Chapter 38: Guardian of Zelos

The sudden trembling of the mountains sent the expeditionaries in high alert.

"Scouts! Head out! Knights and warriors, protect the wizards and the non-combatants!" With swift moves, Hermes let out his orders and moved ahead with the scouts, trying to peek down.

Just when they had almost neared the base of the mountains and were about to enter the valley, something like this happened.

In a sense, he was in good luck since visibility was not nearly as compromised here than it was above.

Hooking his arm against a tree, Hermes focused his aura in his eyes and heightened his senses. In the distance, he could make out the figure of a giant golem with an axe on its back. The ground around it had broken apart, almost as if it had been scorched to death.

Now and then, a few labyrinths would have a guardian stopping anyone from entering the tombs of once their masters.

"Did something we do set them off?" Hermes muttered. It was a situation he wasn't fond of, but had no choice other than partaking in. With a sigh, he returned toward the rest of the group that was descending at a slower pace.

After leading them to a spot closer yet to the ground, they stopped the march.

"There seems to be a guardian in this labyrinth," he announced. "We will split into two teams, one will protect the base here and a smaller team will be dealing with the guardian first. Then, we can continue inspecting the outside of the labyrinth."

Hermes divided the team into two groups.

He and his party, along with wizards Isaac, Schukopf, Valeria and another wizard from the Royal Court, Labelle. From the knights' end, Silkpan, Kristine, Kelly, Herminio and Selena had stepped ahead.

The group of them broke apart and circled around the mountain valley, taking cover behind the growth of shrubs and trees all around the spot where the guardian gently weeped.

"IN… TRU… DER… Cheated… Uwa…."

"This might be tougher than we thought," muttered Schukopf, scratching his beard. Guardians with intelligence were quite hassle some. It also spoke at length of the powers that would be inside, if the outside was already this terrifying.

"We'll handle it normally," Hermes said as he reached into his scabbard and pulled out his sword. He beckoned everyone over, and started whispering in their ears.

"Hah, you are as foolhardy as ever," Isaac commented, trying his hardest to resist his gaze turning toward Kristine.

"Heh, just room with it, Isaac." With the sword on his shoulders, Hermes turned around. "Get to it right away!"

And jumped off the ground.

"GUARDIAN!!" Hermes screamed.

The guardian turned toward the sound and stood up.

"UWWOOOO! IN… TRU…. DERR!!!"

Like the wind of the north, Hermes dashed through the ashen valley, trampling flower after flower under his feet. The tip of his blade dragged against the ground as sparks flew in the air.

Hermes stepped in front of the guardian.

And the being rose his axe high in the sky.

"Come at me!" Hermes screamed and the axe came tumbling down for his head. Like wind yet again, Hermes dodged the axe and its force in the blink of an eye and appeared on the side of the monster.

Before it could raise the axe again—

"[Rock Assault]!"

"[Light Spears]"

Schukopf and Valeria, standing on both ends of the valley, used their spells. The rocks on the ground rose into the skies and shot toward guardian while spears of bright light lit up the gray skies and hurtled down toward the guardian.

"GRAA! IN-TRU-DER~!"

The guardian took a step back, rocks and stones on its structure chipping off. It screamed in rage and raised its axe up high.

A swirl of black energy formed around the guardian's axe.

And the strength of everyone in the party lowered at once.

"Debuff!?"

"Here it comes! Knights, hold it off!"

The battle with the guardian began!