The cavern rumbled as the stone golem stepped fully into view, its massive frame nearly scraping the jagged ceiling. Its body glowed with molten veins, magma pulsih its cracked, rocky surface. With every step, the ground trembled, and the air grew suffogly hot.

  Helios summoned his Keybde and gripped it tightly, sweat already f on his brow. “Well, this is a warm wele,” he muttered.

  Skuld stepped up beside him, her expression dark as she summoned her own keybde. “What’s the pn?”

  Helios studied the creature as it lumbered closer, molten cracks fring brighter with each step. “Physical attacks probably won’t be enough—it looks too tough. We’ll o focus on finding its oint. See those glowing cracks? Aim there.”

  Skuld nodded, raising her keybde to summon a flurry of ice magic. “Let’s see if this cools it off.”

  Skuld unleashed a volley of ice shards, her Blizzara spell streaking through the air and colliding with the golem’s chest. The shards exploded on impact, freezing parts of its molten surface. The golem roared, the sound reverberating through the cavern, and swiped its massive arm at her.

  “Look out!” Helios shouted.

  Skuld leapt baarrowly avoiding the molten fist that smmed into the ground, sending a wave of heat rippling outward. The ice coating its chest melted almost instantly, steam hissing as it rose into the air.

  “It’s resistant to magic too!” Skuld yelled, frustration g her voice.

  “Of course it is. Things are never easy are they,” Helios muttered, dashing in to draw the golem’s attention. “Keep it distracted!”

  The golem turs burning gaze on him, raising one hand as magma began to pool in its palm. With a grunt, it hurled a ball of molten rock toward Helios, the projectile bzing through the air like a meteor.

  Helios darted to the side, the heat brushing unfortably close as the magma spttered against the cavern wall. He stabbed his Keybde into the ground, eling a Blizzaga spell. “Let’s see how you like this!”

  The massive ice crystal erupted from the ground striking the golem all over, freezing the joints and slowing its movements. Helios followed up with a dash, leaping onto the golem’s arm and smming his Keybde into the frozen crack. The blow sent ks of rock flying, exposing more molten veih.

  “Skuld! Now!” Helios shouted.

  Skuld wasted no time. She summoned another Blizzara spell, targeting the exposed veins. The freezing bst struck true, the molten core hardening and crag uhe intense cold. The golem roared in pain, its movements being sluggish as it tried to shake Helios off.

  But the creature wasn’t do. With a ground-shaking stomp, it unleashed a wave of molten va from the cracks in its body. The magma surged across the floor, f Helios and Skuld to leap onto higher ground. The golem then grabbed the magma and rubbed it on the exposed area as the area hardehe core was once again hidden.

  “This thing’s got a lot of tricks,” Skuld muttered, breathing heavily.

  Helios wiped the sweat from his brow, his Keybde glowing faintly as he eled his magic. “We just o keep wearing it down. Its core is vulnerable—if we break through again and strike it with full force, we’ll win.”

  The golem charged forward, its molten fists glowing as it prepared atack. Skuld raised her on, summoning a barrier of ice to block the ining blow. The fists smmed into the barrier, shattering it but leaving the golem momentarily off-bance.

  Helios took the opportunity to dart in, eling another Blizzaga directly into the golem’s chest. The icy explosion froze the molten veins solid, and with a powerful swing of his Keybde which he eled his ice magic through, Helios shattered the outer exterior and the frozen core.

  The golem let out a final, eg roar before colpsing, its molten body hardening into lifeless stone.

  Helios clutched his knees, catg his breath as Skuld approached, her on still at the ready. “That was… tougher than I expected,” she said, her voice ced with exhaustion.

  Helios g the remains of the golem a out a weak chuckle. “Let’s hope that was the only one.”

  The ground rumbled beh their feet. Skuld froze, her eyes widening. “You just had to say it.”

  Twolems emerged from the shadows, their molten bodies glowing brighter than the first. They moved with surprising speed, their massive frames casting long, ominous shadows across the cavern walls.

  Helios groaned, gripping his Keybde as he rose to his feet. “I hate this,” he muttered.

  The two golems wasted no time, charging forward with fists raised. Skuld unleashed another volley of ice magic, but the creatures seemed uheir molten cores burning hotter with each passing moment.

  “Helios!” Skuld called, dodging a fiery swipe.

  “I know, I know!” Helios shouted back, fog his magito another Blizzaga. The spell strue golem’s leg, freezing it in pd causing it to stumble. Skuld capitalized on the opening, darting in and striking the frozen joint with her on. The leg shattered, sending the golem crashing to the ground.

  The sed golem roared in fury, smming its fists into the ground and sending a wave of molten rock toward them. Helios raised his Keybde, summoning a barrier of ice to shield them from the bst.

  “We ’t keep this up,” Skuld said, her breathing bored.

  “We don’t have a choice,” Helios replied, his tone grim.

  The battle tinued, eater pushing them closer to their limits. After the first golem, every fight became a little easier as they learhe creatures’ patterns and weaknesses. Ice magic, when timed perfectly, could freeze the molten cores just long enough for them to strike a critical blow.

  By the time they defeated their tenth golem, Helios and Skuld were both breathing heavily, their movements sluggish from exhaustion. The cavern floor was littered with the remains of their fallen foes, molten stone cooling into jagged fragments.

  Helios leaned against his Keybde, sweat dripping down his face. “Please tell me there aren’t more of these things.”

  Skuld, equally worn out, managed a weak smile. “If there are, we’re turning back.”

  As if responding to their words, the darkness ahead began to shift. One by oorches along the walls igheir fmes burning a bright, inviting e. The flickering light revealed a narrow pathway leading deeper into the cavern, its jagged walls lined with faintly glowing crystals.

  Helios straightened, f himself to stand. “Looks like we’re being invited further in.”

  Skuld g him, her brow furrowing. “Invited or baited?”

  Helios smirked, despite his exhaustion. “Does it matter? We’ve e this far.”

  With a relut nod, Skuld followed as Helios led the way forward, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows behind them. The air grew colder, and the faint sound of rushing water echoed in the distance.