Malcolm stood on higher ground and saw the Lich King block Dalton’s path with a wall of bones. Of course, he had made the right choice. The Lich King’s level was too high. There was no way to kill the Lich King…within the rules of the world.

There was more than one way to make people do what he wanted. Sometimes it just involved making them want it more than him.

“Was it wise to leave him like that?” Eira asked.

She had followed him too. She was always quick on that upkeep, privy on what his intentions were.

“Of course, it was.” Malcolm peered at her through the corner of his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re fond of him?”

“Fond isn’t the word I would use.” Her eyes grew dark. “Let’s say he owes me.”

“Oh, he was stupid enough to sign your grimoire.” Malcolm shook his head. “Poor man, but it’s true that he is a survivor. He outlasted Ozul and Louise. Did not expect that.”

“I recall you mentioning that he has a girlfriend. Would she be enraged if he died?”

Malcolm smirked at that. “He won’t die. So, we needn’t worry about such things. What we should do is find the path to those gates over there.” Malcolm pointed at the giant metal gate in the distance.

They were near it, but going through these piles of bones was like traversing through a maze. It wasn’t clear how they would get there, but they would need to.

The blue textbox popped in front of his face.

A GOLEM APPROACHES.

He heard Eira click her tongue. She told him to turn around, but he was already doing it anyways. Just like the blue textbox had said, there was a golem. Not the typical one made from rocks though, it rocks shined a crystal blue, a gem that Malcolm recognized as diamond.

The number sixty hovered over the golem’s head.

“Well shit.” Malcolm muttered under his breath. He decided it was time to run and leave Eira to deal with it, but when he turned around, he saw Eira had disappeared.

And then he knew that he would have to face this golem by himself.

The green bar above him showed the Golem went first. It threw a fist that missed him by a hair. The punch cracked the ground, creating a small fissure.

THE GOLEM ATTACKS, BUT MISSES.

It was alright. Malcolm…did not have his guns. All he had was his underwear, and his abilities that textbox had given him. Malcolm looked at his options.

SEDUCE.

He was screwed.

The chances that a Level One Underwear Model would be able to seduce a Level Sixty was very low. The better option would be to run. Which he attempted to do, but the option was greyed out. A message winked open in front of him.

CANNOT RUN AWAY. PLUS RUNNING AWAY IS FOR-

He did not read the rest of it, because he was already shaking with hatred at Ozul.

“I am not one,” he whispered, glaring at one of his creations: the diamond golem. He hit his only option and seduced.

He clamped his hands behind his head and gave a very prominent thrust to the golem.

A very cold win blew between them. It was here he knew he was going to die. He was just wrong with how he was going to die.

A message popped up:

SEDUCTION SUCCESSFUL.

His laughter was broken. It was unbelievable that he actually seduced the golem. The golem would not be able to harm him now.

Another message popped up in front of him.

THE GOLEM IS AROUSED. IT HAS DECIDED TO-

Malcolm read that last message very carefully. He rubbed his eyes, blinking at the last part.

-RESPOND TO YOUR ADVANCES APPROPRIATELY.

“Oh.” He looked up at the golem. He thought he could see a crazed look in the red gems that made its eyes. It reached out to him with its big glassy hands. It wasn’t a prayer, but it was more like a regret that slipped out Malcolm’s mouth. “I wish I brought my guns.”

Then the winds blew between them. Its arm fell off, and Dalton’s back was turned to Malcolm. The golem cried out and used its other hand to try and smash Dalton. Dalton moved like a snake, dodging the punch which shook the ground, and hopped on its arm.

He disappeared again. Malcolm spotted him on top of the golem’s head. He stabbed the golem’s heads with one of his short swords. The golem’s eyes blinked, and then its body fell.

“What in the fuck was that?” Malcolm had allowed his chin to fall. “Did you just cut diamond? There’s no way he could be this powerful in the five years you spent in the Time Chambers. Even with that greedy ninja Mikoto! Did he give you drugs? If he did, you gotta give them to me!”

Dalton put away his swords and gave Malcolm a hated glare.

“I think the first thing you should do is apologize.” Dalton said. “And it was two years of hell.”

“Poppycock!”

Dalton then regaled him with his story of horror.