Chapter 71: Future Puzzles
Ryan stared down through the metal grate, his mind racing. The three Chrono-Golems stood like statues, silent and deadly. He knew from his "Lore Scanner" that a direct fight would be a disaster.
These weren’t the dumb, lumbering robots the Iron Wolves were smashing. These were special. They could mess with time itself. Rushing in would be like trying to punch a ghost; you’d swing, and they’d already be behind you, hitting you yesterday.
"Okay team, new plan," Ryan whispered, his voice barely a breath in the tight, dusty vent. "We can’t fight them head-on. We need to be clever. Chris, you’re our big, loud distraction. Emma, I need you to find me a power conduit. Jennifer, Scarlett, you’re with me. We’re going to pull a fast one."
Everyone nodded, their faces serious. This was what they were good at.
A few minutes later, the plan went into action. Chris "Boulder" Magnus kicked open a service panel at the far end of the chamber with a loud BANG and jumped down, landing with a ground-shaking thud.
"HEY, YOU BUCKETS OF BOLTS!" he roared, slamming his giant shield with his fist. "COME GET SOME!"
The three Chrono-Golems instantly whirred to life. Their bronze heads swiveled, and their glowing blue eyes fixed on Chris. To them, he was a loud, shiny intruder who needed to be removed. Two of the Golems immediately began to glide towards him, their metal feet making no sound on the floor.
The third Golem stayed behind, guarding the artifact. This was the moment Ryan was waiting for.
While the two Golems were focused on Chris, Ryan, Scarlett, and Jennifer dropped silently from the vent on the opposite side of the room, their feet barely making a whisper as they landed. They were shadows moving in the dim light.
Chris was putting on the performance of a lifetime. He dodged and weaved, blocking the Golems’ energy blasts with his shield. The attacks were strange.
A blue bolt of energy would fire, and Chris would see it coming, but then it would suddenly speed up, hitting his shield before he was fully ready. Another time, a Golem would swing its metal fist, and the fist would seem to slow down mid-air, making it easy to block.