Splas.h.!.+

We were falling down from a ravine since we had no choice but to jump down. Elena's knights were tailing us and we seemed to be in a terrifying situation. We took a gamble with our lives on the line and took the leap of faith. More like a leap of luck.

Luckily, we ended up falling in a lake found deep in the ravine. It made a loud splash and the Knights started to find another way to come and kill us. We left our bags up which contained our mined goods, food and extra clothing.

As soon as we flopped our backs on the lake, a group of piranha monsters, called Prirara, attacked us.

"Shooting Star!"

"Lunar Dagger!"

"Crescent Blade!"

"King's Needle!"

We soon cast our skills and took out each one of them. We soon swam to sh.o.r.e and I came out panting. Ayumi was still in the water with her upper body lying on the floor, panting. I pulled her out of the water and she laughed.

"Let's do that again."

For her, it must be some kind of a thrilling fall like bungee jumping but without the bungee cord and rope. Koneko sighed in relief as she healed Ayumi first.

"Holy Healing Tri-s.h.i.+eld!"

Mr. Arthur wrung his s.h.i.+rt to release the water and wore it again. We were drenching wet except Koneko. She was floating after all and she only flew down instead of falling.

Ayumi was traumatized and thrilled. Her legs buckled and showed no signs of standing so I carried her on my back. Her chainmail was kind of thin and had a feather-light effect which made it feel like just a s.h.i.+rt and so her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were brus.h.i.+ng on my back as her nipples were pressing. I just ignored it.

"Koneko, just continue to heal us okay?"

"Right!" She smiled as she continued to heal us as she flew above the ground all the way.

We went through an opening and the tunnel seemed to be a mystery. There were crystals that glimmered a soothing light and we felt our HP, Mana, and SP refill. Even our wounds were healed.

We suddenly stopped on our feet when a shadow came walking towards us.

"Ready your weapons!"

"Yes!"

While Ayumi is on my back, I pulled out my Calibur and took a defensive stance while Koneko made a s.h.i.+eld right in front of us to deflect any sudden projectiles. As soon as the body of the shadow appeared, I cast a skill.

"Shooting Star!"

Two blades of swords appeared and glimmered right above me. I chose the stranger as my target and they flew right at him.

"Dark Revenge!" He countered my skill and flung a skill similar to me. Four dark spheres appeared above him as the two collided with my skill and the other two exploded on the s.h.i.+eld that Koneko created.

"Who's there?!" He said in a loud yet young voice.

"That's our question! Who are you?!"

As soon as the smoke cleared, we were fazed and we were stuck on our feet. As soon as we saw his face, Ayumi jumped off me and ran towards her.

"Ryan!"

"Huh? Ayumi nee-san?" She hugged the surprised boy. His jaw dropped after seeing us.

"Yakiro nii-san, Ayumi nee-san, Koneko..."

"Ryan, what are you doing here?" I asked him

Ryan looks healthy and fine. He still had that metallic left arm and his red hair was now long which lengthened until the nape of his neck. He wears a tunic and a red cape adorned with black edges and geometric figures on each edge.

"Nii-san... I should be asking the same."

"We are mining here but got caught in trouble. What about you?" Ayumi asked.

"Right right! What are you doing here, nyan?" Koneko spoke in a cute voice and added a cat word on the end.

"I'm hunting for the treasure deep within this cave. I took a quest near the village."

"I see. But there's nothing behind us. It's just a lake and a dead end."

"Oh. Then follow me back." Ryan led us out. He looked strong, not like before. He had his sword sheathed on his back.

As we walk, Koneko and Ryan talked. Both of them looked compatible with each other. Ryan is 13 and Koneko is a thousand years old looking like a 12.

"They both look happy. Don't they, Yakiro?" Ayumi spoke.

"Yeah."

Mr. Arthur was silent. He felt out of place and started to mutter. He was irritated that we forgot about him.

"O-oh, right. Ryan, this is Mr. Arthur."

Ryan turned and smiled.

"Yup! I know him. That old guy made this arm." he raised his left arm proudly with a wide grin. Koneko's eyes s.h.i.+ned in fascination as she was surprised that it was made by Mr. Arthur.

"Tch. I'm not that old yo' know." He was disappointed. We felt an awkward sweat fall on our foreheads.

"Master! Master! Punch that wall!"

"Why?"

"Just do it! Nyan nyan!"

I nodded and punched the wall. As soon as I did, the wall cracked in a spiderweb as it crumbled down. Then suddenly, light beamed out in a ray. It was a blue s.h.i.+ning crystal. No! It was a diamond crystal!

"Waaaaaaw!" Ayumi's eyes sparkled. She was enthralled and started to jump up and down. Well, I guess she's is a girl after all.

Mr. Arthur suddenly held his hand out and a magic circle appeared.

Huh? Why does it look so familiar?

"Thunder G.o.d Ax!" Suddenly he pulled out a humongous ax from his hand.

How was that even possible?

No! Why do we have similar skills? Come to think of it, he also said that he had Ren and Zen Aura skills on him too. Must be because we share the same bloodline?

He did tell me that we had some unique bloodline running on our veins.

He took a heavy lift on his ax then suddenly he swung down, breaking the diamond. The diamond cracked and fell down the floor. Ayumi and Ryan jumped in and started collecting the diamond.

"It's not that Ayumi nee-san. Nyan! It's that!" Koneko pointed in the hole and seemed that there was a path behind the diamond.

I was surprised that Mr. Arthur knew what Koneko was saying. But he suddenly jumped in and sat on his knees as he started to collect the diamond shards with an ecstatic look on his face. I guess not.

After they finished collecting, we went through and a path that seemed to lead us to some kind of a chamber. The walls had holes and magic candles were floating while kindling a bright soothing light.

We pa.s.sed through the hallway and everything looked beautiful. The floor was made out of tiles designed with geometric figures. The ceiling was s.h.i.+ny and had chandeliers hanging out. On the middle of the floor, there was a small ca.n.a.l and river water seemed to be floating on the direction we are facing. We continued to stroll but suddenly I felt my foot lowered the tile.

s.h.i.+t... It was a trap.

Suddenly the door behind us closed. We ran to it but the ceiling near the door collapsed and the boulder seemed to be enchanted with unbreaking magic. Mr. Arthur's ax just bounced off as it reverberated.

"We're trapped."

"Might as well continue the journey then, Mr. Arthur."

We turned our backs and went into a straight line. Suddenly, we were inside of some kind of a huge room and from afar was a door.

We ran to it but suddenly a huge boulder fell right in front of me.

"Master!" Koneko was able to pull me in time and I felt the swoosh of the boulder, inches away from my face as it made a huge boom and dust exploded in the air.

Cough! Cough!

All of us coughed. The cloud of dust suddenly cleared and in front of us was a huge boulder.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Let's just walk around it." Ayumi suggested.

"Okay!" Koneko agreed.

We were about to walk around it when we felt something trembled.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, Mr. Arthur." Ayumi answered.

Thud! Thud!

"Something is definitely moving!"

Thud! Thud!

Suddenly a pebble fell into my head from the boulder.

"What?"

We turned to see the huge boulder dormant. But suddenly it shook and pebbles and stones started to fall. It was moving!

Suddenly the huge boulder turned into a giant! HUMONGOUS GOLEM!

"WRAAAAAAAGH!"

I fell on my but in surprise. The huge golem lifted its right fist and pummeled down at me. I felt someone grabbing me by the nape of my s.h.i.+rt and pulled me away before the ground received the brunt of his fist. The floor shook as soon as it fell.

"Woah! T-thanks, Ayumi!"

"Be on guard, stupid Yakiro! Geez!"

Mr. Arthur jolted then swung his blade but it didn't flinch. His attack was ineffective. It didn't even make a crack. Mr. Arthur was level 76 and we're level 30. I don't even know what Ryan's level is! There's no way we could win!

"Calibur!"

I stride and drifted across the battlefield and encircled the golem. I sent projectiles but it didn't hurt the golem. Ayumi tried to attack but was sent back in the process. Mr. Arthur couldn't use his Lightning Dragon since we were below the ground.

"Night Fall!"

"Wragh!"

"Huh?"

Koneko's skill didn't do anything and the golem slapped her away with the back of his fist.

"Ugh!"

"Koneko!"

I used stride and drifted on the sides of the wall as I catch Koneko. I then jumped off from the wall then drifted into the ground until I reached a safe spot.

"How are you, Koneko?"

"I-i'm fine, Master. Let's help them back."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh hmmm! Nyan!" She smiled.

That's all I needed to hear. Each time the golem tried to punch anyone of us, Mr. Arthur would jump in to catch and block the attack.

I looked at my player settings to find what this golem was.

=

Ancient Golem Protector Level 0

=

Tsk! It surpa.s.sed its level gap! It's stronger than any one of us!

Mr. Arthur was blocking all the attacks but one attack went pa.s.s through him and went right into Ryan.

"Ryan!" Ayumi and I screamed in unison as we tried to reach him but we were too far away.

"Dark Revenge!" Suddenly, a ball made of dark sphere appeared on Ryan's back then formed into a hand similar to the golem's and the two fists collided.

What's with that skill? Just now, It copied the golems attack! And my skill before too! That skill must mimic any form and must be a counterattack skill.

Ryan's dark golem sphere floating above his head didn't seem to be damaged. The golem, on the other hand, trembled as his knuckles cracked and crumbled on the floor.

It was strong! Ryan's skill was too OP! His skill must be mimic but it was stronger than the opponent. I remember, my shooting star was only two swords but when he used dark revenge to copy my skill, his swords appeared to be four.

Now that's a cheat skill!

"Ryan! You can take him!" I shouted.

"I'm sorry! It took all my mana! I'm down!"

Tsk! Seemed that it had its cons too. It costs too much mana to use. But that made it balance the skill. If this was a game, the players would have already complained about an OP skill with a very low mana cost.

I ran and swung my blade but it didn't do anything. Now the golem was attacking with only one arm.

"Graaah!" Koneko was already in her Sabertooth Empress form. She roared two elongated blades made of air and it flew at the golem. Suddenly, the golem's feet were sliced in half.

I remember! That's Koneko's Sabertooth Empress skill called Double Psionic Blades! It can penetrate through armor, which means that it ignored the golem's defense! Sadly, Koneko's on cooldown now.

The crumbles of pebbles and rocks started to reform as if it was about to return to the golem. It was now troublesome because the golem can easily regenerate any parts.

I remember! If I use Infernal Soul, I might be able to blast him away!

I gathered my flames in my hands and threw my hand right in front of me.

"Infernal So~"

"Don't!" Mr. Arthur stopped me.

"That's too risky, Yakiro! You're basically doing suicide!"

"Huh?"

Suddenly my curse reacted. It brought me back 3 seconds before with a painful blurry vision and a painful static noise. Then it disappeared as soon as time continued. It was the same time that I had just gathered my flames.

I relaxed and made my flames return to my blade.

"Night Fall!"

Koneko shouted and the golem suddenly froze. It appears that it fell on his slumber. That was the only skill that worked.

All of us panted heavily.

"Let's go before it wakes up! Hurry up, kiddos!" We ran for the door. But the door seemed to be locked. Our weapons didn't do much either. It appears that we had to defeat the golem first.

"Wraughhhhh!"

That was freaking fast!

The golem charged at us. It flung its arm towards us but Mr. Arthur caught it and he was sent flying to the wall.

"Ugh!" He gritted his teeth.

"Wruagh!" The golem raised his arm and swung it towards us. Ayumi, Koneko, and Ryan embraced me and I covered them. The fist was flying over my face but suddenly left only a huge gust!

I opened my eyes and the fist was just inch away from my face. The golem pulled his hand away and curdled into one big boulder and floated above the ceiling.

"Wha... What happened?" I was stunned. Ayumi fainted.

"Th... That was awesome! Hahaha!" Ryan laughed with his arms on his side. He pointed his finger towards the golem above the ceiling.

"That's right! You better run!"

Suddenly a pebble fell to the ground and Ryan screamed like a little girl and cowered on the floor.

Then he realized that nothing happened and felt embarra.s.sed.

Ryan cleared his throat and spoke in a haughty voice.

"T-that was nothing."

"Welcome fellow adventurers!"

"EEEEK!" Ryan cowered again.

A dainty little girl, about the same age as Koneko in terms of appearance, descended into the floor.

Ryan opened his eyes and jolted on his feet like nothing just happened.

The dainty little girl was beautiful. She had blue hair and blue oceanic eyes. She was wearing a plain white dress and her feet was naked. She stood barefoot.

We were speechless.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. Welcome! I am Isla and this is my home!"