‘I suppose having friends in high places has its merits.’
Two craftsmen were attaching some heavy cables to a large platform. One was quite tall with a height of one hundred ninety-three, something he had achieved after his tier 3 rank trial. It was a phenomenon known as post-ascension growth and sometimes occurred to accommodate drastic changes to one's body. Luckily this growth had already stopped and now Roland could focus on the task at hand.
“What’s that boss?”
“What do you think it is?”
Roland asked while holding something that resembled a mana crystal, something they used in bulk to treat alloys to get higher quality products. Bernir eyes this peculiar-looking crystal that was strangely pink and elongated. Soon, the crystal made its way into a special container that had been prepared on top of a workbench.
The container looked quite advanced, with a glassy outer case that allowed them to see the floating crystal inside. It was shaped like a tube with various runes inscribed on the bottom and top of the cylinder. The glass, on the other hand, was covered in traces that pulsated from time to time. Inside, an intricate gridwork of thin mana threads connected to the crystal through ethereal pathways.
“Is it some kind of magic crystal? Maybe a compressed one? But there is no smelter here, so probably not?”
“Not even close.”
Roland replied with a small chuckle, knowing it wasn't something his assistant would recognize. It was an item gifted to him by Arion, his friend at the Institute. While it looked like an elongated crystal, it was actually more akin to a storage device for data. Though it appeared semi-transparent, slicing it apart would reveal many tiny runic traces and compact runes inside. Through this complex array inside, a lot of data could be transferred and connected to other runic devices, like the ones they were building in this underground workshop.
“It’s something like a basis for the mage tower core I’m making but also contains the ‘code’ for the transferal gate.”
“...”
“Is something wrong?”
Bernir seemed a little out of it as Roland started explaining the item and its use. It seemed that his friend was having a hard time understanding any of it. Bernir's eyes glazed over as Roland explained the intricacies of the crystal and its purpose. Despite his considerable skills as a blacksmith and craftsman, the advanced magical theories and concepts often left him feeling out of his depth. Roland noticed his assistant's blank expression and realized he might need to simplify things a bit.
"Think of it as a blueprint."
Roland said as he tried to make the explanation a bit more simple.
"This crystal contains all the information we need to build and operate the gate, as well as a simplified basis for the mage tower core. Once we assemble both, the tower spirit will take control of the calculations for us and will help us connect with other gates.”
The teleportation gates in this world worked on a sort of handshake basis. Knowing the right coordinates wasn’t enough for the connection to be established; both sides needed to confirm their existence, making intrusions from outside impossible. If one wanted to forcefully open a gate, there were ways, but typically someone needed to alter them from the inside. Otherwise, they would be rejected by various safety features like mana barriers and teleportation scrambling magic.
“I see, I think I get it.”
“Good, now let's start the process.”
Both of them nodded as they prepared to start the process of activating the tower spirit. The core, which would serve as its brain, had been reinforced with several layers of metal. From the outside, it now looked like an icosahedron, more commonly known as a twenty-sided die in a certain popular game from his old world. It was a special alloy that included orihalculum which would help manage all the magical energy in the vicinity. It also gave the tower core lining a similar luster to gold and shifted tha mana coloring along with it.
"Alright, Bernir. Let's begin with the core. Help me place those containment rods around it.”
“Aye Boss.”
While Bernir was still only using the unfinished prosthetic, it allowed him to work quite well. He couldn't place much weight on it, but when it came to grabbing and moving his digits, it was quite human-like. The two craftsmen began slotting in five large rods that fit into specially created sockets around the core. Once inserted, the rods started to fold upwards and connected with the ceiling.
A pentagram appeared on the floor, with these rods acting as focal points. As their name implied, these rods were a safety feature for what they were trying to activate. If, for some reason, the tower spirit went berserk, the rods were designed to contain its power and shut it down. The pentagram generated a powerful shield that could theoretically contain power close to tier 4. They would also activate in the case of any explosions and outside intrusion. Some special spells and devices targeted mage tower cores and they needed to be defended against.
“Everything seems to be in order, I guess this is it…”
The time for activation was upon them and Roland activated the pink crystal. It began to glow with a soft pink light and Roland took a step back. He glanced at the display that recreated screens from his old world and made things a lot easier to read through. On it, he had already fashioned a graphical interface that would allow others to see the whole process.
“It seems stable enough.”
It was quite a sight to behold, the runes on the crystal’s surface flickered to life and everything shimmered with magical energy. Within moments, the crystal's energy connected with the tower core, initiating the process of awakening the tower spirit. The core hummed with power, resonating with the magical frequencies emanating from the crystal. Slowly, but steadily, the workshop began to vibrate as the data transfer took place and the tower spirit was being created.
There were many types of tower spirits that could be created, ranging from simple constructs with basic intelligence to complex magical beings capable of interacting with their surroundings. Roland had chosen to create a more advanced spirit, one that could assist him in his research and help manage the various magical devices in his workshop. However, he did not want it to have an ego of its own, as it was a variable that could complicate matters.
The more complex the spirit was, the bigger the probability of it developing an ego of its own. Sometimes, these beings were just monsters made of energy that could run wild. He was not making a conversation partner but a machine to manage his underground workshop and for calculation. He wanted something more similar to an AI assistant and not a magical beast with its own mind and feelings.
As the process continued, Roland monitored the energy levels carefully, ensuring that everything remained stable. The runes on the core’s casing continued to pulsate, and eventually, the process reached its conclusion. For a moment, the air crackled with power, and a strange burst of energy erupted from within the tower core. Quickly, the containment array reacted to block this surge of energy, causing Bernir to jump back in fright.
“Woah!”
“It’s fine, the mana can’t get through the shield, you’ll be fine.”
“Whew, that gave me a scare.”
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Bernir chuckled and stood back up, his eyes focused on the focal point of the core chamber. Meanwhile, Roland, able to see through the casing, observed the magical reaction taking place within it. He witnessed the birth of the tower spirit and the formation of its shape. Soon, it floated forward, depicted as an orb of light slightly larger than a tennis ball.
“So this is it, the tower spirit?”
He asked himself while examining the pale blue ball of light. It didn’t look like much and could probably be mistaken for a tier 1 spell that produced light. However, once he identified it as the tower spirit, he felt a sense of satisfaction. This small, unassuming orb contained vast potential and was proof that he had reached a higher point in his crafting profession.
“Greetings… Master.”
The ball of light floated forward at a slow pace. Initially seeming a bit confused, it eventually turned in the direction of its creator. Once there, it greeted Roland in a somewhat monotone voice that reminded him of old text-to-speech technology from his own world. This was his tower spirit, an artificial intelligence created from many months of work and a buildup of knowledge.
“Greetings.”
Roland replied and was greeted with silence. Bernir on the side rubbed his nose a bit and then shrugged as if he didn’t know what to say.
“Tower Spirit? Do you know what your purpose is?”
“My purpose is to assist my master.”
“Right, are there things that you must not do?”
“Yes, Master.”
“... Uh, could you list those things?”
Roland replied, realizing that this artificial spirit he had created was quite passive. It was like a newborn baby, eagerly awaiting to absorb information. Luckily, it was following the main directive he had implanted inside of it. He needed to ensure that it would not attack him or the people he was affiliated with. This wasn’t anything new, as all artificially created beings usually followed some type of rules. It was a safeguard employed by any self-aware inventor to prevent it from ever being able to attack him.
The tower spirit paused for a moment, processing Roland's request. Then, it began to list the restrictions placed upon it:
"I must not harm my master or those under his protection. I must not divulge sensitive information without authorization. I must not interfere with my master's personal affairs unless requested to do so. I must not act against the interests of my master…”
Roland nodded as the spirit continued to list down the constraints it was under. Some people liked to include orders to never harm humans under any circumstances. However, this AI spirit would be allowed to control many of his battle golems and tower defensive systems in his workshop. It could not operate without being able to use deadly force in this world of strife. What he already created was a database with people's names and mana fingerprints, that his creation would not be able to harm instead.
‘I should give it a scan…’
Name:
None
Species:
Artificial Spirit
Roland examined his new creation but his identification didn’t reveal too much, but it made one thing clear: the world saw this orb of light as its own species. It was an artificial spirit that he had created, and it still lacked a name to be considered a full-fledged tower spirit. Roland’s naming sense wasn’t too great, and he had already given his armor the Runic naming scheme. He strained his brain for a moment and then came up with the genius idea to give this new assistant of his a name fit for a butler.
“I suppose we need to give you a name, artificial spirit or tower spirit won’t do… how about, Sebastian?”
“Registering a new name, this spirit will be known as Sebastian.”
You have gained a new title: Arcane Craftsman
You have gained a new title: Spirit Bond
Once the name was given, a sudden system window appeared before him, rewarding him with not one new title but two. It seemed that creating a mage tower core alone was not enough; fashioning an actual artificial spirit was required for a new title. To make things even better, he received an additional title for naming his AI butler.
Arcane Craftsman
Title
A title gained by craftsmen who have reached the pinnacle of arcane artistry. Mana usage inside any arcane structures will be lessened and affect all magical devices within range of the arcane structure.
Spirit Bond
Title
Given to people who have created a bond with a spirit.
‘Arcane structure? I guess it means the mage tower core in this case.’
Roland would be able to lower his own mana usage even further when near the mage tower core. This title meant that whenever he was there, he would have a home advantage against other casters. He wondered if it would affect things like his golemic army and his armor. The other title was typically given to summoners who contracted actual spirits, but it appeared to be something that could also be gained with an artificial spirit.
‘I wonder if I’ll be able to gain a Summoner Class with that title…’
For a moment, he imagined casting a spell during combat and his workshop appearing to aid him. Summoning typically involved using other creatures and even magical constructs, which could be called from the spirit realm. However, he wasn’t sure if his artificial spirit would be allowed to traverse the spirit realm.
“This thing sounds funny, boss…”
“Unidentified individual spotted, trying to identify mana pattern… individual identified as Master Bernir, clearance level four.”
“Master Bernir?”
Bernir was confused by the terminology that the artificial spirit named Sebastian was using but Roland was here to explain.
“I’ve included you in the arti… Sebastian’s database. He should listen to your orders and with your clearance being four, it’s going to be only one notch below mine.”
“Just below yours Boss?”
Roland nodded as Bernir was taken aback by the level of trust he was given. The fifth level was the highest and only he could access it. Bernir, with his fourth-level clearance, had access to a lot but he was not the second in command. Elodia his wife was next in line and if something ever happened to Roland, she would be automatically given full authority over everything. Nevertheless, this was quite the blow to Bernir whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Thanks, boss. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, Bernir but not like there is much this clearance will give you, at least not until this spirit is fully integrated into the workshop.”
Roland turned his attention back to Sebastian, the newly awakened tower spirit. With the initial setup complete, it was time to test some of the more advanced functionalities. This construct didn’t have access to any functional parts of this place nor could it control any of the golems. For the time being, it would be granted access to the teleportation gate and be connected to the institute. Sebastian needed to go through many tests first before he could be given access to everything.
"Sebastian, initiate a diagnostic check of all connected systems and report any anomalies."
"Initiating diagnostic check. Please stand by, Master."
The orb of light, now known as Sebastian, began to pulse rhythmically. Roland watched the screens as lines of runic script and data scrolled by, the advanced graphical interface providing a clear view of the system's status. It was a mesmerizing display of magical technology at work and something that Roland was proud of.
"Everything's going smoothly so far. While Sebastian is running the diagnostic check, why don’t we work on the gate?”
“Aye Boss!”
Bernir nodded, and the two began the assembly. Just as before, Roland had ordered the Union dwarves to assemble the parts beforehand. Having a fully functioning company filled with blacksmiths was quite handy, and thanks to his status as Knight Commander, they needed to prioritize his orders over others.
They moved away from the center of the workshop, where Sebastian’s brain was housed. The gate would be close by, in a separate smaller chamber for now. Roland planned to expand the scale of this entire underground magical smithy later on. Once Sebastian was fully operational, it would be possible to use specialized construction golems to handle the work of city craftsmen. Roland was cautious about revealing the knowledge of the layout of this underground area to anyone. By not showing it to any outsiders, he minimized the potential threat.
“Let's start with the base. Make sure it's aligned properly, Bernir. We don't want any mishaps during the first activation.”
Soon, the two were busy at work, and the gate quickly took shape. Roland was ecstatic at the pace they were progressing. The most challenging part of the construction had already been completed. The teleportation gate was nothing more than another runic machine that functioned like any other and wouldn't pose any problems in the future. The real challenge would be getting Sebastian to operate it, but considering the speed he was showcasing, things were progressing well.
“Master, I completed the diagnostic check.”
“Oh?”
Roland was surprised at the arrival of the glowing sphere in the side chamber.
“That was quick, Sebastian. Any anomalies detected?”
“Negative, Master. All systems are functioning within normal parameters.”
“Good work, Sebastian. Stand by for further instructions.”
With that, Sebastian hovered in the corner of the chamber, awaiting Roland's next command. Roland felt a sense of satisfaction at the efficiency of his artificial spirit. It seemed that he would have some extra time on his hands.
‘If everything is proceeding this quickly, I might actually be able to create the Rune Mark II or at least make a more advanced Rune Mark I…’