The Cerulean Golem and the Sleepy Hummingbird

I focused my mind and pictured the appearance of the Cerulean Golem.

A glacial-blue crystal body, a skeletal frame as solid as a fortress wall, a massive build...

'The Cerulean Golem was definitely created to repel intruders, wasn't it?'

What was the obsession they had harbored for so long?

An automated golem that awakened whenever a blue star crossed the sky, cleansing the earth.

A single-minded determination to destroy all creatures of soft, warm flesh; the power to devour magic and the driving force behind it.

As I fully embraced the Cerulean Golem's purpose and its long-held conviction, a glowing blue incantation flashed through my mind.

"O primeval crystal, awaken beneath the blue starlight, devour magic, and crush the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠intruders!"

As I chanted the spell, a cool light spilled from my entire body.

Soon, blue crystals pierced through my skin, rapidly growing to cover my entire frame.

Planting my heavy, massive feet upon the ground, I stared out at a world of pale blue and white.

—...Hmph!

I slowly moved my limbs, inspecting my newly acquired body.

Clenching my fists, I felt a hardness and power that couldn't even be compared to mere calluses.

—Ah... Fortunately, my voice still works...

Though my voice echoed like a cavern, it was welcome news that I could still communicate.

When I had transformed into a Lesser Rat, I could only squeak due to the structure of its mouth.

When I picked up the robe draped over my head and handed it over, Malton stared at me in astonishment.

"Is this... the Cerulean Golem we fought? You can transform into a golem as well?"

—It became possible after defeating the boss. Though this is my first time actually transforming into it.

"My word... To be able to transform into an ancient magical creature... Is this truly the authority of Lord Antagon?"

As Malton marveled, peering closely at my crystal arm, I shrugged my shoulders in a characteristically golem-like manner and turned to Radie.

But for some reason, she was staring at me with a bizarre look in her eyes.

'That look is definitely...'

It was the exact same expression she wore when she saw the exchange rate at the guild.

"Wait a minute. Maybe, just maybe... this is an opportunity to print infinite money..."

—What?

"Malton-nim, I think we could make a tidy sum if we broke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off Doran-nim's limbs and sold them. You know, since it's a rare monster material."

—W-Wait, have you lost your mind, creation? What if I turn back into a human and find myself missing my arms and legs?!"

"Hmph, that's none of my business."

—...Are you still mad at me?

"Do you honestly think I am?"

Shiver!

It seemed my magic resistance couldn't block her murderous intent.

I quickly hurried along before Radie could start a golem butchering show.

Thud! Thud!

The greenery grew denser as we ventured deeper into the forest, my heavy footsteps shaking the earth.

On the surface, the forest was incredibly peaceful.

Sunlight filtered beautifully through the trees, making me want to lie down and take a nap.

'...Is this drowsiness also a racial trait?'

Come to think of it, didn't Cerulean Golems spend most of their time sleeping?

I hadn't realized it when I only faced them as enemies, but the next time I hunted similar monsters, I might be able to exploit this laziness.

After walking for quite a while, suppressing the urge to use the moss as a blanket and take a snooze, Radie looked around and spoke.

"Nothing's happened so far... To think people were attacked in such a peaceful place..."

"Be careful. Danger always strikes when you let your guard down."

"Should I tighten my earplugs a bit more?"

—Hmm... Yes. Now that we've come this far, it's about time they showed up...

In that split second, a faint singing drifted on the wind.

A sweet melody, like the chirping of hummingbirds.

The moment my magic-coveting golem body felt an instinctive hunger, I shouted.

—Everyone, cover your ears, quick!!

Ignoring the alerts rapidly updating in my log window, I focused all my senses.

The culprit was nearby.

As I looked around, guided by the instincts of my crystal body, several suspicious spots stood out.

A hollow ancient tree, a vine-covered crevice in the rocks, behind a tree trunk.

'Not here either. In that case...!'

Tilting my creaking neck to look up at the sky, I spotted tiny figures perched on the branches.

Birds fluttering their wings cutely, singing elegantly like sopranos.

I tapped Radie on the shoulder, and she followed my gaze, murmuring softly.

"Those birds..."

—Can you hit them?

Reading my lips, Radie fired her crossbow without hesitation.

Flap, flap!

Pierced through the chest by her bolts, the birds plummeted, feathers exploding into the air.

After confirming the singing had stopped, I approached and examined the scattered carcasses, finally identifying the monsters with my own eyes.

'...Just as I thought.'

A small, plump yellow bird that would probably be quite popular as a pet.

The Sleepy Hummingbird was a bird species that mainly inhabited secluded deciduous forests.

Though their bodies were as fragile as paper and they possessed zero attack power, they cast a powerful humming magic during their breeding season that stole the minds of intruders.

Once caught, victims were left completely defenseless against other monsters. To make matters worse, the birds would hypnotize them again just as they were waking up, making them incredibly troublesome creatures.

Once he was sure it was safe, Malton loosened his earplugs and spoke.

"I've seen this monster before... They knock adventurers unconscious, then feed on the scraps of flesh left behind by other predators."

"They're quite vicious despite their cute looks. But Doran-nim, how did you figure out what they were just by hearing the symptoms?"

—It was nothing.

Since the unconscious victims had no external wounds, it wasn't a physical attack. And multiple people collapsing simultaneously could only be explained by magic.

As far as I knew, this was the only monster on the 1st floor capable of such a feat.

Especially considering they weren't easily recognized as monsters due to their cute appearance.

Above all, it was currently their nesting season, which was why unconscious adventurers and herb gatherers were popping up one after another.

'But it's a bit strange...'

In my memory, Sleepy Hummingbirds only nested in places with abundant food.

But there was no reason for them to nest around here, braving their natural predators, especially when a massive influx of adventurers had just arrived.

Did some anomaly occur in the wetlands?

A change significant enough to make them give up a portion of their safety to nest here...

'...What is the system up to?'

On the surface, it looked like any other quest, but I sensed a strange undercurrent.

It felt similar to when it tried to send me into the canyon without any warning about the golem.

'There are only a few events that could happen in the wetlands at this time...'

It left a bad taste in my mouth, but I didn't have the option to refuse.

If I didn't reach the 2nd floor within the time limit, I wouldn't be able to participate in the dungeon gate construction, and it would also hinder my goal of quickly reaching level 30.

As I scratched my jaw in contemplation, Radie spoke while wiping the blood off her bolts.

"If it weren't for you, Doran-nim, we would have been sitting ducks too... But what should we do? We need to drive those birds away to resume logging, but the three of us can't wipe them all out..."

—It is fine. They gather in one place to lay their eggs, so if we destroy their nest, they will scatter on their own.

And the way to find their nest is...

"Where the singing sounds the loudest! Their protective instincts will make them sing even harder as intruders get closer to their nest!"

—Precisely, creation. Your mind is sharp.

And this body can trace their magic back to its source.

I headed deeper into the forest, chasing the hunger that fluttered in my stomach like butterflies.

Thump, thump. I could feel the singing grow more intense as we drew closer to the nest.

Power gradually infused the gentle melody, and the mana woven into the tune grew thicker in tandem.

The number of hummingbirds increased visibly, circling my head and fluttering frantically.

—Kuhahaha!! Pitiful creations!

Watching the birds struggle in vain, laughter naturally burst from me.

There was absolutely no way their fragile beaks could scratch my crystal body.

The occasional ones that flew into the gaps of my joints to annoy me had their heads crushed without exception.

Once we ventured far enough into the forest, we finally spotted our target in the middle of a clearing.

—Found it! That is the root of all evil.

A massive nest piled high with eggs the size of quail eggs.

After smashing the surrounding trees to force the birds out, I brushed off the feathers and flesh stuck to my head and sat down with a heavy thud!

—What are you doing, creation? Hurry up and build a fire.

"...A fire?"

—Eating Sleepy Hummingbird eggs permanently increases your stats. It is only a tiny amount, but it cannot be ignored.

"Excuse me? We don't know when the monsters might fly back and cast their magic again, and you want to leisurely cook eggs in the middle of a monster den?"

Radie glared at me in protest, but I merely shrugged as if to ask what the problem was.

Before long, Malton had also sat down beside me, rubbing his hands together and drooling.

Radie pressed her hand to her forehead, let out a deep sigh, and sat down next to us.

"I hate that I'm getting used to this... I have some weapon maintenance oil in my pouch, so use that."

After pouring the oil and eggs into Malton's pot and lighting a fire, mouth-watering fried eggs were soon sizzling to perfection.

"But... Doran-nim, can you even eat in that state?"

—We will see.

I poured the eggs straight from the pot into the gap of my open maw.

If the ancient mages who designed the Cerulean Golem were worth their salt, they would have implemented at least a primitive digestive system.

'Since I have no sense of taste, it just feels like a slimy, weird texture...!'

—Oh, it seems to have worked. You creations should try some too.

"Well, let's see..."

"I shall gladly partake."

Upon hearing my words, Radie and Malton cautiously tasted the fried eggs and gasped in admiration.

"Wow, this is incredibly delicious! The savory yolk blends so well with the oil...!"

"Ho, this is quite a delicacy... It's savory enough to make a perfect snack for drinking. ...But are our stats really rising?"

—Of course. Trust me, creation.

'It's a shame the people of this world can't directly check their own stat increases...'

Though it was a mere 1 point in Intelligence, stats yielded massive results as they accumulated.

Take me, for instance. I was only level 28, but when combining all the stats I'd gained from various rewards and achievements, my overall specs were comparable to someone in their early 40s.

If I could trigger Chaos effectively, I could utilize those temporarily boosted stats to overpower opponents far stronger than me, just like I did with the Night Stalker.

'If I revealed that I'm a reincarnator, I could lead the party much more efficiently than now...'

The thought crossed my mind for a brief second, but I shook my head.

There was no way the residents of this world would accept a strange outsider, an evil spirit who was practically a murderer.

"......"

For a moment, my eyes met Radie's as she looked up at me with a complicated gaze, but I immediately turned away.

While I kept watch on the surroundings on behalf of Radie and Malton, the log window updated.

'Is it because Radie has been officially integrated as a companion that I can now see her stat increases?'

While marveling at the incredibly convenient status window system, I felt a sudden sense of incongruity.

Come to think of it, hadn't this status window hidden the pronoun 'she' until I realized Radie's gender?

As if it had been intentionally playing a prank on me...

—...I think we've had enough. Let's head back to the camp.

We thoroughly burned down the Sleepy Hummingbirds' nest, cleared the embers, and left the forest.

Once I transformed back into a human and we returned to the camp to report, the merchants' eyes widened in admiration.

"I-I see. So a magic-wielding bird was the cause! In that case, we will organize a subjugation squad right away..."

"We have already destroyed their nest, so they should have departed for another forest by now. You can simply resume logging."

"W-What? You've solved it already?!! We organized several exploration teams before, but they all failed... Then we shall begin work immediately! Experienced loggers and carpenters are on standby, so the raft construction will be finished in no time!"

"We will be waiting, then."

"Ah, but there is one piece of news I must share with you, Doran-nim."

The merchant stopped me from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leaving, his voice laced with worry.

When I gestured for him to continue, he spoke with a troubled expression.

"Actually... there were adventurers who rented rafts to cross the lake before you, Doran-nim... but some of them have gone missing."

"You mean they went missing in the middle of the wetlands?"

"Yes. It could simply be that they made a mistake operating the rafts or docked at a different pier... but I hope it is just my needless anxiety."

I felt as though a shadow had fallen over the thick fog of the lake.