About Death (5)
I'd been digging down through a world made entirely of black rock for quite some time when I finally paused to catch my breath. By smashing the rock barehanded, piling up the fragments to form stairs, and repeating the process over and over, I'd managed to reach a point that would take an ordinary person a full day of nonstop walking.
Hmm... nice. This seems like a good spot to set up a gateway. It's the road to the afterlife, after all—if it's just an empty path with no challenges, wouldn't that be boring? And of course, there needs to be something guarding that gateway!
I gathered the fragments from the shattered rock, mashed them together, and started carving away. For the image... how about a knight in armor? Even though there's no actual armor or knights around here yet! A black rock knight that looks tough and angular, intimidating at first glance. Strong enough that no normal human would even think of picking a fight. Well, sure, the proportions aren't exactly human-like, but as an image, it's a robot. Specifically, one of those black robots etched vividly in my memory.
From that mecha anime where the protagonist's robot starts as an enemy but becomes an ally after a bunch of dramatic events—I carved the rock with that in mind. Of course, I couldn't make it exactly the same. Just borrowing the overall vibe. Big and powerful. Shoulders and legs disproportionately huge. Arms smaller than those, but still massive compared to the head. A sturdy torso. And lots of sharp, pointed edges everywhere for that fierce, predatory look.
And just like that, a ten-meter-tall black knight took shape. Perfect. The basic form is done, so now for the details that aren't so obvious. I levitated it with mana to carve the back, grooved the soles so it wouldn't slip... Hmm. But it's all one color—kinda plain. The chest feels especially bland. Maybe mix in designs from other robots? Let's engrave a lion on the chest, like that destruction machine from the protagonist's robot series that looks like a final boss despite being the hero's ride.
Tail and wings? Nah, no need—it's just guarding this place. The knee drills will do. Good. Way more dynamic now. Time to add some color. Dark red on the insteps, forearms, and shoulders. Oh, and the head too. Gold accents on the knees and the lion's chest. For the eyes... red fits best. Gotta give off that terrifying guardian-of-the-underworld vibe. Angular robot face, not human-like. And the most important part: the horns. V-shaped, slanting outward from the forehead... gold? Red? I debated internally, but robot horns scream gold to me. Sure, white or red could work too, but that's just my personal taste.
Once I'd decided on the colors, I painted the black knight with magic. Dark red... RGB 133, 0, 8? HEX #850008. Hmm, kinda brownish-red. Evokes dried blood—enough to make anyone's heart skip just looking at it. For gold, I thinly transmuted the black rock in those spots into actual gold plating. Nice. Better than I imagined. Intimidating, powerful. The lion on the chest came out great... uh... wait... hmm.
I swear I was going for an underworld gatekeeper vibe, but how did I end up with a badass robot instead? Ugh... oh well! Too late now—it's done! Smashing it to start over would be a waste. Underworld gatekeeper. Black Knight of the Netherworld! Complete! Oh, but it needs a weapon, right? It's not gonna rocket punch or shoot lasers or anything. Weapon... hmm. Same black rock as the body, coated in black iron! What kind? Sword? Axe? Spear? One-handed sword and shield? Massive two-hander... Yeah! Two-handed sword it is!
A greatsword bigger than itself. The kind that could split the earth on a downward swing! Point it forward, and it'd be straight out of a hero's sword style manual. I quarried a big chunk from nearby rock, stood it on edge, and carved meticulously. Big and crude. But sharp. Ornamentation later—make the blade and hilt one piece for now. No scabbard needed. After diligent work, a massive two-handed sword emerged. Too big to really call a sword. Enormously thick and heavy—like an iron maul would suit it better. Inspiration from the protagonist's greatsword in that one manga, obviously. The dwarves might get mad calling this a sword, but whatever.
I coated the rough stone sword in black iron, sharpened the edge, and engraved intricate reliefs on the sides: helpless skulls bound in chains, unable to move. Designs to strike terror into any viewer. Only then did I smile in satisfaction. And since it's black iron, it'll slice through anything. Perfect.
I placed the finished sword in the black knight's hand and infused it with mana. And with that, the knight moved.
Lycren pressed on through the cave of black rock. Relying on the light from the mana stone in his hand, he walked without rest. How much time had passed? About a day after passing the door, the narrow, winding tunnel began to widen into a vast plaza. And at the far end of that plaza stood a giant.
No, this was different from the giants he'd encountered before. The first guardian of the underworld, as described by the sage of the deep forest. Obsidian Colossus. Talos. With its red eyes, it monitored every soul heading to the afterlife—the vigilant watcher of the underworld, and the blade that severed any who disturbed it.
The moment Lycren spotted it, he extinguished his mana stone's light and held his breath. Seeing the black rock colossus scan the passage with its crimson gaze, he swallowed dryly from sheer tension—without realizing it—and the faint sound of his throat moving echoed.
At that instant, the red eyes turned toward Lycren.
A chilling crimson gaze that seemed to pierce everything. Realizing he couldn't evade it, Lycren tensed fully and gripped the item in his bosom.
The Adventures of Hero Lycren.
Now this black knight would be my first golem, powered by my mana. Hmm. Golem. That's key. A massive rock coming to life on its own? Pure fantasy romance! Ah, my thoughts wandered. Focus on the black knight.
Let's see. Add a function to automatically absorb ambient mana for storage as fuel. A regeneration spell in case of damage. I could make it indestructible, but there's something special about these robots getting wrecked and coming back! Total destruction's no fun, though, so regeneration it is!! For its gatekeeper role, scanning eyes to detect intruders. Tune the output for strength and agility. Give it enough intelligence to assess situations and repel invaders. A robot that regenerates from damage, spots enemies with its gaze, moves with unnatural speed for its size, and lands heavy blows with every strike... The golem was complete.
As a finisher, to counter any potential intrusion from Erebos, add darkness surveillance. Like mana-based night vision! Detect mana signatures too! And coat it to damage darkness itself—Erebos won't like that. No need for extra special functions... unless I want a combiner robot later. Mecha combinations are peak romance, after all.
Rumble rumble... The black rock knight rose to its feet. Good. Time for a name. Hmm... Big statue, so Colossus? Nah, boring. Black Rock Colossus... sounds like wuxia. Giant. Colossus of Rhodes. Hmm... That's it. Talos! Perfect! From Greek myth—the bronze giant made by Hephaestus!
"Your name shall be Talos. How's that?"
The intelligent Talos nodded slightly. And so, the crimson-eyed colossus Talos was born.
Alright, then... "I give you your first command."
Talos stood tall, ready for any order. I chuckled softly and said,
"Use that sword to smash the rock and dig downward!!"
The perfect tireless miner was complete.