Chapter 60
On the day the monsters of Yuguru Great Forest, I returned to the depths and went to sleep.
I feel tired already, for some reason.
How many times do I have to repeat the same mistakes to be satisfied…?
Well, in the end, things are rolling in a good direction, but still…
Come to think of it, my boss in my previous life used to say,
『It’s okay to make mistakes. Learn from them and make use of it in the next step.』
………… Yeah. I haven’t made use of it.
What is this indescribable feeling…?
Oh, by the way, those evolved guys asked me to give them names.
Well, since I’ll be relying on them from now on, it’s inconvenient for them to not have names, so I gave them names.
Snake is Su.
Monkey is Mon.
Dog is Feru.
Spider is Taran.
Is what I named each one of them.
With this, they have officially turned into subordinate of mine.
Because of that, my magical power was suddenly drained, and I became quite tired.
Let’s sleep.
Sleep and let’s do our best again from tomorrow.
Goodnight.
And then, the next day.
Good morning.
I messed up quite a bit yesterday.
I need to reflect on it.
Mistakes must be used as lessons.
So today, I want to focus on making golems as usual.
First of all, I embed magic stones into the molds created by the drawing mannequin-type golems from yesterday.
After a few seconds, the embedded drawing mannequin-type golems start moving.
Perhaps due to the simplicity of their construction, the drawing mannequin-type golems only require me to handle the finishing part, which is embedding the magic stones, and they will function properly.
This further enhances the efficiency of my work.
The drawing mannequin-type golems and the antlings have already dug up a sufficient amount of magic stones, so I can use those.
In no time, all the drawing mannequin-type golems start moving.
『This is convenient and easy.』
I instruct several drawing mannequin-type golems to prepare molds for more golems.
Also, to excavate more magic stones.
Looking at it, the repair of the dungeon seems to be progressing quite well, even though it has only been two days.
Well, it makes sense.
Unlike humans, golems don’t experience fatigue.
They work around the clock.
Their work speed is extraordinary.
However, unlike the golem homunculi, the drawing mannequin-type golems don’t receive magical energy supply from me, and they can’t absorb magic energy on their own.
So, once the magic power of the embedded magic stone runs out, they will stop functioning.
It might sound harsh, but they are disposable golems.
Still, according to Elibel’s estimation, they can operate for up to a month.
The discarded drawing mannequin-type golems can be crushed again, turned into molds, and have magic stones embedded to make them move again.
Yes, it’s convenient.
Next, I’ll prepare some simple tools for them to use.
Regular pickaxes, shovels, and wheel barrow that don’t require magic stones.
Since they don’t use magic stones, I can make them much faster than golems.
I hand the tools I made to the drawing mannequin-type golems.
With this, it should be good.
I leave the rest of the work to the antlings and the drawing mannequin-type golems and dive into the teleportation gate to move.
Today, I have arrived at the wetland where Una is conducting her investigation.
It’s called the Lena Wetlands, apparently.
In terms of location, it’s right next to the Yuguru Great Forest.
As far as the eye can see, there’s a vast expanse of wetlands.
The climate here is quite calm.
『Hmm, it’s a beautiful view. It would be even better if it has some mist in it.』
The location of the teleportation gate is on a relatively large rock amidst numerous rock formations in the wetlands.
Since the wetlands weren’t suitable for creating a dungeon, Elibel left the teleportation gate in place and abandoned it.
Well, it’s all mud here. Not suitable for digging.
There are also very few signs of monsters.
Una investigated and said that there are only intermediate-class monsters at best, even if they are strong.
And she mentioned seeing several migratory birds-like creatures.
『Now, where is Una…?』
I activate my magic sense.
Hmm, she’s quite close.
I look around, but I don’t see any recognizable figure.
There are also few obstacles here that would obstruct my line of sight.
…Hm? Ah, I see, she’s underwater.
She must be diving.
I call out to Una through thought transmission.
『Hey, Una. Sorry, but can you come out a bit?』
Then, the water right next to the rock where I’m sitting starts bubbling and foaming.
Una emerges from there.
「Phuaa!… Father!? Have you come?」
『Yeah.』
「I-I’m sorry! I should have come to greet you instead…」
As Una apologizes, she approaches me.
However, before she gets close to me, she seems to realize her condition and stops abruptly.
Una is completely drenched.
Due to being submerged in water, her áo dài clings tightly to her body’s contours.
Una already has a good figure, and when her clothes cling to her when wet, it accentuates the curves of her body even more.
It seems like she’s not wearing any underwear either.
Her golden hair, sticking to her skin, exudes a seductive charm.
「Ah… F-Father, please wait a moment. I-I’ll quickly dry my clothes…!」
Saying that, Una casts purification on herself.
Furthermore, she uses water magic to remove the moisture from her clothes and dry them.
I might be imagining it, but her face seems slightly flushed.
I silently gaze at her actions.
Una’s body contours, tightly clinging due to the water.
Seeing that, there’s only one thought that comes to mind.
Hmm… I should have paid more attention to balancing her body proportions properly.
The lines from her waist to her buttocks and the overall body proportions are still lacking.
Back then, I thought it was my greatest masterpiece, but now, I feel like I could have made it even better with a little more skill.
No, it’s not that I have any dissatisfaction with Una herself.
I have an attachment to her, and she has become an important familiar to me.
But I can’t help but think that I could create something even better now.
I constantly think about creating something better, more skillfully.
While I’m lost in those thoughts, it seems Una has finished drying her clothes.
「Sorry for the wait, Father.」
『It’s alright. By the way, what were you doing underwater?』
「I was investigating the water depth and aquatic creatures. Although there aren’t many types of monsters in this swamp, there is a considerable number of insects, plants, and microorganisms.」
『I see.』
Una sends me the data on the creatures and plants she researched through memory transmission.
Wow… There are an incredible number of them.
I’ll hand this over to Elibel later.
「By the way, why did you come here, Father? Did Elibel complete the blueprints?」
『No, she said the blueprints will be ready tomorrow. Today, I have another matter.』
「Another matter?」
『Yeah.』
There’s something I wanted to try out.
It’s something I can’t do alone.
I need Una’s assistance.
『You see, I was wondering if we could create golems using the ‘mud’ from this swamp.』
Upon hearing my words, Una tilts her head.
「Mud…?」
『Yes.』
The number of monsters in the Lena Wetlands is low.
Therefore, if we intend to use it as a dungeon, we need to prepare defensive forces.
However, it wouldn’t make sense to suddenly deploy Ann’s antlings or the golems we made in the dungeon.
It would only attract attention and create a sense of incongruity.
That’s why I thought about creating golems using the mud from this wetland.
If it’s mud, it can have an amorphous form and hide within the wetland, only appearing when necessary.
I thought it would blend seamlessly into this wetland without standing out.
However, I can’t do this alone.
After all, I can’t use magic to shape the mud into humanoid forms.
The mud here has a high moisture content, so if I try to shape it into humanoid form, it will immediately flow away.
On the other hand, if I try to solidify it by removing the moisture, it will dissolve in water once activated.
I can’t create it while keeping it in mud form.
That’s why I thought of asking Una, who can use water magic, to solidify the mud using her water magic.
I explain this to Una.
「I understand. So, I just need to mold this mud into a humanoid shape, right?」
『Can you do it?』
「Of course. If it’s mud, I can manipulate it with my water magic.」
Saying that, Una infuses magic into the mud and gradually shapes it into a humanoid form.
During that time, I give detailed instructions to Una through thought transmission about the shape and size of the golem.
Una moves the mud according to those instructions.
After a while, a golem with a size of about seven meters is completed.
『Alright, it’s almost done. We just need to embed the magic stone.』
「Will it move properly?」
『Probably, it should be fine.』
I throw the ultra-high purity magic stone that I dug in the Eld Desert, aiming it at the chest of the golem.
The magic stone hits the golem’s chest perfectly and sinks inside with a squelching sound.
Then, I infuse it with magical power.
After a few seconds, the golem starts moving.
『All right, it worked.』
「Well done, Father!」
Perhaps because I put in effort as well, Una’s voice sounds lively.
『Okay, Mud Golem! Your job is to defend this wetland! If adventurers or monsters with hostile intent appear in this wetland, repel them! Oh, and make sure to blend in with the wetland and not stand out when nothing is happening!』
The golem nods slowly and assimilates its body into the wetland.
『Well then, having just one isn’t enough as a fighting force. Let’s make a few more.』
「Yes!」
And so, until late at night, Una and I worked on making mud golems.
As a result, we were able to create thirteen mud golems in a single day.
Una seemed to understand the process better, as towards the end, she could make mud golems without my assistance.
『Una, from tomorrow onwards, I’ll rely on you to make more golems for the defense of this place.』
「Yes, leave it to me, Father!」
Una replies energetically.
Now, should we go to another location tomorrow?
With the knowledge gained from this experience, we can create various types of golems. I
If we’re near the summit of a snowy mountain, we can make snow golems, and if we’re near the crater of a volcano, we can make lava golems.
Well, since we have the opportunity, let’s make various golems tomorrow.
Snow should be manageable, but for lava, we’ll need Tres’ assistance.
「By the way, Father.」
『What is it?』
「I was just thinking, couldn’t you have initially used alchemy to create a mold and pour the mud into it?」
Ah.
And then, the next day.
From morning till night, I continued making various golems.
Ah, making golems is truly enjoyable.
It’s great to have something that engrosses you.
It’s the best way to take a break.
After returning to the Eld Desert late at night, Elibel was deep in the area.
Beside her was a worn-out Berg.
「Oh, you’re late.」
『Yeah, I was busy making defense golems.』
「Well, that’s good. Now, Earth, I have good news. The dungeon blueprint is complete!」
『Oh, wow!』
Those words made my heart race involuntarily.
Perhaps because of my positive reaction, Elibel smirked.
「Look! This is your new dungeon!」
Saying that, Elibel raised a brilliantly colored sphere in her hand.
The brilliantly colored sphere shimmered with light.
Wait, isn’t that the sphere that displayed the images in the ruins?
The blueprint of the dungeon was projected from the brilliantly colored sphere like a 3D image.
The dungeon depicted in the blueprint was just as I had imagined.
『It’s amazing… It’s accurately drawn down to the smallest details. With this, giving instructions to the golems will be much easier.』
「Fufun, of course. After all, it was designed by the genius me. It’s only natural that it turned out splendid!」
『Oh, incredible. Truly a sage. A super genius! You’re an amazing person!』
「Hahaha, praise me more! Praise me more!」
In high spirits, Elibel and I exchanged a high-five.
Both of us had lost track of time and were in an odd mood in the middle of the night.
All right. Then, starting tomorrow, let’s begin creating the actual dungeon floors!
With anticipation swelling in my heart after eating the magic stone, I drifted off to sleep.
Mud Golem
A golem created using the mud from the Lena Wetlands.
It has a body length of seven meters, but it can merge with other mud golems to further increase its size (with no limit to the number of mergers).
Since it usually assimilates with the wetland, it goes unnoticed and does no harm unless approached.。
As its body is made of mud, it can quickly regenerate even if punched or slashed.
As long as the central magic stone is not shattered, it can regenerate indefinitely.
However, because the magic stone constantly moves fluidly within its body, it is difficult to target (apparently based on Berg’s combat form).
Even without magical supply from Earth, it absorbs the magic from the Lena Wetlands, allowing it to operate semi-permanently. Surprisingly, it is an eco-friendly golem with low fuel consumption.
Earth also created the same type of golems using lava and snow, placing them in different areas.
The mud golems of the Lena Wetlands are apparently regarded as guardian deities by the local creatures.