Lord Of Puppets-Chapter 154 – Peace? For how long?
<<Well.... I don’t know what the hell is going on.>>
<<Days went by, but... Nothing has happened?>>
<<I’m just getting more and more confused.>>
<<The camp is gone and I’m not seeing any soldiers anywhere. Not even scouts to come to check the forest.>>
<<This is.... Worrying?>>
<<Logically speaking, the.... No. I’ve already asked myself this question way too many times.>>
<<And the answer is the same each time.>>
<<"I don’t get it and can’t understand it.">>
<<I’ve keep telling myself to just focus on what I can do.... But I still can’t get rid of the question.>>
<<Just what is truly going on in the outside world?>>
<<Honestly, I’ve been thinking about focusing only about expanding my "vision" range.... But this was a stupid idea.>>
<<Power.>>
<<I need to get more power if I want to survive.>>
<<The question is, which area I’m going with.>>
<<Crafting?>>
<<Magic?>>
<<Or my research regarding the combination of magic and Golemancy?>>
//[Name: Thauma]//
//[Race: Golem Noble / Dungeon Master]//
//[Class: Blacksmith Alchemist – Level 32 / Dungeon Master]//
//[Skills]//
[Advance Blacksmithing – Level 2]>
> [Weapon Maker – Level 6]
> [Armor Maker – Level 6]
> [Equipment Forge Enchantment – Level 4]
[Advance Golem Crafting – Level 1]>
> [Remote Control – Golem– Level 7]
[Mana Detection – Level 8]
[Mediation – Level 6]
[Advance Alchemy – Level 2]>
> [Material Control – Level 1]
[Mana Alchemy – Level 4]
[Mana Blacksmithing – Level 4]
[Blacksmith Alchemy – Level 4]
[Engineering – Level 1]
[Object Appraisal – Level 4]
[Multitask – Level 8]
[Enchantment Magic – Level 3]
[Butchering – Level 3]
[Basic Body Combat Mastery – Level 6]
[Basic Sword Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Spear Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Axe Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Bow Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Spear Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Dagger Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Shield Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Blunt Weapon Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Multi-Weapon Mastery – Level 3]
[Basic Trap Maker - Level 6]
[Carpentry – Level 10]
[Sculpture – Level 10]
[Mana – Level 3]
[Self-Repair – Level 1]
[Familiar Control – Level 1]
//[Affinity]//
[Arcane Magic – Level 8]
[Advance Earth Magic – Level 1]
[Beginner Fire Magic – Level 5]
[Beginner Wind Magic – Level 5]
[Beginner Water Magic – Level 5]
[Basic Space Magic – Level 5]
//[Previous classes: [Golem Maker] [Blacksmith] [Alchemist] [Earth Mage] ]//
//[Authority]//
//[Dungeon Master Authority]//
(Let’s go over what "I" have.)
(My skills revolves evenly between combat and production.... But the production takes dominance in here, since I’m spending more time on learning how to craft than fighting.)
(I know basic ways of handling few weapons and such.... But my body is my main weapon itself and my other main weapon is magic.)
(Arcane magic is one of the key magic I need to research to progress my research in Golemancy.)
(But.... The problem is [Space Magic].)
(I still can’t use it... Like at all.)
(I’ve spend way more time learning it compare to the other basic elements... And yet leveling it even once it is still basic form took way more effort and time.)
(Not only that, even after getting to the level 5, I still can’t do anything with it.)
(It feels like I’m just ’leaking’ mana whenever I’m trying to do anything when using it.)
(Like not ’using’ but just ’leaking’.)
(I guess this magic is truly useless unless I reach its normal form?)
(Still, I can already see "SOME" uses for this and if I’m correct, this may end up turning out extremely useful in the future.)
"..."
(No. Magic isn’t way to go in this situation.)
(Or more specifically, MYSELF isn’t the way to go.)
(I need to improve the dungeon current power.)
(Self-improvement is out of the questions.)
(There is no way I can become strong enough to take on armies of adventurers.)
(They will realize sooner or later survive OR deduce how my tricks works.... And then it will be over.)
(So, I will need to focus on the dungeon and dungeon alone.)
"..."
(The question is, which path.)
(The path of standard research and upgrades... It will allow me to slowly but surly upgrade my golems.... But I’ve rushed it.)
(I need to star over, understand better and improve the original design.)
(This will overtime increase the power of my golems bit by bit...)
(Or I can gamble.)
(My original research of fusing magic and Golemancy into creating a golem.)
(Not using magic to create magic, but instead fuse magic into a golem creation, giving birth to the special types of golems.)
(However, become of the lack of information or progress, I had no choice but to went with upgrades.... And now... Which path do I chose?)
"..."
(The answer is simple.)
(Gamble.)
(Magic and Golemancy research. This is the way to go.)
(Simple upgrades won’t do.)
(I need a breakthrough.)
(I need a leap big enough that will make sure that the adventurers will think twice about raiding the dungeon.)
<<Honestly, this isn’t the safest option... But then again, if I ask myself these questions once again, there is really no way around it.>>
<<I’ve used the DP points I’ve had gathered to start spawning new monsters to fill out the dungeon.... And I’ve went with the previous models, not the steel ones.>>
<<I’ve thought the steel ones would be worth the cost... But they weren’t.>>
<<It is for the best if I just use the iron versions.>>
<<Now.... The research.>>
<<And the main problem I still couldn’t deal with.... The lack of elemental materials.>>
<<The goal of my research is fusing magic, Golemancy and art of crafting all into one.>>
<<I really don’t know what I will get.... But I have few speculations on what I could possible make.>>
<<For example, a golem made out of earth.>>
<<But not some earth golem. A golem that is enchanted all the time.>>
<<Its very being, a body being special form of earth that is being infused with earth magic.>>
<<But for that to work out I need to create special earth elemental core.... And that is the main problem.>>
<<I still didn’t figured out how to obtain or create elemental based material to create the core in the first place.>>
<<I’ve tried doing various things after resuming the research... However, there was not even single lead after these experiment.>>
<<So... I’ve tried something else that I knew shouldn’t work.>>
<<Acritical mana crystal.>>
<<I knew that the artificial mana crystals wouldn’t do it, since they have a limit unlike real mana crystals.... So why I did it? 2 reasons.>>
<<Desperation>>
<<And reaction.>>
<<This is straight up one thing I haven’t checked up since I knew results should be not acceptable.... Then again, if there was even smallest reaction, then it could give me some hint.>>
<<I’ve used my earth mana and formed these crystals.... And results were pathetic.... As I’ve had originally expected.... Great.>>
<<Even with regular artificial mana crystals, the golems output just died down quickly.>>
<<I’ve learned after my countless experiments that the golem cores don’t necessarily needs to be made with magic gems or mana crystals.... But then again, their output does increase and change.>>
<<But these artificial mana crystals I’ve made? They can’t handle mana. They can shot it and make it flow... But as the golem would work, the mana flow would disperse and collapse, causing the core and golem to all together shut down.>>
<<I don’t know if these artificial mana crystal that I’ve made sucks so much or is it just impossible with these ones.>>
<<...>>
<<Wait.... Maybe I’m looking at this in the wrong way? Or maybe right way?>>
<<Maybe I don’t use directly the to create a final object... But instead try to make it into new material?>>
<<Mana metal! I could try making it!>>
<<The ones I’ve made before were made using regular mana crystals... But what about these?>>
<<...>>
<<...>>
<<Huh... Interesting...>>
<<There was reaction... But too weak.... Is it become of the fact that the artificial mana crystal are inferior?>>
<<....>>
<<Proceed forward.>>
<<Increase the quality? Quantity? Try both.>>
<<Results.... Different... Interesting.>>
<<Use different form of metals.... Results: Different.>>
<<...>>
<<Continues experimentation have brough in results.>>
<<The weak mana iron.>>
<<It is... Much more inferior compare to the one that I’ve made before... Well, that one I’ve made was also very weak, but this one is far weaker.... However, it is not leaking.>>
<<The mana.>>
<<...It worked.... It is the SAME!>>
<<It is way inferior, but it worked!>>
<<What about the earth mana artificial crystal!? Will it work!?>>
<<Test start....Test 1... Test 2....Test 3->>
"?!"
(It worked?!) – thought Thauma as it started at the chunk of iron.
(It.... It has it! The earth attribute!)
(Holy shit! I did!)
(I’VE ACTUALLY DID IT!)
(The mana reaction is faint, but is still there! It is pretty much just normal metal without any specialist properties and can only be used as regular metal!)
(But if I fully complete it, I will be able to manufacture a proper one!)
"..."
(Huh.... So, no matter how much I’ve tried back then, I would had never made that discovery before... Since I didn’t knew before how to make mana metal...)
(So if I didn’t gave up back then, I wouldn’t have the answer right now?)
(Huh... Worth noting.)
(Still, this is the brand-new step for me!)
(Obviously this is just a start. I still need to research all sorts of things before the picture star getting a proper shape.... But still! It is possible!)
(If this truly works out, then this dungeon will enter completely new "age"!)
While Thauma was overjoyed with its new discovery, its new hope and its new path towards the evolution.... Things in the outside world did not looked so great.
[Current location: Garmfon kingdom – Capital city – Royal Castle: Throne room]
"What the hell do you mean elves are planning something!?" – shouted bear beastman, who was non other than general Oranox Bearmight.
"The elven forces have been acting up strange for the past few days sir.... And honestly? This doesn’t look good." – said cat beastman.
"Our agents that have been spying on elves confirmed a military type of activity."
"..."
"They may be greedy fools, but they are not completely brainless idiots." – said Alex Garmvoar, king of Garmfon kingdom.
"They are definitely aiming to destroy our kingdom, since that traitor Ash has been dealt with."
"Yea... It is that obvious." – said beastman general.
"..."
"Can we take them on?" – asked the beastman king.
"Well.... We should be able to." – replied the general.
"We have managed to preserve enough forces thanks to our rebellion taking down Ash and his buddies."
"And we have even recruited a lot of soldiers from the noble faction.... Then again, we are tired."
"Confronting the elves right now will be extremely dangerous."
"...And you think we can delay them?" – asked doubtful king.
"No. There is no way." – replied the general.
"These greedy knife eared fuckers will make sure we are exterminated."
"Since even idiot would realize we will seek vengeance on these fuckers after what they have done to our kingdom."
"..."
"Then they shall be exterminated." – said the king, surprising the beastman.
"Huh.... Weren’t you against that war in the first place when we talked about the possibility?" – asked the general.
"Yes. I was." – replied the king with sour yet angry expression.
"But seeing what that bastard Ash did to our kingdom and that the elves just accepted the deal.... Even willing to keep it in tact as our kingdom was being tore apart.... Anybody can tell."
"They only want ’weapon’."
"Ash would probably betray them once the kingdom would had recovered, since even he knew how reckless and dangerous those elven bastards are."
"So, it is not question ’should or should not’."
"We must do it."
"For the peace and safety of our kingdom and citizens."
"We shall destroy the elven kingdom of Mowiorano."
