I continued walking down the dark corridor. Along the way, I encountered more skulls. Each one I examined closely, and the unease within me grew. How and why had so many goblin skulls been piled here? Each skull bore strange marks of erosion and cracks, but it would be overly optimistic to assume they were random.At some point, the corridor began to widen. The light from my dagger illuminated the area ahead more clearly. I stepped into an empty square and noticed three massive silhouettes before me. Golems... But this time, they were different.The first golem wielded a colossal axe. It resembled a golem I had encountered before, but this one showed no signs of cracks or weaknesses. Its stone body shone robustly, as if some kind of protective magic had been inscribed upon it. The second golem held a long, elegant bow. Its arrows, made of black stone, looked sharp and lethal. The third golem had a nimble frame and carried dual daggers. Compared to the others, it was clearly built for speed."This is going to be tricky..." I muttered.The golems had noticed me. With heavy, echoing footsteps, they advanced, and a deathly silence enveloped the surroundings. The one with the axe marched toward me like a mountain; the archer stayed back, nocking an arrow into its bow. Meanwhile, the dagger-wielding golem circled around me, preparing to strike at any opening it found. My heart raced, but my resolve synchronized with its rhythm.I took a deep breath. Acting without a plan would be a death sentence. I quickly composed myself and reviewed all the resources at my disposal.That's when an idea struck me: if these golems were constructs of various stones and metals, wasn't it possible to analyze them with my [Examine] ability? There was only one way to find out—I'd have to get close and activate my ability upon touching them. The first step was always the same: you can't fight what you don't understand.Adrenaline surged through my veins, but I forced my mind to remain calm. A reckless move would mean certain death. I gripped the cold hilt of my Luminous Blade and fixed my gaze on the axe-wielding golem. I wanted to use [Examine] to analyze its weaknesses, but there was a condition: I had to make contact with it, and that meant taking a risk. "I need to get close first," I thought. There was no other way to seize control of the situation.First Target: The dagger-wielding golem. Its speed made it a constant distraction and threat. If I could neutralize it first, the others would be easier to handle.The dagger golem lunged at me with a swift motion. Thanks to the flexible soles of my Silence Boots, I sidestepped at the last moment. Its daggers sliced through the air, narrowly missing me. Before it could regain its balance, I tightened my grip on the Luminous Blade and quickly closed the distance. Focusing all my attention, I allowed the blade's surface to touch its stone body.[Examine] Activated!An energy pulse spread from the point of contact, flooding my mind. For a brief moment, I felt the golem's structure: fast but unstable in design. Its stone body was held together by delicate joints, and these connection points were highly vulnerable. Its agility was also its Achilles' heel. If I could disrupt its balance, I could target those joints and dismantle it.The plan became clear. I retreated and baited the golem, trying to create an angle where it would have to turn its back to me. When the moment came, I used the silent steps of my Silence Boots to swiftly move to its side and struck one of its connection points. A crack formed in its stone body, but it wasn't completely broken. It would take more strikes to finish the job.Meanwhile, the archer golem loosed an arrow in my direction. A faint whoosh of air alerted me, and I reflexively dodged to the side. At the same time, the axe-wielding golem began moving. Its heavy steps shook the ground as it approached. For a brief moment, I realized the gravity of my situation: fighting so many enemies at once could back me into a corner.I couldn't face the others without fully neutralizing the dagger golem first. Retreating, I raised my blade once more. The dagger golem leaped toward me again. This time, I swiftly pulled out my Multi-Function Grappling Hook and launched it, wrapping it around one of its vulnerable joints. Securing the hook in place, I pulled the rope with all my strength. The golem lost its balance and crashed to the ground.I didn't waste the opportunity. With a swift strike, I targeted the weakened joint. A sharp cracking sound echoed, and the stone body shattered into pieces."One down."
The dagger-wielding golem was out of the fight, but I couldn't waste time celebrating. The axe-wielding golem continued its relentless march toward me, with the archer golem trailing behind like a shadow, ready to strike from afar. My next target had to be the archer, but first, I needed to close the distance. This time, I had to develop a different strategy. Silently, I stepped back and prepared my poisonous flask bomb.
The poisonous flask bomb was made for moments like this. The archer golem was drawing another arrow, its black stone bow gleaming faintly. However, its line of sight was obstructed by the massive frame of the axe-wielding golem, providing me a temporary advantage. Utilizing the silent steps of my Silence Boots, I crept a few meters back and threw the bomb at the perfect angle.The flask shattered on the ground, just a few steps ahead of the archer golem, releasing a dense cloud of poisonous mist with a loud "sssshhhh." Thanks to the durability provided by the shards of Karachiras, the mist was thick and lingering. While the golem wouldn't feel the poison, its vision was reduced to near zero. Seizing the opportunity, I moved toward the other side of the axe-wielding golem, keeping the archer in my peripheral vision.The archer blindly released an arrow into the mist. The projectile embedded itself into a nearby pillar, vibrating as it settled. It wasn't a testament to its strength but rather its inability to aim accurately in the haze. The mist was working as intended—it deprived the archer of its vision and made it harder to focus. The plan was taking shape.Now, the real challenge was the axe-wielding golem. Its heavy and powerful frame posed the greatest threat on the battlefield. As it raised its colossal axe to strike, the sound of grinding stone echoed through the chamber. When the axe came crashing down, it split the ground beneath it, sending fragments of stone flying through the air. It was clear that facing such raw power head-on would be suicide. A quick strategy was needed. Instead of confronting it directly, I focused on outmaneuvering it.The first swing of the axe narrowly missed me as I sidestepped, the Silence Boots allowing me to evade without a sound. The impact of the axe on the ground sent shards of debris flying. Using this brief moment, I closed the distance between us, knowing I needed to activate [Examine] again to analyze its weaknesses. Circling around it, I waited for the right moment.Finally, when the golem raised its axe for another swing, it left itself slightly unbalanced. I quickly darted behind it and placed my hand on its cold stone body.[Examine] Activated!
An energy pulse flooded my mind as I analyzed the golem's structure. Its most reinforced areas were its legs and the arms that held its massive weapon. However, the connections within its chest and shoulders were thinner and more fragile. A strong enough impact could destabilize it and bring it crashing down.
Armed with this information, I retreated quickly. The axe-wielding golem's bulky frame couldn't keep up with my speed. A new plan formed in my mind: I needed to use the archer golem's arrows against the axe-wielder's weak points.The poisonous mist was beginning to dissipate. The archer golem's visibility was improving, and it was regaining its composure. This was the window of opportunity I needed. I pulled out my Multi-Purpose Grappling Hook and aimed for one of the axe-wielding golem's legs. Wrapping the hook securely around it, I anchored it and maneuvered the massive golem into the archer's line of sight.The archer, now with a clear view, nocked an arrow and released it toward the axe-wielding golem. Just as I had anticipated, the arrow struck the weak point on the golem's shoulder joint. A loud cracking sound echoed as the impact slowed its movements. It wasn't down yet, but the damage was evident.Using the hook's leverage, I yanked hard, pulling the axe-wielding golem off balance. Its heavy body toppled over, crashing to the ground and exposing its back. This was my moment. Drawing my Poisonous Dagger, I leapt onto its prone form and plunged the blade into the crack at its weak point. The stone frame groaned and shattered, its body falling lifelessly into rubble.Two down. Only the archer remained.But before I could confront it, I needed a moment to catch my breath and recalibrate. Time, however, was not on my side.The archer golem stood tall in the clearing, the mist now almost entirely gone. It lowered its bow slightly as it scanned the area, searching for me. It must have witnessed the fall of the axe-wielder, and it was clear that it would no longer underestimate me. Slowly and deliberately, it pulled another arrow from its quiver and nocked it. The glowing lights in its eyes flickered as it locked onto its target.Now, I had two choices: either take the risk of neutralizing it quickly or use time to my advantage and defeat it with a more strategic move. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my Stealth Arrows. Using the advantage provided by the Silence Boots, I carefully repositioned myself, staying hidden in the shadows. The archer golem was still focused on where I had been moments ago. Meanwhile, an idea began to take shape in my mind: I could turn the archer golem's own weapon against it.Thanks to the [Examine] ability I had used earlier, I already knew that the archer golem's weakest points were concentrated in its chest. However, I still didn't fully understand how its arrows worked or the energy they carried. So, the most effective way to stop it would be to completely limit its mobility. I devised a plan to pin it down.Slowly, I drew my bow and aimed an arrow. My goal wasn't to deal direct damage but to put it in a vulnerable position. I released the first arrow, aiming for its knee. Thanks to the lethal precision of the processed Karachiras, the arrow struck its target, causing a slight crack. The golem stumbled slightly but remained standing. Without hesitation, I drew another arrow and aimed for its other knee.The second arrow found its mark, and the golem suddenly lost its balance. Struggling to remain upright, it began to collapse toward the ground. This was my moment. Silently, I moved to its side and placed my hand on its cold, stone body.[Examine] Activated!
A surge of energy filled my mind. As I analyzed the archer golem's structure, I discovered that the energy source powering its arrows was directly linked to its core. The central core in its chest provided energy to both its bow and its arrows. If I could disable the core, I would render both the golem and its weapon completely useless. However, the core was protected by a layer of armor; a direct strike wouldn't be enough to pierce it.Neither my Poisonous Dagger nor my Luminous Blade would be strong enough to penetrate this layer. I needed to try something different. Reaching into my pack, I retrieved my last Poisonous Flask Bomb. Using my grappling hook, I secured the bomb directly onto the golem's chest where the core was located. Once the bomb was in place, I quickly retreated and tightened the rope to position it as close to the core as possible.By this point, the archer golem was fully collapsed on the ground. It weakly raised its bow, trying to take one final aim at me. But the energy connected to its core was rapidly diminishing. When the bomb was securely attached to the core, I released the rope. There was a brief moment of silence, followed by a loud explosion.A rain of stone fragments mixed with poisonous mist filled the area. The golem was completely shattered by the blast. Its core flickered weakly among the rubble before fading away entirely. The final golem had been neutralized.I took a deep breath and leaned against a nearby pillar. My hands were trembling, but a sense of triumph washed over me. The battle was over, though I had no idea what other challenges lay ahead. After resting for a few minutes, my gaze shifted to what appeared to be a passage revealed by the explosion. Slowly, I rose to my feet and stepped toward the shadowy depths of the corridor. A new secret awaited me.