CH 169

We’re heading towards a specific building, with Ahri and Roa leading the way. Behind them is Master Halhammer, with his hand on a potion holder, ready to use a potion as soon as it’s necessary. I’m following them from the back of the line while activating a scroll.

It’s a completely new place to us, full of things we’ve never seen. The elastic floor has some strange symbols drawn on it here and there, and we sometimes see tubes that appear to be made of metal poking out of the ground.

We advance while being very careful, and it feels like it’s taking longer than it actually us.

We finally reach the building that appeared to be close to us, and something comes out of its shadow.

They’re bipedal and about the size of a child, and their face looks like an imitation of a cat’s. There are two of them, and they come towards us with unsteady steps while swaying left and right.

They’re empty-handed.

We look at them with caution, and quickly start discussing what to do.

“What are they? Small golems with a cat motif?”

“Their movements are too smooth. They’re closer to a stuffed toy than golems. Are they cat dolls?”

Master Halhammer responds to me. It’s true, their texture does look soft.

“Be careful. I can’t see through them at all. It’s dangerous.”

Warns Roa while holding her spear, ready to use it.

“Ahri?”

I call out to Ahri next.

“Strange. I feel hostility too, but my future sight magic eye isn’t responding.”

Ahri holds up her spear too as she responds.

The swaying cat dolls suddenly stop.

And then, they take a big jump and rush towards us. I see four sharp fangs in their wide open mouths, which spread out as if thrusting forward.

At this rate, they’re going to pierce Ahri and Roa, but the two don’t lose their cool, and swing their spears.

The tip of their spears each creates a streak of light, and bisect the two cat dolls.

From what little I saw of the cut sections, they didn’t appear to be living beings.

But I can’t be sure, because the moment the corpses hit the ground, they turn into smoke with a puffing sound.

“The corpses vanished?”

I crouch down and look around the spot where the two corpses should be.

They disappeared without a trace, but I find something instead. It’s a thin disk-shaped object, about the size of a thumb. It shines with a golden color, and I pick it up.

“Is it a gold coin? I’ve never seen this design.”

“Rust, there are more coming!”

Roa warns, and I quickly get up and turn around.