The bodies of the hunters had already disappeared, leaving behind no trace of the carnage from before.

Krothe had mentioned earlier that the system cleans up dead bodies after a few hours—something about maintaining dungeon order, except in special cases like undead dungeons.

It seemed like everything here operated under unseen rules, each one more frustrating than the last.

I lowered myself to the ground, the cool earth beneath me barely registering. I opened the bag, curious but wary.

Krothe landed beside me, his beady eyes watching as I began my search.

The first thing I pulled out was a letter, sealed with care.

I could already guess what it was—his final message to his family.

I stared at it for a moment, the weight of its meaning heavy in my hands.

But to me, it was worthless.

I tossed it aside without a second thought, the sound of paper crinkling against the dirt a hollow echo in the quiet.

Krothe didn’t say anything, just watched.

He always watched.

The next item I found was a worn diary.

Flipping it open, I immediately learned that the old hunter’s name was Bruce.

As I skimmed through the pages, most of it was useless—details of his life, small moments, memories meant for no one but him.

I could feel my patience thinning as I flipped through page after page.

Then something caught my eye.

The hunters—these awakened humans who develop powers—are ranked by strength, from E to S.

And Bruce? He was only a D-rank.

I stopped reading for a moment, staring down at the diary as a knot of frustration twisted in my chest.

So that was it?

My golem, my first creation, had been damaged by a mere D-rank hunter.

It wasn’t even an elite.

The realization gnawed at me, reminding me how far I still had to go.

The diary also mentioned that the dungeon I’m trapped in is one of the beginner dungeons.

A place for weaklings, essentially.

Another pang of irritation surged within me.

The hunters come here to train, to cut their teeth on simple challenges—and yet, my golem had struggled.

I forced myself to calm down, skimming the rest of the diary for anything useful, though most of it was just trivial information about Bruce’s life.

With a sigh, I set it aside, my focus returning to the bag.

Digging deeper, I found something else.

My hand closed around a small object, and as I pulled it out, I realized it was a stone—diamond-shaped, smooth, and shining faintly with a soft inner light.

“What’s this?” I asked, holding it up so Krothe could see.

The little bird hopped closer, his eyes gleaming with interest.

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"Oh! That’s a mana stone. It’s rare, but sometimes when you hunt monsters, they drop it. Very valuable, kaw!"

I turned the stone over in my hands, inspecting it carefully.

The light from within it seemed to pulse with energy, subtle yet alive.

A mana stone… it was a source of power, and if I could harness it correctly, perhaps it would be useful.

I held the mana stone in my hand, my green aura enveloping it like mist wrapping around a secret.

My focus sharpened, intent on examining its composition and properties, trying to break it down to its very essence.

But something was off.

The information flowing into my mind was blurred, as if I was looking through fogged glass.

Unlike other materials I had manipulated before, this one resisted me, its structure elusive and distant.

I frowned, concentrating harder. More aura flowed into the stone, and yet, the results were the same.

The particles barely responded to my commands, shifting only slightly, as if they too were hesitant to be molded.

I had never felt such resistance before—it was as if the stone had its own will, refusing to yield to my power.

Despite the frustration building inside me, I pressed on, determined to uncover its secrets.

And then, just as I began to despair, an idea sparked in my mind.

A sudden, startling realization that made my pulse quicken.

Could it really work?

It was a long shot—far beyond anything I had tried before—but if it succeeded, it would be groundbreaking.

Yet, even with the idea, there was something missing.

I glanced at Krothe, who was perched nearby, watching me with his ever-curious eyes.

That’s when it hit me—the manager store.

I had nearly forgotten about it amidst my focus.

“Kaw! What happened? You seem troubled,” Krothe asked, his head tilted in confusion.

“Open the store for me,” I said, my voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.

“Okay, but why?” Krothe's wings flapped, and a moment later, the store interface appeared before me, shimmering faintly.

I scrolled through the list of items quickly, my mind racing to find what I needed.

And then, I saw it—the Philosopher’s Gem.

My heart leaped.

This was it, the missing piece to my idea.

It was far from perfect, a failed copy of the fabled Philosopher’s Stone, but it had potential if used creatively.

“Krothe,” I said, my eyes locked on the gem’s description, “purchase the Philosopher’s Gem.”

Krothe’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Kaw! What? The Philosopher’s Gem? That useless item? It’s a completely failed copy of the Philosopher’s Stone! Why waste precious points on it?”

“I know what it is, Krothe,” I said, my voice calm but insistent. “Just buy it. I’ll explain later.”

He flapped his wings in a flurry of protest, shaking his head.

“Kaw! Fine, fine! But don’t blame me when it doesn’t work.”

A moment later, the store confirmed the purchase, and with a faint shimmer, a small purple gem materialized before us, floating gently in the air.

It was no larger than a marble, glowing faintly with an ethereal light that seemed to pulse like a weak heartbeat.

It looked fragile, unimpressive, as if it could shatter at the slightest touch.

But I knew better.

I reached out, grasping the gem in my hand.

Despite its size, it felt heavy, laden with the potential for something far greater.

The idea was still forming in my mind, but I could already see the possibilities taking shape.

This gem wasn’t perfect, but it was the key to unlocking something powerful—something no one, not even Krothe, could anticipate.

Krothe fluttered beside me, his curiosity clear. “Kaw! What now? What do you plan to do with that?”

I looked at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Just wait and see, Krothe. We’re about to change everything.”

The gem pulsed in my hand, its faint glow reflecting in my green eyes, and for the first time since I had been trapped in this dungeon, I felt a glimmer of excitement.

I held the Philosopher’s Gems and the mana stone in my palm, feeling their subtle, conflicting energies hum against my skin.

Slowly, I began to channel my power into them.

The green aura enveloped both items, binding them to my will.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but as I focused more intensely, I could feel the shift—the materials were starting to merge.

But it wasn’t enough.

The Philosopher’s Gems I had were too few.

My progress, though steady, was painstakingly slow.

I could already feel the strain on my body, each pulse of energy taking its toll.

Gritting my teeth, I glanced at Krothe.

"Buy more gems," I said through clenched teeth, my focus unwavering.

"Kaw! Got it," Krothe replied, though I could sense his reluctance.

He quickly made the purchase, and moments later, several more purple gems materialized in front of us, their faint glow adding to the eerie atmosphere.

With the extra gems now in hand, I resumed my work.

I felt the tension ease slightly as more energy flowed into the process.

Slowly but surely, the properties of the Philosopher’s Gems and the mana stone began to blend, their once distinct energies becoming one.

The shape they were taking began to align with the vision I had in my mind, the pieces fitting together like a puzzle.

Minutes passed, each one dragging on as I carefully manipulated the materials.

I could feel exhaustion creeping up on me, my energy reserves dipping lower with every pulse of aura.

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

This was too important.

Sweat dripped from my brow, and my hands trembled slightly as I neared the final stages.

And then, finally, it was done.

In the palm of my hand, a small, gleaming green sphere rested, pulsing with a soft, rhythmic glow.

It was almost beautiful in its simplicity—a perfect fusion of the Philosopher’s Gem and the mana stone.

I exhaled slowly, relief washing over me as I realized I had succeeded.

Krothe, who had been watching the entire time, hopped closer, his eyes wide with fascination.

"Kaw! What’s this?" he asked, his voice tinged with awe.

His gaze fixated on the green sphere as if it were the most valuable thing he had ever seen—like a crow eyeing a shiny object.

But then again, Krothe was pretty much a crow already.

I smiled slightly, holding the sphere up for him to see more clearly.

"It’s a golem core," I said.

"Kaw! What? You created a golem core?" Krothe's voice was incredulous, his wings flapping in surprise.

"Yes," I nodded, still catching my breath. "It was necessary."

Seeing his confusion, I began to explain, laying out the problems I had encountered with my first golem.

"The first issue was channeling my energy. For the golem to function, I had to constantly feed it my own energy, which was draining and inefficient. I needed something that could store and supply energy without my constant intervention."

Krothe listened intently, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by curiosity.

"The second issue was the golem’s movement. It was too simple, too predictable. The golem’s combat capabilities were limited by my control. I needed to find a way to improve that, to make the golem more autonomous in battle." I paused, glancing at the mana stone.

"That’s when I started experimenting with the mana stone. I realized it could enhance my energy—amplify it, even. But it couldn’t store it."

Krothe nodded, his eyes wide.

"And that’s where the Philosopher’s Gem came in," he said, beginning to piece it together.

"Exactly," I confirmed.

"The Philosopher’s Gem, despite its reputation as a failed copy of the Philosopher’s Stone, was perfect for storing and regulating energy. By binding it to the mana stone, I created a core that can store and enhance my power while independently supplying it to the golem."

Krothe looked at the core in awe, his feathers ruffling with excitement.

"Kaw! So now, your golems can fight without you constantly feeding them energy!"

I nodded.

"Not only that, but with the core as the power source, their movements will be smoother and less reliant on my direct control. They’ll be able to react faster, fight longer, and be far more effective in combat."

I held the glowing core up to the light, watching the way it pulsed with a quiet, latent power.

This wasn’t just a golem core—it was the beginning of something much greater.

With this, I could begin to truly build an army.

"Krothe," I said, my voice low but filled with determination, "this is only the first step. With these cores, we’re going to change everything."