Magically Modified Golems (1)

"Why are so many people looking for me?"

I had only logged onto the Free Registry to find a clue about the Enlightenment of 'Auxiliary Expansion,' which I needed to modify my golem with Mana Absorption.

Yet, there was an suspiciously high number of posts looking for me.

"What did I even do?"

It felt like I had become a plaything for these Magic Tower Masters who had way too much time on their hands.

I guess I should throw them some bait again.

With that thought, I wrote a post.

One particular comment caught my eye.

It might not be a normal zombie?

Prompted by those words, I searched various keywords related to the 187th dimension, but unfortunately, nothing came up except for the posts I had written myself.

Along with a warning stating, 'Anonymous users are difficult to search.'

At this rate, even if there really was something out there, I'd have no way of knowing.

A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.

It felt as though there might be a completely different, hidden cause behind this sudden and unnatural zombie apocalypse.

But even if I agonized over it now, there was absolutely nothing I could do.

Whew... For now, I should just focus on what I set out to do.

Sighing with this tiny, child-like body felt incredibly ridiculous.

Right.

What I needed to do right now was upgrade my golem further to defeat the magic-using special zombie nearby.

And to investigate those supposed traces of human survivors.

It wouldn't be too late to think about what comes after once that was done.

I compiled the various replies and old informative posts that were worth referencing, jotting them down on a blank piece of paper I had scavenged from the next room.

What I gathered from these materials was...

As expected, it seemed highly possible to strengthen a golem in various ways through Magic Modification.

To think I'm still taking notes even in a situation like this.

When I previously transformed the wooden golem into a beautiful girl—no, a Magic Stone golem—the number of Mana Cores I placed inside the magic circle wasn't just one.

The principle behind granting auxiliary magic to a golem seemed to involve creating multiple smaller magic circles centered around those additionally inserted Mana Cores.

It would probably be best to test this out while crafting a new golem.

After all, having multiple allies would definitely be better than just having one.

"Silent Veil."

I cast Silent Veil over the entire territory of the Magic Tower.

Truthfully, there was no real need to shout out the activation phrase like casting a skill in a game.

But doing so made it feel just a tiny bit easier to manipulate mana, so I did it anyway.

The material I would use this time was also Magic Stone.

Since breaking the walls or anything else would be a disaster, I headed to one of the empty rooms that the golem had cleared out.

In the dusty, vacant room, only a sink and a single bed sat desolately.

This is my Magic Stone manufacturing plant now.

I didn't even need to pour water anymore.

Nor did I have to break any bowls.

"I wonder if this will work?"

I still couldn't control my output very ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠well, but since I had gotten quite used to mana manipulation, there was something I wanted to try.

Since I had already set up the silence barrier, it wouldn't matter if things got a little noisy.

A sort of basic double-casting.

First, I placed a tiny pebble, no larger than a cookie crumb, on the floor.

Using multi-element magic, I conjured a small stream of water from my fingertips and let it flow downward.

While doing that, I channeled mana into the water with my other hand.

Thud!

The pebble touched by the flowing water shot up like a bamboo shoot, growing into a massive pillar of Magic Stone.

It grew so incredibly fast.

Though there was the minor issue of it lodging itself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slightly into the ceiling...

But then, a thought suddenly struck me.

The problem with this multi-element magic was that each individual element's power was weak.

But wouldn't the scale of the magic increase if I simply crammed more mana into it?

I walked over to the empty sink.

First, I plugged the drain.

Then, feeling as if I were shouting at the top of my lungs from a mountain peak, I concentrated the mana in my body to the tips of my fingers.

Pouring all my strength into it, I managed to produce about two cups' worth of water.

That's underwhelming.

It felt like attaching a massive industrial pump to a pipe the size of a rat's tail.

I wondered if I needed to reinforce it.

The reinforcement only affected the synergy aspect.

Just in case, I used my remaining experience points to raise its level to 4, but it was the same.

"So, just how much better did the synergy get?"

When I tested it with a maximum output Water-Plant synergy...

Instead of a few noodle-thin vines, a mass of vines large enough to completely fill one of the giant flowerpots at my parents' house sprouted up.

"I'm basically a druid at this point."

Except for the fact that the grown plants withered and died in an instant.

For the record, the vines grown this way tasted absolutely awful.

I decided that was enough experimenting.

Heading back to the Magic Stone pillar, I began drawing the magic circle for the new golem.

Unlike Unit 1, who was my main damage dealer, Unit 2 was going to be built as a supporter. To make her a bit lighter, I reduced the Magic Stone content.

In return, there was one additional ingredient to add.

Gold.

According to a post I had read earlier, gold had a mana-amplifying effect.

I chipped off a few pieces of gold left over from the previous Magic Tower upgrade and placed them on top of the Magic Stone.

Since the goal is for her to operate stably over long periods and support Unit 1...

I brought over the leftover Mana Dye.

I drew various runes, this time focusing heavily on durability and mana capacity.

Then, I gathered all my remaining Mana Cores to install them.

"Hmm... Do I cast Golem Creation again centered on this?"

I stared at the Mana Core embedded near the edge of the magic circle, rather than at its center.

If I used Golem Creation again through this Mana Core, it felt like it would just result in creating a completely separate golem.

That was when a thought occurred to me.

Where does a golem's ego come from?

There must be a section within this magic circle that configures the golem's artificial intelligence.

If I removed that part, wouldn't it become an auxiliary part that the existing golem could control at will?

Just as I would check an opponent's mana for Mana Absorption, I swept my own mana across the magic circle.

They said my Mana Detection ability had improved after upgrading the Magic Tower, and indeed, with just a little concentration, I could feel the mana flowing through the magic circle to some extent.

The Rune of Strength formed the circuit that generated the golem's physical power.

The path where mana flowed from the core, circulated through the runes, and exited.

And the outermost edge of the magic circle that controlled all of it.

This is it!

I cast 'Golem Creation' once more, centered on the auxiliary Mana Core.

Then, I erased the outer edge responsible for the golem's control from the newly formed small magic circle, and connected the remaining portion to the original magic circle.

With that, the two magic circles merged seamlessly, as if they had been one from the very beginning.

However, as it stood, it would just be a golem with a slightly peculiar magic circle.

Instead of completing the golem right then, I opened the Magic Modification window again.

As expected, the Enlightenment conditions were met.

Without a moment's hesitation, I pressed the learn button.

I guess the Rune of Absorption can only be engraved on the auxiliary magic circle.

I engraved the Rune of Absorption across the entire auxiliary magic circle, stabilized the mana, and completed the second golem.

A pure white light burst forth, and out stepped a girl with a short, golden bob cut.

I guess she had blonde hair because I added gold.

Perhaps because I had engraved fewer Runes of Strength than last time, her build and chest size were smaller than Unit 1's.

However, she was similarly dressed in nothing but a thin, school-swimsuit-like leotard.

"Hello."

The golem greeted me in a voice that sounded somewhat sweeter and gentler.

Naming them was too much of a hassle.

I'd just keep calling the blue-haired one Unit 1, and this one Unit 2.

"From now on, you are Unit 2."

I spent some time explaining the current situation, the zombies, and Unit 1 to Unit 2.

"...Understood."

Time for a test, then.

There were about two Mana Cores left in the box.

"Try absorbing mana from these Mana Cores."

Normally, golems charged by inserting Mana Cores directly into their bodies, much like swapping out batteries.

But since Unit 2 was equipped with an auxiliary magic circle containing the power of 'Mana Absorption', she should be able to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠siphon it even if the source of mana was at a distance.

Just as I thought.

In just three seconds, the golem completely sucked the two Mana Cores dry, patting her waist as if she were full.

"I believe I can rapidly absorb mana from other magical lifeforms, including zombies, as well as mana batteries."

Unit 2 calmly explained her capabilities.

"Good."

This alone was excellent, but it wasn't my final goal.

After confirming her performance, I opened my status window.

Using the experience points I had recovered while creating Unit 2, I reinforced my Basic Multi-Element Magic to Level 5.

Sure enough, just as I had anticipated, the modification option for Basic Multi-Element Magic appeared in the Magic Modification window.

I knew it.

Now, the preparations were complete.

I needed to call Unit 1 over as well and perform some major work.

I might have to spend all of tomorrow fine-tuning the golems.

While I was catching my breath with those thoughts, Unit 1, who had been in another room, approached me first.

"Is this my subordinate?"