follows behind, more carefully, trying to keep his wits about him as the three of them descend into the unknown depths of the cave...:

they reach the bottom of the staircase, the three of them come to a halt. In front of them is a large, ominous button set into the wall. It’s old, dusty, and clearly hasn’t been touched in years. Rim, without a second thought, steps forward and slams his hand down on the button:_

Zeldre:

widening in horror: "Rim, no! You dumb fuck, why did you press it?!"

Zeldre can finish his sentence, but the ground beneath them suddenly rumbles. With a loud, mechanical CLUNK, the floor swings open, sending all three of them plunging down into the darkness below. Zeldre’s screams of frustration echo through the cavern as they fall:_

Zeldre: "I swear, Rim! I’m going to—"

his words are cut off as they continue to plummet. Rim, however, is just laughing, enjoying the rush. Kurt, on the other hand, seems entirely unfazed by the situation, lost in his own world as he descends, his mind wandering off somewhere else:_

Kurt:

to himself: “Wonder what we are going to eat late... I hope it’s not that gross stuff from last time.”

all crash-land at the bottom of the pit, dust and debris settling around them. Rim is the first to stand up, brushing himself off with a grin, clearly enjoying the chaos he caused:_

Rim: "That was awesome! Let’s do it again!"

Zeldre:

at Rim as he picks himself up: "Rim, if you ever touch another button, I swear I’ll—"

Kurt:

in his own head, completely unconcerned: "Huh? What’s going on?"

just sighs, exasperated, as they begin to take in their new surroundings, the dim light revealing another mysterious chamber...:
of the hard stone floor they expected, the trio lands with a series of muffled thuds on something soft but uneven. As they groan and get up, they realize they’ve landed on a massive pile of coats, coins, and various treasures scattered across the ground. Rim picks up a handful of coins, letting them spill through his fingers with a grin:_

Rim: Woah guys, looks like we hit the jackpot! Who needs to leave Java Port when we've got all this?"

Zeldre:

himself off and looking around cautiously: "Yeah, but nothing this good comes without a catch. Stay alert."

, still rubbing his head from the fall, doesn’t seem as interested in the treasure. He absentmindedly kicks a gold coin away, his mind elsewhere:_

Kurt: "Could really go for a nap right now…"

they start exploring the room, Rim’s eyes light up when he spots a massive chest in the corner, ornately decorated and just begging to be opened. He’s about to rush over when the ground beneath them rumbles once more. The coins and coats start sliding away as something massive begins to rise from the treasure pile. A golem, made entirely of gold, jewels, and weapons, pieces itself together right before their eyes:_

Zeldre: :wide-eyed: "You’ve got to be kidding me…"

Rim:

his fists, a grin spreading across his face: "Alright, big guy, you want a piece of us? Let’s go!"

Rim can charge, Kurt steps up beside him, grabbing a nearby spear from the treasure pile. He hurls it with surprising accuracy at the golem’s chest. The spear hits with a clang, but the golem barely flinches. Not deterred, Kurt picks up a heavy mace and swings it at the golem’s leg with all his might, making the creature stagger:_

Kurt:

, gaining confidence: "You didn’t see that coming, huh? Let’s show this thing what we’ve got, Rim!"

laughs and joins the fray, jumping in to deliver a powerful punch to the golem’s side. The two work in tandem, attacking from different angles. Kurt is surprisingly nimble, moving with speed and precision, while Rim’s brute strength lands heavy blows that reverberate through the golem:_

Rim:

as he lands another blow: "Not bad, Kurt! Who knew you had it in you?"

Kurt:

, slightly out of breath: "I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. You focus on the big hits, I’ll keep it off balance!"

continue their coordinated assault, Kurt using whatever weapons he can grab from the treasure pile while Rim pummels the golem with raw power. For a moment, it looks like they might actually have the upper hand. But the golem, though slowed, is far from defeated. It suddenly roars and moves faster than either of them expected. With a swift motion, it swings its massive arm down at Kurt:_

Kurt:

, narrowly avoiding the blow: "Whoa, that was close!"

as Kurt lines up another strike, the golem suddenly changes tactics. It swings its other arm down with incredible force, slamming it into Kurt’s shoulder with a sickening crack:_

Kurt:

his teeth, suppressing a shout of pain: "Damn it…!"

freezes, his eyes wide as he watches Kurt go down, his arm hanging uselessly at his side. The sight of his friend injured like that makes Rim hesitate for just a split second, but it’s enough. The golem, seizing the moment, swings its massive arm again and strikes Rim hard, sending him crashing into the wall with a bone-crunching impact:_

Zeldre:

, eyes wide: "Rim!"

groans as he struggles to stand, his body aching and a few bones clearly broken. But the sight of Kurt, still trying to get up despite his injury, snaps him back into focus. Gritting his teeth, Rim pushes through the pain and stands back up:_

Rim:

, voice trembling with determination: "I’m not done yet…"

, seeing Rim get back up, grits his teeth and looks over at Zeldre, who’s still frozen in shock:_

Kurt: "Zeldre, stop being a pussy and lock in! We’re not going down like this!"

, jolted by Kurt’s words, quickly surveys the room. His eyes fall on the now-destroyed chest, and among the scattered debris, he spots a glowing dagger. His mind races—if there’s a way to stop this golem, it has to be with that weapon. He rushes over, grabbing the dagger, feeling its power surge through him. With focused determination, he grips the weapon tightly and vanishes in a flash of light, reappearing high above the golem:_

Zeldre:

, to himself: "Time to end this."

dives down from the sky, dagger aimed directly at the golem’s chest. The dagger pierces through its core, and the golem lets out a deep, rumbling roar as cracks spread across its body. With one final shudder, the golem crumbles into a heap of gold and rubble:_

lands smoothly beside the wreckage, the dagger still glowing faintly in his hand. Rim limps over to Kurt, helping him up despite his own injuries:_

Rim:

through the pain: "That was some move, Zeldre. And Kurt, you really held your own back there."

Kurt:

, but managing a weak smile: "Yeah, well... Next time, let’s pick on something smaller."

just nods, the adrenaline slowly fading as they take stock of their surroundings. They may have survived the fight, but the real challenge might just be what lies ahead...:

of the hard stone floor they expected, the trio lands with a series of muffled thuds on something soft but uneven. As they groan and get up, they realize they’ve landed on a massive pile of coats, coins, and various treasures scattered across the ground. Rim picks up a handful of coins, letting them spill through his fingers with a grin:_

Rim: "Well, well, looks like we hit the jackpot! Who needs to leave Java Port when we've got all this?"