Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: The Ultimate Golem
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"Master! Did everything go well?"
Oson's face bloomed into a wide smile.
'The more I see him, the cuter he gets.'
Do-jae smiled and patted Oson's shoulder.
It felt really good to have someone welcome him back.
"More or less. But you've made quite a lot in such a short time."
Do-jae turned his gaze toward the piles of weapons.
Considering he had only been gone for two or three days, it was a considerable amount.
"That's just one day's worth! We're just getting started!"
"You made all this in one day?"
Do-jae couldn't hide his surprise as he picked up a bow from a carelessly stacked pile.
[Equipment Information]
Name: Iron Bow
Type: Bow
Description: A bow crafted by a skilled dwarven blacksmith. Made from metal, it is durable and long-lasting. It was left unnamed for mass production.
Effects: Attack Power +30 / Durability +10 / Movement Speed +5
Skill: Rapid Fire Lv. Max
'To think it has the same stats as the Harpy Queen's Plume...'
A bow made in a single day had the same stats as the 'Harpy Queen's Plume' he had acquired from hunting the Harpy Queen in the past.
It was a testament to the incredible skill of the dwarves.
"This is amazing. Do all the weapons piled up over there have stats like this?"
"There might be slight variations, but most of them are around that level. I'm not satisfied with them myself... *Heh*, if only we had more time, we could have made truly great weapons! My apologies, Master!"
Oson said, disappointed.
It seemed that to the dwarves, stats of this level were considered subpar.
"No, no. That's not what I meant. It's just that they're too good to be used and thrown away."
"Not at all! It's only because the ores you gave us are of the highest quality; crafting them isn't that difficult. For now, we've prioritized quantity, so everyone has set aside their pride to focus on production."
Oson looked at the dwarven blacksmiths with pity.
He had heard that dwarves destroyed any creations they deemed unartistic on the spot.
Yet, they were forging these plain, unadorned weapons without so much as a frown.
"They're working hard... By the way, Oson. Are you busy?"
"...To be honest, I haven't slept a wink since you left, Master."
"Is that so..."
Hearing Oson's words, he did look quite tired.
After all, building this much infrastructure in such a short time would have left no time for sleep.
"But why do you ask?"
"I have a job for you."
"What is it? I, Oson Ironhammer, will do anything you command, Master!"
"You said you were busy."
"I've just heard that the tribes from the Tarq Mountains are on their way here. They're relatively close, so they should arrive in about three days. I have a trustworthy friend in Hanton Village who I can appoint as a supervisor."
Indeed, Do-jae had noticed that the temple, which originally housed only a few dwarves and gray elves, was now filled to the brim.
Do-jae was satisfied with the speed at which Sarieta and Oson handled things.
'Well, the fate of the continent is at stake.'
Oson was one thing, but Sarieta had personally suffered a heartbreaking tragedy at the hands of monsters.
Therefore, her sense of responsibility for the war preparations would be greater than anyone's.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were uniting the different races, who had been at odds since the Hundred Years' War, so quickly revealed a new side to Sarieta and Oson.
"So it's difficult for you right now?"
"As you can see, other races are continuously joining us, so we'll need to create space outside the temple as well. So for the time being..."
"I understand. Let's talk after the dwarves from the Tarq Mountains arrive. I have something for you to do."
"Yes, sir!"
Do-jae decided to postpone the construction of Eurabia's temple for a few days.
He needed to visit Herteias's and Briareus's lairs anyway, and he also had to take Harkes to the rainforest.
"Oson, where did Sarieta go?"
"Hmm... She said she was heading east. To revisit the villages she passed on her way here."
"I see. And Mangol went with her?"
"That's right."
Do-jae searched for Mangol's presence.
He could faintly sense Mangol from a great distance.
Just as Oson had said, he seemed to be somewhere to the east.
"For now, I have to go back to a few places. There are things I need to prepare. It probably won't take long."
"Understood! I'll see you when you get back!"
"But there's a problem. Elatra's blessing. It's gone."
"Does that mean?"
Oson stroked his beard and looked toward the temple entrance with a worried expression.
That's right.
Now that the blessing was gone, the temple could be attacked by monsters at any moment.
"For now, I plan to leave all my golems here."
"Ooh! In that case, I'm relieved!"
Oson sighed in relief.
Oson already knew how powerful Do-jae's golems were.
"I'm not too worried since Atk-gol and Def-gol are here... But since this place is likely to become a key base, I want to make it more secure before I leave."
Atk-gol, Def-gol.
And the hundred or so golems waiting in his subspace.
With their current forces, they could easily clear even an A-rank dungeon by Earth's standards.
However, he couldn't be completely at ease because of the beings known as Apostates.
He needed something to guarantee their safety more definitively.
"So, if you have any of the best ores among the ones I gave you, bring them to me."
"Oh, as a matter of fact, I stayed up all night sorting them. Follow me."
Oson walked ahead.
Do-jae followed, his heart filled with anticipation.
***
"For now, we're using this place as a warehouse."
Next to the temple entrance.
They descended a staircase into the basement.
A vast underground space with tall pillars appeared.
"I didn't know a place like this existed."
The ceiling was at least thirty meters high, and the space was large enough to fit several soccer fields.
In a very small section, the various ores Do-jae had provided were sorted by type.
Oson pointed to one side with a greedy expression.
"These are the legendary top-grade ores. They're far superior to the Thornium ore you gave me before!"
Following Oson, he moved a short distance to the side and saw a pile of stones stacked waist-high.
It was only a tiny fraction of the total, but he could see with his own eyes that they were distinctly different from the other piled ores.
"I feel a little bad, like I'm taking back what I gave you. But I need to use this for your safety."
"Yes, sir. These ores are so precious that I was hesitant to use them without permission. I was going to ask you about it, so this works out perfectly!"
Do-jae nodded and picked up one of the ores.
As he examined it closely, information about the ore appeared.
[Item Information]
Name: Mirdum
Type: Ore
Description: 1.23 kg. The hardest substance. Reacts with all energies in the world. Can absorb and release the energies it reacts with. Not formed in ordinary environments; created over hundreds of years as abundant mana permeates it in conditions of extreme cold and infernal heat.
Effects: Mana Absorption / Mana Emission / Mana Reflection / Mana Condensation / Self-Regeneration
"Hoh! Indeed... Making a weapon or armor out of this would be insane."
Do-jae exclaimed in admiration, stroking the ore.
No specific values were listed, but its description was worthy of being called legendary.
"That's right! If all the blacksmiths from my village worked on it for a hundred days and nights, we would undoubtedly forge a magnificent piece of equipment!"
"Right. And if it were imbued with divinity on top of that..."
A piece of equipment beyond imagination would be born.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of investing that much time and effort right now.
Besides, the effectiveness of a weapon or armor depends on its wielder.
If Do-jae used it, its effects would be maximized, but if an ordinary dwarf or gray elf wielded a weapon made from it, the effect would be minimal.
"Oson, step back for a moment."
Oson, who had been staring at the Mirdum ore as if mesmerized, snapped back to his senses.
He hastily backed away from the pile of Mirdum.
*Vwoom—.*
*Shhk—.*
Do-jae took a cubic red gem from his subspace.
The gem, which emitted a brilliant light, was a crystal containing an immense amount of mana.
It was the Dragon Heart left behind by Briareus's grandfather.
"O-o-oh! Th-that is!"
The sharp-eyed Oson was astonished, nearly fainting.
Among mana stones, a Dragon Heart was in a league of its own.
Most dragons returned the mana they had accumulated over their lifetimes to the world just before they died, so it was rare to see a Dragon Heart unless one hunted and killed a dragon.
But hunting a dragon was no easy task.
Hunting a hatchling would incur the wrath of its entire species, so it was out of the question. That meant one would have to hunt an adult dragon or a wyrm, but few nations could muster enough Master-class knights and Aura Users to do so.
Furthermore, books stated that the hunting of wyrms was only theoretical, not based on confirmed information.
And Ancient-class dragons were considered immeasurable.
That was why an Ancient-class Dragon Heart was so precious that one might doubt if any had ever circulated in the world.
"This might be the first Ancient Dragon Heart to ever appear in this world."
"An... Ancient Dragon..."
Oson's eyes rolled back in his head as he drooled.
He had nearly fainted just imagining the masterpieces he could create with a Dragon Heart, so it was only natural for him to react this way upon hearing it was from an Ancient Dragon.
Do-jae himself would have lost his mind if he saw a room filled to the brim with hundred-dollar bills.
Of course, that was in the past.
Now that he was financially free, it wouldn't affect him as much.
"I'm now going to summon a golem using this Dragon Heart as its core."
"A Dragon Heart as the core... Mirdum as the material... *Gurgle*."
Oson foamed at the mouth.
He seemed to think it was a waste for these incredible stones to become a golem.
After all, the only golems Oson had seen were used for transportation or were half-destroyed by skeletons.
Honestly, only Do-jae knew that with just his four black golems, he could hunt a young adult dragon or a hatchling, though a wyrm might be too much.
*Thud—.*
Do-jae carefully placed the Dragon Heart on the pile of Mirdum.
Well, even if he threw it against a wall with all his might, the Dragon Heart wouldn't get a single scratch, but he felt the need to be careful anyway.
*Tap. Tap.*
Do-jae wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, looking at the Dragon Heart and Mirdum with a tense gaze.
"*Phew*... I can't wait to see what kind of incredible thing will be born."
A golem's initial level and stats were determined by the grade of the materials and the mana stone used as its core.
The only slight disappointment was that his Golem Summon skill was currently at level 9.
He wanted to raise it to the master level, but just getting from level 8 to 9 had required him to summon and dismiss his golems countless times.
Deciding to be satisfied with this, Do-jae composed himself.
Then, in a calm voice, he called out.
"Golem Summon!"
*Rumble—.*
The chunks of Mirdum began to move, converging around the Dragon Heart.
An incredible golem was about to be born