"Mou~ Is it over?" asked Nilin from behind safe covers of the barrier. Although nothing got through the barrier, she was trembling from just the sight and the aftershock.
[It was over until her big mouth opened.] Master remarked.
I want to know of the outcome too but per master's words, I'm not going to jinx it by asking out loud. We have managed to stabilize the volatile accumulating energy within the armor but the overloading had "fried" some of the circuits as how master put it. Therefore, the final product of the Golem might be different from what we intended it to be.
We are now all on the shore of the lake while the armor is twitching intermittently in the same spot. An hour passed but none of us approached it. We only kept watch from afar. The amassed energy was too much and it was apparent that it would be a long time before it completely calms down. It won't be paranoid to say that the armor could exploded at any given moment, you know.
"Sorry. It was because of my blunder that....." Lady Senna began to apologize but was silent by master.
"Gyaah~!" Nilin shouted at master's action.
Her reaction can't be blamed for being exaggerated as master had silent Lady Senna by placing his lips on hers.
"Ara~ How nice." Aside from everyone who was dumbfounded, Luya was the only one who find it pleasant.
"Forgiven." Master said.
"Eh? But...." Just as Lady Senna refuted, sounds of water splashing drew our attention.
The armor which should have been floating motionlessly on the water was now standing upright, on the surface of the lake. Red sparks running across its body. In its empty eye sockets, a brilliant but violent red light glowed.
Even though master hadn't said anything yet, Bartholomew and Cormac was smart enough to take a defensive stance instinctively on their own. No, not instinctively. It's just common sense. I wonder why did I thought otherwise? Bartholomew wields a mace made of Adamantite while Cormac wields a Mithril bow with dual short swords as the contingency which are also made of Mithril.
Without a warning but a glare devoid of any intents, the Golem fired red lightning bolts at our direction. We are safe behind Citra's barrier but at the first sign of crack, I hear a yelp from Citra. Just before the barrier was completely blasted through, a warm cyan light veiled the breaking barrier. The cracks faded as if the barrier was renewed. In a way, it was. I can understand that it is the work of Kirin's [Spirit Magic].
"Mwu. Enemy."
"Why is it attacking us?" asked Nilin.
"The magic circuit inside must have been distorted from the overload."
Engrande might be right. The Golem's status is Frenzy. Its race is Steel Titan (Metal Golem). It has the title
"Ah.... This is bad." Lady Senna mused. "Shall I?"
"What!? Do you know how much blood, sweat, and tears I have put into that?"
"One can only imagine." It was Luya who answered, vaguely.
A vein popped on Engrande's forehead on hearing that kind of answer.
While we're barrage by the endless streams of lightning bolts and a storm brewed within the safe confines, master gallantly walked out of the barrier and met the lightning head-on.
Unlike before, none of us said anything of master's whimsical action. Lady Senna looked like she had something to say but she withdrew at the last second.
The bolts hit a dark purplish barrier master conjured up. The lightning bolts shuddered before melding into the barrier. Through appraisal, I know the dark purplish barrier was [Famine Shield]. Even with such an amazing spell, master was at a loss on how to approach. Master could easily reach the Golem with [Spatial Leap] but what then?
I recommend master through telepathy to drain the Golem's Mana but that idea was thrown out of the window by Kai. It wasn't possible simply because the Golem have the ability to resist it. Although the inscriptions was inscribed by Lady Senna, ultimately, it was Kai and master who came up with it. So master and Kai knew enough of what they were dealing with.
Master used [Warden's Chain] and [Imprison Rod] but those two were vaporized upon contact. It seemed to raised the Golem's ire as its attacks got fiercer.
"This is troubling." Luya said while looking dismayed with her face slanted into her palm. "What to do?"
"Simple. We subdue it and fix the circuit." Engrande said.
And we all looked to master.
Master was busy fending off the Golem's attacks and wasn't even looking at us but he asked "Why are you all looking at me?"
"If it's the Shepherd, surely he could do it." Luya declared so with a warm smile.
"Hate to break it ti you, honey. I d....." Master paused halfway and changed his tone. "It is a misunderstanding that I'm the most suitable person for this job. I even have trouble holding back in sparring against Bartholomew and Cormac, you know?"
"Agree with master." said Bartholomew. "Master's power is resolute and absolute. It specializes in taking lives not subduing. Suspending life is one of master's terrible feat."
I can tell master is conflicted with Bartholomew's words but I avoid being boorish to comment.
"If master went, the Golem will surely get vaporized." Cormac seemed convinced too.
"Fumu. He sure will. A brute is a brute after all." Nilin hopped onto this opportunity to add salt to master's wound. But it wasn't master who respond to this insult but master's beloved, Lady Senna. Nilin shrieked and hid behind me, away from Lady Senna's death glare.
"Ara~....." Even Luya has a cramped smile. Lady Senna is really terrifying.
"Tom. You're thinking of something rude, aren't you?" Lady Senna asked as she turn her glare to me.
What the hell? How does she knows? Women sure are scary.
"Fine, I'll go then." said a rough and coarse voice. It was Engrande.
The space cracked and turn into thousands of splinters along with the red lightning bolts that encompassed it. Master [Fracture] the space itself along with Golem's attack. While doing so, he looked over his shoulder nonchalantly. "Not a bad choice. You are probably the most suitable person to do this. Angie would most likely destroy the whole thing altogether."
Master.... you are the last person who should be saying that..... Anyways, Kirin and Luya would also be a good choice but they are not accustom to combat.
"Master. I believe I will be of use too." Bartholomew stepped up and said with a slight bow and his fist on his chest.
"Me too, master. I can restrain its movements with [Shadow Magic]." Contrast to the tactful Bartholomew, Cormac said so in a lax manner.
Before an answer came, we are struck by a intense tremor. Master had block a huge attack from the frenzied Golem. "I would have said yes but..... maybe in another year or so. Right now, you two won't even last a second with it."
The two wanted to retort but another wave of attacks invalidate their arguments. Imbued with master and Lady Senna's power, the Golem was out of their reach of even being considered an opponent as a jest.
Engrande sighed. "Say no more. I'll be going."
Master nodded and made way for the Colossus.
Another wave of lightning bolts came attacking right at that moment. In response to this threat, Engrande clapped his hands together and his Mana surged.
The word [Shura] appeared beside him on appraisal. Three pairs of ethereal hands emerged and three phantom faces of Engrande manifested on all sides of his head. Thrusting all four pairs of hands out, the bloodied lightning seemingly met an impasse and dissolved into the air.
[So that's the legacy Arcane Art, Shura.]
[I was right. It does resemble the myth I know of.]
I heard such talk between master and Kai. Seems like Shura is something originated from master's former world.
The Golem kept launching red lightning bolts after bolts but all of them dissolved into nothing before Engrande's [Shura]. Judging from what I'm witnessing, those ethereal hands seem to have magic nullification properties.
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Once Engrande was in the proximity, the Golem swiped its lightning-formed claws but the sparks disperse when Engrande caught hold with his ethereal hands. Without much of an effort and with a swing of one of his ethereal hands, he slammed the Golem down. While still submerged in the water, Engrande held the Golem down with three ethereal hands as he pummeled it with his remaining hands.
Oi oi, wouldn't that destroy that Golem like you hope to avoid?
"It is strange. The Golem did not even move. It did not try to evade Engrande's grasp."
"That's right. That's right."
The two Hobgoblins said in conjecture.
I agreed with them. Engrande was by no means too quick nor agile. Even Bartholomew, the slowest of us could see his attacks coming. Yet, the Golem did not even try to evade nor even move like Bartholomew pointed out.
"Maybe it couldn't?" Luya said with a finger on her lips. Is it just me or Luya is very delicate with her conducts?
"Nn. Couldn't." Kirin agreed with Luya.
I want to ask what do they meant by that but Kai seemed to have caught on my confusion. It was then explained to me that the Golem is not fully functional and merely operating on something like an instinctual level. The circuit that is responsible for its movement is probably destroyed in the overload. Which works to our favor now.
But....
Disappointing.
I didn't know what I expected. I don't think I expected anything but I was still disappointed.
The outcome was simple. Engrande pummeled the Golem until its fuel ran out. It couldn't do anything but just stood there unleashing red lightning bolts at us. All Engrande have to do was just keep hammering it until it wears out.
By the way, Engrande did not punch it with a curled fist but instead, he hit it with his palm spread which works well in suppression and caused limited damage. There was a moment where the Golem tried to use a magic greater than just bolts but... it tried. It didn't manage to use it since Engrande wasn't giving it any room.
After the Golem was pummeled until it couldn't even twitch, master drained the excessive Mana and ease its status with [Calm Field]. The only reason master couldn't drain the Golem's Mana from while stabilizing it was because the Mana might be harmful to be absorbed. After all, Master did have a lot of avoidable mishaps if he was a little bit more careful.
Just like that, the frenzied Golem is subdued.
[Should I be happy that it easily subdued or sad that it is easily beaten?]
such conflicting question came from master.
Then master comforted himself with the fact that the Golem might not be in full function.
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A world of black and white.
The lake which is on the borderline of shallow and deep, its water is white while its rock bottom is a complete pitch black. The trees as far as my eyes could see are all dyed black and so are the grass and soil. The rocky ceiling which acts as the sky of this miracle forest is also painted white.
It wasn't the world that had changed. We were just in a dimension where every ingenious element and entity are static and exist for aesthetic purposes. Only me, Engrande, and master retain our essence and color.
This is [Proxy Realm], a subspace creation magic of master's [Spatial Magic]. This subspace expand as far as a diameter of two hundred meter.
In case of another complications like just now, Kai suggested to take this whole thing to a place where nothing relevant or important will be destroy. Therefore, master's [Proxy Realm] was the best choice.
"There. That should do it." Engrande said as he finished fixing the damages on the Golem and also the errors Lady Senna caused. While Lady Senna was the one who inscribed the circuit inscriptions but it takes only an adequate amount of knowledge to perform any minor repairs or changes. That was how Kai explained.
Lady Senna and the others are not with us in [Proxy Realm] as they are not really needed. While we assured them Engrande and Master is enough to handle any more complications, none of them is willing to leave us be. The compromise was that we contact Lady Senna at the first sign of trouble. She would came rushing at the first moment if called. Of course, there was no way to contact anyone in a different dimension but Lady Senna bought master's lies just like that. Only Engrande and I felt a little unease on lying to an S-rank Nephilim but master didn't seem too bother. Oi oi, what happened to your promises?
Although we trust each other, we cared too much of each other to let one brave a danger alone.
It is a little bit annoying but this is what family is suppose to be like. It's nice, in a way.
"Now, how about you do it, boy?"
"Me?" Master pointed at himself with his head tilted.
"Well, it's already filled with Mana, well, it was overfilled in the firs place. Now, all it needed is a jolt to wake it up."
"Can't you do it?"
Nervously, Engrande laughed. It's a little bit disturbing to see him laugh like a shy girl. Even master's face is a little bit cramped. "I'll probably messed up the circuit like Senna. The circuit is very complex and delicate. Out of everyone here, you have the most refine Mana flow. Safe to say, you have the best Mana control. And you did put the final touches to it before so, I don't see any need to change that."
With a complicated face, master nodded with assent.
[What do I do?] Master asked in telepathy. I guess this is the reason master hesitated in doing it?
[Didn't you just do it before?]
[That was [Synthesize]. Are you telling me to use that again? I don't think using [Synthesize] here is the answer.]
I hear a sigh from Kai. [Place your hand at where the core is.]
[Okay....] Master placed his hand at the center chest of the Golem.
[A little bit to the right.]
[Whose right?]
[Yours.]
[Okay.... Now what?]
[Pour a little bit of pure Mana into it.]
[Alrightey....] Master said and proceed to infuse the Golem's core with Mana.
Mana is recovered through absorbing it from the surrounding atmosphere. Mana in the surroundings are known as pure or raw Mana. Once absorbed into one's own body, the Mana is then refined for personal use, specifically for the person in question. Which is why it's impossible for people to just randomly go up to one person and take their Mana unless one has the right spell or skill to do so.
The Golem shuddered for a second after Master is done infusing it with Mana but it went limp after.
"Hmm.... Maybe it needs more....."
Before Engrande could finish his sentence, the Golem's eyes sparkled red and stood straight up, on the surface of the water. All three of us immediately took some distance away from it.
The Golem looked around its surroundings and gave its own body a shrug. Red Lightning ran along its body as it flexed. We all took a combat-ready stance against such behavior. By the way, Lady Senna and the others can't see us or interact with us as we are in another dimension. All they see in the spot of where we are is barren. So they wouldn't know that the Golem had regain back its consciousness.
After directing its gaze here and there, it finally rest its glowing red eyes on master. It approached master without any sign of hostility and with each step, it drew a ripple on the water surface along with a little crackle of lightning. I don't know how it works but it seemed to be using the red lightning magic to walk on water.
[Okay.... It seems docile enough.] said master in an optimistic tone.
The fingers of the Golem twitched with a crack of lightning.
[Then again, I have been wrong before.] His notion changed at the sight of what might seemed to be an act of hostility. Master is fickle as usual.
"Lord Creator." The Golem said and bowed on one knee before master. The voice wasn't deep nor intimidating. Other than feeling mechanical, the voice was just.... normal.
"Eh?" Engrande let out a sound.
[This is predictably unexpected.] said Kai which I have no idea what he meant.
"Me?" Master asked, pointing at himself.
"Yes." The Golem briefly responded.
"Why me?"
"Lord Creator is the generous one who offered this one an opportunity of having a soul. This one has been granted the very essence of life, at the magnanimity of Lord Creator."
Master switched his glances between Engrande and the Golem.
A silly gesture but I understand master's confusion. After all, Engrande was the one who created the Golem's body and the majority of the Mana needed was donated by Lady Senna. But, wasn't master the one who provided the most important parts? I wonder why master is shocked at the Golem's allegiance.
"I understand Lord Creator's incertitude. It is indeed an indisputable fact that my body is the creation of Engrande. The Mana that circulates within me is undoubtedly provided by Senna Tenrun."
"Well in that case, that saved me a lot of trouble to....."
"However Lord Creator, --" The Golem inserted himself into master's attempt at clearing up the misunderstanding. "-- can it truly be called "alive" if blood is merely poured into a well-endowed empty husk of a body?"
The corner of master's eyebrow twitched. It was mixed feeling of confusion and vexation.
Engrande is watching the commotion with an interested face.
"No.... I don't think so?"
Master replied with a question.
"It is Lord Creator's virtuosity and skill that brought me to live. I would have been nothing more than just an empty husk with a soul that couldn't be called a soul, secluded in a suit of armor, awaiting its next order at an arbitrary pace. Lord Creator even went as far as to sacrifice a portion of one's own strength and essence to give birth to a new life."
By essence, I think the Golem meant the soul provided? If it's that, didn't master used some unfortunate researcher's soul instead? I could be wrong though.
"I see..... Then, rise." Master commanded. The Golem followed the stern words that unexpectedly came out of master's mouth.
Hmm? Something changed within master. The whimsical and fickle that always seemed to drift around master was replaced with an air of all seriousness. Even Engrande shrugged at the slight change of unease.
"What are you?"
"A Living Doll. The incarnation, the manifestation of Lord Creator's will."
"Is it now?"
A dubious tone. It was what I sensed from master. Oddly, Kai was quiet. Somehow, I don't dare to ask why.
"Yes, I am."
"So.... if I ask you to kill an innocent child, would you do it without question?"
[Impressive.] Kai suddenly said. I don't know why but given the current atmosphere, I postpone my curiosity for later.
"Absolutely --"
Engrande and I held our breath for the words to come. We figured what it would most likely say.
"-- no."
Our expectations is betrayed in a very oddly benevolent manner.
"Why not? Are you not my will?"
"I am. Which is why I won't harm an innocent child without question. And I doubt I would comply with such order."
"Why is that?" Master is smirking.
"Such order would never be given by Lord Creator."
Oh?
"If it did, that person would no longer be the Lord Creator who would generously sacrifice a portion of his great strength in order to give life to a being that is merely created as a foreground for a grander scheme."
Engrande and I both looked towards master who received such response.
To that response, master's smirk disappear. A satisfied grin replaced it which only turns into something brighter.
"Looks I have succeeded.... no. We have succeeded." Master said as he looked at me and Engrande. "We did it."
Engrande let out a sigh. "Got me all worried for nothing."
The usual expression of master returned. He patted the shoulders of the Golem. "From now on, you shall be known as, Djin Sol."
"Of course, Lord Creator."
With a last heave of relief, master canceled the subspace.
The next second, we are assaulted by beams of black and white. No, not us. It was only master.
It was clear as day as to who was the one that shot those beams.
With a smile, Lady Senna stared at master with narrow eyes that aren't smiling.
Engrande and I exchanged glances. To the impending commotion, we sighed at each other and get as faraway as possible from master.
Even Djin Sol was distancing himself from master.
[Eh? Why are you leaving too?]
[It is in master's will that liar would be punished. Appropriately.] Djin Sol responded. Since Djin Sol possessed a portion of strength obtained from master, it was only that Djin Sol could also communicate telepathically.
[Et tu, brute?] master said. [Tom, help?]
Sorry master but you brought this own yourself on thinking you can play the fool out of an S-rank.
[Tom's right, you know?] Even Kai agreed with me.
"Now, dear." The chilly voice reached master's ears who stiffened.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Master replied sheepishly with a forced and cramped smile.
What happened after? None of us knew, we could only imagine as we didn't want to stay and find out.
The only thing we know is that master was to be in bed for the whole day the next morning. For recuperation's sake, according to Lady Senna.
Women sure are scary.