EPISODE 61: SPOILER TITLE
— Edryan Queendom, Year 7291. Season: Central.
“ It’s not done yet! (Forefather of Edryan Innovation – Imperius Metamorphosis)! ”
[Forefather of Edryan Innovation]
Achievement Type: Feat
( Forefather of Edryan Innovation )
Description:
You have led a grand change that has affected the lives of millions for the better. Bringing new ideas and changing minds. You have become the Forefather of Edryan Innovation.
Function 1:
Forefather’s Insight
Understand the physical and metaphysical properties of your creations.
Function 2:
Rune Work – Passive
Temper yourself once you are in the zone for creating. Open your mind to the deeper comprehension of runes.
Function 3:
Steps to Follow – Passive
Those embraced in your aura are more clearly able to understand the physical and metaphysical concepts you wish to express.
Function 4:
Industrial Manufacturer
Create and operate large industrial complexes by expending Mana and Stamina Points. These complexes are only able to produce items you understand completely and require personnel and a power source to run correctly.
Function 5:
Imperius Metamorphosis
Impress what it means to be Imperius upon the chosen.
The world stood still, at least my world did. The sound and worship of the TechShop stood silent, and the gaze of the Goddess blinked. She took one final look at me before the portal dispersed like dust in the wind. Black-blue lightning flickered, crackling, and mingling with the pink lightning of Monday.
Sound returned as the Golem Heart shifted. We watched silently, as the core floated to and entered the open chest of its awaiting body.
It seemed like my skill didn’t do anything… but the small cooldown that appeared in the left corner of my vision told me of its activation. There was no cost to me, as only the user would pay such a cost. A cost that I held no idea the implications of.
“What does it mean to be Imperius ,” Margret asked curiously as she rose from the ground. The presence of the Goddess quickly disappeared, and the mass prayer that occurred was slowly ending.
‘ What does it mean to be Imperius, ’ Minerva repeated… seemingly curious, as if she didn’t already know the answer.
“What does it mean to be Imperius,” I repeated after both. Thrice said to stress its importance.
My voice was soft, but it carried up and down the TechShop. The floating platform under Monday held the gaze of all.
“ It means to not walk amongst others, not because we are behind, but because we are too far ahead! What does it mean to be Imperius? It means to uphold justice, to bring change, to create! What does it mean to be Imperius? ”
My gaze traveled around the TechShop, meeting the eyes of the surrounding mages. It paused on those who held Imperius in their class names. I felt an intimate connection to them, a budding bond that went beyond what those of a House stood for. Beyond what those of an Academy represented. My eyes ended on those whom I considered close. On Margret, a friend, and more. Not a mother, but someone who was with me from the beginning, someone who helped raised me into the man I am today. To Marna, a woman who always reached out. Who was always prepared to help me learn of our Goddess, her tenants and the protection she provides for us. To Amaya, inquisitive just like her sister, but also willing to go the extra step for her goals.
To Madria, the first person I extended a hand to join me on this long journey. In her eyes, I saw worship, defiance, curiosity, but most importantly, trust . Trust in me to lead, to stand tall as the [ Holy Son of Edryan ], [ Chosen of Madris ], to be the prince and eventually the King this nation needed. It was the trust of friendship, curious that it could be more, but hesitant to take that step. Those eyes and the feeling they gave me was something I didn’t know I dearly needed.
“What does it mean to be Imperius? It means to trust…, to hold the door open so that those behind are never far.”
When my words finished, the menu opened, and a notification was presented to me.
Status
Territory
Royal Allocation
Royal Quest
Royal Decree
You have enacted several institutions with specialized classes. These institutions all use and receive classes with the Imperius class title in them… Would you like to establish a [ Faction ]?
Yes
No
I sucked in a hiss of air and slowly re-read the words. While I did this, steam began to release from my unnamed golem. Parts of the golem flexed as lubricated joints relaxed and released.
“Margret, what are Factions?”
“Your Highness…? Have you been offered to create a faction?”
“Yes!”
The body of my new golem rumbled, and I felt the master-servant connection between us form and bond. With a thought, I could command the machine to move, but its process and transformation were not over yet.
Margret noticed this and her eyes flashed as several spell constructs appeared over them.
“Accept it, we will discuss more on it later. A faction has many benefits and once you take over Her Majesty's position, it will merge into the greater Edryan faction.”
I listened to Margret and didn’t hesitate to press the [Yes] button. A new string of notifications formed underneath the Royal Allocation tab, but before I could finish reading it, changes began to occur.
CLICK.
CLICK.
CLICK.
CLICK!
Each joint on the golem's body clicked, and I felt the atmosphere in the TechShop become heavy. With each click, the density of the air increased… as did the temperature lower. I breathed out and frost escaped my breath, leaving me surprised but curious. Next to me, Margret’s eyes only grew with intensity as she read whatever data was being provided to her by her spells. It was the same for many of the Musa clansmen in the TechShop. Their very bloodline compelled them to expand their knowledge of all forms of magic. It made them strong and more accomplished mages. I’d love to know the details of such a bloodline, but that was a house's closest kept secret. Not even the royal family was entitled to retrieve that information from them.
The Blackwater Steel on the machine grew richer in its color, with small serpent-like scales appearing on the golem's thighs, arms, back, and chest.
The process went on for minutes. With each second passed, the density of the air grew. It was thick like molasses, with mana particles nearly becoming visible to the naked eye. No, water particles thick and rich with mana flowed through the air until blackwater surrounded the machine.
“Let’s give it some room,” Margret suddenly stated. She grabbed me by the arm and chanted a quick syllable while gazing toward where her sister, Celcus, and Madria were watching.
That very moment we appeared next to them as Margret casually showed her attainments in spell casting. For the first time, I could not just see, but hear her chant and cast. It was so quick it almost appeared like a single word, but I’d sworn she said…
“ Magic is the truth of the world; through thy grace, I shall appear anywhere the truth appears. ”
A moment later, Marna was next to us. A slight seen was on both ladies' foreheads, but that quickly dissipated after a moment.
Water continuously gathered around the golem, and Minerva joined us once again. “ You thrive living on the edge of danger, ” Minerva stated.
It wasn’t any sort of confrontation or any such accusatory allegations. It was a simple statement, a fact, that the part of me… the part of me connected to the codex couldn’t help but state.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
At my fingertips was the recorded knowledge of humanity. Our science, engineering, and more.
Science, engineering…, and more that didn’t work in this world.
Not with the same fundamentals it did on Earth. Imagine my disappointment after I grasped copper wiring, a few components, and tried to form a basic radio and transmitter… following the knowledge of my previous life in an attempt to replicate a piece of who I was previously. Using information the Codex of Earth gave to me in an attempt to begin something new.
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— A few days after unlocking the Codex of Earth
Failure.
“This can’t be, send me more information, Minerva!”
Through the connection of our bond, I felt a wave of information being transmitted to me. Slowly, I grasp the copper wiring and molded it into four distinct shapes. I followed along with the simple video as it played once again in my mind. Radio was a method of communication. It worked by sending electromagnetic signals over long and short distances to a receiver.
I held all the small parts and components I needed. I was even using electricity to power it. At least lightning energy.
“SO WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING?”
FAILURE.
FAILURE.
FAILURE!
I grasp the wiring and twist it at a ninety-degree angle. Creating four of these L-shaped pieces and combining them with a few more components. Once I finished, I supplied electricity to the devices. A simple application of lightning mana did the trick and provided the energy needed.
FAILURE.
FAILURE.
FAILURE!
No matter what I tried, it all ended in one simple thing. Whether it was radios, batteries, or anything else, I realized something.
“They all ended in…”
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Failure…
But it did not mean defeat. I held three goals that drove me forward constantly. The first was to ‘modernize’ Edryan. Faster travel, trade, and more meant a stable economy, diverse goods, and happier people. My RAIL trains were run by giant batteries that functioned off mana and could last weeks without recharging. That mana was then used as a power source to drive the RAIL forward. My goal of faster travel was considered complete. The students of Imperius Academy began to push for each of the capitals of the great families, besides the Consus. The only reason I kept all twenty thousand students together the first time was to learn what we’d be doing. Now, they’d split into groups and begin to build toward another location from the growing station outside Edrya.
My second goal was to kill Helcantruim, a God of the Underneath. My gaze flicked to the transforming golem. Blackwater surrounded her as she underwent a metamorphosis. It was clear the machine was undergoing some sort of grand change. Hopefully, it’d be a change that could bring me closer to the strength I needed to wield in the march for conquest… and the march to kill a God. These golem armies I built, the Vanguard, was aptly named. Now, it was time for them to be bloodied.
My third and final goal was to finish these damned favors. Madris dwelled in my soul like a parasite attached to your intestines, and finally seeing the conformation as I hit my first class advancement was terrifying. A terror I held no choice but to accept.
I could not produce the same technology but…
My gaze once again landed on the transforming machine. The Blackwater, water from a depth of more than 8,000 meters, cocooned the machine. I couldn’t even comprehend how anyone with sufficient levels and classes would make it to those sorts of depths to retrieve the shed scales of a Calamity. The citizens of the Island Kingdom of Lorde usually held water related classes, as they lived in an archipelago and were constantly battling the sea. It was the high levelers of the nation that dove deep into the Blackwater territory to retrieve the loosely knocked scales of the [Blackwater Serpent – ★★★★★ ].
A little under an hour and the effects of ( Pinnacle Blessing of the War Goddess ) faded, returning me and my stats to normal. The Blackwater formed a solid black-blue glowing cocoon around my golem.
I stood, the anticipation on my face grew as I recognized the strengthening of our bond and the curious but rigid sense of authority I held over the golem. I clenched my left hand, the symbol of the Goddess shone and underneath it was my mark. A horned owl that held a 1:1 resemblance with Minerva. The Mark of the Citizen became active once we entered the range of the Caden Mountains. It didn’t do anything yet, but it was what it represented that was important. A united, connected Edryan. A way for citizens to have pride in their citizenship of the state and more.
In this hour, not much happened as a tense silence settled over the TechShop. Amaya and Madria mainly kept to themselves, as did I. Amaya remained by the railing and observed alongside all the other mages. We all waited on one thing. During this time, the mages of the TechShop cast detailed observation and recording spells. They filled multiple crystal orbs, Memory Matrixes, with footage of everything occurring. Some took detailed notes and others, with classes related to artists and more, began to paint the scene in masterful displays of work. Scenes to pass down throughout the generations. They would be added to the vault with the other seven.
I moved to the platform's railing. The other’s trailing behind me.
“It's finally happening,” Amaya asked. I’d just pulled up next to her and the young lady turned to me with a bright magenta-eyed gaze.
“It’s finally happening,” I confirmed. The excitement from the night's events building to a crescendo. The passing of time hadn’t sapped my strength or made me mentally fatigued. My body felt strong and like I could go a few more days without rest. This was the strength of high attributes.
Sensing my activity and the activity of the covered golem, Margret and Marna approached. Behind them was Celcus Kain and other [Mages]. The two women were refreshed. Marna was calm, the signs of worry from her earlier outburst disappeared.
“What are you going to designate this one as, Your Highness Lawruthian,” Margret asked.
“This project was originally named Vanguard Commander and this golem deserves an outstanding and reputable name,” I tapped a finger to my chin as I thought over it.
“ Let me name her! Let me name her! ” A shrill chirp of excitement came from Minerva. I affectionately rubbed her head and responded.
‘ Of course you can name her. ’
“I’ll come up with something soon,” I said to the rest.
Minerva let off a hoot of excitement at my words, and the unnamed golem began to emerge from its cocoon.
The first thing we noticed was its height. “It's… a lot smaller than I expected,” Margret commented.
“She’s shrunk by exactly half,” Amaya exclaimed. Excluding its horns, the machine now stood at one and a half meters.
“Even her weapons have shrunk to fit her new stature.”
In front of us was a golem half the previous size it was. From an impressive three meters, the golem lost most of its imposing height. It moved a single step… and the steel platform beneath it dented.
“Huuuuuuh! It… can’t be. I can’t believe we’ve done this,” Margret stated. She began giggling in triumph and excitement. “I will forever be immortalized in the history books. [Mages] record and analyze this. Make sure no detail is missed.”
“Our Goddess does not make mistakes; her touch and His Highness's metamorphosis has elevated this machine to the next level.”
“Congratulations, Your Highness,” Celcus Kain
My face scrunched up, confused as they spoke. It was the voice of Minerva who reminded me of what I should do. ‘ Check its status! Check its status,’ she exclaimed twice in excitement.
Next to me, Madria clutched my arm in surprise. Before she turned to look at me with resolution in her eyes. Yet, before I could follow the suggestion of Minerva. A notification appeared before me. Surprised gasps of shock and jerks of body movement told me that I was not the only one to receive such a notification.
A new Achievement has been unlocked!
Achievement Type:
Grand Feat
Creating A Calamity
Description:
Through a combination of years of research and the efforts of many… Calamity: Blackwater Golem is born. The path is long and arduous, and a new age has been born.
Effect:
One Giant Leap
When activated, this skill draws you into the insights of your latest creation, allowing you to draw a formalized plan for upgrading it to the next level.
This achievement is distributed to a total of 1,892 people; thus its rewards are diminished and varied. The highest contributors receive higher rewards.
The golem chose this moment to jump. The floating platform lit with multicolored runes as it attempted to stabilize itself. A large imprint was left from its jump, and I drew back as the golem landed on the platform before me. Its stature was short and even its weapons shrunk to accommodate its size, but its mass hadn’t changed. In fact, I suspected it grew even heavier.
“Father,” she said as she took a knee. The horns of the ‘helmet’ were sharper. They turned to curved black crystal like pieces that radiated dangerousness. Serpent like scales appeared at different points of her body and over her ‘armor,’ it gave her a dangerous vibe but made her appearance amazing. Her voice synthesized through a minor runic script. It sounded awed, but more than that it was young, new to the world and the Prime Plane.
“Father,” she said again.
“ I desire a designation.”
My multiple skills controlled the expressions on my face, only what I allowed would show from now on. Unless my state of emotions was overwhelmed yet unlike my mother… I, for one, did not prefer to keep a face of indifference at all times.
This did not stop the state of shock that appeared on my face. No Hero Golem has ever called themselves I before. Nor had they spoken before being spoken to.
Madria squeezed my arm tighter, and a gasp rose from Margret. She took a step forward then halted. This time, there were no constructs over her eyes. Right now, she just watched and waited. As did the rest of the TechShop.
“ Nubia …”
“Nubia,” we said together. One hoot and one voice spoke at the same time. Our red-gold eyes flashed a brilliant hue. The shock state did not disappear, but it was brought under control as I only showed a surprise but elated expression. A Grand Feat? One so massive that every single contributor was acknowledged by the system? What did this mean? What would happen once such a secret began to spread to the masses? Control… I have to control the narrative.
“Your name is Nubia… Nubia Blackwater and commander of the Golem Corp. You’re going to help me bring the convocation to its knees.”
[Golem Corp: Nubia Blackwater – ★★★★★ ]
Base Atk: 2250
Base Def: 1050
HP: 10800/10800
MP: 10200/10200
HPx3 Regen: 111/Hour
MPx3 Regen: 105/Hour
Power: 7,500
Mind: 3,400
Vitality: 3,600
Self: 3,500
Description:
Born through the combined efforts of many and through the research led by Margret Musa, Lawruthian Edryani, and others. Nubia has taken shape.
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EPISODE 61:
CREATING A CALAMITY