Awakened Golems

"Juwan. What the hell happened here?"

The joy of their reunion was short-lived. Juwan stared at the golems blocking the path and answered Adel.

"It's all my fault. After parting ways with you, Adel, I couldn't shake the unease, so I investigated the lab."

"And?"

"Unbelievably, they were conducting forbidden research beneath the lab."

"Human experimentation, right? I heard about it from the ones left behind in the lab."

"Yes... I told my master we had to stop it immediately, but he refused outright. Maybe he couldn't bear to waste all the effort he'd put in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so far..."

Effort? What a convenient excuse. There's no way a man who dragged his own disciples here to use as guinea pigs would stop on a single word from you.

Adel sneered inwardly.

"But even for the greater good, experimenting on human lives is wrong. So I thought... maybe if I just completed the golem's core, the experiments would end."

But at his words, Adel could only sigh.

He's still so young.

It was far too naive a solution. Juwan was a true genius, having accomplished in mere months what a grand mage had failed to achieve over long years of research.

Completing the research himself to stop the human experiments... But Julian Pader's not the type to be satisfied with just a finished core.

In the end, the golems had rampaged out of control before it could fall into Julian's hands.

"...You completed the core?"

"Yes. Of course, I couldn't make it exactly as described in the ancient grimoire. So I devised some original engravings of my own to compensate for the insufficient mana."

That in itself was astonishing. Interpreting the grimoire was challenge enough, but Juwan had gone further, creating his own unique golem core.

He's transcended mere imitation into true creation.

Adel once again thought it a shame to send such talent to the Azal Kingdom.

"How many awakened golems are there?"

"What you see is all of them."

"Good news."

But even as he said it, Juwan wore a bitter expression.

"The rest were devoured by the ancient golem."

"...How many?"

"Probably twice as many as these."

"Damn it. Kasla, Harun, Heila."

Adel clicked his tongue and gave them orders.

"Golems have high armor defense. Even Harun's greatbow won't shatter them easily. Set traps like you would for a giant beast—bring down their legs."

"Got it."

"Yes."

At his command, they moved with perfect coordination.

"Have you ever hunted giant beasts?"

"No."

Juwan stared at him blankly at the response.

"Then..."

"Hunted them? Everything except that."

Adel said as he nocked a second arrow into his Galrae Bow.

* * *

"Thunderclap Volley, ready!"

As Adel shouted and drew his bow, Harun and Kasla fired in unison at the golems, as if they'd been waiting.

Tzzzzzzzt...!!

"Detonate!"

Boom!!

Boom!!

Kaboom!!

"Eek?!"

Startled by the deafening explosions, Juwan clamped his hands over his ears.

These weren't ordinary gunpowder rounds. They were special ammunition crafted by Engineer Bucket Serpent of the Garam Archipelago from sea demon stones. Harun had brought the newly completed batch for this trip while Adel was away.

[GRRRROOOO...!!!]

Flames erupted on the head of the lead golem, making it stagger. It didn't penetrate like Adel's arrows, but the sea demon stone's power had half-destroyed its head, rendering it inoperable.

Thud...!!!

The front golem toppled, crashing into those behind it. Like dominoes, they collapsed in a chain reaction, unable to withstand the weight.

"I'll draw them in."

Heila drew her sword as she watched the falling golems. Two circular chakrams hung at her waist, which she gripped one in each hand.

Elpo's armament. Engraved with the mid god of blades' blessing. Good choice.

Adel noted the weapon she'd selected from the Bi Palace's treasures.

For someone who can't use blessings without a god contract, an engraved one is better. And the blade god will grant more power to her, who favors swords over bows.

"Hup...!!"

Heila hurled the chakrams with all her might. The two rings spun rapidly, arcing wide to target the golem's legs.

Bang!

Krunch!!

The chakrams crossed paths, shattering the golem's legs before flying back to her hands.

[Grrr...!]

[Grooo...!!]

The golems emitted eerie groans as they charged at Heila. They weren't fast, but their massive bulk let them close the distance in huge strides.

"Heila!"

Kasla's shout rang out. In perfect sync, Heila ducked as Kasla stepped on her shoulder and leaped onto the golem's head.

She clamped its neck between her legs and slammed her palm onto its crown.

Click-!!

Tiny arrows auto-loaded into the gauntlet's deployed miniature launcher.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!!

The arrows from Nazan's inherited Maisal hammered into the golem's head like nails. With each impact, cracks spread until it shattered.

"Juwan, stick with me."

"...Huh? What about the golems?"

He gestured, and Juwan blinked in confusion.

"These three will handle them."

Juwan was speechless at the reply.

"These are berserk artificial golems right now!! Even the Ivory Tower mages couldn't stop them—how can just three people..."

"We can."

Despite his worry, Adel's firm tone left no room for argument.

"Tell them not to get in our way."

Adel raised his voice deliberately so the watching mages could hear. They scowled but couldn't retort. Unlike them, who couldn't handle even one, these three had already smashed several.

"You know the location?"

"Yes. I marked it with mana residue. We can track it."

Whoosh-!!

Adel shrugged off his hovering cloak and tossed it out.

Shhhhwiiiish---!!!!

He grabbed Juwan like a fish on a line and leaped onto the fabric.

"W-whoaaaah!!"

The two rocketed toward Titan's Anvil at blinding speed.

* * *

"Juwan, have you seen Brother Bin by any chance? High chance he passed through here."

"Ah... Yes. When I told him I met you on the train, Adel, he gave me some candy made from desert fruit."

Clinging tightly to Adel's back atop the hurtling hovering cloak, Juwan spoke with his eyes squeezed shut.

"He treated you like a kid. Didn't recognize the Ivory Tower's genius."

"Hehe, it was delicious."

Adel cracked a faint smile at the unexpected reply.

A reaction I'd never see in my previous life. The accident happened, but maybe it's still better than before...

There had been casualties from the ancient golem's sudden assault, but it was still better than the previous timeline's catastrophe.

Above all, the academy trainees didn't end up as sacrificial lambs.

An accident was worlds apart from premeditated murder. And as a result, Juwan hadn't broken mentally.

Judging Julian Pader's crimes can wait.

Adel knew one more hurdle remained. No matter the sins, a master was still a master. Acknowledging his atrocities wouldn't be easy.

"How long ago did Brother Bin leave?"

"About a fortnight. He went with his companions."

"...Companions?"

Adel tilted his head.

Who would travel with him?

Bin was so unassuming even among his siblings that Adel didn't know him well. Their previous life paths hadn't crossed notably. At best, he'd inferred his talent from leftover logs.

I learned later, but while the other brothers had gods of hunting and blades for combat, Bin alone bore the blessing of Lilarion, the god of glory.

Lilarion shared the lineage of radiance with the pure-blood god of the Nell Church and the Sun Kingdom's solar deity.

Top-tier even among radiance gods. But honestly, no one knows if Brother Bin truly contracted him.

A high god's contractor would leave some mark. Their deeds became achievements, fueling the god's power.

For now... I just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hope he's alive.

Adel gazed tensely at Titan's Anvil, the gorge's central plateau.

Rumble...

Then it appeared. Amid the massive boulder jutting like a giant's anvil, blue ghostly lights gleamed.

Chill—

Though it did nothing, the mere sight of those cold eyes made Adel's shoulders tremble.

That's the ancient golem...

He'd hunted countless foes, but this colossal monster felt different. An inexplicable dread.

He knew it stemmed from the turquoise gem embedded in its chest.

Though he'd never seen it before, Garon and Kalderet seemed to recognize the thing.

'So I just need to destroy that?'

'What's that?'

Garon murmured lowly, eyeing the colossal titan.

'You know something about it?'

'Did it work?'