Chapter 48

Chapter 48

To be honest, for a team of our caliber, these low-tier golems were hardly a challenge.

"Who wouldve thought wed clear the entire area in under an hour..."

In no time at all, we found ourselves in the final room of Zone 1.

I nudged the scattered remnants of the defeated golems with my boot, a hint of disappointment in my heart.

Each member of our quartet had dealt with the golems in their own distinctive style.

Flash!

Each time Jupiter snapped his fingers, a bolt of lightning reduced a golem to molten rubble.

Thwack! Thud!

Damiens arrows found their mark, piercing the magical cores of the golems with unerring precision.

Chop!

With a single, powerful stroke, Lucas cleaved a golems magic core, splitting the creature in twain.

And then there was Evangeline...

Smash!

She simply laid waste to them.

With a spirited charge, she speared them with her lance and then crushed the immobilized golems with her shield.

None of the golems could withstand this brutal onslaught and crumbled into debris.

"Yip! Yippee!"

Evangeline hopped around, her petite form a blur as she alternated between her lance and shield.

Her expression might have been a bit eccentric, but she resembled a sprightly squirrel foraging for food.

Crash!

"Yahaaahaa-!"

With the final golem reduced to rubble under her shield, Evangeline roared triumphantly, her face flushed from the exertion. She seemed more invigorated than ever.

"Is there another one! Isnt there anyone else!"

"That was the last one, junior."

[Zone 1: The Parched Sewer]

- Clear Progress: Normal Room 4/4

Across the span of four rooms, wed laid low about 20 stone golems, and not a scratch on any of us.

This is too easy.

The difficulty was so low, it hardly felt like we were engaging in coordinated team play. Each of them could just bulldoze through with their individual skills.

Since these were low-tier golems, the materials we could salvage from them were fairly average.

Given that we needed to destroy the Magic Power cores to neutralize them, all the cores ended up shattered beyond use.

"We all seem to be warmed up. Lets take a short breather and then head to Zone 2."

Strolling through the final corridor of the sewer, I raised my voice.

"Zone 2 will pose more of a challenge, so stay on your toes."

In all honesty, Zone 2 would likely be a breeze for our current team as well.

I wished for a slight uptick in difficulty. Its only a learning experience when theres a challenge involved.

Soon enough, the sewer gave way to an open expanse.

[Zone 2: Hidden Alley]

A lone lamppost flickered in the dim back alley, casting long, dancing shadows.

This was a safe point wed secured during our last foray.

Beyond that, a cityscape filled with towering skyscrapers stretched out before us. Below, darkness swirled like the murky depths of an ocean.

As she took in the sight of the city cloaked in shadow, Evangelines mouth hung open in awe.

"W-What is this...?"

"Our destination for todays exploration."

Swallowing nervously, I adjusted the Lucky Strike in my grasp.

It was finally time to undertake a proper exploration of this place, this subaqueous hell.

I need to gather a plethora of Magic Power cores.

The serious item farming was about to commence!

Before stepping foot into the second zone, we concluded a brief rest was in order.

While the combat hadnt been particularly challenging, we had, after all, been in battle with monsters. A certain level of fatigue was inevitable.

Moreover, there were tasks to attend to during our respite. With the declaration of a break, our party members settled down in the designated safe area, each finding their own way to relax.

Clank. Clank.

Evangeline and Lucas were heartily consuming their food rations, retrieved from their supply bags. Quite the typical behavior for those heavily physical knights.

Lucas was renowned for his sizable appetite, but Evangeline was not far behind him.

With his cheeks puffed out in the manner of a squirrel, Lucas voraciously devoured the contents of his food pack.

"Good meal~"

Evangeline, having made short work of a full lunch box, shook her now-empty food pack with an air akin to a gusty breeze.

With thoughts of potential item upgrades dancing in my head, I nodded in resolution.

Lets wipe them all out!

***

Navigating a linear path hemmed in by decrepit brick walls on either side, devoid of any significant structures, our party progressed cautiously.

The dark alley oozed an unsettling aura.

Back alleys are eerie even in Korea, where every corner is illuminated by street lamps.

Yet, here in the Lake Kingdoms backstreets, the darkness was all-encompassing, devoid of any trace of light. It was as black as pitch.

More than just eerie, every step we took, guided by the glow of our torches, was fraught with tension.

This is literally a monsters den.

Not just ethereal specters or spirits, all manner of hostile creatures lurked in this submerged city.

Thankfully, only one type would emerge at any given time. In our case, it was golems.

But even knowing that, its still terrifying when a golem abruptly lunges out of the shadows!

Imagine a house-sized golem unexpectedly leaping out at the end of the alleyway... The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.

And then.

Ka-boom!

Just as I contemplated the possibility, the thought became a reality!

From the right-hand side of the alley where wed been carefully advancing, a colossal golem erupted through the brick wall.

"Ahhh, shit!"

Caught off guard, I cursed reflexively, recoiling in surprise.

It seemed wed already entered the first dungeon room. Its nothing but pitch-black alleys, how are we to know!

The golem resembled something out of a steampunk fantasy, adorned with metallic gauntlets and joints.

The golem in the initial area was endearingly massive, roughly the size of a sizable truck.

GROOOO-!

A deafening growl echoed through its frame, puffing out wisps of white steam like a train, as the colossal golem spread its arms wide.

"Ill intercept it!"

Lucas hollered, dashing to the right and swinging his sword in a sweeping arc.

Clang!

The golems arm, struck by Lucass sword, was forcefully repelled.

Ding!

At that moment, a system window materialized before me.

[Hidden Back Alley - Room 1]

- Eradicate the enemy!

- Lv.15 Steam Golem <Elite>: 2

Level 15. Steam Golem. Elite monster. However, that was not what struck me.

Two of them?

I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Theres another one...!"

Kaboom!

This time, from the left side of the alleyway.

Smashing through the boundary wall, a second golem emerged.

GROOOO-!

With a fierce operational roar and steam billowing from its body, the golem hurtled straight towards us.

It was as if a freight train was barreling down on us!

Thud-!

Evangeline halted its charge with her sturdy shield.

Evangelines delicate legs skidded backwards.

Her feet, firmly rooted as though anchoring into the ground, pulverized the tiles beneath her, raising a cloud of dust.

"Blast it! What the hell is this, a bull...!"

Evangeline grunted, her teeth clenched in determination.

"Ugh!"

From the opposite direction, Lucas also stifled a grunt.

My gaze darted towards him in concern, only to find Lucas under siege.

He was barely holding off the golems continuous onslaught, warding off its relentless downward swings with his sword.

Thump! Kaboom!

My eyes locked with Lucass as he rolled to dodge the menacing metal fists. He caught my signal and I nodded back immediately.

The reason I, a non-combatant, was here in the first place was clear.

"Time to start calling the shots!"

It was to issue quick and accurate directives!