The narrow corridor Gorion revealed behind the training hall led deep into the mountain's heart. Cold air brushed against their skin, and only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the rocky tunnel.
"This place... it's not on the map," Sylveras muttered, his eyes scanning the old glowing runes on the walls.
"It's not meant to be," Gorion replied flatly. "This is one of the last remnants from the great war. Also… my most ambitious creation."
They reached a massive iron door engraved with layers of magical runes. With a flick of his hand and a whispered incantation, Gorion unlocked it. The door slowly creaked open, revealing a wide chamber illuminated by a giant mana crystal above.
And in the center stood a colossal golem—two stories tall, made of black stone with glowing blue lines running across its body. Its eyes were shut, yet the aura it gave off was overwhelming.
"A GOLEM?!"
Sylveras's shout echoed throughout the chamber. His eyes sparkled with raw enthusiasm as he rushed forward to examine it.
"HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LEARN THIS MAGIC? THIS IS... THIS IS AMAZING!"
Gorion gave a small, knowing smile. Elara simply covered her ears.
"I've read about golem-making techniques—but Grandpa always forbade me! I never knew why… I wanted to build my own golem army! Ten thousand golems! Wahahahaha! I'll be the greatest golem mage in history!"
Elara, expressionless, glanced sideways. "No wonder Ardan forbade you... you're a magic lunatic."
Sylveras pouted. "Hey, that's a little harsh..."
Gorion crossed his arms and looked at the golem. "One perfect golem like this has the power of a hundred elite soldiers. Are you trying to level a kingdom?"
Sylveras paused, then laughed awkwardly. "Okay, okay... maybe just five thousand golems..."
Gorion shook his head. "Even one golem out of control could destroy an entire village."
Sylveras's face went stiff. "R-right. That... wasn't my goal. Heh."
Elara rolled her eyes. "You don't need ten thousand golems. You just need one brain that works properly."
Sylveras sighed dramatically. "Why does no one support my grand ambitions...?"
Gorion chuckled, then patted Sylveras on the shoulder.
"In any case," he said, "today, you'll be facing this golem. Not to defeat it—but to survive. I'll activate it with limited parameters. Think of it as your final basic training trial."
Elara narrowed her eyes. "You mean... a survival test?"
"Something like that," Gorion replied, activating the control crystal on the wall.
The golem trembled. Its blue eyes lit up, and the entire chamber began to shake.
Sylveras took a step back, yet his eyes still sparkled with excitement. "Elara… this is going to be so much fun!"
Elara inhaled deeply. "I already regret coming here."