The two faint red pinpricks of light glowed malevolently in the oppressive darkness of Parking Level P4, unwavering, watching. The low, dragging sound that had heralded their appearance had ceased, leaving an echoing silence broken only by the ragged breathing of Alex's small, terrified group and the distant, ever-present hum of the damaged city above.
Alex held his breath, flashlight beam fixed on the twin red lights barely visible between two dusty SUVs fifty yards down the aisle. Maya's softer blue Illuminate spell cast long, distorted shadows from the rows of abandoned cars, making the vast, dark space feel both empty and claustrophobically full of potential threats. Henderson let out a low moan, quickly stifled by Mrs. Carson. Ben adjusted his glasses nervously, peering into the gloom.
'System, ID,' Alex thought, focusing his Perception stat, pushing past the low throb of poison working its way through his system ([HP: 123/130]).
For a moment, only static. Then, a flicker of text, incomplete and unsettling:
[Analyzing Entity...] [Distance/Obstruction Limiting Scan...] [Biological Amalgamation Detected...] [Movement Pattern: Dragging]
[Unknown Entity - Level ???]
[Status: Observing]
Biological Amalgamation. Dragging. Observing. Not reassuring. The question marks for Level and HP were even worse. It suggested something complex, powerful, or perhaps simply new enough that the System hadn't fully cataloged it yet. Whatever it was, it was clearly aware of them, and it wasn't immediately attacking. Assessing? Waiting?
"What is it?" Maya whispered, her voice tight, hammer held ready at her side. Her Illuminate spell flickered slightly as her MP continued to drain ([MP: ~18/60]).
"Don't know for sure," Alex murmured back, keeping his voice low. "Big, though. Made of... parts, maybe? System called it an 'amalgamation'. It's just watching us."
As if responding to his words, the red lights shifted slightly, moving horizontally, disappearing for a second behind a concrete support pillar before reappearing a few feet further along. It wasn't static. It was moving deliberately, stalking them from the shadows.
"Okay, we can't stay out here in the open," Alex decided quickly. "Fall back. Behind this row of cars. Use them for cover."
He gestured, and the group shuffled backward, pressing themselves against the cold metal flanks of a dusty minivan and a sedan. The relative solidity offered scant comfort against the unknown threat, but it was better than standing exposed in the middle of the aisle. From this new position, the red lights were mostly obscured, but they could still hear the faint, intermittent scrape... drag... as the unseen creature continued its slow, patient movement in the deeper darkness.
What was its game? Why not just attack? Alex's mind raced. Was it intelligent? Setting a trap? Or was it just slow and cautious? He needed more information. Staying pinned down here waiting for it to act felt wrong.
He glanced at his Stamina bar ([STA: ~65/100] – regenerating, but slowly). He had enough for a few more Flicker Steps. Risky, but necessary.
"Maya, keep your light steady," he whispered. "Ben, Mr. Carson – keep an eye on the others, stay low. I'm going to try and get a better look."
Before Maya could protest, Alex focused, took a deep breath, and activated the skill. Flicker Step. ([STA: 61/100])
He zipped forward ten feet, appearing briefly in the open aisle before immediately ducking behind the next car up. From this angle, for just a fraction of a second before he ducked, he saw it more clearly in the combined beams of his flashlight and Maya's distant Illuminate.
His stomach twisted. 'Amalgamation' was an understatement. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, standing maybe eight feet tall, but it looked like a macabre Jenga tower of mismatched body parts – human and perhaps something else – crudely stitched, bolted, or fused together. Rotted flesh sagged against pale, exposed bone. One arm was massively oversized, ending in mangled rebar fused to finger bones. The other arm was withered, almost vestigial. Its legs were mismatched too, one thick and elephantine, the other dragging uselessly behind it – the source of the scraping sound – consisting of several smaller limbs bound together with wire and tendons. Its head was a horrifying fusion of cracked skulls and metal plating, dominated by those two burning red optical sensors. It wasn't just undead; it was constructed. A Corpse Golem, maybe, but imperfect, unfinished. And it was definitely focused on their position.
His UI updated as he got the clearer look:
[Corpse Golem (Imperfect) - Level 6]
[HP: 450/450] (Approximate - fluctuates slightly?)
[MP: 0/0]
[Status: Aggressive, Durable, Slow]
Level Six. And 450 HP? That was more than triple the Imp's health. 'Slow' was relative – it had lumbered towards them faster than its dragging suggested. 'Durable' likely meant his knife would be even less effective than against the Ogre.
Alex Flicker Stepped back to the group's position ([STA: 57/100]) before the Golem could fully react to his brief appearance.
"It's bad," he reported quickly, his voice grim. "Level 6. Looks like... bodies stitched together. Huge HP pool, probably tough as hell. Slow, but strong. Called a Corpse Golem."
Maya paled further. "Level 6? Can we even fight that?"
"Not out here," Alex said, already scanning their surroundings, thinking tactically. "It's too big, too tough for a straight fight. We need to use the environment. Chokepoint. Trap."
He looked down the aisle. Further ahead, maybe fifty yards past the Golem's current position, the main path seemed to narrow significantly, funneling between two massive concrete support pillars and a row of large parked trucks. If they could lure it there...
"There," he pointed, explaining quickly. "That gap between the pillars and those trucks. If we can draw it in there, its size will be a disadvantage. We can flank it, maybe slow it down."
"Draw it in?" Mr. Carson asked nervously. "How?"
"Bait," Alex said grimly, meeting Maya's eyes. "I draw its attention, lead it on a chase. You guys get Henderson and Mrs. Carson moving towards that spot, use the other aisles for cover. Ben, Mr. Carson – when we get there, find anything you can throw. Hubcaps, loose rocks, anything to distract it from the sides."
It was another desperate plan, relying on Alex's speed and ability to keep the Golem's aggro while the slower members got into position.
"Alex, your leg..." Maya started, glancing at his ankle where the minor venom icon likely still showed on his UI, "And your HP..."
"It's regenerating," he lied partially – the poison damage was slow, but his HP was slowly ticking up from the level-up restore and natural regen ([HP: 120/130] now). "Stamina's coming back too. I can manage. We don't have another choice."
She didn't look convinced, but nodded tightly. "Okay. Be careful."
"Ready?" Alex looked at the others. They nodded nervously. "Go!"
Ben and Mr. Carson immediately started helping Henderson and Mrs. Carson move, shuffling quietly down the adjacent aisle, using the cars as cover, heading towards the designated chokepoint.
Alex took a deep breath, centered himself, and stepped out from behind the cars, deliberately making himself visible. He shone his flashlight directly at the Golem's red eyes.
"Hey! Tin Grin! Looking for spare parts?" he yelled, the taunt sounding ridiculously bravado-filled even to his own ears.
The Corpse Golem let out a low, rattling groan, like air escaping decayed lungs. Its red eyes fixed on Alex. It ignored the shuffling sounds of the others moving away. It had its target. With surprising speed for its bulk, it began to lumber forward, dragging its mangled leg, its massive rebar-fused fist raised.
"That's it," Alex muttered. "Come and get me."
He turned and began a tactical retreat down the main aisle, keeping a calculated distance. He didn't sprint blindly but used the rows of cars, ducking behind them, breaking line of sight, forcing the Golem to adjust its path. He risked occasional Flicker Steps ([STA: 53/100]... [STA: 49/100]) when the Golem got too close or tried to cut him off with a surprisingly far-reaching swing of its massive arm.
The chase was nerve-wracking. The Golem's heavy footsteps echoed in the cavernous garage. The scrape-drag of its ruined leg was a constant reminder of its relentless pursuit. It smashed through car windows with casual indifference, dented doors, and once swiped a wing mirror clean off a sedan as Alex dodged just in time. The sheer power was terrifying. Alex focused on his footing, avoiding debris, glancing back constantly, managing his Stamina, praying the others were getting into position. His poisoned HP continued its slow drain. [HP: 118/130]... [HP: 117/130]...
Finally, he saw it – the gap between the pillars and the parked trucks ahead. He could see Maya peering out from behind one of the pillars, giving him a subtle nod. Ben and Mr. Carson were further back, armed with handfuls of loose gravel and what looked like a detached hubcap.
Time for the trap.
Alex sprinted the last few yards, sliding past the first pillar into the slightly wider area beyond the chokepoint. He spun around, knife ready, breathing heavily.
The Corpse Golem lumbered into the narrower space. As predicted, its sheer bulk forced it to slow slightly, its wide shoulders scraping against the concrete pillar on one side and the flank of a large truck on the other. It roared in frustration, trying to swing its massive arm, but the cramped space restricted its arc.
"Now!" Alex yelled.
He Flicker Stepped forward ([STA: 45/100]), ducking under the restricted swing, and drove his knife into the Golem's less-armored side, aiming for the crude stitching holding different parts together.
[-7 HP!] Still minimal damage, but better than against its front.
Simultaneously, Maya darted out from behind the pillar on the opposite side, swinging her hammer with focused intensity at the Golem's already damaged dragging leg. She struck the crude bindings holding it together.
[Maya Reyes' Action: Target Limb Further Damaged!]
The Golem roared again, trying to turn towards Maya, but the confined space and its damaged legs made it awkward. Ben and Mr. Carson started pelting its back and head with gravel from behind, creating a minor but irritating distraction.
[Distraction Applied! Target Accuracy Slightly Reduced!](Another helpful System hint for Alex).
Alex pressed the attack, ducking in and out, stabbing at joints, stitches, anywhere that looked potentially vulnerable. Maya mirrored him, her hammer blows focused relentlessly on crippling its legs. The fight became a brutal, close-quarters brawl in the confined space. The Golem lashed out blindly, smashing fists against pillars, denting the truck beside it, sending concrete dust and sparks flying.
Alex took a glancing blow from its smaller arm, sending him staggering back, pain flaring in his ribs. [-10 HP!] [HP: 106/130]. Maya narrowly avoided being crushed against the truck by its lurching bulk.
"It's too tough!" Maya gasped, dodging another clumsy swipe.
"Aim for the stitches! Where the parts join!" Alex yelled back, recalling the 'amalgamation' description. He Flicker Stepped ([STA: 41/100]) onto a pile of debris near the truck, gaining height, looking for the core he suspected held it together. He spotted it – a pulsating, faintly glowing sack of organic matter embedded deep within its chest cavity, visible through a gap in the fused parts.
"The chest! There's something glowing!"
But as he prepared to leap, the Golem suddenly slammed its massive fist into the support pillar beside Maya with incredible force. The concrete cracked, dust rained down, and the pillar shifted slightly.
[System Warning: Structural Integrity Compromised! Ceiling Collapse Imminent!]
The warning flashed urgent red. The ceiling above the chokepoint groaned ominously.
"Move! Get back!" Alex screamed, abandoning his attack plan.
He grabbed Maya's arm, pulling her away from the groaning pillar just as sections of the concrete ceiling began to crack and fall. Ben and the Carsons scrambled back further into the garage.
The Corpse Golem, caught directly under the collapse it had caused, roared as heavy chunks of concrete slammed down onto its head and shoulders. It staggered, wounded, trapped momentarily under the debris.
This was their only chance.
"NOW!" Alex yelled. Ignoring the falling debris and the groaning ceiling, he used his last planned Flicker Step ([STA: 37/100]), darting towards the trapped, wounded Golem. He leaped onto the pile of concrete pinning it, found the pulsating organic core in its chest, and plunged his knife deep into it, twisting with all his strength.
[Lethality Activated! Critical Hit!]
[Targeting Weak Point: Necrotic Core!]
[MASSIVE DAMAGE!]
The Golem convulsed violently beneath him. A horrifying, wet tearing sound echoed through the garage as the stitches holding it together ripped apart. Limbs detached, flesh sloughed off bone, and the entire grotesque construction collapsed inwards upon itself, the red light in its eyes fading to black.
[Corpse Golem (Imperfect) - Defeated!]
[EXP Gained: 150]
[EXP: 380/???] (Level 3 requirement likely higher)
Alex scrambled back just as another large section of the ceiling crashed down where the Golem had been, burying the disparate parts under tons of concrete rubble. Silence, thick with dust and the smell of decay, fell upon the garage.
Alex coughed, waving dust from his face, checking his status. [HP: 105/130] (Poison still active). [STA: ~15/100] (Almost empty). Maya looked exhausted, her MP bar nearly depleted from maintaining Illuminate [MP: ~5/60]. The others were shaken but seemingly unharmed by the collapse.
He cautiously approached the rubble pile. Partially visible amongst the concrete chunks was the pulsating organic sack he had stabbed – the Golem's core. It still glowed faintly. He carefully worked it free. It was warm, slightly rubbery to the touch, and pulsed with a faint, dark energy.
[Acquired: Crude Necrotic Core (Uncommon Material)]
He pocketed it, along with a few [Fused Bone Fragments (Common Material)] he spotted nearby.
Exhaustion slammed into him. That fight had taken almost everything they had. He looked at the group – Henderson barely conscious, Mr. Carson pale and sweating from the rat poison, Mrs. Carson and Ben white-faced, Maya running on fumes. They needed rest. Badly.
"Alex... Maya..." Ben's voice was shaky, but urgent. He had retrieved Alex's flashlight during the final moments of the fight and was playing its beam further down the aisle, past the collapse. "You need... you need to see this."
Alex and Maya joined him, peering into the darkness. The flashlight beam cut through the dust, illuminating the area beyond the chokepoint. And there, nestled between a large pickup truck and a concrete wall, was clear evidence of recent occupation. Several dirty sleeping bags were laid out. Empty food cans and water bottles were scattered nearby. A battery-powered camping lantern flickered weakly on top of an overturned crate. And... drag marks in the dust, leading away from the camp towards the area where the Golem had first appeared. Signs of a struggle near one of the sleeping bags – torn fabric, dark stains.
Someone had been living down here. Recently. And it looked like they hadn't left willingly. Were they victims of the Golem? Taken by the Golem to become part of its next iteration? Or was there another threat down here that had taken them? Were they still nearby?
The seemingly empty parking garage suddenly felt infinitely more dangerous.