29 - Golem's Heartbeat

"...WordWordWord..." Means they are whispering.

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We ventured deeper into the side hole at the bottom of the pit. As we moved further in, the rocky surface transformed into a stone-walled passage.

It was pitch black, so I turned on the flashlight I had brought. A cool breeze was blowing slowly from the back of the cave, suggesting it connected to somewhere else.

After a few more minutes, the passage opened up into a five-meter-high corridor with several coffins set into the walls, resembling a catacomb-like underground cemetery. Each turn in the corridor threatened to disorient us, but the auto-map function on my arm device kept us on track.

The air grew colder. I put on my parka and walked carefully, trying to keep my footsteps quiet. Suddenly, I heard a rattling sound from a few dozen meters ahead. My sister drew in her breath and sneaked out of the shadows to see what was there.

"...the bones are moving..."

"...oh, it's a skeleton. I'll take care of it..."

Skeletons, as their name implies, are humanoid undead monsters made of only bones. They're common on the eleventh level, but with the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat," a weakened version appears on the seventh floor.

Since stabbing attacks from small swords aren't very effective against bones, it was up to me and my large sword to take it down. The skeleton hadn't noticed me yet, so I closed the distance to deliver a single, powerful blow without giving it a chance to counterattack.

However, skeletons have a wide-area sensing ability. It detected me instantly and rushed forward with surprising speed and force. As it closed the distance, I met its attack with a kesa-zukage strike, but the impact was heavier than expected, sending a shock through my hand.

"...Gosh...!"

I kicked a few ribs off with a toe kick. As it lost balance, I swung my sword down forcefully on its skull, causing it to collapse. Some bones continued to rattle, but eventually, they stilled and turned into magic stones.

"Wow, never know that kick was pretty effective."

"Huh... It had more speed and power than I thought... I think it was a level 8 monster." My sister came out of hiding while clapping her hands.

"Skeletons are fast, even though they're only bones."

Their light, skeletal structure gives them swift, powerful initial movements. The kinetic energy they generate is surprisingly strong, and their attacks are unpredictable due to their jointless movements. They also have a wide magical sensing ability, making it difficult to ambush them without magic-blocking skills.

In The Conquest, skeletons weren't considered mere small fry, and facing them in reality proved they were stronger than their level 8 ranking suggested. I thought about hunting skeletons while hunting golems, but taking on multiple skeletons seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

We moved slowly through the catacombs by flashlight. During battles, a lamp-type light that can illuminate a wide area would be better. Navigating the corridors and fighting several skeletons, we finally found stairs leading up. We ascended quietly to avoid monsters and emerged into a chapel-like area.

The chapel was in disrepair. The ceiling had partially collapsed, pillars were broken, and debris was scattered around. Ivy grew inside on the walls, and the altar held no deity, just an empty showcase. It might have been a place for relic worship.

"Let's take a break then. Bring out the rush mat."

"Aye, sir."

We found two small, empty rooms and decided to take a break. Sophia laid out the rush mat while I took out water and snacks. Unfortunately, my potato chips were crushed, likely due to the battle with the skeleton. Next time, I'll pack snacks more carefully.

I gulped down a sports drink and sighed in relief.

This area had been added in the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat," confirming that this world included the latest updates. I realized it was crucial to level up and collect quest and unique items as soon as possible.

The best level to reach is 90, which means that it's better to grow stronger as an all-rounder rather than specializing in either physics or magic.

'It would also be better to collect the quest items and unique items¹ that will be implemented as soon as possible.'

As with the [Static Sword] that Renji got, many of the quest items have powerful effects. I've been trying to get a static sword for a while now, but I've been unsuccessful. It turns out that the first one to get these unique items is the first one to get them, so you'll be fighting for them with other players.

'There's a lot to think about once you have the information...'

As I considered this, my sister examined the chapel with interest. She looked at the altar and walls while munching on candy.

"Hey, hey. This weird, wavy pattern is a «Gate», isn't it?"

" Indeed... it is a gate."

I cut away the ivy to reveal a gate magic circle. Gate rooms are usually located on floors that are multiples of five, but sometimes on special quest or event floors. This was one of those places.

When the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat" was implemented, I had already reached advanced levels and hadn't explored the additional area on the 7th floor thoroughly. Finding this gate was a stroke of luck.

"I'm going to register my magic power. If I register you, you won't be able to get to the fifth floor, so it might be better to just register me."

"Yes, I also want to level up my own power..."

After registering at the gate, we exited to find a deserted area with decaying stone buildings covered in ivy and trees. The sky was dim, but there was enough light to navigate.

"Is this where the golem will be?"

"The golem we're looking for should be inside a building down the road. Be careful of the monsters in the area."

This abandoned area likely only had skeletons, but I couldn't be sure. It was essential to stay alert.

"I wonder if I'll ever be able to use magic."

"If you change jobs, yes. If not, you can use a weapon with magic... Here comes a skeleton. Let's handle it together."

"We'll split it in half."

This time, the skeleton had a sword and shield. It dashed toward us as soon as it spotted us. I caught the first blow, and my sister quickly attacked the elbow joint with her other hand, dislodging the shield.

"It's so easy to disarm."

"Nice."

The skeleton lost balance, turned to face my sister, but she sidestepped behind it and shattered its upper body.

"It's still rattling around."

"Here we go."

My sister kicked its head like a soccer ball, and it stopped moving, turning into a magic stone.

"Wow, Sophia, my sweet sister... you seem really skilled at fighting. Have you been practicing?"

"Really? Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of period dramas."

Watching period dramas wouldn't normally improve combat skills unless she was secretly practicing martial arts. I remembered she recently attended a martial arts school.

I knew she was athletic, but her combat prowess surprised me, especially considering my own lack of athleticism.

'Guh! What kind of brother have I been!'

[Critical Emotional Damage taken.]

As we moved south through the desolate wilderness, fighting skeletons, we came upon a large wall on a gentle hill. The wall was over 10 meters high and stretched over 100 meters. From the bottom of the hill, we could only see part of the buildings inside.

"It's huge. A fort? Is it a castle?"

"A fortress. There's a golem inside, but let me explain the plan."

The fortress housed a Wood Golem, a mid-boss level 9 monster. Defeating it would be great for leveling up because it respawns five minutes after defeat.

If attacked normally, it takes a long time to defeat due to its durability. A fire attack would be effective, but that wasn't an option for now.

"Golem's core?"

"Yes, it's easily defeated by attacking and destroying the core."

The golem's nucleus is a crystal buried in its back. If attacked properly, it can be defeated without much trouble.

The golem moves slowly but has high turning ability. While difficult for a solo player, a two-person team can manage by drawing its attention and attacking from behind.

"If I get it, can I sell it?"

"At the store on the tenth floor. But don't overdo it. You can come back for it later."

Sophia often got distracted by valuable items, but we both needed money. We decided to search for treasure first.

"Let's look for the treasure chest first. If no one's been here, there should be one somewhere in the castle."

"Oh! What kind of things are in it?"

"You'll have to open it to find out."

Singing a treasure song, we walked up the slope to the front of the castle. The huge door was already open, so we entered the courtyard cautiously to avoid the golem.

Inside the castle, the condition was better than expected, despite some crumbling walls and rotten wooden floors. The good ventilation kept the air fresh. Walking deeper into the corridor, we watched our steps carefully.

"Are there any traps?"

"There are no traps here, and treasure chests with traps appear only after the eleventh floor. Just be careful not to make loud noises."

"Aye, sir."

I suspected there were skeletons in the castle hall. Proceeding quietly, we explored the small rooms.

"...there they are. ...2 skeletons..."

"...i'll take out the first one by surprise, and we can handle the second one normally..."

The skeletons seemed to follow a fixed patrol route. Waiting at the corner, we heard footsteps approaching.

"CATCH THIS!"

"There's another one coming bro!"

I crushed the first skeleton with a single blow from my sword and shield. The second skeleton charged at me, swinging a hatchet.

My sister attacked its elbow joint, disarming it. I swung my sword down forcefully, and the skeleton collapsed into a heap of bones that eventually turned into a magic stone.

At the end of the corridor was an opulent, though decaying, door likely leading to the master's room.

"That's the lord's room up ahead. ... There might be something valuable in there."

"Full of treasure, perhaps?"

"Or perhaps a dead end? What a gold lover." I said jokingly whipe my sister pouted cutely.

Quietly, I opened the door a crack and peered inside. Unlike the desolate rooms before, this one had an expensive-looking red carpet and luxurious furniture. A skeleton sat in a plush armchair at the back.

"...that's a ... rare monster, isn't it ... a skeleton of the human species?..."

This skeleton was different from the others, wearing metal armor with a single straight horn on its forehead.

The skeletons we had encountered so far were ordinary human skeletons, with no armor and just bare bones, having a monster level of 8. This one, however, was different. It wore metal armor and had a single straight horn protruding from its forehead. It wasn't the demon or demonic type we were familiar with in The Conquest. I wondered what kind of race it was.

Its monster level was likely higher than 8, making it unwise to engage in a fight.

"...Bro! Bro! Look at the skeleton's feet!..."

At its feet lay a metal treasure chest adorned with a relief pattern.

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Unique item¹

An item that can only be found in one game world. If you obtain it through a quest, it will only appear once, so the sooner you get it, the better.