The Settlement

Arthur didn't give the golem a chance to approach. He seized its head with his lasso pole and, in a swift motion, hurled it down the stairs. The mechanical creature tumbled heavily down the steps before crashing onto the ground below. Arthur took advantage of the moment to descend quickly, reaching the golem as it attempted to rise again. With a powerful kick to the shoulder, he sent it toppling over once more.

"Come down and help me!" he commanded Theo and Ruben, who looked impressed by his reactivity.

The two men were hesitant, but seeing Arthur's death gaze, they descended the stairs hastily.

The golem rose again, ready to counterattack. But Arthur was faster. With each attempt by the machine to stand, he struck it violently, knocking it back to the ground.

When Theo and Ruben finally reached his level, Arthur shouted, "Hold its arms! Don't let it move!"

The two men quickly complied, immobilizing the golem's massive arms. Arthur took the opportunity to slide his dagger into one of the colossus's metal joints, but the blade bounced off, unable to penetrate the hard metal.

Frustrated, he ran his fingers over the golem's ornate chest, searching for a flaw, a weak point that would allow him to destroy the creature. Suddenly, he noticed a small flap at the bottom of the torso. With caution, he opened it, and to his great surprise, the chest plate on the golem's torso detached, revealing a pulsating luminous orb at the heart of a complex mechanism.

"This must be the source of the golem's life," Arthur murmured.

Ruben intervened and advised Arthur, "Keep that safe, sir. A golem's heart can fetch a lot of money."

Arthur nodded. "I see. Thanks, Ruben."

Ruben looked surprised. "How do you know my name?"

Arthur scoffed. "I overheard your names when you were talking with Theo. You're about as discreet as a herd of pigs being led to slaughter."

He cautiously reached for the orb, stopping just before touching it. "Is this thing safe to touch?"

Ruben shrugged. "I've never heard anything about it being dangerous."

Arthur preferred to be careful. He pulled his hand back. "Alright, Ruben, you grab that orb. I'll hold the golem's arm."

Ruben avoided his gaze and turned to Theo. "Theo, what are you waiting for? Get the golem's heart!" he shouted.

Theo hesitated, casting a pleading look at Arthur, but Arthur returned his gaze without flinching.

Arthur grabbed the golem's arm that Theo was holding.

He watched as Theo hesitantly reached for the glowing core. When Theo's shaking fingers finally touched it, Arthur saw that Theo was unharmed. However, the golem began to thrash violently, forcing both Ruben and Arthur to hold on tightly.

Suddenly, Theo squeezed the orb and yanked it out with a sharp click.

The golem stopped thrashing.

Arthur and Ruben let go of the now-limp golem, which clattered to the ground with a metallic bang.

Theo held up the orb and looked at Arthur. "What do we do now?"

Arthur took the orb from Theo's hand. "We head back to the settlement."

Arthur wished to return with the duo to sell the orb and get acquainted with the town. If the sum was sufficient, he should be able to live comfortably in the city for a while.

He quickly ascended the stairs, closely followed by Ruben and Theo.

He constantly felt the pressure from the system and the threat of death if he didn't find a woman for his harem soon.

Arthur turned abruptly to the two men and asked shamelessly, "Do you have any sisters?"

Ruben responded, "No, I'm an only child."

Theo scratched his head before replying, "No, but I have two older brothers. Why?"

"Never mind," Arthur replied curtly.

They quickly climbed the stairs and headed towards the settlement.

As they approached the bridge leading to the settlement, they saw several cars speeding past, narrowly missing them. Arthur noted that the cars stopped in front of the heavy open gates of the settlement to be checked by a group of men armed with pistols.

Arthur had a handful of silver coins in his pockets that he had taken from the two slave hunters, but he didn't want to take them out to avoid drawing attention.

Arthur turned to Ruben and Theo. "Give me each a copper coin!"

Ruben and Theo looked at him hesitantly. "Just give them to me, I'll pay you back."

Both hesitantly pulled out a red coin from their pockets before handing them to Arthur.

Arthur took the coins, and the trio quickly arrived at the settlement's gate, where three guards stood. They wore black robes and their handguns were holstered in leather belts hanging at their waists.

"Your residency documents," demanded one of the men, a tall bearded man in his fifties.

Ruben and Theo produced a copper plaque from their clothing.

Arthur explained, "I don't have residency documents. I wish to stay for a month."

He presented the two copper coins to the guard, who pocketed them before producing a copper plaque and handing it to Arthur. "Get this stamped at the faction office today, and it will be valid for a month."

Arthur nodded and entered the settlement, closely followed by the duo.