Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Abandoned Mine (2)
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While Lilia kicked apart the nearly completed second earth golem once more...
A massive water golem in the back slowly extended its arm forward.
Just like when Galen normally fired a water spirit bullet by reaching out and aiming at the enemy.
The spirit pointed its blunt fist ahead and unleashed a gigantic water spirit bullet.
Booom!
Compared to the standard water spirit bullets fired from the gauntlet enveloping Galen's hand—which were only slightly larger than an adult's head...
This special one, launched from a fist the size of a massive boulder, was grotesquely huge.
Big enough to engulf a person whole and drown them outright.
At a glance, it looked like the water golem's entire fist had detached and rocketed forward like a rocket punch.
Splat!
The earth golem, which had just finished forming and was about to take its monumental first step, crumpled and went flying. It only stopped after crashing into another golem behind it.
The soil was packed so densely it could pass for rock, but it was still fragile enough to shatter under Lilia's kick.
There was no way it could withstand the destructive force of that extra-large water mass slamming into it.
Gazing at the pitifully mangled earth golem, Lilia voiced her honest reaction.
"Isn't that a bit much?!"
"I wondered if it might have some unexpected ability. Like being resistant to water since it's made of earth?"
"Hm, doesn't seem like something that applies here!"
Soil does absorb water well, but anyone who's watered a potted plant once knows. Too much water, and it pools on top or overflows the saucer.
With the special water spirit bullet nearly matching the earth golem's bulk, absorption was out of the question. And it wasn't gently poured—it was smashed in with full force.
"Hey, could you leave one for me?"
"Pick one, and I'll leave it."
"This one then!"
Lilia summoned a gleaming spear of light from her hand and pointed it at the nearest earth golem.
Galen nodded and directed the spirit. It slightly shifted its arm to adjust its aim.
Booom!
The large, beautiful cannonball took off again.
Spirit Creation had evolved, granting the spirit mobility as well.
But a water spirit's essence was still gobbling water and spitting it back out.
Mana cost for "gobbling" was negligible, and for "spitting," only a bit more.
Whether as a stream or droplets didn't matter, and even at max power, it barely strained him.
Especially compared to the mana hog that "moving" became as size increased.
No wonder I favored water spirit bullets. They let me conserve Water Flow Manipulation mana while spamming decent power using just Spirit Creation mana.
Of course, "decent" power was just sparring fodder for Lilia and mainly used for massacring civilians in real fights.
But with earth golems swarming like that, who cared if they weren't civilians?
No way every single one was gold-rank. If so, they'd turn tail and bail from the ruins right now.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case.
Splat!
Every time the spirit fired a special water spirit bullet, a golem got pulverized and sent flying.
"Even taking hits like that without fighting back... looks like their movement speed is inherently slow..."
Watching the other golems get utterly demolished, Lilia muttered as she turned to the one she'd claimed for herself.
Having hunted fiends even before meeting Galen, she had a habit of analyzing foes.
"Makes sense structurally—their lower bodies look flimsy, so sprinting's out... Whoa."
The golem lumbered forward at a pace even civilians could easily evade, then swung a fist at her.
Whoosh!
It was sharp and fast. Anyone lulled by its sluggish gait could've eaten it clean.
Of course, Lilia wasn't careless. Even if she had been, she could've reacted.
She easily sidestepped with a light step back, then grinned at Galen like it was fun.
"Just the upper body twists! The torso's quick, but not the legs!"
"Feels like a jointed doll. Though a rock moving fluidly would be weird anyway."
With the spirit handling the golems on its own, Galen had leisure to chat with Lilia.
"How threatening are they?"
"If you're not careless... silver-rank warriors could dodge without much trouble? Miss once, and no need to worry about follow-ups!"
In typical warrior duels, both sides keep stepping, so retreating just prompts pursuit, dragging the fight on.
But these golems had quick torsos and slow legs. Basically stationary attacks, making them far easier to handle.
"No need to worry about our scouts in one-on-ones then. None below silver."
"Probably."
The golem took another step and swung again.
Lilia timed her sidestep perfectly and thrust her spear with full force.
Thud!
The light spear pierced the golem's head clean through.
The section below its neck kept moving undeterred.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Even after three more stabs pulverized its head, no change.
Tilting her head, Lilia stabbed its torso next.
As the golem wildly swung its arms left and right nearly recklessly, her light spear ravaged the body over ten times.
"Not the head or torso, huh?"
"But the others stopped functioning, right?"
"Exactly! The ones I kicked first halted too. Oh, wait—maybe?"
Lilia swept her spear horizontally.
The gleaming spear was just elongated light shaped like one—not a real spear bound to thrusting.
Grind!
Less a slice, more a savage shave—it carved away the golem's waist.
Once the upper body slid off the lower half, it finally stopped.
"Roughly half-destroyed does it!"
"Hm, not that simple, I bet."
Galen revised his assessment of the earth golems upward a notch.
Too strong for bronze, too weak for silver—not an immediate threat to the scouts.
But killing them this way was a hassle.
No instant kill via head, heart, or vitals—just smash them to bits.
Splitting in half worked, but slicing a rock-hard torso was impossible for silver-ranks. Weapons wouldn't hold.
"At best, bludgeon the waist... but silver-level probably can't one-shot it."
"Just hit a few times!"
"Sure, but with their numbers... if they don't drop fast, formations tangle..."
"Supervisor!"
A new voice cut in, interrupting. Galen turned.
Veron strode up briskly, Alon following a bit behind.
Lilia had already ditched the wrecked golem and scampered to Galen's side.
The front wasn't quiet yet. Galen asked Veron.
"We good leaving the front?"
"Two gnomes are plenty. No way they're that incompetent."
Veron scoffed, then sobered slightly.
"No need to go this far."
"What do you mean? Oh, stomping those go... earth monsters?"
"Yeah. Supervisors watch. They don't jump in."
"Fair point, but you should've said that sooner."
The spirit had already mulched nine golems into mud, and Lilia smashed three.
The skill gap made it quick, sure.
But standing idle would've gotten them swarmed ages ago. Veron hadn't arrived that fast.
"I know. First encounter, played it safe. Saw you handle easy, so I was late. Means I got it from now on—no need for you to act."
"Don't be too strict."
Galen grinned.
"Not claiming shares over trash like this."
"..."
Veron faltered, nailed.
Alon, arriving then, sighed faintly at Galen's words.
"Not just that. Also honoring church mediation max. Accepting judgment aid? Ruins our position."
"Understood. But we can't just rely in emergencies. Like now."
"That's..."
"If worried, I'll confirm: we'll act if needed, but never demand shares for it. Unless you ask first—then terms shift."
"...Won't happen."
"Hope not. Handle the rest."
Galen extended a hand toward the direction his Water Flow Manipulation sensed them.
New golems thudded from the winding, obstructed passage.
The brothers' faces hardened.
"This place too..."
"Hmph, think numbers win?"
One clicked tongue, one sneered, stepping forward.
No need to intervene now. Galen recalled the spirit. The giant water golem shrank rapidly.
Now a small cat, it padded lightly.
It headed to the nearest puddle from the giant shots, dunking its head in.
Slurp!
Like a cat lapping water. But the level dropped in seconds.
Used to manually Water Flow Manipulation it before, but now it self-served—convenient.
Curious glances from Alon and Veron before they clashed with the golem horde.
Slash!
They'd grasped Lilia's intel too—straight for the waist, bisecting in one blow. No petty strikes.
As gold warriors, their raw combat outstripped priestess Lilia's.
Two of them? Golems halved twice as fast.
They pressed ahead, leaving earthen wreckage.
"Really hate borrowing our hands, huh."
"Pride, sure... but shares matter more."
Not fondness for Galen and Lilia—they just wanted zero openings.
Already hating splitting with gnomes, ceding to church too? No way.
"If they insist on soloing, why butt in."
Status window checked.
These weaklings gave peanuts in EXP anyway.
No hassle? Galen was thrilled.
"Save our strength. Who knows what comes."
"Yes!"
Lilia dispersed her gleaming spear, beaming.
*
Front and rear golems totaled around a hundred.
All met the same fate: thudding along, then shattered in one hit. Zero threat.
No rest needed—the expedition pushed on.
"It's those guys again!"
Soon, another ambush same style.
Repelled, advanced, then once more shortly after.
"Damn, what a pain."
Veron's gripe nailed it.
Better a real powerhouse forcing gold action for a proper brawl.
Instead, golems middling—too tough for silver outsourcing, so golds slugged it out personally.
Galen spectating was bored; Veron swinging dozens of times? Infuriating.
But it all ended absurdly.
"...?"
Post-third ambush, barely moved when they halted again.
No vanguard shouts this time.
Instead, chaos rippled from mid silver-ranks.
Wondering, Galen and Lilia went front.
They soon saw why.
The path was blocked.
"What... is this?"
"Beats me."
Akanksha muttered, baffled.
"Not collapsed... just sealed smooth."
Their path so far screamed artificial: firm floor, walls, ceiling.
This end matched— like "path ends here."
Thoom!
Sachet punched. Unbelievable heft from that frame shook the tunnel.
No change. Gnome scowled.
"Not a twitch. If blocked, it's thick. But looks like natural end."
"What nonsense! Ruins like this anywhere?!"
Veron exploded.
Straight shot all this way, dead end nothing? Infuriating.
Thoom! Thooom!
Hopeful, Akanksha and Sachet hammered walls and floor.
Gnome strength? Nada.
"...Backtrack first."
Most cautious Alon spoke.
"Not ending here, right?"
"Of course not. Agree with bro—no such ruins. Secret room or path likely."
To Sachet's question, Alon shook head, continued.
"But nothing odd en route. Hard to find hidden stuff. Prep proper, return."
"I'm for it. Prepped for monsters, not digging."
Akanksha agreed. Sachet nodded, Veron grumbled but conceded—no options.
Galen and Lilia, overseers, no say.
Barring fights, casual hour stroll in. Out easy.
Shaking dismay, they retraced.
Smart golems—no rear appearances.
Half hour later.
"Halt! Halt!"
Irritated vanguard yell.
Lilia reflexively checked rear. Waited—no golems.
Front ambush? No clash sounds.
Puzzled, Galen and Lilia advanced, blinking in unison.
Not blocked like before. Open.
Leftward.
"...Was there a right-angle turn like that earlier?"
"...No?"
The path had changed.
End of Abandoned Mine (2)