Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 115: The History of the Underground Kingdom

Episode 115: The History of the Underground Kingdom

“Ooooohhh!! Golden armor! A dragon-shaped head! It’s exactly as described in the ancient texts! There’s no doubt—this is the very same Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical construct, our lost guardian god from a thousand years ago!!”  

Yelling this, Tanasis, the scholar from the Tower of Sages, leapt onto the “Colossus”.  

Watching this, I turned to Xanthos and asked,  

“Pseudo-magical construct of Sovereign Tier… I don’t really get it, but is it something amazing?”  

“Indeed… I’ll explain further.”  

Though I didn’t remember hearing much of an explanation yet, I urged him to continue.  

“A pseudo-magical construct is essentially a moving statue, a type of artifact. You could say it’s similar to the ones that attacked you, Katsu-dono—do you understand now?”  

“Yeah, I get it. I thought they looked kinda similar, and I guess the “Colossus” and those pseudo-magical constructs, the Golem-like creatures, are basically the same.”  

“Similar… yes. While they fall into the same category, there’s a vast difference in their abilities.”  

Xanthos seemed hesitant, his words trailing off.  

“The difference in performance is so great that they might as well be called completely different things. Though I didn’t witness it myself, the “Colossus” you fought had power that surpassed that of a Sovereign Beast, correct?”  

“Yeah, that’s right. It had all kinds of weapons, and there’s no way a regular Sovereign Beast* could stand up to it.”  

“Just as the legends say. Because it had power equal to or greater than Sovereign Beast, that pseudo-magical construct was given the Sovereign Tier designation.”  

So, it’s called “Sovereign Tier” because it’s on par with a Sovereign Beast. Quite a straightforward naming system.  

“However, the ability to create such mythical constructs was lost a thousand years ago, when the kingdom sank into the underground. Since then, we’ve been preoccupied with adapting to environmental changes and dealing with resource shortages. Nowadays, we’re barely able to maintain a few Grand Tier pseudo-magical constructs.”  

“Huh? Sank underground?”  

Fisu voiced her confusion. I was thinking the same thing.  

Since the “Colossus” had been on the surface, I figured there was some kind of connection, but I hadn’t expected the kingdom itself to have sunk. What does that even mean?  

“Just as I said. The city, the Kingdom of Isa, is said to have sunk from the surface to the underground a thousand years ago.”  

“…What?”  

“No way…”  

A whole city sinking underground? That’s hard to believe.  

“Do you know what caused it? Was it a war with another country, or maybe some artifact went out of control?”  

“Of course, it’s common knowledge here, even among children. A thousand years ago, the kingdom was sunk by a single beast.”  

“…What, was it just a tiny village with ten people living in it?”  

“No, from what I’ve heard, the kingdom was far more prosperous back then than it is now.”  

I hadn’t fully explored the city yet, but I had a rough sense of its size from what I saw on the way to this square.  

At least ten thousand people must live here.  

Burying that many people underground—not wiping them out, just burying them—is something that even I, as a Sovereign Beast, wouldn’t be able to pull off.  

“Weren’t they equipped with those Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical constructs back then?”  

“They were.”  

“And even with that kind of power, they couldn’t stop it… So they were attacked by something stronger than a Sovereign Beast?”  

Xanthos silently nodded.  

“It’s the most famous myth in our history. The Calamity Beast, larger and more terrifying than even the Tower of Sages, battled against six Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical constructs built by the Great Sage. The battle was so intense that it seemed like the sky itself lost its color. After a fierce fight, five of the constructs were destroyed, and when only the last one remained, the Great Sage used his life to cast a sealing spell, imprisoning the Calamity Beast.”  

But that wasn’t the end of the story, Xanthos said.  

I couldn’t help but notice how his storytelling felt like he was reading from a picture book, so I refocused my attention on the details.  

“Just before it was sealed, the Calamity Beast unleashed one final [Skill] with all its remaining strength. This caused the entire city to be swallowed by the surrounding mountains and sink deep into the earth, eventually ending up here in this massive underground cavern. The five destroyed constructs were buried along with it, but… one of them went missing.”  

“I see. So that’s the ‘Colossus’ that was left behind on the surface.”  

“Yes. It likely lost track of its primary defense target, the Kingdom of Isa, and remained in a dormant state.”  

Hmm, I can see why Tanasis, a scholar, would be so excited about this relic from such a legendary myth. It all makes sense now.  

At that moment, Fisu raised a question.  

“I have a question. If the other five constructs are in this city, what is that man researching?”  

“Yeah, good point.”

The appraisal of the authenticity is taking too long. The internal structure of the artifact seems quite complex, and faking it is nearly impossible. What exactly are they examining?

“It’s simply a misunderstanding to think that they are still in this city. While the remains of five machines have sunk, the Kingdom of Isa didn’t have the resources to repair them at the time. They first confirmed that no outside threats of Sovereign Beasts were nearby and then repurposed the remains into artifacts for their living environment.”

That makes sense. If suddenly trapped underground, they’d be desperate to survive. It’s impressive that they managed to last for a thousand years without extinction.

“By the way, is that shining thing in the sky also an artifact?”

“Good catch. That is an artifact made from the remnants of the Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical constructs, known as the Sunstone. I believe it serves as a replacement for what is called the sun on the surface.”

“That’s incredible…”

Fisu seems stunned at the idea of a man-made sun. Even though it’s at a low altitude of a few hundred meters above ground and likely doesn’t generate nearly as much heat, it’s still remarkable that it can illuminate the entire space.

“—Excuse me, I got carried away in my excitement.”

At that moment, Tanasis returns, sitting next to Xanthos with a satisfied expression.

“Now then, let’s hear about the surface—”

“Could we postpone that?”

Xanthos’ command stops Tanasis in his tracks, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Due to the high importance of this matter, we called for the wisdom of Tanasis as well to make more accurate judgments.”

“Ah, I did mention something like that.”

I had thought Tanasis was called to inspect the “Colossus”, but it seems there’s another main issue.

“What we wish to discuss is the treatment of you and your companions. Do you intend to live permanently in the Kingdom of Isa, or if not, how long do you plan to stay?”

“Well, coming here was a coincidence, and I’m thinking of leaving eventually.”

“Agreed. But since we’re here, I’d like to do some sightseeing. For now… maybe stay for about a month?”

“That sounds about right.”

Xanthos, having overheard our conversation, gives a few instructions to the nearby guards and then turns to us.

“Very well, moving on. We will prepare appropriate compensation. Therefore, would you consider transferring or lending us the Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical constructs?”