Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Silver Mountains (1)
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Khalid had said he would explain it so simply even a druid could understand, but in reality, it was anything but. Being a mage, he casually tossed around all sorts of magical terminology without a second thought.
In the end, though, I could follow it. Not thanks to Khalid's simple explanation, but because I, as a modern person, was smart enough.
Even a genius like Einstein was notoriously bad at teaching others, and Khalid was exactly that type.
Anyway, the theory behind the climbing golem he explained was pretty straightforward. But if I'd called it truly "simple," I could've predicted how the prideful mage Khalid would react, so I held back on the word.
"So, you want to incorporate plants into it."
"You've got it."
Exactly. Khalid knew full well that an artificial golem would break down under the mana waves of the Silver Mountains. He could craft powerful golems, but once the core—infused with the master's mana—detached from an artificial one, it crumbled to nothing. Naturally spawned golems didn't need a core and could regenerate on their own indefinitely, but an artificial golem would keep disintegrating inside the Silver Mountains, no question.
What was needed to protect the golem from the Silver Mountains' mana waves? Plants. Khalid's idea was straightforward: plant flora into a golem made of rock and mud to keep it from separating from its core.
'It’s a pretty solid approach.'
Pick the right plants and use the right skills, and it was totally feasible. Plants weren't mana artifacts, so they'd be safe from the Silver Mountains' mana, letting the golem hold up just fine there.
"Using plants in a golem..."
A plant tough enough to withstand the Silver Mountains' cold while strong and fibrous enough to bind the golem's components together...
"Hmm..."
Conveniently, there was a perfect candidate.
The modified snow lotus.
"...The snow lotus should work."
"Snow lotus?"
"Yes. It has stems and roots that never freeze, even in the harshest cold. Tough enough to use as rope. It's still being modified, but..."
"Then take one of my golems and run some compatibility tests."
"...Do you just hand out golems to anyone like this?"
"Anyone? You're my partner."
Partner. Not wrong, since we'd signed the black opium trade contract...
"...Well, whatever. Got it."
A bit uneasy, but I accepted anyway. Khalid removed a necklace from around his neck and tossed it to me. I caught the flying necklace. A small stone fragment dangled from it—likely a mana tool linked to the golem's core.
"It's the golem's key. With that, you can control it."
"How well does it understand commands?"
At my question, Khalid smirked like it was ridiculous.
"I'm lending it, not giving it away."
"Just curious, that's all."
"Funny guy. It's a test model. It can't handle complex orders yet. Best not get any funny ideas."
"Who said anything about funny ideas?"
"You had that look."
Busted? I brushed it off with a laugh and slipped the golem necklace around my neck.
"No need to voice commands—it'll move to your will."
As Khalid said, the moment I thought 'come here,' the golem lumbered slowly toward me. Neat.
"Get used to it, and it'll be like an extra limb. But I'm not sure you can master it that quickly."
"We'll see."
I flashed Khalid a grin and left the lab. The golem plodded after me slowly. Could this thing not move any faster?
"Anyway, I'll come back with results."
"Only if you succeed."
"Well, just in case, you might want to brainstorm backups."
I waved lightly and exited the mansion with the golem.
* * *
"Good work, everyone!"
I unpacked a bundle of sweet snacks bought from Solen Market and gathered the Pyoos. They'd been diligently tending the Dimensional Garden and came rushing over, drawn by the tantalizing scents of cookies, bread, cakes, and candies.
While they munched away, I inspected the plants they'd grown so diligently. How well had the modifications turned out? Half excited, half worried, I toured the garden, with the golem shambling slowly behind me.
For testing and modification, part of the Dimensional Garden was set to mimic the Silver Mountains' environment. Feeling the chill air, I bundled up. Catching a cold would be a disaster.
The snowflower trees were in full bloom, wafting a rich, sweet aroma. This scent would draw animals from afar. Perfect. I secured some snowflower tree seeds and moved to the next field.
Next up: silver snow tubers. I plucked a bunch of hanging fruits and carefully split one in half. Inside was packed with fluff like snowflakes. I pulled some out and touched it—it crumbled finely and floated lightly. How far would it spread if burst? I adjusted the Dimensional Garden's winds and hurled one at an empty thicket.
-...Pffft!
Not quite an explosion, but a small pop as the silver snow tuber split. In the Silver Mountains' blinding blizzards, this noise would be drowned out easily.
White smoke-like vapor rose immediately from the split fruit. Up close, it was ultra-fine fluff. The lightweight strands swelled and floated endlessly, blanketing a 5-meter radius in seconds.
"Better effect than expected?"
Ptoo. I spat out fluff that got in my mouth and blew it away with wind control. Definitely taking some of this.
Next: tundra peas. The modified tundra peas filled the field densely, their pods longer and plumper than the originals. Probably more peas inside. I picked one, shelled it—five, no, six peas popped out. Slightly smaller than before, but so hard I couldn't crush them by hand.
"Time to test performance..."
I cast [Breath of the Forest] on the tundra pea pod. Already at max growth, the skill triggered the gas buildup inside, launching the peas forward.
-Brrrrrt!!
-Tat-tat-tat!!
Like bullets, they punched through leaves and embedded in trees. Speed: pass. Hardness: pass. The key tundra pea modification experiment was a total success. Now, have the Pyoos stockpile as many seeds as possible before the climb.
Finally, I headed to the snowy field where the snow lotuses grew. Wasn't originally meant for this, but it fit the golem perfectly by chance...
"Alright, stay put here."
I halted the slow-following golem and entered the snowfield, yanking out a snow lotus stem. So tough and sturdy, even my dagger struggled to cut it. Barely severed the stem, but the roots under the rock? No chance. Stem in hand, I returned to the golem, wedged it into a crevice between its rock masses, and used [Breath of the Forest]. New roots sprouted, burrowing into the rock and mud.
I finely controlled the snow lotus's growth. Roots into the rock, but not so deep they'd crack it. Stems spread outward, rooting anew and wrapping the golem's body.
-Grind, grrrk...
"Hang in there, just a bit longer."
The snow lotus grew, enveloping and penetrating the golem's torso and limbs. The rocks connected more tightly, making eerie sounds. Knowing golems felt no pain or fear, I still reassured it.
The snow lotus fully encased the golem. I tested moving it—simple walking first, then swinging arms, crouching, precise lifting. The tight binding slowed it a tad, but happily, it moved easier than expected.
"Nice, good job."
I clapped encouragingly. The snow lotus bound it so well that even if the golem couldn't move on its own, I could probably control it via the lotus if needed. Golem-making wasn't easy, so recovering it in an emergency would be a win.
"This should do it."
I kept testing until movements smoothed out, trimmed more stems for reinforcements in spots, and gathered seeds.
At the garden center, the Pyoos—who'd devoured all the snacks—frolicked excitedly around the golem and my feet, rolling about. Some fearlessly climbed the golem. They'd been startled at first sight, but now, wrapped in their own-grown snow lotus, their wariness had faded?
"Good job, kids. Keep it up."
I handed them the black opium seeds returned from Khalid, assigning a plot. Their black opium would outquality mine. Next harvest would yield more, so I should research what to do with it.
"Alright, let's go."
Time to return the golem to Khalid and plan the real climb. Sherpa natives lived at the Silver Mountains' base—hiring them would be ideal, but in this unstable situation, no one would step up. At least gather intel.