They'd walked in silence for the better part of ten minutes since clearing the ridge. The terrain had changed again—more narrow paths, more unstable ground. The deeper they went, the louder the wind howled through the canyon walls like some buried thing whispering warnings.
Juno kept a brisk pace, stepping over cracked stone like it was nothing. Lyle followed slower, careful to keep up without seeming too comfortable. The further they traveled, the more the heat began to shift—less volcanic, more dry. The air smelled faintly metallic now. Old magic. Old war.
He didn't like it.
The narrow ledge they were walking curved sharply around a jagged rock face. Juno was already around the bend when the sound hit—stone shifting, not from their feet, but from beneath.
Lyle barely had time to glance up before a section of the path collapsed between them.
Dust and shards exploded outward. He stumbled back, coughing. When it cleared, he saw the split—an eight-foot drop where the path had been, sharp and steep.
He couldn't see her.
"Juno!"
No response.
Only more shifting.
A second later, something else moved in the mist behind him.
He turned fast.
And there it stood.
Not one of the earlier constructs.
This one was different.
Compact. Square-shaped shoulders. Low to the ground. Silver-plated instead of rusted iron.
And no visible core.
No glow.
No emotion.
It didn't even run.
It just watched.
Then its arms opened.
Lyle felt the shift in the air before it moved—like the mana itself twisted away from him.
> Mana suppression field.
His skin tingled. The Codex flared quietly in warning.
> This one's built to counter mages.
Perfect.
He took a shaky breath and raised his wand.
The thing moved.
Not fast—but sharp, efficient.
He fired off a weak [Arcane Bolt], aiming for its leg. The spell curved.
And fizzled out midair.
It didn't even twitch.
> Right. It's designed to disrupt spell formation in-flight.
The construct charged now, metal feet hammering the stone in perfect, even strides.
Lyle ducked low and rolled to the side.
He felt the air crack where it had passed. Not a wide swing—a precision strike. Like it wasn't trying to destroy him. It was trying to test him.
He scrambled behind a jutting rock and sucked in a breath.
No escape behind him. Too far to jump the ledge where Juno had gone.
Just him and this thing.
He couldn't use clean spell formations. Not directly. Not while it was watching.
But maybe… indirectly?
He lowered his wand and pressed his palm against the stone at his side, fingers curling inward as he etched the sigil with just his thumb—slowly, carefully, out of line of sight.
> Delay trigger. No cast motion. Let it look like nothing.
The construct began scanning again, tilting slightly.
Its arm extended with a low electric hum. Thin needles formed along the edge—draining tethers, meant to sap mana from contact.
He gritted his teeth.
Let the adrenaline trickle in just enough to keep his muscles relaxed.
He stepped out.
And ran.
Not bravely. Not cleverly.
Just desperately, like prey.
The construct reacted.
Lunged.
Right on cue.
Lyle ducked at the last second and dropped his hand over the trigger glyph as he passed.
It sparked once. Almost silent.
The ground beneath the construct pulsed and gave way—just a small instability, timed perfectly.
The thing stumbled mid-stride.
And Lyle used its momentum against it, pivoting into a full-body shoulder bash—not to fight it, but to redirect it toward the sharp ledge of a nearby rock face.
The construct's own charge carried it halfway up the incline—and it caught the full edge of the stone with its head.
Crack.
Sparks burst from its midsection.
It stumbled back.
Twitched.
Then fell.
And didn't get up.
He stood still, gasping. Arms shaking.
That hadn't been magic.
Not directly.
That had been movement, prediction… and timing.
He didn't need raw power to win.
> I can fight them without giving myself away.
> As long as I stay smart... I can keep growing.
The Codex hummed in quiet approval.
> [Stat Progress: +1 Intelligence | +1 Perception | +1 Willpower]
[New Tag Earned: Tactician – Unlocked Hidden Growth Path Bonus: Minor Skill Efficiency +2%]
He barely saw the system text. He was too focused on the path ahead.
Still no sign of Juno.
He began walking toward the ledge where the path had split. Carefully. Every step deliberate.
As he climbed the next incline, he heard movement—fast movement.
He raised his hand—but dropped it as soon as the figure came into view.
Juno.
Scraped. Bleeding slightly. One gauntlet scorched at the forearm.
She stopped when she saw him.
"You're alive."
He blinked. "Yeah. So are you."
She looked at the ledge. Then the broken ground.
Then the crumpled construct behind him.
"You… took that down?"
Lyle shrugged, eyes wide, forcing his voice a little shaky.
"I ran. It tripped. Got lucky."
Juno looked past him again, then back at him.
She didn't look convinced.
But she didn't push.
Instead, she grunted. "Keep that kind of luck going."
And walked past him.
Lyle followed in silence.
Behind them, the broken construct sparked once.
Then went still.