The Giant's Tomb

One of the surest ways to piss a person off is to cut them off mid-sentence.

The second is…

"Who the hell has time to think about that?"

I opened the subspace carrier and stepped straight into the Death Blacksmith.

Ahem. So you've come.

Megus's reaction was distinctly awkward.

It was exactly the look Happy always wore after causing trouble.

"Alright. Care to explain yourself?"

The Giant's Tomb was originally ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a dedicated mold for crafting large-type undead.

"There are large-type undead?"

"There are species such as bone giants and abominations, my lord."

As expected of the ultimate anti-necromancer weapon. Ask a question and the answer comes flying right back.

"Hahaha. Having buried any number of necromancers with these very hands, how could I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not know?"

"Quite the boast, coming from a knight standing in front of her necromancer master."

"Kh…!"

That one's on you, Dame. Every time she remembers her title as the Necromancer Slayer, the back of my neck goes cold.

Hoo.

Enough preamble.

"Explain. Now."

I speak of the spirit structure. Alchemy concepts were partially mixed into its construction process, so this old man laid hands upon it.

"I thought you couldn't use alchemy with that body."

Did I not say I can interfere when Master performs alchemy?

So the Giant's Tomb absorbing the Minotaur Guard corpses counted as an alchemy category?

Is this for real, or is he just full of it?

Not the whole of it. Alchemy's subtle principles were partially included, allowing interference—that is all.

"You old coot."

Aigoo.

That's it.

Mister Megus.

From now on I'm calling you "old coot" instead of Great Alchemist.

Old coot?! The Megus the Great, whom throngs of alchemists once sought with gold in hand just for a single glimpse—!

"Shut it."

Mmph! Mmmph!

I told him that if he was going to cause an incident, he could at least give me a heads-up.

"Ahem. Ahem."

"This humble one knows nothing, sir."

"Maybe I should just go research magic instead."

…

Every single retainer sidestepped my gaze.

Hoo.

Come to think of it, I still hadn't properly heard what kind of mess he'd made.

"Just explain."

This old man is a great and mighty arch-alchemist. Such treatment is intolerable!

"Then keep your hands off research."

Ahem. This old man's thinking was shortsighted. Master's command is absolute. Aye. Indeed it is.

Megus's hand caressed the Giant's Tomb.

A mold for crafting large undead. To that, I added alchemy's subtle principles.

"Added principles?"

Hm. Showing the system window will explain faster.

A 10% performance boost?

And what the hell is a Death Giant?

"I can explain the Devourer, my lord."

Dame Isra cleared her throat with a dignified ahem.

"Think of it as a tank-style undead. Sturdy hide, yet slow, and weaker than its bulk would suggest."

"So the type that tanks and harasses with poison damage."

"The corrosive aura is not especially threatening, either. The lack of friend-or-foe discrimination is also a problem."

No real need to make one, then.

I boldly scrapped the Devourer production plan.

Its raw defense might outclass an Armed Zombie Warrior, but the corrosion curse meant I couldn't keep it close as an escort anyway.

Second on the production list was the Death Giant.

"Necromancers have never commanded golems."

Dame Isra shook her head.

"What's the difference between a large undead and a golem?"

Comparing undead and golems on the same plane is problematic, Master.

Megus reacted with fierce intensity.

A golem is the quintessence of alchemy, crafted in imitation of the gods.

I privately thought that if it was just big and strong, it was basically the same thing, but I didn't say it out loud.

Provoking a hardcore alchemy otaku would only make life annoying.

"Then explain the Death Giant for me."

Think of it as a concept wherein alchemy's subtle principles are fused with necromancy.

"What's with that wishy-washy answer?"

This old man possesses no knowledge of necromancy whatsoever.

Aha.

So he started something without even the basic knowledge?

I simply could not restrain my curiosity.

"I think I get the picture."

Oh.

I believed in you, Ingrid!

"This old man and Master are linked by a soul bond."

The Death Blacksmith was part of my own power.

When Trismegistus interfered with changes occurring inside it, those changes were treated as acts I myself had performed.

"It is not one hundred percent certain. Merely a highly probable hypothesis."

"No. That's good enough."

In the end, it had turned out well.

Alchemy ability.

It seemed to mesh with Necrosmith even better than I first imagined.

That said, I still needed to put a leash on this guy.

"Cause another incident and I'll erase you next time."

Threats cannot restrain this old man's thirst for knowledge.

"Research ban. Tools confiscated."

I apologize. I offer my contrition for this act, Master.

How to handle him.

I was starting to get the hang of it.

"Just tell me before you cause trouble. I'll understand then."

If I reported every single time inspiration struck, I might miss the golden window of opportunity.

"Then quit researching."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shall engrave it upon my bones and never forget.

Anyway.

Thanks to Megus's meddling I had gained something; I certainly hadn't lost.

"Whoa."

Skill evolution?

An involuntary dumbfounded sound slipped out at the unexpected windfall.

Hadn't it said that raising comprehension of Golem Crafting would improve the Death Giant's performance?

If the skill strengthened…

That meant the finished product could surpass A-grade and reach S-grade specs—or higher.

Insane.

This was.

"My lord. Has something occurred?"

"It's nothing."

If I blabbed, I'd only end up inflating that old coot's ego.

Separate from having gained something, I still needed to keep a collar on him so he wouldn't run wild.

That aside.

Death Giant, huh.

Form undecided.

An existence whose approximate specs I couldn't even know yet.

"Shall we try crafting one?"

"Megus. Help me analyze the optimal ratios."

Ultimate-level alchemy, plus the Golden Rule analyzing the Death Giant schematic left inside the Giant's Tomb.

I pushed the abilities inherited from both retainers to their absolute limit.

I glimpsed the maximum possibility currently craftable from the Giant's Tomb.

"Ten tons of large-type flesh. Seven tons of bone. About twenty A-grade magic stones."

Close enough to this old man's calculations.

Over a billion won per unit.

Staggering.

Still, the materials were ones I could source immediately, so I didn't need to visit the Hunter Market.

"Craft Death Giant."

The Minotaur corpses stockpiled in the Death Space, along with the A-grade magic stones stored in subspace, were automatically fed in.

Ugh.

Another whole week of waiting?

"It better not underperform."

Just activating the Giant's Tomb had taken several weeks.

Dozens of large-type corpses had been shoveled in.

Converted to cash, this was a structure that had swallowed billions.

If it failed to deliver its money's worth, I'd tear it down… or rather, I couldn't, could I.

"Sigh."

One week.

There was only one thing to do at times like this.

Time to deploy the secret weapon.

"My lord already has a plan in place, I see."

"Yeah. I've got it all figured out."

"And what secret means have you prepared?"

"Gonna set out a bowl of water tonight and pray."

What else would it be?

I beseech thee, I beseech thee.

Is there a meta beyond the prayer meta?

Swaaaaa…

An eerie purple radiance leaked from the Giant's Tomb.

Since I had to wait a week anyway, I might as well stop worrying about it for now.

I had plenty of other work to do.

"Old coot."

This old man is the great alchemist Megus.

"If you want to be called by your name, behave yourself."

…

Oh-ho.

Playing the silent treatment, are we?

"Ah. I was thinking of researching the other structures too, but if you don't want to, fine."

The moment I spun on my heel, Megus hurriedly scrambled after me.

Did Master call for this old man?

For all his towering pride, he tucked his tail the second curiosity was on the line.

What an entertaining fellow.

Thanks to Megus's interference, the Giant's Tomb had received performance upgrades and additions.

Couldn't the other structures be upgraded the same way?

Have a look. This old man shall assist from the side.

Who was assisting whom here, really.

Megus, having become a dead body, could no longer perform alchemy on his own.

If I restored his living form, his skills would probably expand further…

For now, I had to do the legwork myself.

Now this is fascinating.

A light of admiration flashed through Megus's eyes as he examined the Cursed Tombstone.

A formula that rewrites the structure of the corporeal soul… preserving rank while altering the record itself?

Sss…

Megus stroked the tombstone.

His blue eyes flared brighter and brighter.

A structure that artificially twists the soul-fractal phenomenon. So such a thing was possible. No—if one forces a formula together it can be realized, but whether the return matches the investment…

"Hold it."

Can we stop the incomprehensible monologue right there?

I became somewhat absorbed. Having discovered such an interesting object.

"Think you can improve it?"

Just five A-grade magic stones, if you please.

Five magic stones materialized from empty air and dropped before Megus.

High-density mana drained from the stones and soaked into the stele.

One of the scant few skills remaining from the countless arts Megus had mastered in life.

The fundamental alchemy skill, Mana Circuit Engraving, unfolded from a dead man's fingertips.

Crack!

Insane.

It can fuse fragmented soulstones?!

Just a little tinkering had birthed an absurdly powerful new option.