When you are asked, how long is five minutes, what would you answer? Usually people will tell you that it is really short. But for a person who is dancing on the edge of a blade? It is the longest time they have ever endured.
Mamon knew the next five minutes isn't going to fly by in any means and it will be really arduous to get through it, but he had the confidence that he will get through.
As the shadow that was about twice as tall as him walked closer. It's appearance was slowly revealed. A giant skull resting on an amalgam of bones and body parts with skeletal hands reaching out everywhere around the creature trying to grab and break anything they could reach. It's hands were as long as tall Mamon was. It's legs were missing and the hands reaching out from it's body pulled it towards him.
An abomination that should not exist, even more so as an undead, a creature of dark magic and miasma made from a multitude of undead. An undead golem.
- You are as disgusting as ever... Let's see if you are just as slow!
Even though usually he has to close distance to beat it, this time, it was different. He tried to measure the most distance he can keep while the stake activated, but he wasn't fortunate enough.
'I have to be in reach for it... Great!'
He moved in to confront it. The creature howled with a gurgling voice that sounded like it came from hell itself. As it lift it's right hand up and slammed towards Mamon, he jumped to the side. Even though the hand didn't hit one of the skeletons reaching out from it hit his armor on the back scraping it.
- Hey! Stop that! Do you know how expensive it is to repair it?
The golem chuckled like it already won.
'It also responds to me? I might be able to waste some time by talking to it.'
- Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be up on the 5th level.
The golem stopped and looked at him like it wanted to say something, but it only made some more gurgling sounds.
'I guess it can't speak, but it's working.'
- I guess there is a reason you are down here. Do you want to go back up?
Hundreds of screams came from deep within it's body as all the skulls rattled around and it held it's skull between it's hands.
'Oh no...'
The talking made a reverse effect of what he wanted as the giant started to thrash around.
He ducked and waved with ever decreasing distance between him and the hands.
'This isn't go..'
His thought was cut short as one of the hands hit him on the chest and sent him flying. He rolled a few times in the ashes as he landed.
He made a grunting noise and coughed while standing up and wondering how is he even alive, while his chest hurt like nothing before. He couldn't even stand straight because it hurt to lift his torso up. The boss was plenty away, however the five minutes weren't done so the stake isn't even charged yet.
He coughed again and looked at it expecting it to be restarted, but to his surprise the star on it was slightly glowing.
'I guess I don't have to restart, but I'm literally at deaths door. As I can't heal up I have no idea how to do this without any issue. Let's see...'
The information window showed that he needed to be next to the boss for more than two minutes and the time was slowly ticking upwards making the required time even more.
'I guess it only resets slowly, but it's still pretty bad.'
The golem was closing in on him, taking the smoke with it like a dense cloak, as Mamon tried to straighten himself with barely any success. He put away his armor into his inventory.
'It already lost over ten procent of it's durability and there is no reason to use it because I'll die from one hit anyway.'
He moved back and waited a minute until his health regenerated enough for his chest to not hurt anymore. He looked at the stats of the stake and it only had a minute and half charge remaining on it.
'It seems it loses charge slower when it is closer to depletion.'
He moved closer to the golem and stayed lower to the ground. As it tried to slam on top of him he jumped towards it making it impossible for the boss to hit him with it's hands, however he was almost in reach for the hands sticking out from it's body.
'Too close! Too close!'
Mamon pulled his face away from a swipe and run around the body as it spun around and tried to hit him with no success. After rolling away from a swipe of the right hand, he grabbed onto the other hand in the blind spot of the golem.
'This trick is usually used for the last hit on the boss, but I guess it should be good enough to get a few seconds in. After all, it can not feel anything touching it because it doesn't have a skin or nerves.'
The boss was turning left and right furiously, looking for the guy that was there a few seconds ago. In it's rage it slammed both of it's hands to the ground. Mamon used this opportunity to back up and take a breather.
'One more minute and I'm done. Thank god!'
They looked each other in the eye for a few seconds, then the boss charged at him again. He dodged a few swings and tried to get close to it, but it was backing up every time he tried.
'It's learning... That is not good. I hope it will forget it by the time I get to the 5th level.'
Only fifteen seconds remains as he rolls below the right hand and gets scratched on the back by on of the skeletal hands.
'Thankfully I have regenerated enough health to survive it seems.'
Ten seconds remained when he barely ducks from another swipe from the left arm and stepped back.
Only five seconds as they both stop for a moment and look at each other. The only sounds are his panting and the rattling of the bones as the star shines with full power.
The golem stumbles backwards from the light and tries to protect it's none existent eyes.
- Got you!
Mamon jumped in at the opportunity and stabbed the stake into it's chest barely avoiding one of the skeletal hands swiping at him. Then jumped back away to not get hit.
A giant column of light fell down from the heavens embracing the skeleton and warming up the surrounding. The giant body lifted up with the ashes below it while it struggled and tried to get free from the power. But it was all in vain. After it was lift up a few stories high, it's body started to glow and it disappeared with an explosion of light.
From it's place millions of small petal like yellow sparks flew everywhere. Wherever the spark hit the ground a small sapling grew out of the ground in a matter of seconds and the land started to revitalize.
Mamon fell onto his back and closed his eyes. He breathed heavily and smiled. Smiled because a window popped up in front of him.
"Congratulation on completing the quest. You have earned 10.000 SP as a reward!"
- Finally! This was one hell of a quest!
He sighed.
- And I still have to deal with the boss of the 1st level... Agh... What pain...
He sit up and looked around. As he saw everything getting a lot better he grinned. This was the start of his heroic journey saving the tower. Then he felt that he forgot something, however it was a fleeting emotion.
After walking around a few times looking through the bodies of the zombies he was left with no additional equipment. Nothing was lootable, so he left them there and made his way back to the village. At least he wanted to, but he had no idea where it was.
'Ehm... This is going to be a problem. I will have to look at my old footprints or something to find the way.'
After being lost for almost half an hour he finally found the paved road he used to get to the village before.
'Well that was a waste of time. Honestly I'm surprised they didn't send anyone out to find me by now.'
But just as he was thinking about it, he saw a few people coming towards him from the village in the ever decreasing smoke screen. He waved at them and shouted to grab their attention.
They met up halfway between them and he greeted the priest and his entourage of guards. Then he almost fell over as his exhaustion finally kicked in. The priest held him up and smiled brightly at him.
- I guess we'll hear you out later. I'll patch you up and meanwhile you can take a rest.
- Thank you brother. I'll be in your care.
They headed back to the village while the guards collected the dead bodies.