Chapter 65
t6ZLlFernan knew that demons could not leave behind a corpse in the middle world.FKNu
MGOAnd he learned it in the worst possible way.uZONx
oot“……”ayS
g17Y9How much would it have been worth if he had dismantled the corpse of that massive serpent?ww8SM
KvQThe black scales, though unsettling, were so tough that not even Aint or Luina could scratch them without concentrated aura.byeOJDF
K9ss6xlThe gleaming golden eyes, as well as its blood, could have been sold for exorbitant prices as highly sought-after magical materials for mages.AocOBGc
4q7bT3YThe fangs were so sharp that few legendary swords could compare, and the bones were excellent materials for crafting top-grade armor.we6ULr
KyAAnd that wasn’t all—its flesh, soaked in demonic energy, if purified, could have been sold as medicinal tonic.uF4w
e9Emu4IAfter all, soup made from a demon-bred serpent was a delicacy anyone would go mad for.iQdSG
s0uAGBut the most precious jewel was the heart.dHKor
QBacThe immense energy and mana the serpent contained all originated from that heart, which could be considered equivalent to a dragon’s heart—the best tonic or source of energy possible.da5ut
32bP‘If I had managed to purify it and use it to reinforce Wooden’s core…’t5EO
BJxLIt would not have been easy, but perhaps Wooden could have made another great evolutionary leap.10Vw
QBs5z2TA corpse that could literally be used down to the bones. And yet, all those dreams, all that wealth, vanished in an instant.UhaZg
gUulpSo much suffering, and absolutely nothing remained.GHCm8A
kd4L“Aaah…”9pj
6pROyFernan collapsed powerlessly, without realizing it.6R3
VcFAZ“We did it! We won! We really won!”B78N
O0sAint’s enthusiastic voice rang from afar.ySPB
dGEXEn“We defeated the demon!”ujN
hMBuvb7Luina’s excited voice came from very close by.6MZVP
4exxQ“It was all thanks to you, Fernan. If it weren’t for your golem, none of this would have been possible…”ne82Aj
NxiUNGxSuccess, relief, euphoria, joy, shock, happiness.OxVi
XraYvHer flushed face reflected a complex mix of emotions.Tw30WEd
4IvL34“Did you cry?”FQMM
Ct9“I didn’t cry.”FjTCt4
bD82dLd“Are you hurt? You don’t seem to have any visible injuries…”meF
K038u“…You don’t know a damn thing, Luina.”scR
dAmtut“What do you mean all of a sudden?”oDEp8
Q2snOhQFernan didn’t bother to explain. Even if he did, Luina wouldn’t understand.2g7v
UPLL9n“Senior!”eb1YDO
Q4rUHA swift figure grabbed his hand tightly. It was Aint.C343j
FgTVfFE“We won! It was thanks to you!”TyT
r0p“It wasn’t thanks to me, it was thanks to you. You were the one who cut the demon’s neck.”ZlNusov
7UyxW“No! If it weren’t for your golem, we never would’ve been able to corner it to the end!”miEmMbW
sILSvQ“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, but let go of my hand first.”kkPTVzo
d6KtAnd stop sticking your face so close, please.tKJZ
5LU“What exactly happened to the demon?”OZfyp3
JURDWG“It’s dead. Since demons don’t belong in the middle world, their bodies disintegrate into dust.”v4N44
lOCAlthough, that wasn’t entirely true.by64h
mwlFJlOThe others didn’t notice, but part of the demon was absorbed by Aint’s sword.Xs8H5
chQslUG— It’s one of the abilities housed in the sword. It absorbs part of the demonic power and transfers it to its wielder.gTX
V599The more demons he defeated, the stronger he became. That was how the First Emperor was.WNG
CqgU— Don’t tell anyone. You never know when or to whom it might slip out. It’s always best to hide at least 10% of your strength, even from your best friend.Vi2UXQ
VsfSfThat was a knightly virtue, according to Gardner.v2QJT65
2cVP“And the barrier is slowly dissipating.”IrEP
OhKJ“The barrier?”1ia2
434W“Yes. The moment the demon was summoned, it created a barrier that sealed off the whole area.”fwqzxJ
2imLhDiNo wonder. Despite the chaos, no one had arrived.rXS8K8X
uGJ‘Was it like this in the original timeline too?’mD6Q3
MK8wCPerhaps, right after Aint and Luina arrived, Andromalius had raised the barrier.iu5
gKr“Then, now the real trouble begins.”R6yu45
bY9With such a disaster, the academy would soon find out about the demonic incident.RsD
FZZThere would be an uproar, and Fernan, Luina, Aint, along with the other two present, would be subject to thorough interrogations.KJK
2KojSS“So just stick to telling what happened today. Don’t say you already knew about the corrupted beforehand.”S505wA3
5EXu3f“Understood.”l0eu97
cZNn3“We know.”MPV
CQwxAdmitting they knew about the corrupted wouldn’t bring them anything good, no matter how they justified it.zvLqL
QYU8ERWThey also agreed on a few more details. Fortunately, both followed Fernan’s suggestion without objection.hBMSZ
N7XRJThe surprising part was that not only Luina, with whom trust had already been built, but even Aint accepted it without issue.Q7Hv
CjWhrc‘Seems like hunting the demon has strengthened our bonds.’oKiB
oi9Not bad.fJI5dyH
KlCZwQ2“By the way, I’ve been wanting to ask for a while—what’s that?”Tccmz7u
luWfLOnce everything had calmed down, Luina pointed to Fernan’s shoulder.4kGXBT
Bz5ddRSomething small, about 10 cm, was moving there.6vOj9D
CdN“It’s Wooden.”vn1zGv
bnwA black knight the size of an action figure.SnLXFH
tSOt“Wooden?”PAzx
SzXm“Is that real?”l9o0
DdL0yp“Yes. That giant golem you two were so grateful for.”mQI
WNBM— Guh?bCh
NRx6CYMWooden tilted his head curiously and waved.3GGB4Uz
bbX“…A giant golem can just shrink like that?”7puDQ7
VY8d“…And it’s not even linked to you right now, is it, senior?”lwM4V
G8VAyJd“I told you—it’s an ego golem.”qWNNrjc
xRHYFN“Ego? It has its own consciousness?”GqV
dsg9“Obviously. Wooden, say hello.”tnP
2t2R— Guh!xSz
DaycaWooden extended his tiny little hand. Luina and Aint were left dumbfounded again.pFkr
wukh“…I’ve never seen a golem like this.”2FE6
mXVd“Because it’s never existed before, and I doubt it will ever exist again.”Xpl
YI1“Don’t tell me you lied and actually had it linked this whole time, senior.”gf3r
jj9L“No, Aint.”5iEWS
S5Ju2oThe answer didn’t come from Fernan.w5hI0S
xpEHrmA“Pass me a potion too, please, senior. I think I’m going to die.”I4X8pP
7cwppIt was Aria, with a small hole in her side.8Ch1wUy
SBOYRr“You show up right after it’s all over and claim you were resting?”kPHk2F4
hdU“I was fighting with everything I had and passed out! That’s not resting!”Bp32Pu
VB105Fernan tossed her a potion.GMX3
Rlkc“What do you mean no? You knew about the golem?”HVw
I82R“Of course. I’m the one who gave it its ego.”BT5BFc
ozVePmD“You gave it?”oC6KF
QQ6“Yes.”2xbO
wFG96EoAria nodded.4ww3boT
6oTWLvU“It’s a spirit, you know?”nPao
ahz***
A little earlier.WyiMWan
Z7OTime rewinds to shortly before.NVXp
74MNWhen Aria had been freed from the demonic energy by the Saint, and together they confirmed the World Tree’s corruption.GQt
8GFS“By any chance, are you good with spirit magic?”W57RMsR
Z1pqY“Is that like asking a monkey if it knows how to climb trees?”z1apS
QB3“If you help me, I’ll introduce you to someone else.”9NNCo5
R3zRN0I“To whom?”jmVZ
RlBaRKAria asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.as07
oYIT8Fernan took something out of his subspace.qR9
C6bIt was a radiant gem, the size of a human head.BaCQhf
lEwFw4lNo, not just a simple gem.xlst
Hh0j“…A core?”vSX
U8enLDozens, hundreds of engravings covered its surface, so complex Aria couldn’t fully comprehend them.S8ciE
gqu“What is this? Who made it? What materials did they use? I’ve never seen anything like it!… I can even feel the power of the World Tree. Don’t tell me you used the fragment you took… Did you use it on this?”44yuR
tC5ItXC“Yes.”9CknBe
4mYkHqE“Good heavens… And what the hell do you plan to do with this?”oOjv
meGMmThough Aria was also a mage, fascination with the unknown overtook her strongly.FTg2
CE30N0She couldn’t fully comprehend that core, but she could glimpse how extraordinary it was.J34u
1AhfIiD“It’s a golem core.”7Ae
CaPqFJ“…A golem? You’re going to put a core of this level into a simple golem? Are you throwing money away or what?”W4Mq
ESgP“What did you say?”Ghq
2M99dP“Isn’t it? Using this as a golem core is a monumental waste.”f3iv
cwmC4pUIt was a logical conclusion, given that golems still had many limitations.Z9skw
8TJEBut Fernan’s golem was something completely different.ai3qYM
3IOl“Then you’ll make sure it’s not a waste.”bJa
0gIo“…Me? And how am I supposed to do that?”1Ou
Vlj3tkAria stared at him, dumbfounded.YYSyo
1hpXu“Spirits.”hyoGv
xPvBeings that exist as pure souls.0c0
0qG“I plan to insert a spirit here and create a golem with ego.”gO9LXJ
HY6c2“You’re insane!?”ZwX
FzvAria shouted without a shred of hesitation.cFH5
M5qaJ9“I’m insane?”oQ7Ut
byDR1“Asking an elf to lock a spirit away is normal to you? And with an obedience engraving on top of that! That’s what’s used to enslave summoned creatures!”8JoYc1
CvF7“Is that strange?”6zm
UJYmZG“Of course it is! Spirits are free beings. They are never bound to anything. That’s impossible! Wait, can a soul even be contained in the first place?”L3CK4Vp
uBNggy“Yes. Because it’s made of mithril. Mithril can contain not only mana, but also souls.”jSl
4GbqoHZGardner was living proof of that, so there was no reason to doubt it.yZXzc
baoZ“…Mithril? You used real mithril?”gDccW8t
TcPWhile Aria murmured in shock, Fernan made her an offer.9Ktwy
3fNqvD“Not even then? What if I said I’d introduce you to a member of the electors’ house?”d5Flm
Sg9F3T“…That’s…”8Aiy9Lf
fkx“And not just anyone. A direct descendant, with a high chance of inheriting the title.”a4ys8n
ajRvVpZ“…Only if I act as intermediary.”RlAgBt
KmgAria, resigned, began drawing a magic circle.7nI
amvsJ“Intermediary?”plM
xRfjL“Yes. The persuasion is up to you. If a spirit doesn’t agree to enter willingly, I won’t force it. I’d never support locking one away by force.”6R400pz
6ohAx“Of course.”pCN9U
iyzr46And she added one more thing.16HscjV
3Qtv“Not from the five great elements. The kings would never allow it.”jdzyc
58G2MB“Then?”ayz
6rUHOk“One from the Middle World. Since they’re not affiliated with any king, it’ll benefit you more if this works.”YiA
wcaxkTs“The other spirits are affiliated with kings?”DPI8X
nrri“Think of them as their vassals.”dM9CUO0
7oVSLEYIn that case, Aria was right.pdNrUy
uzChYFernan didn’t want a golem that might change loyalties if circumstances shifted. He wanted something that would obey him completely.8mZ2cSe
LrSm7“And fortunately, there’s a suitable spirit. Normally you wouldn’t be able to link with it, but thanks to you mixing in branches from the World Tree…”UWdxOkm
DCLZjThe World Tree was the mother of all trees. Which meant—wHdU7
FBGVaA— Kkuying?OtlpS
c1kForest spirits couldn’t resist.TqQ
5wCR5FDA small green spirit appeared, its eyes gleaming with curiosity.jr6
o83JT“Alright. Your turn now, Fernan.”dwGy
WOO“Understood.”6L54B
K5MB193Without another word, Fernan opened his subspace.5hv
b6tIV“…Is that the golem?”nyRwNl
MNqpjKSeeing the colossal figure emerge from the forest, Aria was left speechless.MfM7w
BHUjrShe wasn’t the only one. The forest spirit, equally shocked, began circling around the golem.8h2rQ1I
fwu9“If you enter there, that body can be yours.”WqAZa9x
8fWP— Wing?OOO
Hb2The curious spirit slowly approached and stared intently at Fernan.ts5GWr
Rr3uLcV“As a spirit, you’ve never had a real body, have you? But if you form a contract with me, that can change.”V849Pe
ss4CjY“Do you think it’ll accept, with that obedience engraving included?”QyTrcR
zgBn5“Silence. Forest spirit, imagine it. That gigantic body, moving at your will…”JNeB
9iA3zrp— Kkuying! Kkung…!RQWj
PWqT“It says just thinking about it excites it. But it also says it hates feeling restrained and detests being anyone’s subordinate. As expected.”p6YNK
9PKm0Of course. Fernan wasn’t fazed.fnN29
esqxf“Think carefully, spirit. Yes, there’s an obedience engraving. But it won’t last long.”lK6Vuk
ToGx— Kkung?38hUsWg
GUTW“How long does a human live? At best a hundred years. With magic, maybe two hundred. But that’s nothing compared to a spirit’s eternity.”XUjR19
0QZ8PcIt only had to endure that “instant.”digXT
A9t“When I die, you’ll be free. You’ll be able to control that body as your own, with no one to give you orders.”WQzg
3Qaeul— Kkuiiiing!?VrUlZJ
EdiyThe spirit’s eyes widened.Bx0JF
lke“Also, that body can change size. You’ll be able to move in small form whenever you want.”SDqH
f82HThat sealed the deal.s21
39EIjgoThe forest spirit dove straight toward the core but couldn’t enter.B54W
GQVx6“Aria!”Fom
3fORE“…Huh? Why can’t it?”0V2deTs
8WU0“Make the contract.”EVv
TmP“…Think carefully. This is a prison!”jkbP
J1cuV— Kkuying!1ojhFpE
kielA“What do you mean two hundred years is nothing!? Even so…!”cy0S
Os1ee“Don’t interfere with a fair deal, Aria.”dBl
ygRYFU“…Haah. Fine.”tXD
gfITWith Aria’s help, Fernan signed a contract with the forest spirit. Once it was completed, the spirit entered the core.lxeiZb
4P6Fernan opened the golem’s chest and inserted the core.9yRU
H2LTWuuuuuung!jdl4T
864ZWHZThe golem’s eyes lit up red.Z8GXgYi
O3kxvKugugugu.HbsA6
MVTQjFThe massive golem rose on its own, with will of its own.GqkE2
oFreIt clenched and unclenched its fist once, twice. Then began moving its limbs.HsqVygM
ywHX“Congratulations. You have a real body now, Wooden.”QgO
itNO— Kkuying?kGFzZzU
noRxu0Perhaps thanks to the contract, no interpreter was needed anymore.jarVte
lpC“Wooden? That’ll be your name from now on.”zlRqMY
Ep6SIt didn’t hold any special meaning. It was a forest spirit, so he chose that name.bmdw
hCpSThus was born the colossal ego golem, Wooden.ijaqoi2
vRuB2***tfKY
hIwh“…So a forest spirit is inside that thing.”KlIcH
q2uta1“So basically, you sold out a spirit for contacts, Aria?”XTu
KIm— That’s right.N26
LRZx— And this is supposed to be an elf?AN9
8snvStOAint looked utterly disgusted.k0wpq
ES5lPfw“…Are you really an elf?”33g
Dujpu“I was just the intermediary! It was the spirit’s choice, not mine!”ENb
Rz4ELxAria protested indignantly, but no one believed her.mtpCbO8
ioKgTtAWhen the commotion settled for a moment—KQ95
Gxb“By the way, where’s Verian?”FUcVTCv
MWC7A few minutes later, they found Verian unconscious in a corner of the battlefield.5p20s
x0cXaAnd shortly after, the barrier completely vanished.aDYI
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!