Chapter 120: Lucky or Unlucky 5
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The steel golem, having lost all its limbs, let out a mournful sound as it collapsed to the ground.
Upon closer inspection, it was most definitely different from the rock golem.
While the rock golem looked like a rock with limbs attached, the steel golem, although similarly shaped, had gears and axles in its joints.
I was tempted to dismantle its torso to compare the steel golem's mana stone with that of the rock golem's.
However, with the golden golem appearing next, I held myself back.
"The rock golem was sturdy, but this one's even tougher. Most swordsmen probably wouldn't even scratch it."
"Whoa, it's heavy!
We propped the bodies of the rock and steel golem against the corridor walls, while their detached limbs became playthings for the group.
From Kaiden poking them curiously with her sword to Grace trying to lift one only to drop it in surprise.
Han Se-ah, too, struggled to lift a limb of the toppled steel golem.
She then began examining its leg joints and started a conversation with her viewers.
Ten minutes may seem short at a glance, but it feels rather long when you're just standing in an empty corridor doing nothing.
"The rock golem was just a pile of rocks, but this one is meticulously designed. I wonder if we hold out against the golden golem for another 10 minutes, some sort of mage boss might appear? Or maybe golems are related to alchemists?"
-Aren't you both a mage and an alchemist? Shouldn't you know that?
-Even if you master magic and alchemy, creating a golem seems way too hard.
-Heard the US started a project to create mechas like those golems. Might take them 5 years?
-You chose your main class as mage and alchemist on the side and you're asking us? You're the #1 player.
We waited for another 10 minutes.
Finally, the much-anticipated golden golem emerged from the end of the corridor.
As the excited adventurer had described, with a deep resonating sound, the dark, sleek walls of the corridor lit up with magical circuits.
If the rock golem was roughly 2 meters and the steel golem was about 2.5 meters, this one seemed to be at least 4 meters tall.
It was clearly larger than the steel golem but somewhat smaller than an ogre.
If that massive body was indeed made of gold, tearing its limbs could be a way to generate a lot of gold coins... unless the game developers put some sort of limit on that.
"Should we wait another 10 minutes with this one? There might be another golem after this."
"Sure. We can still break the golem after 10 minutes anyway."
In the darkness, the golden figure shimmered menacingly.
Despite its slow pace, its larger size produced loud, echoing footsteps in the corridor.
After a long while, the chance to confront a giant-like creature had my fingers itching for battle.
Of course, considering it appeared on the 21st floor, a few reflected hits could shatter it, so I have to be careful.
It took an hour searching through the maze and another 20 minutes waiting.
If I kill it by accident, we'd have to spend even more hours looking for patterns on the cave walls.
I stowed away my shield, preparing to catch the golden golem's fist, and approached.
"Hey, don't you think even the scraps from that would sell for a lot?"
"I was thinking the same thing."
Listening to the chatter of Grace and Han Se-ah from behind, I stepped forward to meet the lumbering golden golem.
While its headless, stout form, with only arms and legs attached to its torso, remained unchanged, its nearly 4-meter stature was rather intimidating.
Even if it had grown in size and changed to gold, it seemed its built-in combat program hadn't changed.
It raised its right hand high, to the point it nearly reached the ceiling, and then swiftly brought it down towards my head
"...Huh?"
"What was that? Something flashed."
After a brief glint, a shockwave followed, and the golden golem's arm crumpled horrendously.
"Roland, are you okay?"
"It seems there was magic related to shockwaves on its fist."
The trick against the golem was to catch its fist as if blocking a blow.
Intercepting something mid-flight wouldn't count as a hit, so catching it wouldn't activate my reflexive passive.
But with the golden golem, it was impossible.
The moment I tried to block its fist, a light flashed, and something struck my palm.
Although I didn't take damage, the problem was that the block-grabbing motion counted as a hit.
The golem's arm crumbled to pieces from the reflexive damage.
"If its arms are gone like that, do you think it will kick with its legs?"
"At least only its arms broke off. Otherwise, we'd have to search the caves again for a new maze."
The silver lining, as Han Se-ah pointed out, was that only the golden golems arms had been destroyed.
Otherwise, who knows how long we would've had to wander around.
As I approached the golem, attempting to dismantle its legs with minimal damage, it shuffled its feet as if hesitating.
Its steps seemed much smaller compared to when it first appeared.
Suspicious, I closely inspected the golem, now with only its legs and torso left, it unmistakably flinched.
Due to its size, even a small movement produced a scraping sound.
Not only me, but the rest of the party also seemed to notice something off.
"Isn't its reaction kind of strange?"
"Right. The rock and steel golems kept moving forward even when their limbs were gone."
As the suspicious party members readied their weapons and gathered behind me, the golden golem stopped completely.
Its behavior was distinctly different from the previous ones, and everyone looked up at the massive form with a mix of anticipation and unease.
Let's talk
"What the?!"
"It, it's speaking?"
Speak with me, humans.
The golem speaks.
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Raei Translations
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If I report this back to Ellis, she'd probably ask if I've been drinking again.
Well, given that this is a fantasy game, it's not too strange for a golem to talk.
It's curious how something without a mouth or speakers is managing to communicate.
Probably through magic.
The rest of the party found this fascinating, as they fearlessly gathered around the massive golem.
Because of its enormous size, our gathered group looked like kindergarteners clustering around their teacher.
"What do you want to discuss?"
Your identities.
I wonder if this is a subplot for the 21st floor or a main story related to the tower itself.
As Han Se-ah, the party leader and player, naturally starts talking with the golem, everyone listens intently.
Even Kaiden, who roleplays as a stoic, cool adventurer, seems deeply focused, lips slightly parted.
Amid this strange tension, the conversation between Han Se-ah and the golem continued.
We are the guardians of the labyrinth. However, we don't know where you intruders came from.
"A labyrinth? We are in a tower."
-What kind of plot twist is this?
-This is kinda random, no?
-The golem probably wants to negotiate because its limbs are going to be ripped off.
-Tower, Demon King, and now a labyrinth? What kind of mishmash game is this?
-But seriously, what's with the golem's voice...
No, this place is a labyrinth. The place we were appointed to guard our entire lives.
"So you're saying this labyrinth is connected to the tower?"
-Why is she debating the golden-headed thing?
-Just beat it up and get the info damn!
-Obviously milking donations by making us impatient
-Should I pay my dental bill? Or should I donate?
[Username18 donated 10,000 won!]
Shut your mouth and listen to the golem, PPAK!*
Han Se-ah, ignoring the viewers clamoring for more information from the golem, continues her line of questioning.
Amidst the conversation, something crossed my mind.
I realized it's been 10 minutes since the golden golem appeared.
I shifted my gaze from the stream and moved quietly to Han Se-ah's side.
Everyone's so focused on the golem's story that they've let their guard down.
Perhaps they thought the golem, having lost its arms, wasn't much of a threat.
Their postures have relaxed, showing a clear drop in tension.
What could an armless golem possibly do?
Our world was invaded by a Demon King, leading to the creation of the last fort
"Demon King? So, you're saying the Demon King invaded there as well? Wait, what?"
"Goddess, grant us your protection!"
Suddenly, an explosion.
Mid-conversation, a bright light erupted from within the golem.
It didn't seem like a self-detonation, but...
Boom
A booming noise reverberated through the cave as the golem's golden body transformed into a magic bomb, igniting with a bright flash and causing a powerful explosion.
Han Se-ah, caught off guard, was unable to respond as she was fiddling with the status window in the air.
Fortunately, Irene, who had been paying attention, immediately cast a protective barrier.
Once the dust and noise from the explosion subsided, what revealed itself was a shattered maze.
The once-smooth walls began reverting back to their rough, natural cave texture.
As the protective barrier faded, the party members cautiously gathered around me, their eyes wary amidst the settling dust.
"You know what I'm going to say, right?"
"...Yes."
"No matter how reasonable the opponent is or how well we can communicate with it, you let your guard down too much. At the very least, you should have dodged or reacted."
Apart from Irene, who reacted instantly, the rest look down sheepishly.
It made me think: perhaps a 5 really is worth its value.
How could a priestess react faster than a nimble swordsman and a scout archer?
Or maybe she never let her guard down, regardless of the wonders of the tower?
And so, the golden golem vanished from the 21st floor, leaving behind an unsolved mystery and a single key-shaped mana stone.
Does this mean that the mana stones of the rock golems, which I bought for 10 gold and 15 silver coins each, are now pointless?
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