The Golem Adventurer - Chapter 28 The Centaurion

Standing in front of us was now was a centaur-like golem; built like a tank and towering above us two stories tall. In its hand held a colossal sword that it wielded with ease. Several crimson eyes stared down at us in cold consideration as he hefted his blunted blade to rest on its shoulder.

This thing is supposed to be our final challenge. It seemed to be leagues above our last battle. I looked behind me at the rest of my group. They all kept stern faces but fear and fatigue cracked through the faade. Even Erwyn’s usually hot-blooded demeanor was breaking.

Even I couldn’t help but think nihilistically. Back in Haldin, I was able to take on any realistic threat. But here, I was just as mortal as the rest of my party. My own natural constitution provided me no benefits against their superior armaments. I might as well be flesh and blood again. I can only imagine what the rest of them were thinking.

There were only two choices now. Live or die. I pull out my spear as the rest follow suit.

“W-We’re really going to fight that thing, huh?” Erwyn’s voice cracks a bit as he stands next to me.

Aelinor nocks her bow, “The only way out is through it. Even if it’s impossible, I’m not going to lie down without a fight!”

Tessa steps forward, “We’ll win this!” Tessa’s voice was filled with conviction, “All of us are coming back home! Together!” Her time here has given her some confidence. The nervousness she had since we first met had slowly evaporated during our time together. Well… at least in battle.

[THE FINAL TEST WILL NOW COMMENCE.]

The Centaurion began its charge.

“Everyone, spread out and attack it from all angles!” screamed Erwyn.

The group scatters around the Centaurion as I meet its charge with my spear in hand. It swings down at me with its gigantic blade and smashes the ground. The shockwaves created makes me unbalanced as I tumble across the ground, even as I dodged its swing.

I get back up in a fluid motion and stab at its sides with my spear. Even with me scraping together whatever ounce of mana I could pour in; all I could do was make puncture holes into its armored skin. Nothing more than flesh wounds. Erwyn couldn’t manage any better on his end. His poor armaments did little against it. I can do now is keep its attention towards me.

Arrows and spells of all types began to rain down upon the Centurion. Free from the restraint of being indoors and our enemy’s size, they were able to cast their magic without worry. Try as they might, however, they couldn’t break through the Centurion’s tough metal carapace.

We were like kids trying to hit a trolley with sticks and rocks. Nothing we did could wound this beast. I still had a speed advantage over the Centaurion. Its slow but powerful attacks couldn’t find its mark as I weaved around him, taking whatever potshots I could. But without something that can deliver a definitive blow, we were locked in a battle of attrition.

Tessa wasn’t giving up though, “Cover me!” she yells.

She raises her staff into the sky with a chant as a purple magic circle, the size of which I’ve never seen, began to rotate around her.

“T-Tier 5 magic!? I thought you said she was practicing Tier 4!?” Johann shouts in a surprise.

She is. Tier 4 spells were what should could practice safely. The fifth tier was still too dangerous for her to cast. But without any options left, this was the only choice she could make.

The Centaurion had unfortunately noticed the spectacle and prepared to charge towards Tessa.

“Nnh!” before it could start its charge, I grab hold of its armor. It drags me away as I try to scamper up onto its back. It stops midway and begins to buck wildly in place while I continue my movement towards its humanoid torso where Oracle states it could pinpoint the mana radiation coming from its core. With my spear in hand, I thrust as mightily as I could, desperately hoping each stab would finally pierce through as the puncture wound begins to widen.

A shadow loomed over me as the Centaurion engulfs me with his hand and pries me away from its backside. It now held me in its grip as it stared me down, its crimson eyes illuminating me.

“I-It’s got Arlan!” Erwyn yells. The Centaurion ignores his repeated strikes to garner his attention. Johann and Aelinor’s attempts to free me with their attacks nothing to change its mind, even with them focus firing their arrows and spells on the golem’s head.

I could hear my unit squeal and crack as the it begins to squeeze my frame like a vice. My body begins to distort and twist under the Centurion’s pressure. Even my body’s chest plate starts to crack open like an orange.

Tessa’s chants start to slow. She’s hesitating to continue her spell now that the Centaurion has left me no means to escape.

“Don’t worry about me, Tessa!” I exclaimed, “None of us are leaving here alive if we don’t kill this thing!” I may have said that but my chances of surviving this had dropped dramatically. None of my limbs were responding now as the golem’s grip on me continued.

Upon hearing my words, Tessa’s chant resumed with full clarity. Above the Centaurion, a gigantic spear, wreathed in lightning materialized. Its tip now pointed straight at the golem.

A fount of mana particles began to encircle and melt into Tessa. A gale began to roar with tremendous force all around us. She raised her staff as high as she could as the circle beneath her began to shine with terrific luminosity. In one swift motion she points her staff directly at the Centaurion.

“[Empyrean Spe-]!”

The particles around Tessa burst out in a rush as blood begins to seep out of her orifices. She collapses on the ground in a violence bout of wheezing. Her intricate blue and gold blouse was stained with sanguine.

Johann and Aelinor rush over to her. The elf does her best to stop the bleeding with her magic as Johann holds her up while Tessa fit of coughing continued. Without Tessa finishing her cast, the spear above us quickly dissipated with the wind…

“That spell was too much for her to cast!” Johann face was covered dread, “She’s suffering from severe mana feedback!!”

Aelinor was sent into a panic, “I’ve done what I can but she needs more healing! I’m struggling to draw in any more mana!”

Shit! Our situation was becoming dire by the minute. Tessa is dying and even if I get out of here, I’m completely paralyzed! Think! I need to come up with something! Anything!!

The Centaurion gave me no chance to think as he promptly raises me up and tosses me at full force against the arena walls. My body slinks down to the floor like a lifeless pile of garbage. Even the hinges of my chest piece had broken off, vehemently displaying my core for all to see. For all the damage done to my body, it somehow managed to stay undamaged. Unfortunately, all it could do was shine brightly like a cold blue star in the face of all this despondency.

[Warning! Systems are in critical condition! Unit functions have become non-operational! No response detected from all extremities!]

Smoke began to escape out from my frame as I lied in a pool of my own liquid mana. I… don’t think we’re going to leave this place.

Erwyn, in the face of defeat, was still defiant, “Nnh… you piece of jun-argh~!” The Centaurion’s back hoof swats him away and sends his body flying across the colosseum floor.

Any questions I had about why it decided to toss me away were revealed to my dread as the Centaurion pointed its now free hand towards Tessa and the others. Just like with the golem before, its hand decompiled and revealed a barrel underneath.

I didn’t need Oracle to tell me what happened next. All I could do was watch as Johann quickly got up from holding Tessa and put up his barrier. The Centaurion shot out a ball of plasma that crashed right into Johann’s shield. The impact created an explosion that rocked the battlefield sending a cloud of dust all around them. By the time it finally settled, all I could see was Tessa, Johann and Aelinor’s motionless figures lying scattered on the ground. The movements of their chests began to dwindle…

The only movement I could detect was Erwyn. He grasped and clawed on his belly towards his fallen friends. I could hear his anguished grunts from here; tears began to stream down his cheeks. In the end, even his movements stopped as well as his body fell unconscious.

This is how it ends, is it? But instead of dying alone, I’ve dragged four people down here to die with me. Why the fuck did you send me down here Celecia!? This place was suppose to be a beginner’s first dungeon. My presence here turned it into a fucking deathtrap! Did you know this!? Why didn’t you tell me this would happen!? You’re a god, aren’t you!? I know you’re watching me right now! I don’t care what happens to me, just help them get out of here alive! Please!

The Centaurion turned his attention back to me. Its barrel once again pointed at my direction. There was nothing I could do. Only my crystal core stood defiant in the face of death…

Celecia, do something!! THEY’RE GOING TO DIE!!

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