The heavy footsteps of the golem echoed through the chamber, each step sending tremors through the air. Elara stood tense, her hands ready to summon magic at any moment.
Gorion stood at the edge of the rocky arena, watching them with a calm but serious expression.
"This golem is set to full combat mode," he said. "But don't worry. I've limited its parameters. It won't kill you."
Elara scowled. "Won't kill us? But it can still hurt us, right?!"
Gorion shrugged. "You can ask Sylveras to heal you. He's not as good as you in that field, but he'll manage."
Sylveras raised a hand with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I can... a little."
Elara let out a heavy sigh. "Huft... Fine. That means you have to be at the front protecting me."
"Wait—I'm not good at reading its movements!" Sylveras protested.
Elara immediately snapped. "Then what, I should be at the front?! No way! That thing's terrifying!"
Gorion lifted a hand to stop the bickering. "Calm down, both of you. This isn't about front or back. Use your brains. This is a test of strategy and improvisation."
Elara gave Sylveras a pointed look. "Brains, huh? Does Sylveras even have one?"
Sylveras stood tall, grinning with confidence. "Of course I do. Maybe I'll improvise a bit—combine wind, earth, and ice elements to create a magic shield."
Gorion nodded approvingly. "Exactly. You just gave yourself the answer. Good work."
Elara, not wanting to lose, raised her hand proudly. "Then I can do it too! I managed to create a light spear before. This time, I'll try to form a light barrier—one that can withstand the golem's strikes!"
"Well done," Gorion responded with a smile. "I trust my golem to you both. Handle it however you like. I'll be watching from afar."
He turned and began walking away from the arena.
"If I'm not back at the house by nightfall, it means I've been summoned elsewhere. Don't worry about me. Just focus on your training."
With that, he vanished in a brief flash of teleportation.
Elara and Sylveras now stood face-to-face with the golem, which had begun to move with more intensity. Its heavy stone feet pounded against the floor, and its blue eyes glowed brighter.
"Alright, let's do this," Elara muttered.
"With me at the front," Sylveras added, though his face had turned a bit pale.
The trial began.
The golem launched its fist toward them. Sylveras quickly formed a barrier of ice and earth, but the force of the strike cracked it instantly. Elara followed up with a wall of light, absorbing the next wave of impact.
"We have to move faster!" Sylveras shouted.
"Throw a fireball at its eyes!" Elara yelled.
"I don't even know if golems have weak points in their eyes!"
"Just throw it anyway!"
The battle became a whirlwind of improvisation, missteps, panicked yelling, and the occasional spell flying in the wrong direction. But slowly, they began to adapt. Some of the golem's punches were dodged with better timing. When Sylveras's barrier faltered, Elara covered. When Elara slipped, Sylveras responded in time.
Two hours passed. Their breathing was heavy, but their spirits stayed high.
Three days.
Five days.
Two weeks.
The golem never used the same attack pattern twice. Every night they returned home bruised and sore. Every morning, they came back determined.
Four weeks later, on the thirtieth day, they finally managed to combine their defenses and strikes into a seamless counter. Their spells pushed the golem into a temporary defensive stance—just for a moment—but enough for them to stand tall.
As they were catching their breath, something completely unexpected happened.
The golem spoke.
"You needed one whole month to beat me?" Its voice was deep and resonant. "Hahahahaha!"
Both of them froze.
"It... talks?!" Sylveras gasped.
"All this time and now it talks?!" Elara looked like she was about to snap.
"I stayed quiet," the golem replied calmly, "because Master Gorion ordered me to. He said, 'let them grow. Don't interfere—only test.' So I stayed quiet."
The golem crouched slightly—oddly expressive for something made of stone—and continued.
"Congratulations. Based on my calculations... the two of you are now equivalent to at least a hundred elite soldiers. Or more."
Sylveras and Elara looked at each other, somewhere between pride and disbelief.
"Well..." Elara mumbled.
"I guess... that's an achievement?" Sylveras added.
"I guess... we deserve a ten-day nap."