Chapter 103
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Golem and Earth Mage (3)
Chirararak!
The bookshelf flipped on its own.
It stopped at the one-third mark.
That meant I could still learn two more spells.
Delighted by this, I checked the amount my magic power had increased from reading the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire.
It was 10.
So, what came next? Naturally, the effects of the new spells I'd learned.
'It's a passive skill.'
The name of the spell I'd newly acquired was Earth Hand.
It was a passive skill that boosted the power of earth magic at the cost of extra magic power consumption.
In simple terms, it was the same type as Burning Hand for fire magic or Green Thumb for plant magic.
It was useful for me, since I used earth magic frequently.
'I've learned one for now. What's next?'
Having learned the first spell, my next task was to acquire the second and third.
I focused on the voice of the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire.To find out what its next demand would be.
"To move. A rock. You must. Bear its. Weight."
I had to bear the weight of a rock?
It was a sentence that was hard to grasp right away.
So, I decided to think simply.
Based on my past experiences, the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire wasn't one to speak in riddles.
It was straightforward.
So, its current demand was probably literal.
'Maybe I should let a rock crush me.'
I wasn't entirely sure. But I had to try what came to mind first.
"Everyone, take a break."
I said that to my companions. Then, with the help of nine knights, I returned to the pile of rocks that had been the golem's body.
"When I cover my body with earth, put the heaviest-looking rock from here on top of it."
Bear and Conal heard my odd request.
They could have questioned it, but instead of asking, they responded energetically and prepared to move the rock.
It was their reliable nature, as always.
While the nine knights positioned themselves around the large stone, I cast Hard Shell.
A spell that wrapped the body in earth to protect against external attacks.
Its defense was solid enough that even piling a rock on top should hold up fine.
Kugung.
Right after casting Hard Shell.
Earth surged from the ground, forming a wall.
Soon, I was trapped inside a dome-shaped barrier.
All that was left was to hope this was the right method.
As I waited with that thought...
Kung!
A heavy thud echoed from above my head.
It seemed the nine knights had successfully placed the rock on the earthen wall covering my body.Now, it was time to check if I'd done the right thing.
"Endure."
Hearing the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire's voice, it seemed my idea had been correct, thankfully.
I stayed put calmly.
Hard Shell showed no signs of collapsing.
About ten minutes passed in that state?
Finally, the words I'd been waiting for came.
"Mm. Sufficient."
The moment I heard that, I ordered the knights to remove the rock from above my head. And in that situation, the Grimoire's pages began flipping rapidly, just like before.
Tuk.
The Grimoire, which had been turning on its own, stopped.
The pages halted at the two-thirds mark.
What spell would I learn this time?
As I waited curiously, information about a new spell flooded my mind.
'Rock Throw?'
Rock Throw
Mana Cost: 48
The Great Tall Mountain Grimoire's second spell was Rock Throw.
As the name implied, it was a technique for hurling large stones, more powerful than Stone Spike.
Mana cost was 48.
But since reading the Grimoire had boosted my magic power by 50, it wasn't much of a burden.
'Not bad.'
With that thought, I dispelled Hard Shell.
The defensive wall that had safely protected me lost its rigidity and crumbled away powerlessly.I was able to step out.
"Are you alright, sir?" "Yeah, perfectly fine."
After answering Bear's question. I issued new orders to the nine knights.
"Sir Bear and Sir Conal, rest easy like the other members. The rest of you, keep watch on the surroundings."
I ordered Bear and Conal to rest, and Gilbert and the undead knights to stand guard.
For the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire's final demand.
I didn't need their help for that.
It was simple enough to handle alone.
"That which. Has no. Name. Does not. Move. Thus, mold. A doll. From earth. And give. It a name."
Molding a doll from earth.
I'd done something like this before.
It was the Damp Earth Grimoire's demand.
So, I was confident.
'Let's start by making some mana clay.'
The soil here was too dry to shape into a doll.
That's why I planned to make mana clay instead.
Plus, crafting the doll with a grimoire might even please the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire.
It was worth a shot.
"What is he doing?"
"Who knows? I'm no mage.""Magic is just so fascinating no matter how many times I see it."
The companions chattered softly while watching Heros.
They were curious about what he was up to.Anyone would be intrigued by the sight of him wrapping his body in an earthen wall and piling a rock on top.
"Looks like he's making something out of earth this time?"
"Kinda like sculpting a doll...""He's learning another new spell, right?"
The group continued discussing Heros.
It was possible because he treated the members so casually.
Of course, they never crossed the line.
They'd face Bear and Conal's wrath if they did.
Even without those two, the outcome would be the same.
A mage who casually wielded devastating spells like they were meals.
Who would dare badmouth him?
Just moments ago, Heros had shown his true prowess against the golem, so none in the group looked down on him.
"That golem earlier looked insanely tough."
"If Heros wasn't here, we'd all be dead."
"Nah, not that bad. We've got the knights."
"Still feels like we'd die anyway."
"Yeah. How do you beat a rock?"
"Right? Punching it would just hurt my hand more."
As they chatted about the golem. One of them pointed toward Heros and spoke.
"Looks like he's done."
Heros, who had been kneading the earth on the ground.
He stood up.
And the Grimoire placed in front of him began moving on its own, just like before.
Its pages started flipping rapidly.
"Oh! Doesn't that mean it worked?"
"Yeah. I asked him last time, and he said if the pages turn on their own, you've successfully learned the spell.""I wanna learn a spell too."
Heros reading a Grimoire.
The group had seen it before, so they weren't too surprised to witness him acquiring a new spell.
It was because they knew so little about magic.
If a mage had been there, they would have been shocked.
A Grimoire containing three spells.
They'd know how incredibly difficult it was to master it on the spot.
"Huh? The book's gone."
"Means he learned all the spells inside.""Guess it's time to head out soon."
The Grimoire now showed its back cover.
It soon turned to dust and vanished.
Watching this, the companions realized Heros had mastered all the spells within.
At that moment.
Sruruk.
Suddenly, a rock in front of Heros began moving on its own.
Earth gathered around it, quickly forming a human shape.
It was a golem.
Smaller than the one they'd just fought, but definitely the same type of monster.
"Wha-what?"
"Battle stations!""Protect Sir Heros!"
The golem reappearing out of nowhere.
Startled, the companions jumped to their feet.
Bear and Conal flinched and hurriedly moved toward Heros.
But they soon slowed down.
Gilbert and the undead knights were unfazed.
Meaning the new golem wasn't an enemy.
And as if confirming their guess, Heros spoke up.
"I summoned it. Everyone, relax."
The Great Tall Mountain Grimoire's final spell.
It was Doll Sculpting.
The name might make it sound trivial, but surprisingly, this summoned a golem.
I'd suspected it held golem creation magic after seeing the mystical phenomenon it manifested.
But to think it really did!
"Nice."
I looked at the golem I'd created.
Oh, by the way, I named it Giant.
About the same height as Gilbert, its body of stone and earth looked incredibly sturdy at a glance.
The materials used were three: rock, mana clay, and a red gem.
I shaped its body with stone and earth, and used the mana-infused gem as its core.
Similar structure to Body Sculpting.
Rock for bones, mana clay for flesh, red gem for heart.
'Giant looks more human-like than Master's golem.'
With that thought, I observed Giant.
I planned to openly travel with this guy.
The black mages of Eremus probably didn't know I could handle golems yet.
So, even if I brought it along, they wouldn't immediately figure out my identity.
And honestly, even if they did, it wouldn't matter.
I'd hidden my identity to avoid hassle, not out of fear of black mages.
If they attacked, I'd just counter.
'Alright, now that I've finished the Grimoire, let's tally up how much my magic power increased.'
I ran the numbers in my head.
From reading the Great Tall Mountain Grimoire, I'd gained a total of 160 magic power.
Then, from Doll Sculpting to create Giant.
Maintaining its summon and enhancing it cost a fixed 116.
So, effectively, only 44 of the 160 was usable.
'That's a hefty fixed mana drain.'
My total magic power was 1,515.
But between familiars and passive skills, over half was fixed expenditure.
Leaving me with 691 usable.
Not a small amount, but still regrettable.
So, my target remained Grimoires.
The easiest way to boost magic power.
Plus, there was another reason I needed new ones.
'I need more spells to meet the Craving Grimoire's demands.'
I currently knew 35 spells.
Fifteen more, and I could fulfill the Craving Grimoire's request.Its demand was the same as before.
"Acquire fifty or more spells: Pass. Fewer than fifty: Fail."
Acquiring 50 or more spells. So, if I succeeded in meeting the Craving Grimoire's demand, I'd get a huge magic power reward, just like the first time.
'Time to buckle down.'
I planned to diligently learn more spells going forward.
So that when I reunited with Master someday, he wouldn't be disappointed in me.