The system notification dinged:
You barely survived that. I would advise you to be quick with this challenge and kill that parrot you guys have with you before he puts you in more trouble.
Dan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Geez! The thing is still alive after all. It's a relief to hear your voice.
I mean, how else would we have known we survived that?"
The system's voice returned, tinged with mockery:
Stay tuned, little things. You're in for more entertainment.
Dan slowly sat up, clutching his side with a groan and turning to face the others.
"See? I told you… it's just the temple's trial. A little rough, sure, but it's testing us. That's all!"
Lyra spun toward him, her glare sharper than her blade. "Testing us? You're lucky you're still breathing after pulling that stupid stunt!"
"You heard what the system said just now…..we should kill the parrot. And we all know who that is! So you better stay out of my crosshairs, or it would be your head beneath my blade!"
Before Dan could retort, a thunderous boom echoed through the chamber.
The dragon golem moved again, its massive claws scraping against the ground.
Everyone turned toward its direction, shivers running down their spines.
"Scatter! Take cover!" Lyra barked, and the group instinctively darted in different directions as the golem lunged forward.
Its claw slammed into the spot where they had stood, the impact shaking the ground.
BOOM!
Dust and debris flew everywhere, making it hard to see.
Elias was the first to recover. His blade gleamed as he surged forward, activating his skill. "Rip Strike!" he shouted, swinging with precision. His sword connected with the dragon's stone hide…
CRACK!...
sending a web of fractures rippling across its surface.
The golem reared back, roaring in defiance. Its tail lashed out like a whip.
WHOOSH!
Elias barely managed to duck, the tail slicing through the air and smashing into a nearby pillar with a deafening CRASH!
Stone shards rained down, forcing Elias to roll away.
"Nice hit!" Lyra called out, positioning herself at a distance. She summoned her staff, and a wave of light burst from it.
The light disoriented the golem momentarily, its movements faltering.
"But it's still standing!" Serena added, frustration lacing her tone.
"Of course it is," Elias muttered, rising to his feet. "It's a dragon. Made of stone. Did you think it would just keel over?"
Serena didn't waste time. Channeling energy into her blade, she dashed forward with inhuman agility, leaping onto the dragon's back.
The faint glow of her weapon intensified as she drove it into the fractures Elias had created.
"Gotcha!" she snarled through gritted teeth.
The dragon thrashed wildly, its massive frame shaking the chamber.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
It slammed against the walls, trying to dislodge Serena, but she clung on to it with all her strength, unyielding.
"Focus on the others!" Serena shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I'll handle this one!"
"Handle it?" Dan muttered from the sidelines.
"You're riding a giant, angry rock lizard….or is it a dragon? They make dragons look so noble and cute back where I come from.
Is this a 'handling' moment, or should I start writing your obituary?"
"Stay out of the way, Dan!" Lyra snapped, blasting an advancing golem with a burst of energy.
BZZZT-CRACK!
One of its arms shattered, the chunks tumbling to the floor with heavy thuds.
Elias squared off against another golem. It swung a massive stone fist toward him…
WHAM!...but he sidestepped, countering with a precise slash.
Sparks flew as his blade scraped against its chest.
"These things don't give up," he muttered, blocking another attack.
His arms strained under the force of the blow, his boots skidding against the ground.
Meanwhile, Serena clung tightly to the thrashing dragon, her blade sinking deeper into its cracked hide.
With a feral cry, she twisted the weapon, causing the fractures to spread like wildfire.
The dragon let out a final, guttural roar…..ROOOAR!....before its massive frame collapsed beneath her.
The sound of stone shattering echoed through the chamber as she landed gracefully amidst the debris.
"One down," she muttered, brushing dust off her shoulder.
Lyra and Elias seized the opportunity. The remaining golems hesitated, their movements sluggish, as if processing the loss of their leader.
"Now's our chance!" Lyra yelled, charging forward. She unleashed a volley of energy bolts…ZAP-ZAP-ZAP!...each one hitting its mark.
The smaller golem stumbled, its chest caving in under the onslaught before crumbling entirely.
Elias, not to be outdone, activated his skill again. His blade glowed brighter than before as he struck the last golem with a powerful upward slash. "Rip Strike!"
The blow cleaved through the stone, splitting the golem in half.
BOOM!
Its pieces fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.
The chamber fell silent, save for the group's heavy breathing.
Dan finally stood, brushing himself off. "Well… that wasn't so bad," he said with an awkward chuckle.
Three pairs of eyes turned to glare at him, each one promising pain.
"Not. Another. Word," Lyra said, her tone colder than the temple's stone walls.
Dan raised his hands defensively, backing away. "Okay, okay! Geez, tough crowd. But hey, at least we survived, right? That's a win in my book."
"Thanks to everyone else," Serena muttered, shaking her head.
Elias sighed, sheathing his sword. "Let's just figure out what's next before the temple decides to throw another surprise at us."
Lyra walked over to the fallen gem, carefully picking it up. The gem pulsed and shone with a crimson glow.
She turned to the others, her expression unreadable.
"Let's hope this was worth it," she said quietly.
"It definitely is," Dan replied. "No one leaves a hanging gem in a temple and it's useless."
"Just shut up, okay?"
A faint rumble echoed through the chamber, and the walls began to shimmer.
Symbols etched into the stone glowed softly, bathing the room in a warm light.
"Uh… is that supposed to happen?" Dan asked, edging closer to the group.
"Looks like the temple's resetting," Serena said, her voice filled with relief. "I think we passed."
Dan grinned "see?I told you it was a trial. Piece of cake!"
Lyra glanced at him again. "If you say 'I told you so' one more time, I swear..."
"Alright, alright!"Dan interrupted, throwing up his hands." No need to get violent. Let's just....move on, shall we?"
Elias smirked, patting Lyra on the shoulder.
"Let's save the arguing for later.
We've got a gem,and we're still alive. That's all that matters for now."
The faint rumble grew louder, sounding more louder than necessary and that put everyone on edge.