Chapter 5: The Ruins
The forest gave way to an overgrown pathway, its cobblestones cracked and buried under layers of moss. Adam's makeshift weapon rested on his shoulder as he cautiously approached the ruins. The structure loomed ahead, its towering arches and crumbled walls bathed in the eerie glow of the violet sky.
"Yeah, that's comforting," Adam muttered, gripping his branch tighter.
The ruins were eerily silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. Vines crawled up the ancient stone walls, their blossoms glowing faintly in shades of blue and green.
"Rare material, huh? Let's hope it's just lying around and not guarded by something with sharp teeth," Adam said.
He stepped through the crumbling archway, his eyes scanning the dimly lit interior. Broken statues and shattered pottery littered the floor, and faint markings were etched into the walls, their meaning long lost to time.
As Adam ventured deeper, a faint glimmer caught his eye. In the center of the chamber stood a pedestal, and atop it rested a shimmering crystal that pulsed with an otherworldly light.
"That has to be it," he whispered, stepping closer.
The moment his fingers brushed the crystal, the ground beneath him began to shake.
"Of course it's not that easy," Adam groaned, spinning around.
From the shadows emerged a massive golem, its body composed of jagged stone and glowing veins of energy. Its eyes burned with an intense golden light as it lumbered toward him, each step shaking the ground.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Adam shouted, his heart racing.
The golem raised a massive arm, bringing it down in a crushing blow. Adam dived to the side, barely avoiding the impact as the ground shattered where he'd just stood.
"Think, Adam, think!" he muttered, scrambling to his feet. His branch was useless against something like this.
"Dimensional Shift? That sounds promising!"
The system displayed an icon in his vision, and without hesitation, Adam activated it. The world around him blurred, and he found himself reappearing a few feet away just as the golem's next attack landed.
"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!"
Using the newfound skill, Adam dodged the golem's slow but devastating attacks, darting around the chamber. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. The glowing veins running through the golem's body caught his attention.
"That looks important," he muttered.
As the golem raised its arm for another strike, Adam activated Dimensional Shift again, teleporting onto its back. With all his strength, he slammed the branch into one of the glowing veins.
The golem let out a deafening roar as cracks spread across its body, light spilling from the fractures. Adam leapt off just as the guardian collapsed, its body disintegrating into glowing dust.
A small, gleaming crystal appeared where the golem had fallen. Adam picked it up, feeling a surge of energy as he held it.
"Got it," he said, grinning despite the sweat on his brow.
A portal appeared nearby, swirling with the same blue energy as before. Adam glanced back at the ruins one last time before stepping through.
As he landed back in his room, the system chimed.
Adam smirked, collapsing onto his bed. "Not bad for my first real mission."
But as he stared at the glowing screen, he knew this was just the beginning.