Chapter 124: It’s Impossible to Catch an Arrow
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 124: It’s Impossible to Catch an Arrow
Roy slowly seeped into the pitch-black golem.
“How is it? Is it working?”
I nodded at the Tower Lord’s question.
I didn't have the energy to answer. Perhaps because it was my second time using Spirit Chain today, I felt a significant strain on my body.
Dealing with an ordinary soul wouldn't have been a problem, but trying to use my ability right after handling a dragon’s soul was an immense burden.
“It’s done...!”
Regardless, I successfully settled Roy’s soul into the body of the Black Iron Golem.
There was no particular rejection, and I could feel Roy properly inhabiting the golem’s frame.
“Roy. Roy!”
“...”
But why wasn't he answering?
The possession was definitely a success. Even now, he was answering with movements instead of words. But he couldn't speak.
Why couldn't he talk despite the successful possession?
“Could it be because he doesn't have vocal cords...?”
“Ah.”
Right. As Rien said, a golem wouldn't have vocal cords or a mouth.
“Tower Lord, can this be modified later?”
“I wonder if he’ll be able to speak if I attach something similar to vocal cords.”
“Even just poking a hole might work.”
“I see. Hey, did you hear that?”
The golem maker nodded vigorously while taking notes.
“Anyway, it’s a success. To think you actually settled a soul in there.”
“Wait, you settled a soul?”
At the Tower Lord’s words, Leo looked at me, startled.
“Yes. The soul of an adventurer named Roy is inside that golem.”
“What kind of crazy talk is this? Are you... a demon? No! What on earth...! A Magic Tower that commits heretical acts without hesitation!”
Leo threw a fit, pointing his finger at the Tower Lord and me, calling us monsters.
To an outsider, this was indeed a heretical act that could be seen as a depraved abandonment of humanity.
I understood how he felt. How fresh. To think a pure soul, not yet stained by the Labyrinth City, could be so naive.
“Ugh, seriously. Stop acting like such a newbie.”
“A newbie?”
“Yes. Stop acting like a rookie. How is this heretical? This is a relationship built on mutual agreement and a contract. Look, isn't Roy satisfied?”
“Satisfied? Uh...”
Perhaps because he had gained a powerful body, Roy was striking various poses while looking at his pitch-black frame. Roy, who had been a scrawny white man, seemed to be overflowing with confidence now that he was in the body of a Black Iron Golem.
Furthermore, Rien was hanging onto his arm, beaming brightly. She really loved it. It seemed Rien was more of a robot enthusiast than I had imagined.
“See? Everyone’s smiling, so why are you the only one being so serious? Wipe that look off your face and just enjoy it.”
“...Am I the weird one here?”
In a village of one-eyed men, the two-eyed man is the abnormal one.
The Tower Lord even looked at Leo as if he were a simple country girl. We were people whose lives had been thoroughly jaded by the Labyrinth, but Leo wasn't, so he looked truly innocent.
“Yes. If you want to do business here, Leo, you need an accepting mindset and a receptive attitude.”
“This crazy city. These rotten people. Dammit.”
“If you don't like it, go home. Who’s forcing you to grit your teeth and stay? I might be someone with nowhere else to go, but you have a place to return to, don't you? Just close up shop and go home.”
“Shut up, commoner...! Do you think I’ll crumble over this... I absolutely cannot go back empty-handed...”
“Then accept it. The basic philosophy of adventurers is to use everything available. You won't survive here if you take everything so seriously.”
“How incredibly frugal. I never imagined you’d drag out a dead man and use his soul too. Sigh. Dammit. To think my sister is living in a place like this... Poor thing. I miss her...”
Leo wiped his face once and finally accepted it.
Showing discomfort at meddling with the dead was, in a way, a perfectly normal and natural reaction.
It was just that the Tower Lord and I were extreme efficiency nuts, so we brushed it off. As for the researchers, the Tower Lord’s word was law and truth, so they simply followed along.
Normally, there would have been many people protesting like Leo.
‘The fact that we’re powering a golem with a human soul might eventually leak out. But I should make sure no one goes around talking about it openly.’
For now, I had successfully settled Roy into the Black Iron Golem, so the primary goal was achieved.
His movements looked fluid, and the golem makers clapped in delight at the sudden boost in the AI’s performance.
Soon, the Tower Lord issued a warning to them.
“As you all know, everything you saw here is a secret. If this leaks out, I will interrogate everyone who was in this room.”
Naturally, the Magic Tower’s researchers rarely went outside, so they weren't a concern for information leaks.
This warning was essentially aimed at Rien and Leo.
“Leo.”
“What.”
“It’ll be better for your business if you maintain a good relationship with the Magic Tower.”
“I know that much.”
Leo likely understood well.
Most merchants couldn't even set foot inside the Magic Tower.
In that regard, just being allowed in here was a massive advantage.
Leo would probably accumulate wealth through the Labyrinth City’s Magic Tower.
“On that note, how about a finder’s fee?”
“Huh? A finder’s fee?”
“Yes. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even made a connection with the Tower Lord, would you?”
“...That is true. One must pay the price clearly to avoid future trouble. What do you want?”
“First, grow your merchant group. So that you can lend strength to my business later.”
“...What business are you planning?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. I’ll collect the finder’s fee then.”
“Tch.”
I might be able to use him. I had to use everything I could.
“Then, let’s begin the experiment.”
“Wait. Stay still for a moment.”
Soon, Mabel’s defense magic was cast upon my body.
It was 8th Circle protection magic. An arrow wouldn't be able to pierce it.
After confirming the protection magic was on me, Roy picked up a bow and arrow and drew the string.
The distance between Roy and me was roughly 20 meters. The rest of the group moved behind Roy for safety reasons.
“Release the string on the count of three.”
Roy nodded at the Tower Lord’s command.
The countdown began.
“One!”
The arrow was drawn to its limit.
“Two!”
Roy adjusted his posture and aimed directly at me, remaining perfectly still.
“Three!”
Twang—
He released the string.
The arrow flew.
No, it was already right in front of my eyes.
CRASH—!!!!
“Gah!!!!”
The flying arrow struck my right eye and fell to the floor.
Crazy. Thanks to the protection magic, it didn't pierce through, but the impact was felt deep within.
My vision blurred, and everything turned hazy. My hands and feet were trembling, and my waist felt weak from fear.
“Shit. This isn't going to work.”
I couldn't react at all. Is it even possible to catch an arrow?
It was impossible to even see it and dodge. I felt it once again—this was madness.
“Forget dodging. I couldn't even move my arm.”
“Can’t you do it?”
“It’s not a matter of will; it’s physically impossible. And it’s not just catching a flying arrow. Putting it into my inventory right before it hits? That’s just insane.”
“Hmm. I suppose it is difficult.”
“It’s not just difficult; I’m telling you it’s impossible.”
To make this possible, wouldn't one have to be a monster capable of entering the 7th floor of the Labyrinth alone?
“No, no. Let’s not jump to conclusions so easily. I believe in your potential.”
“Then why don't you try it, Tower Lord! I’m telling you, it’s not as easy as it sounds!”
“I’m a mage, so my body is sluggish. What a shame.”
“Ugh, this is driving me crazy.”
Even if I brought Gon from the Martial Arts Hall, it would be difficult. I’ve seen adventurers deflect arrows before, but catching one is a different story.
Furthermore, my task was even harder. I didn't just have to catch the flying arrow; I had to use my magical power the moment it touched my fingertips to store it in my subspace pocket while preserving its kinetic energy.
It was insane. A slow-motion arrow in a movie and a real arrow shot to kill were completely different things.
The moment the string was drawn and released, the arrow was already right under my nose.
“Hmm. I’ll have to heighten your senses.”
“Wait a minute. What’s that?”
“A magical tool that enhances dynamic vision. It’s an ultra-expensive auxiliary item worth 200 gold coins.”
“Why is something like that here...?”
“I kept it to use in the production of golem eyes. It’s better if their reaction speed is fast, right?”
So she made it to be used as a golem’s eye. And she wanted me to wear that and catch an arrow?
“Try it on. You’ll feel a bit dizzy. The world might look like it’s slowed down. You might vomit because of the discrepancy between what your eyes see and what your body feels, so keep a bucket ready.”
“You’re really serious about this.”
“If you succeed, you’ll become a monster. You’ll be able to catch a flying arrow with your subspace pocket and send it right back to the person who shot it. Now, just imagine that.”
It would certainly be an absurdly broken ability. I could become a hunter of archers.
Since I’d be able to reflect flying arrows exactly as they were. And not just arrows. If I could master the sensation, I believed I could snatch anything flying at me.
“Sigh. This is madness.”
I put on the ultra-expensive goggles worth 200 gold that the Tower Lord handed me.
Would wearing this change anything? I didn't know. But I had to try as much as I could.
In my current state, there was no hope. Even if I trained to death with Gon, I didn't think I could catch an arrow.
So, I had to borrow the power of such items.
“Ugh... shit...”
It was exactly as the Tower Lord said; wearing them was hell.
The scenery before my eyes and the timeframe my body felt began to fall out of sync. How should I describe this? My body couldn't keep up with the accelerated world my eyes were seeing.
The movements of the people inside the golem workshop were shown in incredibly fine detail. Eventually, I had to grab the bucket the Tower Lord gave me and empty everything I had eaten today.
I felt seasick. Dizzy.
“Hey, is that commoner fellow going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. Despite how he looks, he’s an adventurer who made a name for himself in just eight months. He must have innate talent.”
I wiped my mouth while listening to Leo and the Tower Lord chatter.
Slowly, my vision seemed to be adjusting. I still didn't feel great, but it was somewhat bearable.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Again. Let’s try again.”
“Good. Shoot the arrow when I count to three.”
One.
Two.
Three.
Twang—!
This time, the arrow flew toward my heart.
But wait.
That woman, the Tower Lord... did she cast protection magic on me?
‘SHIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!’
I had to catch it.
If I didn't, I was dead.
If I died, I’d be wasting a free resurrection opportunity for nothing.
‘I have to catch it. I have to catch it. I have to catch it. I have to...’
They say humans see their life flash before their eyes right before they die.
To put it differently, it means you see decades' worth of memories compressed into just a few seconds.
It means the brain is working at an extreme speed. The brain enters a state of full operation, looking back at the past while trying to find a way to overcome the death looming right in front of it.
Yes, time slowed down.
The dynamic vision enhancement goggles the Tower Lord gave me assisted my eyes, and Shaka’s Remnant boosted my reflexes.
In the end, I faintly grasped the movement of the flying arrow.
I raised my hand, but it was slow. Infinitely slow.
My eyes and brain recognized the flying arrow thanks to the goggles and Shaka’s Remnant, but my body couldn't respond to it.
The arrow would pierce me faster than my arm could rise.
Just because I could see the arrow didn't mean I could catch it. Then, let’s just give up on the idea of catching it.
Dodging was impossible. Blocking was hard, and catching was out of the question.
I clenched my fist and activated the Ring of Intangibility.
Thwack!!!!
The arrow passed through me and embedded itself into the wall.
“Porter!!!!!”
“What? What’s the matter?”
“I didn't cast the protection magic!”
“What?!”
The lab turned into a chaotic mess only after the arrow hit the wall.
People rushed toward me.
“Huff... huff... Tower Lord... what is this?”
“Ah. Ahh... I’m sorry.”
The people sighed in relief as they saw me in my intangible state.
Roy, who had shot the arrow, scratched his head awkwardly.
Unbelievable. I almost died because of a careless experiment.
This is why everyone is so tense and high-strung during live-fire drills.
Because accidents happen without warning.
“I really almost died. How could you forget the protection magic?”
“I’m sorry. I was careless. Should I make it up to you with my body?”
“Make it up with what? Forget it!”
“Then what should I do for you?”
“These goggles. Give these to me.”
“...That’s a bit much. Just ask for the resurrection fee instead.”
“Ugh, then at least lend them to me. I’ve found a clue thanks to these.”
“You found a clue?”
“Yes. With these goggles, I think it’s possible. Catching the arrow.”
The ultimate goal was to put the flying arrow into the subspace pocket the moment it touched my fingertips, but for now, I needed to start by just catching the arrow.
And for that, I needed these goggles.
“With these, I can at least see the flying arrow.”
The goggles and Shaka’s Remnant bought me the time to see with my eyes and process with my brain.
All that remained was to build the physical ability to snatch it.
‘If I train with Gon while wearing these goggles...’
I felt like catching an arrow might actually be possible.
It was time for training.