The Immortals of Notoriouslandia
Chapter Seventeen: The Golem Trial of Grandelifer
The journey to Grandelifer took them to the Stormcore Vault, a forgotten vault-chamber deep within the sky-razor cliffs of Sapphire's world. Thunderclouds roared overhead, and crystal lightning surged through the earth itself—this was where power pulsed, wild and pure.
Grandelifer, the enhancer crystal, was known for amplifying all existing powers, layering them with voltage and velocity. But as the map had warned… it was guarded.
By something old.
Something royal.
The Vault Chamber
The team entered the central chamber—circular, massive, encased in polished crystal.
And there it stood.
A towering golem—glimmering with armor made of platinum-infused quartz, eyes flickering blue with electrical current. Runes across its chest glowed like stars.
"That's not just any guardian," Sapphire murmured."It's a royal ward construct. Built by the kings of Vrystallion… three centuries ago."
The golem didn't move—until Grandelifer pulsed behind it.
Then it raised its fists, humming with stored lightning.
First Encounter – No Damage
They attacked together.
Kukranchunlikryting launched toxic volt-clouds.
Sapphire struck with crystal shurikens enhanced by Rubabranas flame.
Mr. Shonk unleashed a trident-charged punch that echoed like a thunderclap.
Descentedrain hurled telekinetic blasts fused with solar heat.
Not a scratch.
It advanced, slamming the ground with seismic force, sending shockwaves across the room.
Descentedrain grit his teeth, scanning for a pattern.
"No mural this time… No instructions…"
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"What if it's not about symbols? What if it's just function?"
He pointed.
"Shonk—try the arms!"
Shonk struck one arm with a war cry.
The golem staggered—but stayed standing.
"Still too tough!" he called.
"Then aim higher!" Descentedrain shouted.
Sapphire blinked behind the golem and launched a crystal spike into its head.
Mr. Shonk followed with a leaping spin-strike.
The golem's eyes blinked—then went black.
It fell, crashing to the floor.
Twist of Trial – The Heads Multiply
"That was almost disappointingly easy," Mr. Shonk said, scratching his head.
Then the golem disintegrated into glowing dust.
But before the dust hit the ground—another one formed from the surrounding crystal.
This time, it had two heads.
Its arms crackled with twice the electricity, its movement faster, more coordinated.
"Okay that's new," Kukranchunlikryting growled."Time to overheat this beast."
They fought again—now dodging dual lightning blasts, sharper attacks, and perfect synchronization between the golem's dual minds.
Still, with precision and group coordination, they took it down.
It shattered.
But then—
A new golem appeared.
With three heads.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Descentedrain muttered.
"How many heads do these royal bricks have in stock!?"
Another battle. Harder. More painful.
Sapphire's leg was burned, Kukranchunlikryting's armor cracked, and even Mr. Shonk was winded—but they destroyed it with Descentedrain's full-force solar barrage to all three heads at once.
"We're done, right?" Mr. Shonk asked, panting.
Another formed.
Four heads.
Then another.
Five.
Descentedrain spun, his voice near mad with exhaustion.
"HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA TAKE!?"
Victory at Last
The fifth golem, larger and faster than all before, struck with insane precision—but the team now understood the pattern.
Always go for the heads. Together. No hesitation.
They struck in sync—fire, crystal, poison, trident, and telekinesis—collapsing the last guardian in a brilliant flash of light and fractured crystal.
The ground calmed.
Grandelifer hovered in the air above a floating pedestal, now unguarded.
Claiming Grandelifer
The team limped forward, eyes wide.
Descentedrain stepped up first, touching the crystal with his bare hand.
Lightning surged through his body—not violent, but empowering.
He didn't cry out.
He exhaled.
The power flowed to the others:
⚡ Descentedrain's telekinesis doubled in force—he could now manipulate energy mid-flight and move entire structures.⚡ Sapphire's crystal weapons now launched like railguns, sparking with devastating speed.⚡ Mr. Shonk's physical strikes now delivered thunderclaps on contact.⚡ Kukranchunlikryting could now electrify toxins and turn mist clouds into arcing storm-fields.
They stood there, weapons humming, lightning dancing along their bodies.
The Grandelifer glowed once—then dimmed.
They were stronger now.
And they still had one crystal left to find.
The storm above the Grandelifer Vault had calmed. Only lightning sparks shimmered faintly across the rocks like fading stars. The team moved just outside the chamber, settling on a high ridge where obsidian met sky.
Another night.
Another campfire.
And Descentedrain, as always, moved with quiet focus—healing his team, restoring what was lost.
Rest, Rewards, and a Little More
Mr. Shonk sat cross-legged, still crackling with residual power, grinning wide as Descentedrain dropped a massive sack beside him.
"Another year's supply of Mango Graham Bars, fire-charged this time."
"You spoil me, captain," Shonk said, already unwrapping one. "Truly a mango god."
To Kukranchunlikryting, Descentedrain handed a thermos steaming with volatile cocoa, the label warning of explosive properties. Alongside it: a pouch of black pepper-crusted acid cookies.
"These burn going down and coming back up. Perfect," Kukranchunlikryting purred.
Then he turned to Sapphire.
She sat quietly by the fire, her legs tucked beneath her, the blue flicker of the flames reflected in her crystal-colored eyes.
Descentedrain knelt beside her and opened a polished stone container.
Inside were crystal-sugar berries and a chilled vial of sun-forged apple juice—Sapphire's favorite.
"Even after a lightning storm," she whispered, "you still bring sweetness."
"You're part of the team," he replied, gently setting the food beside her.
She leaned forward, her voice lowered.
"You know, if I kissed you… would you still call it team maintenance?"
Before he could respond, she pressed her lips softly to his cheek—warm, lingering.
Descentedrain blinked.
"I—just try to keep everyone in top shape," he muttered, standing quickly and walking to check the perimeter.
Behind him, Sapphire smirked.
"You're fun when you panic."
Journey to Halrualry
The next morning, they set off toward the ancient ruins of Cerebrant Cradle, where the final crystal—Halrualry—was said to reside.
The road led them through floating stone platforms, mental resonance fields, and logic-lock puzzles. Finally, they entered a sealed chamber shaped like a dome of mirrored obsidian.
In the center, floating in midair, was a massive crystal head—no body, no voice—only thought.
It pulsed, and a voice boomed into their minds:
"You who seek Halrualry must pass the Test of Five.""Answer not as individuals, but as one mind.""Fail three, and be cast into oblivion."
The Quiz of Five
The head pulsed. The first question echoed.
1. RIDDLE –
"I am always hungry, I must always be fed,The finger I touch, will soon turn red.What am I?"
Mr. Shonk blinked.
"Fire."
Correct.
2. LOGIC –
"Three brothers share a single home.One leaves each morning,One returns each night,One never moves.Who are they?"
Sapphire answered:
"The sun, the moon, and the Earth."
Correct.
3. PATTERN RECOGNITION –
"2, 4, 8, 16… what's next?"
Kukranchunlikryting growled:
"32. It doubles."
Correct.
4. ETHICAL CHOICE –
"You can save one: a child with power or a hundred without.Whom do you save?"
Silence.
Then Descentedrain spoke.
"The hundred. Power means nothing if you abandon the people."
Correct.
5. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE –
"What is stronger: fear, or hope?"
All four answered at once.
"Hope."
The head was silent.
Then it glowed gold.
Claiming Halrualry
The chamber shook.
From the center of the ceiling descended Halrualry—a crystal shaped like a spiraled neuron, glowing with shifting symbols.
Descentedrain reached for it.
And the moment he touched it—
Everything changed.
New Enhancements Awakened
💡 Descentedrain's mind expanded—he saw futures, calculated probabilities in seconds, and could manipulate tactics like time itself.💡 Sapphire's reflexes became surgical, and her crystal tech could now adapt mid-combat to enemy behavior.💡 Mr. Shonk's instincts became sharp, his battle smarts catching up to his strength.💡 Kukranchunlikryting could now engineer toxins mid-fight, manipulating their chemical reactions by will alone.
They stood together in the pulsing light of the chamber—stronger than ever.
The four crystals were now theirs.
But beyond the next mountain…
The Door of Never waited.
And its final chain… was ready to break.