A Story of Evil

Chapter 24: The Maze IV

[Name: None]

[Monster Type: Golem]

[Specification: Attack Type]

[Rank: D]

[Information: The golem will only activate once a person steps inside its danger zone. Anything within the said area will be attacked with an Omega Beam.]

[Skill Information: The Omega Beam bypasses all defenses and destroys its opponents in the blink of an eye.]

"That's all the data it showed." Alice said, finally finishing the report while both Jake and Ethan looked like hopeless chumps. It was worse than they imagined, the Golem was an offensive type having an attack that could not be dodged nor evaded. That's why Sol's words did not make sense.

"That's a relief."

Nobody was as shocked at hearing these words than Ethan and Jake. Speaking up right away for fear that Solomon had gone mad.

"Why is that a relief exactly?"

"Well it's an offensive type. A [D] ranked at that and, if we base things on its skill alone, then it's defenses should be pretty weak."

"Yeah but aren't you forgetting the fact that normal attacks aren't gonna work on it?" Ethan reminded.

"Plus, how are we gonna get close to it when the description specifically said that once we enter its area of range we're dead?"

Alice was also trying to put things together as well as Peter. From their experience alone, they knew that Sol would never be wrong about things like these. Surely enough Sol had a reply prepared.

"Are your brains only for decoration?" The twelve-year-old boy asked.

"Are you saying we're stupid?" Ethan asked.

"Nevermind. It's easier if I just show you." Sol said, picking up a few pebbles from the side of the road.

"I'll show you how this'll be easier than the first stage."

Alice was able to figure things out soon enough but decided to keep silent. She could be wrong after all and, she somehow didn't want Sol to think that she was stupid.

They walked closer and closer until they stopped right where Sol was. It was the end of the yellow-bricked road. The golem was at a safe distance away from them while, on its back was a desert like area, with the exit door just at the end of it.

"Again, watch closely. Oh and, try to keep yourself from scream would you Ethan?"

"Why would I screAAAM!" Jake and Peter closed Ethan's mouth right away.

The two of them were just as shocked as him because, Sol threw a pebble towards the Golem. Any move they made might activate the Golem at that point and, the least that they wanted was for an instant-death monster to take notice of them.

Luckily, there was no response to the creature which sat perfectly still on the ground. They thought that Sol would stop there yet the boy threw another pebble; making Jake and Ethan's hearts skip a beat. Again, there was no response and Sol threw another pebble which made Jake and Ethan think what they did wrong to deserve this.

On the fourth throw of Sol, the Golem finally moved; standing up and locking on the pebble. Ethan almost ran again at this point but, Peter held him down. All of them watched as, with a full power strike, the golem fired its [Omega Beam] destroying the pebble on the ground and, just as the description stated, not even its dust remained.

"Are you crazy!" Ethan was just about to hold Sol when Alice intervened. Pointing the same needle that brought back the teen's frightening experience on the first level.

"Let me explain before we proceed. The road we are walking on stops here, there are no more bricks on the road ahead. A few more steps ahead, there are still a couple of greeneries. However, as you look closer to our dear golem, there is a specific circular range which is empty. The monster is sitting right at the center of it. Now, can someone tell me why I threw those rocks?"

"Because you're cra " Alice shushed Ethan with her needle as she gave the proper response.

"To test the range of the golem's [Omega Beam] right?"

"Yup. The first three stones weren't destroyed but, the last one was. Meaning, within the radius that now has a black spot on the ground, the golem would kill us."

"So what? We still won't be able to get near it." Jake said.

"You really don't understand anything do you? Who said anything about needing to get within its range?" Sol moved to the bag on Peter's back and took out one land mine and a fire crystal. Placing the later item within the wirings of the mine and closing it shut.

"Ethan and Jake, I was actually hearing all those complaints you were making on the land mine and its usefulness. All I can say is that, after this incident, I don't want to hear a single complain from the both of you." The two were embarrassed once again as Sol smiled at them.

"I'll handle everything. You just need to stay put and watch." Sol calmly waked towards the Golem.

The monster didn't move nor had any signs of activating until Solomon reached the pebble nearest to the golem. He then looked at the sky and stretched his arm which was still holding on to the land mine and, with one big wind up, Sol threw it at the golem.

It was another heart stopping moment for both Jake and Ethan who thought they were about to die. However, there was no reaction from the golem even when the land mine was within range; surprising the group. And as soon as it hit the golem's face, Sol snapped his fingers, activating the fire crystal inside the land mine. The powder inside caught on and created a large explosion right away, making the ground beneath them tremble from its strength. The smoke covered the golem and this made Ethan and Jake scared but, not Alice.

"It's done." She said, standing up and waiting for the smoke to clear up.

The other three boys looked closely and, as soon as the golem could be properly seen, their eyes widened in amazement. Half of the creature's body was destroyed by the explosion. Shattering its core along the way and the life of the golem itself.

[Congratulations! You have cleared the second level of the maze. You may now proceed towards the next challenge.]

The moment was so shocking that nobody knew what to do. That's why Sol decided to clap his hands twice and ask:

"Well?"

Alice was the first to follow him. Leaving Ethan and Jake speechless while Peter laughed in amusement.

"You really know how to put on a show don't you?"

"Not really, I just did what was needed." Sol said in reply.

The reason why the land mine didn't explode even within the golem's territory was because of how the [Omega Beam] worked. It said that the golem would only shoot it once something "steps" inside its danger zone. This meant that touching the ground was also part of the condition for the firing of the beam.

Alice knew this, that's why she wasn't as surprised as the three. In fact, there was something else that she found out. Telling it to Sol right away.

"I guess that is true. You just did what was needed because, we would've died anyway seeing how the road ahead is just a lifeless land." Sol gave a glance at Alice and smiled.

"So you noticed that too huh."

"Of course boy genius. What do you take me for?"

The group could've easily circled around the golem's territory and went on their way. That was the supposedly logical choice. But Sol saw something different. He saw how this supposed choice was too easy and how the road ahead looked the same as the ground where the golem was sitting on. This was all the evidence he needed in order to understand that, the whole road ahead was also the territory of the golem. Meaning, they would've been hit by the [Omega Beam].

"We needed to kill it no matter what but, the way you did all of this made the challenge look so easy." Alice commented.

"Because it is."

"Are you bragging right now?"

"I'm stating facts Alice."

"Sure boy genius." Alice smirked at Sol.

"The only thing I'm really worried about are those two." Sol looked at their back and it didn't even take Alice any effort to know who he was referring to.

"You mean Ethan and Jake?" Alice said, also gazing at the three and noticing how Ethan was still giving Sol an annoyed look.

"Yeah, I hope they won't drag us down in the long run." Sol said, finally reaching the door which led them to the second [Neutral Zone].

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