from the precarious situation.
Willow stepped back and turned on the spear, inspecting it. Fortunately, the blade remained intact, so he touched the handle to the ground and watched the creature regain its balance.
"Damn it, I want to be a wizard. I should be allocating all these points to Intelligence for more MP, or maybe wisdom for access to spell evolutions! There's no use for a mage with this kind of brute strength!"
The golem, recovering from the blow, fixed its gaze on Willow, as if analyzing him. It raised its slightly damaged shield and charged toward him.
Willow spun his spear once more, knowing he would never have preferred to resort to physical force like this, but his life depended on defeating that stone guardian. The crystal... the pulsating purple crystal embedded in the golem's chest... was the key to everything.
When the golem swung its sword again, Willow was ready. He slid beneath the blade and, seizing the opportunity while nearly under the golem, struck directly at the crystal in the creature's chest with the tip of his spear. The impact resonated strongly. A sharp sound echoed in the chamber as the spear met the crystal's hard surface. To Willow's dismay, the crystal remained unbroken, with only a crack appearing on the purple surface. He had to retreat quickly as the golem attempted to strike him with a blow from its shield.
"It's tougher than I anticipated..." Willow huffed as he distanced himself, but he smiled. The fact that the crystal had cracked indicated that it could be destroyed.