When Carlos's strike split the golem in half, the desired results finally began to appear. The upper part regained its movement and started regenerating again. The matter became clearer for Carlos—the core was located in the upper part. At that moment, Carlos tightened his grip on his daggers once more and released air blades toward the golem, cutting off both of its rocky arms. Then he launched two more air blades and severed the golem's legs. Carlos aimed to paralyze it for a moment so he could deliver a decisive and powerful enough strike to destroy its body completely.
After immobilizing the golem temporarily, a small whirlwind of wind emerged from Carlos's palm. This small whirlwind shot toward the golem at high speed. Suddenly, without warning, as soon as the whirlwind touched the golem, a massive explosion occurred. A mighty storm blew forth, shattering the golem's body completely. Each time it tried to regenerate, the storm tore it apart, as though sharp blades were slicing everything within its range.
Once the golem's body had collapsed entirely, Carlos gestured with his hand, and the storm ceased. He immediately rushed toward the golem's location; its core was still intact after all, attempting to regenerate and form a layer of rock around it. But before that could happen, Carlos sped toward it at incredible speed, gripping his daggers. When he reached it, his daggers pierced the core and split it into four pieces. The core shattered, and the golem's existence came to an end once and for all.
At that point, Carlos returned his daggers to their place and went to Tala, who had been hiding in a rocky recess with the supplies. After calm settled, Tala realized the battle had truly ended. As soon as she emerged, Carlos was already there.
Tala said: "So, how was the fight with that golem?"
Carlos replied: "It was a worthy opponent indeed. I struggled a little because of my weak weapons, but once we return, I'll make sure to forge better ones than these."
Tala responded: "Alright, alright. Let's keep moving forward. Hopefully, we won't encounter too many problems."
Both Tala and Carlos resumed their journey, drawing closer to their goal. After passing through the rocky area, a river appeared before them, flowing through the mountains. They stopped at the river to drink some water. When Carlos filled his flask and was about to drink, Tala stopped him:
"What do you mean by this? Stop! Don't drink this water—it's polluted."
Carlos looked at the water and found it pure and dazzlingly clear, his reflection shining on its surface.
"But I don't think it's polluted," he said.
Tala replied: "No, it is. There's something strange about this river. Let's trace its source—this stream is not natural."
Carlos answered: "Alright then, if that's your opinion, I'll follow you."
Carlos tossed away the water he was about to drink and followed the path from which it flowed. Soon, they found themselves before a massive cave. Up until this moment, Carlos had not suspected anything unusual. They continued deeper into the cave, and soon their vision became nearly nonexistent. The deeper they went, Tala pulled out a torch and lit it to illuminate their path, and Carlos also took a torch with him.
As they ventured further, the cave's interior began to resemble a place once inhabited. Strange carvings marked the walls. The cave gradually narrowed, leading them into a vast chamber. Stranger still, torches for lighting were already hanging from its rocky walls.
Three tunnels opened before them. It was complicated—which one was the correct path? The two made their decision and proceeded into the left tunnel. As they delved inside, they began to hear strange creaking and crackling sounds. Nevertheless, they advanced, fully on guard. Finally, they saw light at the end of the tunnel, but the scene awaiting them was shocking—they had returned to the same chamber they started from! The situation was puzzling, like a riddle.
They had few options left: either go back the way they came, or try the other tunnels. This time, they chose the right tunnel. As they went deeper, the same sounds of crackling and creaking they had heard earlier repeated here as well. They pressed forward until they reached the tunnel's end, but once again, the outcome was shocking—they had returned to the same chamber!
The situation grew stranger and more confusing. Their choices were dwindling. Now, they either had to try the middle tunnel or retreat the way they had entered. Breaking the silence, Tala said:
"Let's try the middle tunnel. We've got nothing to lose."
The two immediately proceeded through the middle passage. The same scenario played out once again: the eerie sounds, the tunnel strangely resembling the others. At last, the tunnel's end came into view, and as expected, the same thing happened—they returned to the same chamber again!
Carlos said: "Then we'll head back to the main passage and leave the cave. That's our best option for now."
The two turned back, but things grew even stranger, as if this passage had now become similar to the others. The creaking and crackling sounds echoed here as well. And when the tunnel's end appeared, they once again found themselves back in the same chamber! It was as though they were trapped in an endless loop, a maze with no way out.
Tala: "Carlos, it seems we've fallen into someone's trap."
Carlos replied: "Yes, this is not natural at all. It's as if someone is toying with us."
Tala: "Hey Carlos, looks like we've become victims of someone's tricks."
Carlos: "Alright, then I'll leave solving this matter to you—you're the most suited for it."
Tala adjusted her glasses, then said with full confidence:
"Leave it to me. We'll see who has the last laugh, whoever is behind this."
End of Chapter