Mas Bagus

Into the Land of Twilight

"Bah!Don't sell this party short. No monsters would stand a chance with people like us around. Hahaha!"

It was hard to discern whether Vesemir was missing the joke, or he had an equally terrible sense of humor.

He accepted the crystal and whispered a word of magic into it, and lo! another beacon activated, like the first light of the dawn that erased shadow with its ray.

Entering the room again, Vesemir placed the crystal on one of the three arms of what looked like a golden candelabrum, and let the room be illuminated by reflections of light from a familiar crystal lamp on the ceiling. At first glance, the room looked more like a small gallery than a workshop, it was less spacious than the library, but somehow roomier with minimal cluttering; only a few notable collections could be seen, and they were either displayed on glass cases or seated on pedestals.

But somehow, the archeologist was more attached to another sealed door near the entrance, where a ray of light manifested right in front of the doorway. It took the form of a humanoid entity, and its sudden presence alerted both Gray and Vesemir, who respectively drew their weapon and stumbled backward in surprise.

Gray initially thought it was one of those lingering phantoms, but after tracking the source of light that powers the curious display, it apparently isn't.

The 'it' was taking the form of a finely dressed man, wearing a fancy feathered hat and an elaborate robe. Initially, the holographic entity did not show any expression, but then, his empty eyes shifted to Vesemir and gave him a curious look.

"Mae Govanen!" said the translucent being. "I don't recognize you and it has been... 1554 years since Silva, my human apprentice last visited. So you must be a party of intellects and able-bodieds in a quest for treasure. There is no shame in that, whatever is in this room, the dead don't need them."
His well-shaped eyebrows scowled as though he was having a headache, and she spoke in a rather pitying voice. "But I must advise you to not go beyond this door. This is a personal chamber, you see. The place where I rest when the fatigue has been too unbearable, and I still rest there and wish no disturbance. I hope you can understand."

Then, like a snuffed-out flame, the holographic man disappeared. Vesemire looked to his left and right, and Gray did the same: checking every gap and trapdoor, lest there be traps and contraptions suddenly sprung open. They found none.

"Relax… it seems whoever or whatever assuming the form of Theriadore had no ill intent."

After saying that the monocled elf turned back, heeding the warning, and continued to browse the rest of the exhibits displayed.

There was a bow hung on the north wall. Made of silverish material, it had minimal markings, save for some unordinary-looking feathers attached to its string. Before it was an empty display case made of enchanted glass, but it was empty, despite being locked tight.

Right on the opposite wall was another transparent display containing an exquisite-looking partisan. Its head looked like it was made of polished blued steel with short protrusions on its sides. The metalwork continued to its pole, which looked like it was made of a combination of stainless metal and ivory. Some battle markings and stains could be observed both on its blade and pole, but they were insignificant.

On the west, flanked by a chair and a cupboard full of books was a stone pedestal, which atop it rested an iron chest that was half opened.

"Good Lord, look at that! It looks like what we are looking for."

Inside that box was a tubular container made of embellished wood. When the Archeologists walked forth to claim it, that holographic entity showed up again, this time sitting on the chair next to the pedestal.

"I assume you pick that up with a reason. Otherwise, it would be nothing but a deadweight for you." Despite its roundabout fashion of saying things, the expression of unreal Theridaore feigned a deep concern. "It was created for one and only purpose. And if its service is needed again, then my biggest fear has come into being. It's such a terrible fate that she has to endure a thousand years of restlessness. I hope your efforts will put an end to her misery".

And then the image was gone again.

Clutching the tubular container close to his chest, Vesemir maintained a dignified poise as he walked out of that chamber. In the Library the archeologist immediately found himself a large table, where the container would have its lid opened.

Taking a quick glance at Roxas, Vesemir smiled to himself as he watched her selflessly helping others. "With this, we will fight off the shadow... It will be a walk in a park afterwards"

It looked like ordinary parchment when he unrolled it, but the words written on it were unmistakenly powerful: they glowed in gold when Vesemir placed his index finger and muttered verses written on it, and then around him, particles of light started to form. They multiplied and fluttered around, like a lucid plume of light, and the glow they radiated rivaled the refraction of light from the crystal lamp above; it filled the entire library and the additional room where this powerful scroll was taken from.

Everyone in both rooms would notice that they were bathed in a soft glow, before finally the spell faded, and the particles of light started to disappear.

Into the Land of Twilight

"All things considered, I suppose that went well."

To be frank, calling it went well was a bit of a stretch, the fire was still there and Vesemir was almost about to toss his cane and fancy vest to put out the fire when Via, rather than conjuring ice or water to extinguish, picked a fire spell to... worsen the fire again?

Apparently not, her own brand fire looked like a living blaze that suck out the heat and oxygen from the existing fire, snuffing it out almost immediately. In amazement the archeologist swept sweat from his forehead, realizing that no harsh words were necessary, and nobody deserved blame for this.

"Are we cataloguing this library, or shall we move to the next room? I recall daytime is allegedly quite dangerous here, we dont have that much time."

Hearing that question, suddenly excitement filled his heart again. "Why, Mr Engelbert, to the next room of course." He glanced at Tillius, who volunteered to rescue the unburned shelves from the damaged ones.

"Gentlemen, I think that is enough that the fire has been put out. But if you want to give these valuable relics the proper appreciation they deserve, then be my guest. Just keep in mind that this hall is a library, and we are not a bunch of thieves."

Winking his monocled eyes, he shifted to the red-haired swordswoman and Roxas, wordlessly urging the healer to pick the brooch. "And don't forget our Eastborn friend. Looks like some nasty cuts on his palms."

Then he moved to the door, inserted the card, and pushed it open. And it opened like an ordinary heavy door.

"See? No need to hammer it! I was expecting it to say a welcome or something, though. Don't you wonder why the messages are all in Common and not Elvish?"

The room was dark, so Vesemir had to tread carefully. "Sívë anan eis lyenn, Theriadore." He said as he looked at the dark room. His lantern was still at the pillar, the only source of light that kept the library lit. And he did not bring a spare.

"Master Tillius, would you be so kind as to borrow me the crystal we recovered from the house earlier?"

Into the Land of Twilight

Chaos unfolded, what a joy! Vesemir had been in many expeditions, and sure as hell this kind of occasion was almost a staple. But he thrived in chaos, or to be exact, in its aftermath, or when somebody else were busy with it.

So, taking advantage of the Golem's attention that was not fixed on him, the renowned archeologist gripped the mysterious card again. He had taken a scenic route through the left bookcase alleyways, safe from the ongoing fight, and allowed his eyes to feast on Theriadore's ancient collection before heading toward the door, which bluntly rejected his attempt to enter by sanding out a bored announcement: ​

🇦​​🇨​​🇨​​🇪​​🇸​​🇸​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇳​​🇮​​🇪​​🇩​, ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇫​​🇦​​🇨​​🇮​​🇱​​🇮​​🇹​​🇾​ ​🇮​​🇸​ ​🇮​​🇳​ ​🇱​​🇴​​🇨​​🇰​​🇩​​🇴​​🇼​​🇳​

Frowning after sending off a cursory glance at the ongoing battle, the monocled elf deducted that one, his card is still a valid key, and two, defeating the golem would unlock the door.

It was such a shame that they couldn't just deactivate it. He raised his hand and witnessed how the people he hired exchanged blows with the stony guardian. Arrows were fired, spears thrown and swords swung, often in an exaggerated fashion, and that eastern vagabond seemed to be the most guilty of it. Who even swings a sword by jumping overhead?

Vesemir had already lost interest in that golem, and his awe had turned into concern when the party piled blow after blow toward the now half-frozen guardian. Ironically, Whatever blood that spilled from the subsequent attack started to ignite the precious millennia-old bookcase.

"What a shoddy job! those books are as precious as one of your limbs! Could you please put that fire off?" Though his words were only that of an entreaty, it was clearly filled with utter perplexion. "Or at least be more cautious!"

It actually wasn't such a surprise that they paid him no head. Except for Gray Flame, who shouted, clearly not to entertain his wish of how this particular fight should be executed, but rather, for a more pressing matter.

"Hey, get out of the Killzone!"

And look at that arrow! Battling his bookworm enthusiasm, Vesemir immediately knew he wouldn't want to be anywhere on the arrow's path. The monocled elf retreated to the left side of the hall, but not before taking a good look at how the fight fared so far. Those mana lines, broken crystal, and the weaponized concrete that was not quite dead yet. A spherical dome was erected around the elven healer, who conveniently, or not so conveniently, stood right in the middle of the hall, and that was a cue that told: everyone in this room knows exactly what was going to happen.

The archeologist, for the first time after long decades, reconsidered his destination and rushed for his life toward the only source of reliable protection available.

Into the Land of Twilight

The Gray Flame

---

Gray Flame sat another arrow to the bow and carefully positioned himself not far from that pillar.

To be frank, he actually wanted to slack off and let the fatigue in his hand go away first before doing any action, But right now, with the fire spreading, and the golem charging up its ultimate weapon, well...he simply couldn't.

"Hey, get out of the Killzone!" He shouted and pulled the string of his bow to its proper, and fullest draw. A faint spark of white flame flickered on the tip of his arrowhead and coated it with a silverish gleam.

The arrow flew with a distinctive supersonic crack, like the sound of a whip or firearm being discharged indoors, it created a spiral trail of dust on its relatively short travel toward the golem's crystal eye.

Pakde Bagus' Character Files

WIP

Sonia

Name: Sonia Al-Hathya

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Height: 172cm

Desc: Sonia is a fair-skinned young woman with an average to slightly slim build. Her waist-length hair was crimson red and left untied. Matching with the curtain, the windows of her soul are purplish-red with slitted pupils. A pair of short horns jutted out of her hair, forming an arc similar to scarab antlers, something (along with her pointy ears) she often futilely hides with her hood.

Race: If it wasn't obvious enough, Sarkaz, a pseudo-biblical demon. No, she doesn't have a tail, no, she is not and does not behave like that kind of she-demon, stop asking!

Bio: Dad was an arms dealer, everything else was blurry.
Sonia was still a teenager when her parents kicked her out of home. Was it because of her own fault or her parents simply tired of her was never a clear occurrence in her memory. Sometimes she remembers a bit of the detail, and on the next occasion, she found herself already on the road with traveling gear and a crossbow, feeling confused. It is certainly not amnesia, she still remembers who she is and every bit of the years that have passed along with her journey. It's just, sometimes she wondered what the hell is she doing spending years from town to town, from one wilderness to another, and not in the place called home?

I think I need a scoop of ice cream.

Purpose of travel: Like any other passengers, arriving safely at the designated port. And then travel a bit more to her hometown. Perhaps looking for an answer, maybe just stopping by, or... who knows, finding her way back home.

Other information: Nothing particularly outstanding with Sonia's combat capability. She can shoot swiftly and accurately, and if she really means it, there will be no armor thick enough to deflect her bolts. Sonia is well aware of her inexperience in real combat, so she won't hesitate to work with everyone and follow the chain of command if the situation calls for it.

Equipment: Medium-sized canvas bag, dagger, a reverse-draw mechanical crossbow with "Alhazen" markings on its limbs. 25x crossbow bolts. A coin purse containing the amount of money enough to purchase another ticket.

Pakde Bagus' Character Files

The Gray Flame

Strange guy

𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Name : █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ The Gray Flame
Species : Elf
Gender : Male
Age : 255
Place of Birth : █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Date of Birth : █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Affilation : Varenheim Sentinel (Retired)
█ █ █ (Retired)
The Cloudsong
Adventurers' Guild

𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴

Height : 188cm
Weight : 76kg
Build : Athletic
Eyes : Blue
Hair : Silver
Skin Tone : Fair

𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮

Physical Strength : Standard
Mobility : Standard
Physiological Endurance : Excellent
Tactical Acument : Excellent
Combat Skill : Excellent
Arcane Capability : Outstanding
Mana Pool Type : Wellspring

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦

Real name unknown, place of birth unknown, rumored to be affiliated with the Varenheim Government, all you can find after digging for information about him is a veteran who had retired from Varenheim special forces a century ago.
A man with a certain degree of fame in the Adventurers community, it is confirmed that he is one of the few people who have wandered into The Land of Twilight and returned on multiple occasions.

Save for the unnervingly simple white mask, the Gray Flame is an ordinary-looking elven man with white hair and fair skin. His general attire consists of dark green trousers with a brown vest, white shirt, and leather belts. He wears combat boots and a grey traveling cloak with a hood.

The Gray Flame was one of the first persons Vesemir Barandir hired for his whimsical adventure. Recommended by the head of the Alkautsar Branch, the Gray Flame is not only a reputable adventurer with myriads of experience regarding The Land of Twilight, but he has also proven to be very attentive and patient with the old archeologist's ramblings.

𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴

-Proficiency with bow and sword(passive)
The Gray Flame is an experienced combatant for both close encounters and ranged skirmishes.

-Deep theoretical understanding of Fire magic (passive)
Besides granting exactly what it says on the tin, the mastery grants the Gray Flame natural resistance against fire-based magic and prevents him from taking damage from his own spells. Additionally, the understanding allows him to gradually suppress the flow of fire-based magic of a person and object he touches.

-Powershot
Imbues a single arrow with arcane power, allowing it to be shot with great velocity and power.
Armor Piercing. The Gray Flame has to have his bow equipped to use this ability. Has 1 turn cooldown

-Vermillion Sunrise
Channels into and coats his sword with Fire Magic. The Gray Flame can launch up to four waves of flame from his sword and grants additional bonus damage to his melee attack. It has 2 turns cooldown. The Gray Flame has to have his sword equipped to use this ability

-Arcane Shield
Applies a translucent fire-resistant barrier on the friendly unit he touches, granting them the same protections he enjoys from his second passive. Lasts 3 turns, and can apply to up to 2 targets. Has 3 turns cooldown.

-Star Shower
Bombards the area in 50 meters around The Gray Flame with fiery crystalline shards from the sky. The spell lasts for 2 turns. The falling crystals can be avoided by taking shelter under a solid object or with a very strong shield. Has 3 days of cooldown.

𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

-Longbow
Ordinary longbow made of hickory wood.
-Double-Edged longsword
An Eastern Jian sword with a slightly elongated handle and thicker blade. Sheathed in a white leather sheath.
-A quiver containing 25 arrows
-Medium-sized backpack
-A silver compass
-A white mask.
Adorned with nothing, nor symbolize anything other than a piece of protective gear to hide one's identity.

Pakde Bagus' Character Files

Jazdia "Slyph" Crystalspark

The Mediator

Basic Information

Name : Jazdia Crystalspark
Species : Elf
Gender : Female
Age : 59
Place of Birth : Alkautsar, Varenheim
Date of Birth : September 13
Affilation : Central Security Agency (Formerly)
The Council of Nations International Court of Justice
The Peacekeepers

Physical Attributes

Height : 175cm
Weight : 60kg
Build : Lean
Eyes : Blue
Hair : Blonde
Skin Tone : Fair

Physical Exam

Physical Strength : Normal
Mobility : Excellent
Physiological Endurance : Excellent
Tactical Acument : Excellent
Combat Skill : Standard (melee), Excellent (ranged)
Arcane Capability : Excellent
Mana Pool Type : Wellspring

Profile

Jazdia's Dossier 1

Jazdia is a straightforward woman, but that barely scratches the surface of who she really is.
Every royal and dignitary in every court from the three major human kingdoms seemed to know her— she attends their banquets, talks to their prime ministers, if not their kings, and sips their finest tea always as a VIP. But ask people about her, and the more you ask, the more polarizing the answer will be.

People who got to know her to some extent might say she is too blunt, unapproachable, and sometimes callous. On the other hand, the others say she is a reliable and trustworthy friend. These last two are perhaps arguable, but there is no doubt about the first three.

"If she's angry at you, that's a good thing! If she's polite and talks formally, though, that means she doesn't really give a damn about you. She is that kind of prideful person who would never admit that out loud."
—A certain emissary; name omitted likely out of fear.

Jazdia's Dossier 2

Jazdia Crystalspark never asked for much, after the disbandment of CSA and decades of tenure bringing war criminals and ruthless warlords to justice, all the elf wanted was to fulfill her late fiancé's dream of opening a restaurant and spend the rest of her days sipping tea and sees the world evolve as she slowly builds her business empire.

But the problem with being a long-lived elf and having an early retirement is that as time passes, she could feel a growing emptiness in her heart that needs to be filled. No matter how much she dislikes getting involved in any nation's wars and politics, or how convinced she is of the idea that it's time for humanity to make their own decisions, she always feels compelled to return and make things right.

The Council undoubtedly welcomed her return, and considering her long accomplishments and capability, granted her the position in their peacekeeping task force. For Jazdia the deal was more than enough. Being there means she is relatively away from The Council's ruling body, sparing her from the headache of high politics and decision-making. The position also grants her rights to act independently and diplomatic privilege in all nations that are part of the Council.

A battle-seeker, or a noble who actually does something. The arguments about her motive are endless, but all parties seem to agree that Jazdia is someone who could not let go.

Jazdia's Dossier 3

Jazdia rarely talks about her past. When asked about it, she will give an elusive smile and smoothly transition to a different topic before anyone can realize it. "What happened in the past, belongs in the past." that was what she said on one occasion, and nobody was brave, or foolish enough to try to press her any further. It was something she only shared with nobody but a few friends she trusted.

However, it wasn't really a top secret for those who knew where to look. There are a few people in Varenmheim who know who she is. 35 years ago, Jazdia started her career as a combat healer for Varenheim Sentinel Unit, but then years later, her unit was involved in an accident that killed a Westernant's Top Officer of State during his bilateral visit to the country. Unfortunately, the aftermath of that accident was as obscure as the conclusion of both nations' supposedly biggest diplomatic disaster, and no further records could be found about what happened to Jazdia after the tragedy. Some said she was dishonorably discharged, others said she was blamed for not only the entire Unit's failure to capture the assassins but also the death of her squad members, including her own fiancé. The alternative theory suggests that the charge was deliberately placed on her to cover up the accident, which was allegedly orchestrated by one of Varenheim's high-ranking officials. Jazdia never revealed her side of the story.

Traits and Spells

-Blood Phobia (passive)
Taking damage would result in lower combat efficiency. Jazdia will start sweating, having a shaky aim and blurred vision. At a certain threshold, her Ultravision cannot be activated.

-Blessings of the Crimson Flame(passive)
Grants limited mastery of fire magic, and moderate resistance to fire. Resting near any fire or under the sun would gradually regenerate her power and heal her wounds. However, any healing magic cast on her would instead deal damage.

1. Crystal Enchantment (Active)
Channels magic into an arrowhead, and transmutes it into solid purplish crystal, radically changing its structure to contain compressed, fire-based arcane energy. Can only use one type of arrow in a single turn. Has three variants:
A.Explosive Crystal Arrow
Imbue an explosive command into the arrow that explodes upon impact. Can also be programmed for delayed, or remote detonation.
B. Crystal Arrow
Imbue an arcane command that allows the energy to be released gradually, causing the arrow to release an extremely intense exothermic reaction that enables it to pierce through armor.

The spell can be used once per turn. Once turned, the crystal arrow cannot be disenchanted or disarmed. The enchanted arrow cost 3% of Jazdia's total mana.

2. Counter (passive)
Any close-range attack will be answered with a heavy counterattack.

3. Ultravision
Channeling magic to enhance her vision, Jazdia can see through solid objects and magical manipulation such as illusion and darkness. Imposes varying degrees of strain on her body depending on the area covered and elapsed duration. Prolonged abuse of this skill might result in myopia and gradual blindness. Activation costs 6% of her total mana and maintaining the ability drains 3% per turn.

4. Vengeance
Automatically activates after losing more than 70% of her HP. Temporarily suppresses the effect of blood phobia and grants her immunity from external psychological influence. Increases Jazdia's reaction time and focus and unlocks the third variant of her Crystal Arrows:
C. Obsidian Arrow. Upon hit, deals heavy damage over time for the next 4 turns. The bodies of the enemy killed by this arrow will burst out a swarm of black lepidopteran that attack nearby hostiles until either they or the caster dies, or the effect expires (3 turns). At the end of its fleeting lifespan, the butterflies will return to the caster and mend her wounds.

The skill lasts for 3 turns, with 3 days of cooldown. The Obsidian Arrow can be shot twice per turn during this phase.

Equipment

-Lurea
A recurve black bow adorned with gold and silver linings on its limbs. Has an absurdly light draw weight of 44 pounds. Nearly indestructible. It can never be separated from its owner no matter what.
-Maugrim
A long knife with an ivory handle and elven runes inscribed on its blade.
- A quiver
CSA-Issued back quiver. Made of canvas, very lightweight and comfortable. It features additional pockets and compartments to store additional items... or long blades. Contains 25 arrows.
-Small satchel/messenger bag
A plain-looking bag that doesn't seem too out of fashion despite being designed with function in mind.
-Pocket watch
A memento from her father. Well maintained and functioning properly.
-Bronze compass
An antique compass pointing to the north(duh) has more buttons than the usual compass to activate its hidden features.
-Medikit
Generic first aid kit that is in the name only. Upon closer inspection, it looked nothing like the "first aid kit" commonly sold in the market. Consult with Jazdia before use.

Into the Land of Twilight

The ice was shrugged off like a brittle hoarfrost.

"See what I mean?" muttered Gray, to nobody in particular. "Imagine getting caught in that nasty stomping."

The masked elf quickly relocated to the right, carefully positioning himself near the pillar in case he needed a solid cover.

A quick observation of the Golem's attack patterns when it dealt with Carnathia's mirror images and its deliberate attempt not to hit the pillar suggest that this particular unit's combat inhibitor was sophistically calibrated, and admittedly, quite perceptive at that. Why would someone did that? Well, the most obvious answer was that Theriadore would want to protect his collections even beyond the grave, and it was here to protect the valuables, not a secret. And it was capable of recognizing the valuables.

It was too early to conclude, but if proven true, the peculiarities could be exploited. He just needed to do some testing first.

"Smart piece of hardware that was..." Now standing next to Fia, Gray drew his longbow and notched an arrow, sparing a moment to glance at Fia and noticed the gleam of icy aura around her hand. "Hello Madam, I am afraid the ice won't cut it. Elements are bad for the books, and our stern librarian here might think you are too cool for this place!"

The joke was awful, but what the hell! Now refocusing his aim on the Golem's bright headlight, the masked elf released his ordinary arrow.

Into the Land of Twilight

The Gray Flame

---

"I have. They were in one of the ruins I had to go to for a job. It helped me gain a spell to protect others; it nearly killed my party at the time. Taking out the eye is priority for sure. It can't target properly if it can't access your signature. Unfortunately, since it's magic.. it won't be going down easily either."

She looked to the group. "I recommend a spread out approach and one to two people taking out the eye while others provide distraction. If it fires up the beam, then.. the library will be in flames, but.. it's either that or.. get sliced by a beam." She offered a shrug. "I believe once the eye is taken care it, it has something on its body to completely.. disservice it. This is also information based on the ones in the dungeon I've been to; not on a custom-made one, but I believe it might have the same basic structure. At least I hope."

At Roxas' explanation, Gray Flame nodded in acknowledgment. If he had a notebook, he would write it down, even.

Still, there were a few things that he learned; that Roxas expertise as their backup shielder could prove useful. This was not her first time fighting a golem, and of course, there were few speculations, but Gray wasn't feeling to lecture anybody at the moment.

"Be ready to use your defensive spell when it starts to focus its beam. That's the cue before it unleashes its laser attack."

Then he turned to Fia and Carnathia.

"So, what do you think?"

Carnatia replied, "I do have experience disenchanting magical construct in general, though I'm not sure how effective it would be on a golem.

"Honestly, What concerns me more is engaging that thing in melee combat, something that a golem is purposely created for. I will not recommend it unless you see an opening."

"That glint, its weapon is entirely metallic. If it can swing it effectively, even a glancing blow will be devastating." Engelbert observed, sizing up the silent guardian. Actually... looking at the door behind him, and then back at where the golem stood, the thing must be at least half a fold larger than a regular human. He increased the potential threat level of the golem up by a notch, the more mass it could move around the deadlier it would be. "I've dismantled my fair share of golems, but it mostly bears down to giving them severe enough beating until they stops moving. Golems usually still have more vulnerable precision parts to help them move efficiently, these can be damaged even if the outer shell is tougher."

It's more energy efficient to make use of mechanical advantage than to magically animate an empty shell after all. Not to mention how the latter was vulnerable to disruption, physical and otherwise. He wondered how the elven golem would fare after millenia of neglect, but considering how well-preserved everything seemed to be... they'll have a fight in their hands soon."I can keep it occupied, does anyone have heavy enough attack to properly damage it?"

"Definitely not from me, not soon anyway," Gray Flame rubbed his wrist lazily. "I can fire a devastating shot at its core, but I doubt something as advanced as that would expose its weak point without a countermeasure."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "This is sensitive information, but I will choose to not earn more ire from Carnathia this time. The Military doesn't usually build one with exposed Crystal like that, and destroying that crystal could either shut it down or make that thing self-destruct and destroy the entire facility. It's Theriadore's creation after all, and obviously, that thing is here to protect a secret."

When the party's Main Fighters were busying themselves with their petty plan, the beautiful Sorceress told them her experience.

“I have experience with them as well. Not exactly first hand, if I’m being honest.” said Fia, “I know this sweet kid who travels with one. It looks nothing like this though. It's pretty strong despite how it looks. If this one is as impressive as it looks compared to his, then we should be careful not to anger it, darlings.”

"Well unless one of us is Theriadore, I think we have angered that thing already. Look!"

Vesemir pointed at the stone guardian. It started moving, and from it, everyone could hear a clicking sound, like a busy and dusty clockwork suddenly in motion again after centuries of inactivity.

The moment Engelbert finished talking, a bright red light flashed out from the Golem's crystal eye, followed by a robotic announcement.

"ꜱᴄᴀɴɴɪɴɢ... ᴜɴꜱᴄʜᴇᴅᴜʟᴇᴅ ᴇɴᴛʀʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ..."

Another flash of light suddenly exposed the entire hall, and before anyone from the party could discern the meaning of the voice earlier, another announcement followed suit.

"ꜱᴄᴀɴɴɪɴɢ... ᴜɴʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴɴᴇʟ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ. ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴘʟᴇs... ᴍɪꜱᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ, ꜰᴀᴄɪᴀʟ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪꜰɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ... ᴇʀʀᴏʀ."

30 meters ahead, The golem's head twitched left and right, and the red crystal in its face suddenly emitted a wide, cone-shaped dim light that spanned over a wide area. It straightened its posture and redied its weapon as it diverted its red spotlight on everyone, before finally focusing on Engelbert.

"ᴀꜱꜱᴇꜱꜱᴍᴇɴᴛ - ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴇ ꜱᴜʙʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇ... ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴛʀᴜᴅᴇʀs."

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the hall as the construct advanced towards the party. It had finished its winding up and was ready for battle.

At that moment, Gray Flame looked at his Iron-clad buddy and sighed exasperatedly as he drew his bow. "Well, what do you think? Can you keep it busy?"

Into the Land of Twilight

“I hope you will enlighten us to what exactly that was, and why it hasn’t been dealt with when we get out of here, darling.”

To that question, Gray Flame didn't seem very happy hearing it. After briefly shifting his stony-cold masked face toward Fia, he quickly moved toward the lantern, picked it up, and handed it to Vesemir with nary a word.

Returning to Fia in a similarly enigmatic fashion, the monocled elf smiled. "I would ask for a pardon, that these are the questions that best discussed when are... not here, Dear Fia."

Surely that wasn't much of an answer for someone like Fia, but let it be a problem for another time. What mattered now was they were moving again, and the urgency to do so was at least acknowledged by everyone else. Tillius showed that by giving a solid nod at Vesemir when the elf took his position as their rear guard.

"If anyone is injured, go in the middle." The orc said.

Thankfully nobody was severely injured, despite that, Fia jogged past him to catch up with Carnathia, asking about the orb of light.

The middle-aged elf was carrying both a shining lantern and a thin, straight sword. It was revealed that the sword was his unsheathed walking stick all along. Although the sword may not have been able to harm any lingering phantoms, it seemed the elf wanted to show that he too was capable of fighting.

And so they marched again, a bit more careful than before despite the additional light. Vesemir told them that their destination was the city Library, but Gray further clarified that the building used to be Lasse's municipal office, and located a bit east of the city.

It was a long march, but it seemed they were no longer at the epicenter of Lasse's past tragedies. The shadows were almost non-existent here, and if they did appear, they were no longer manifesting on the path, but rather, shyly peaking from the windows and doors of the abandoned houses.

The municipal office was a large, slightly elevated building with two pillars flanking its entrance. Despite clearly showing signs of neglect, the building seemed intact; though it was hard to guess the color in this darkness, the roof was still neatly pared, and the two large pillars and tiles were still in good condition. Only the supposedly wooden frames of its doors and windows had already rotted away by the passage of time.

"This is the building." Said Vesemir enthusiastically.

He then spared a moment to speak to Forbann, telling him that he could rest here and keep watch. The Armored Oni agreed with that plan.

"When the Prince of Isrion attacked the City, dozens of Lasse residents took refuge here." Rambled the elf as they climbed the stairs. "Theriadore was indeed a powerful magician, the record said the Human Prince tried to besiege this building, but the Magistrate's enchantment made it impenetrable."

Pausing to sigh and caress the pillar, Vesemir spoke again, his tone changed from somber to utter disgust.

"Makes you wonder if things could have ended differently if he was here, rather than be seated in Alkautsar Council. It happened generations ago, but my blood boils whenever I think about this piece of history. The sheer incompetence was infuriating, and all of that was just for political gain. Luithiel did nothing wrong! She did what a leader was supposed to do, to make That accursed Black Armored prince pay the ultimate price. Mark my words, she was sentenced as a hero."

"Though, someone might argue that she was too excessive with her method," murmured Gray Flame as he followed the monocled elf into the building.

"True, I must admit that Theriador too would definitely agree with that proposition, but in Luithiel's defense, excessiveness was the response to the inadequacy of those who are supposed to be in charge. Lukman's death was unfortunate, but Varenheim's inability to see things perspicaciously was not without blame either..."

"Anyway." Vesemir suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. "The place is safe, theoretically... the enchantment spell wears out over time, and my calculation said, even if he did not deactivate it, Theriador's spell had expired a century ago. Just don't stray too far from this corridor if you doubt it."

Following Vesemir and Gray's recommendation, the party skipped other sections and walked straight until they reached a cross-corridor. One to the south had a stone plaque that reads archive room, and the other, which led to the north also had a plaque that read "library". Needless to say, the group took the north path.

At the end of that corridor was an antechamber with spiral stairs made of concrete that ended in another corridor that was part of an underground complex. After yet another boring descent, the party was stopped in front of a large door, it was locked.

But that door wouldn't be locked for too long. The eccentric elf Jovially took out a rectangular card made of silky material from his pocket and rubbed it like a precious thing. Then, he inserted it into a slit under the door's metallic doorknob and waited.

There was the sound of a lock being disengaged, and the heavy door slowly swayed open with a rumble.

"Years of scouring Casediar Black Market is finally paying off!" Chimmed the archeologist, reclaiming his partially ejected card from the socket and giving it a peck.

Behind that door was a cavernous hall with many supporting pillars, bookshelves, and seating furniture that looked oddly preserved. There were four crystal lamps on the ceilings, they were unlit and hung by metallic chains.

As the party walked into the library, they noticed there was another door at the other end of the hall, it was guarded by a silhouette of a hulking humanoid entity, that upon closer observation seemed to be a motionless statue resembling a fully armored human knight with a helmet visor divided into four plates that house a pale, ruby-like crystal. It stood menacingly next to that door, like a steadfast sentinel protecting a precious treasure.

Appropriate to its size, the statue was armed with a heavy Warhammer that curiously, was made of proper metal; clearly, it wasn't intended for decorative purposes.

"I think that door is Theriadore's workshop," Vesemir said, raising his lantern to find a hanger on the pillars. Fortunately, he found one, and as he hung the magic lantern higher, the illumination was reflected by the nearby crystal lamp on the ceiling. The lamp, in turn, reflected the light to the other lamps, providing enough illumination to light up the entire hall.

"Friends! That will be our next destination."

"Heads up! It's not an ordinary statue." Warned Gray Flame, raising his hand to make everyone stop their advance.

"A golem?"

"Looks like it. And the expensive one at that, they made a few of it in Nuria to guard important facilities. This one was custom-made, kinda what to expect from someone like Theriadore. It's still on standby mode, see that crystal on its head? It glows with a faint light, which means it is saving its power, but the battery capacity is still adequately loaded. The crystal serves as its eye, the targeting module, and in battle mode, it can be charged up to fire a powerful energy beam."

"Awfully knowledgable about this kind of thing, aren't you?"

The Masked elf, with his masked face, could only stare at Vesemir with his trademark blank expression. "Only a bit. Anyway, what do you think? Do you have a century-old-something from the black market that we can use to get rid of that thing?"

He then turned to everyone else. "What about you guys? Ever had any experience with a magical construct before?"