The 'Extra' Lord (Unlimited Plunder) - Chapter 85

He turned to Frank and said, “You and Elian stay close.”

Frank nodded, his face grim but determined. Elian gave a hesitant thumbs up, his hand shaking slightly. Owen could tell he wasn’t as confident as the others, but there was no time to comfort him.

Justin took a step forward, his expression hardening into a determined scowl. “Stay low and keep moving. I’ll take care of the golems.”

Without another word, Justin darted ahead, slipping into the shadows once more. His movements were quick and fluid, like water slipping between the cracks. Owen had no trouble keeping up, but Elian and the rest were lagging behind.

They approached the wide street leading toward the tower, the golems still pacing back and forth, unaware of their presence. Owen’s eyes locked onto their massive forms. The golems were huge, towering over the buildings around them, their stone bodies carved into vaguely humanoid shapes. The thick stone of their limbs and bodies glowed faintly, as though they were powered by some internal source of energy.

Justin’s voice cut through the silence, low but commanding. “Ready?”

Owen’s gaze sharpened. “Let’s do this.”

The plan was simple: Justin would take on both golems, while Owen, Frank, and Elian would do everything they could to keep them distracted. It was a risky maneuver, but it was their best shot. Owen was the strongest, but without the expertise to back it up, it was better to leave the killing to the professional.

The moment they crossed into the street, the golems paused. One of them turned its massive head, scanning the area. Its glowing eyes locked onto Owen, and a low rumble echoed from its chest.

Owen’s heart skipped a beat. Too late. They’ve seen us.

Without hesitation, Justin leaped forward, drawing his blades from their sheaths with a smooth, practiced motion. He closed the distance between himself and the golems in a blur of movement, his figure disappearing into the shadows and reappearing with a speed that defied the eye. The golems, however, were no slouches. They shifted their enormous feet, the ground shaking beneath them as they braced themselves for a fight.

The first golem swung its massive fist at Justin. Justin, with his vanishing shadow Skill, dodged the fist as it crashed into the ground where he had just been standing. The force of the blow sent a shockwave rippling through the street, causing the buildings to tremble. Justin, however, was already gone, his form darting behind the golem’s back. He moved like a shadow, never staying in one place for too long.

Owen watched in awe as Justin weaved between the golem’s swings, his blades slicing through the air with deadly precision. The golem’s stone skin was tough, but Justin’s strikes were relentless, finding weak points in the stone with every blow. The second golem, not wanting to be outdone, charged toward Justin, its eyes glowing bright with fury.

Was this what talent looked like?

“Now!” Justin shouted.

It was their cue. Owen, Frank, and Elian rushed forward, drawing their weapons. Frank swung a heavy mace in the air, his movements clumsy but powerful. Elian had a short sword, his hands trembling as he held it. He was clearly out of his element, but his determination kept him moving forward.

Owen didn’t hesitate. He drew his own sword and rushed toward the first golem at blinding speed, hoping to distract it long enough for Justin to finish it off. He aimed for the golem’s leg, where the stone seemed to be weakest. His sword bit into the stone, chopping out a section of it.

It’s useless! Owen thought as the golem swung its arm down toward him. He barely managed to roll out of the way, his heart pounding in his chest. Frank’s mace struck the golem’s side with a resounding crack, but it only seemed to anger the creature further.

The second golem, seeing that its companion was engaged with Justin, turned its attention toward the others. It charged at Frank, its heavy footsteps causing the ground to shake. Elian raised his sword, but his hands were shaking so badly he could hardly hold it.

“Get back!” Owen shouted, rushing toward Elian to shield him. He shoved Elian out of the way just as the golem’s fist came crashing down, sending a wave of dust into the air. The impact sent Owen tumbling to the ground, the wind knocked from his lungs.

He gasped for air, feeling his body ache from the force of the blow. But there was no time to rest. The golem was already turning, preparing for another swing.

Owen gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet, even as pain radiated through his limbs. He had to move, had to act. This wasn’t the time to hesitate.

Justin’s voice rang out again, this time laced with a hint of frustration. “Hurry up, Owen!”

Owen didn’t need to be told twice. He pushed himself forward, closing the distance between him and the golem. He aimed for the stone joints at its knee, hoping to slow it down. His blade slid into the joint, but it only made a dull scraping sound.

This isn’t enough.

He could see the golem winding up for another devastating punch. Pyris launched a fist at its face. Like starfall, her punch slammed into the golem, bolinding it, knocking it off kilter before landing on the other side of the road. She had claimed some time.

Owen’s gaze fell on the huge pile of rubble to his left—stones and rocks from the collapsed buildings.

A plan formed in his mind.

He sprinted toward the rubble, grabbing a fist-sized chunk of rock and hurling it at the golem’s face. It hit with a solid thud, and for a moment, the golem hesitated. Its glowing eyes shifted toward the source of the disturbance.

That was enough. Justin took advantage of the momentary distraction, darting behind the golem and driving his blade deep into the creature’s neck.

The golem let out a massive roar of pain, staggering backward as its stone body cracked. Justin didn’t let up. He drove his spear deeper, slashing at the joints with surgical precision. The golem's movements slowed, its strength fading with every strike until all resistance was severed.

But there was no time to celebrate. The darkness had arrived.

The second golem had nearly closed the distance between itself and the group. Owen turned, barely breaking a sweat. Thankfully, the others were now at the tower.

Owen, along with Justin and Pyris, rushed to the wide open grounds, Owen looked in horror as fifteen or so giants sprinted toward them. He looked up, whatever was blocking the sun had almost entirely obstructed the light. And with it came a familiar dread. The earth rumbled. A few more seconds later, a vast wave appeared over the canyon. 

The wave was approaching. 

Justin, Owen, and Pyros blasted past Frank and stopped in front of the doors. He placed Owen down as he pushed upon the doors. Just like the tower, they were huge.Everyone pushed on the enormous doors.

“Hurry!” Frank said with urgency in his voice. 

The door groaned open. Frank was the first to push through, almost throwing Elian to the side. Owen supported him, and they, and the others, practically leapt inside as the giants approached along with the devouring wave of sand. 

Entering, Owen was quick to close the door. He used his shoulder, slamming into it with full force. It crashed shut from Justn’s forceful push.

The giants crashed against the door, but once closed, for some reason, it didn’t budge. A minute later, they were consumed in darkness. 

Owen hadn’t given the tower a good look. His, and everyone else's entire focus was locked onto the door, in hopes that it would remain shut. Now with them being washed in an abyss-like black, they panicked. 

Elian was the worst off, but Owen kept his hand on his shoulder.

“It’s so dark!” Elian cried.

“Calm down,” Owen said, quickly taking out a torch seeping with special oil. Owen lit it, and the light ate away at the darkness.

A voice, ancient, almost divine, seemed to enter directly into Owen’s ears. It felt like it was clutching at his throat, strangling him. But the feeling vanished a second later.

It said, “Humans… After so long. Let’s play a game.”