Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends into the Labyrinth
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Why the hell was a golem showing up?
Sylbian sensed the unique wavelength only a golem could emit, yet he couldn't wrap his head around it at all.
It wasn't as vast as the mana wavelength from a typical golem.
Its size was undoubtedly smaller than the ones he'd encountered before, but a golem was still a golem.
"A golem? Sylbian, is that for real?"
Cherentia asked in disbelief.
She had sensed the strange presence too, but it hadn't even crossed her mind that it could be a golem.
Golems simply weren't something you ran into under normal circumstances.
It wasn't just a matter of rarity.
Golems were magical beasts typically found deep in mountain valleys or rarely in underground rock formations.
Running into one in relatively flat terrain like this? Unthinkable.
Sylbian nodded gravely.
"...It's a golem, alright. And unless it's one that devours mana, nothing else could produce a wavelength like that."
There was no time for deep thought.
This golem was different from any monster they'd faced so far.
With its sturdy frame came resistance to mana itself.
In other words, it was a disaster.
No one here could handle it on their own.
Clang!
"A golem? What kind of nonsense is that!?"
Sylbian bit his lip and turned to Camel, who had rushed over in a panic.
"A golem's about to show up. If it's a small one, dodging it is next to impossible. We'll have to face it head-on."
"How could something this insane...?"
Camel's face hardened as if he knew exactly what a golem meant, so Sylbian glanced back at the mercenaries and Hazan trailing behind.
They hadn't grasped the situation yet, and they weren't substantial enough to count as real firepower.
"Camel, lead the mercenaries and target its left leg. That's your only focus."
"Understood! We'll follow the mage's orders!"
Camel spun around and hurried back to relay the info.
The news of an approaching golem caused an uproar among the mercenaries.
Hazan, their employer, sought out Sylbian in complete terror.
"M-Mage! What the hell do we do about this? We should avoid golems at all costs, right!? They're insanely dangerous monsters..."
"Where exactly do you plan to run right now?"
Sylbian shot back coldly, though his own mind was in turmoil.
'If it was just Cherentia and me...'
He might have charged straight down the wide avenue, trying to shake it off no matter what.
But these people? No.
They'd die for sure if they faced it.
Golems had a trait: once they detected life, they pursued relentlessly.
As long as they stayed within a wide radius, fighting was inevitable.
And a small golem's mobility was beyond imagination—outrunning it with this group was impossible.
"Our only option is to fight together and take it down."
"C-Can you do it?"
"I'll make it possible."
Hazan swallowed hard at Sylbian's resolute voice, his eyes suddenly flicking to the man's neck.
-Stigma.
A shattered magic circle stigma, etched vividly into his skin.
To Hazan, it felt deeply unsettling. This mage wasn't ordinary, which meant he couldn't expect the kind of overwhelming power from a typical Magic Tower mage.
As they grappled with fear, anxiety, or resolve, it finally revealed itself.
Krunch! Crunch...
Trees around them snapped and collapsed in an instant, accompanied by the rapidly approaching presence.
"It's coming!"
Cherentia dropped into a low stance, fully battle-ready.
The mercenaries behind her, including Camel, did the same.
"Hold formation! Follow the mage's instructions and stay calm!!"
Camel's booming voice echoed everywhere as they finally laid eyes on it.
Thud!
It closed the distance in a glide, then landed on the avenue with rhythmic thumps of its massive body.
A monster, yet also a product of magitech.
-A golem.
Vrrr...
[Massive mana detected... Massive mana detected...... Engaging extermination protocol for threatening entity!]
The crystal embedded in the golem's head glowed, scanning everyone on the avenue.
It was as if it were confirming every living being reflected in that crystal.
And at the center stood Sylbian.
The golem's crystal shifted from blue to red, an ominous change as it broadcast its eerie command voice.
"Sylbian! Do we have a way to fight this golem!?"
Cherentia shouted urgently, fully geared for battle.
The wisest person she knew.
The only one who could sense the golem and resist the grave danger it posed.
That was Sylbian alone.
"...Crack both legs to throw off its balance. Bind its movement and force it into self-repair mode."
True to her faith, Sylbian's judgment was faster than anyone else's there.
-Subjugating a golem is impossible.
-With the mercenaries, inflict heavy damage to its legs to immobilize it.
-Then break away from the golem once it enters self-repair.
"Got it!"
Clang!
Cherentia kicked off the ground and charged straight for the golem's leg.
Her eyes locked on the gauntlet fitted to her hand.
'Sylbian's practically a genius!'
If she hadn't gotten the gauntlet in Soren as he suggested, she wouldn't be much use against that thing.
Her nails alone couldn't dent its armored exoskeleton.
But reinforced iron? That was the answer.
Boom!
Cherentia dove into the golem's right leg, swinging her fists relentlessly to draw its attention.
Sylbian immediately called out.
"Camel!"
"We know! Everyone, target the left leg and crack it!"
"Waaaaah!!"
As Camel led the charge and the mercenaries hurled themselves at the left side to boost morale, Sylbian swallowed hard.
This wouldn't be easy.
He'd figured out how to neutralize it in a flash, but...
'There'll be heavy casualties for sure.'
A small golem might lack the overwhelming destructive power of a giant one.
But its agility and tough shell could spell instant death in a single slip-up.
That made it a disaster.
Even recalling past golem fights, this one was no less catastrophic.
Mages back then couldn't breathe easy, and frontline mercenaries exploded in sprays of flesh and blood in an instant.
"Gahk...!"
And now was no different.
"...!"
One mercenary was pulverized by a casual backhand from the golem.
His body was crushed along the arm's structure—no chance to react.
"H-How do we fight this thing...!"
"Captain!"
Morale plummeted among the mercenaries.
Sylbian shifted his gaze to the right side.
Cherentia dodged nimbly, hammering the leg endlessly to create a crack.
No major damage yet, but each strike with her sturdy gauntlet rang out heavily.
Boom! Boom...
Damage was accumulating steadily.
'It's doable. They won't all die.'
In his heightened senses, Sylbian thought again.
The moment he'd first spotted the golem flashed back like trauma.
Dozens of mercenaries dead, mages relieved it wasn't them, chattering casually amid the slaughter.
Back then, he should've been shocked.
Dozens dying right in front of him.
Mages laughing at fading lives, glad it wasn't theirs.
Caught in between, it all felt so unreal—he might not have processed it properly.
"...Mage! Mage!!"
"Ah."
"I-Isn't there something you can do? While they're tying down its legs, you need to cast some magic..."
Hazan approached Sylbian, trembling at the sight of the golem.
Mercenaries dying one by one.
And that meant his own danger was closing in.
"Not yet. Nothing I can do until cracks appear. Then I'll cast."
"What do you mean!? You're a mage! Hit that thing with something now—"
"Hazan."
Sylbian glared at him coldly.
"A-Ah...!"
The gaze, laced with pure mana, overwhelmed Hazan completely.
"The moment I cast will be the moment everyone else survives for sure.
If you value your life, Hazan, shut your mouth from now on."
"U-Understood! I trust you, Mage."
Hazan backed away, at a loss.
To him, watching the Camel Mercenary Corps he'd hired for protection die off was terrifying.
And the mage's icy glare was just as frightening.
After that, Sylbian ignored Hazan entirely, carefully observing the mercenaries and Cherentia holding the golem.
"... ."
His tightly pressed lips leaked a heavily suppressed breath, much like Hazan's.
Cold sweat dripped from his unconsciously clenched fists, and the golem's intimidating movements were vividly clear in his eyes.
Whoosh... Swoooosh!!
The golem's arm, swung lightly, carried an unimaginable whoosh of mass-driven air.
"Don't lose heart! We've got a mage on our side! Cripple one leg, and we'll break through for sure!!"
Camel threw himself forward first, rallying the mercenaries nonstop.
"Damn it!"
"Break already, you cursed freak...!"
Trusting him, the mercenaries fought with desperate fury, hammering the left leg for cracks.
Four already dead, yet no one fled.
Suddenly, Sylbian's eyes dropped to the ground.
"... ."
His eyelids trembled violently.
The ground stained vivid red with blood, mercenary corpses mangled beyond recognition.
He believed his judgment was the best option.
But that didn't erase the damage.
Above all, the sticky guilt surging from deep in his chest refused to fade.
'Because of me...'
The golem's echo replayed endlessly.
-Massive mana detected... Massive mana detected...... Engaging extermination protocol!
It was definitely referring to him.
The dangers kept piling up.
Helping or not helping others wasn't the issue anymore.
To survive, they had to fight.
And...
This wasn't about reclaiming his mana by heading to the labyrinth.
He was forced to survive in the labyrinth to reclaim it.
Until he regained all his true power there...
Krunch!
A loud crack like something shattering snapped Sylbian's gaze to the source.
"Sylbian!"
Cherentia, who had created the crack, called out to him urgently.