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 118: Artifacts

Episode 118: Artifacts

The first night in this country passed uneventfully, and the next morning arrived. 

After having breakfast and getting ready for the day—though Fisu was the only one who changed clothes—we headed to the barracks of the Sentinels.

“Good morning! We’ve been expecting you!”

“Uh, good morning, Tanasis.”

We greeted the elderly scholar who was inexplicably there and then borrowed a corner of the plaza, just like yesterday. This time, however, there were several tools and devices that hadn’t been there before.

“I heard from the Sentinels that you two are interested in artifacts. I’ve brought some portable ones with me, so please, take a look!”

“Uh, thanks…?”

Our main reason for visiting the barracks was to examine the artifact weapons—the swords and shields used by the Sentinels. The “Colossus” had both swords and shields, but there had to be some differences between the technology of a thousand years ago and today.

In terms of material quality, the “Colossus” would win hands down. But it couldn’t hurt to analyze the current gear.

“(Still, I didn’t expect to see so many non-weapon artifacts.)”

“…What is this?”

I was amazed by the sight of not ten or twenty, but a much larger number of artifacts. They’d really brought a lot. Meanwhile, Fisu was tilting her head while holding an oddly shaped artifact.

“Haha, that’s a lullaby artifact. When you pour |Mana| into it, it produces sound.”

“Oh, it really does.”

A pendulum-like object dangling from the artifact began to move with a whirring sound, producing a unique, pleasant melody. It sounded somewhat like a flute, a soothing high-pitched tone. Perhaps this was the music of this country.

“Alright, I’ll take a look at this one.”

“I’ll guide you through it, Katsu-dono.”

As I eyed an artifact that resembled a gauntlet, Xanthos approached me.

“That artifact generates a |Mana| shield.”

“Ah, like the ones those pseudo-magic constructs used?”

“Exactly. Though this gauntlet is adjusted for human use.”

With that, he slipped one of the pair of gauntlets onto his arm and channeled |Mana| into it. A translucent shield materialized in front of him.

“This is how you use it.”

“I see.”

Upon quickly analyzing it, I found that it was essentially a normal gauntlet with an artifact embedded inside. Since it’s integrated with the gauntlet, it could be moved as easily as one’s arm.

The main difference from the “Colossus’s” shield was that this one didn’t allow you to adjust the point of origin for the shield. But this wasn’t necessarily an inferior design—it meant you didn’t have to worry about unnecessary complications.

The mechanism for adjusting the shield’s position wasn’t that difficult, and it didn’t seem like the knowledge had been lost.

“Activate… Hmm, a bit small for me to use, though.”

“It’s designed for average human size.”

I put down the gauntlet I had tested and picked up another pair a little distance away.

“This one has a Mana Crystal at the tip, huh?”

“That’s for artillery use. It fires |Mana| beams.”

Xanthos kindly offered to shield himself, so I aimed the gauntlet at him and activated it. The hand part of the gauntlet was covered in hexagonal Mana Crystals, with an internal handle to grip. As I channeled |Mana| into the handle, it began to charge. When it reached its threshold, it fired.

“Oh, there it goes!”

A beam shot from the tip of the hexagonal crystal, hitting Xanthos’ shield and dissipating. I tried charging it again, but the beam didn’t fire this time. According to the analysis, it needed a cooldown period.

“Hmm… The power output is fixed, huh.”

“Yes, the amount of |Mana| it can release at once is limited. With lower-grade Mana Crystals, this is the best we can manage.”

“So it depends on the crystal’s grade. Speaking of which, most of the Sentinels use weapons with the same grade crystals, right? Why not give them stronger ones?”

“There are several reasons, but the biggest one is resource scarcity. Mana Crystals are rarely mined around the Great Cavern. Even for the Sentinels who fight, supply is limited.”

Xanthos added that the Sentinels’ usual tasks didn’t require anything stronger. Even in the Great Cavern, sightings of formidable creatures like the Grand Beasts are rare.

With |Mana| bullets powerful enough to match attacks from Greater Beasts, and shields capable of blocking those attacks, most enemies would be manageable.

We went on to inspect various other items—swords, boots, armor, and their different variations—before finally focusing on the main attraction.

Up until now, most of this had been about refining my understanding. Weapons, after all, had already been analyzed in the “Colossus”.

I had planned to take my time integrating into the city before digging deeper into research or interviews. But among the items Tanasis brought, there was *it*, forcing me to move my plans ahead.

“So, you’re interested in the pseudo-magical constructs?”

“Yeah, I can’t figure out how they move.”

The main attraction was the pseudo-magical constructs—more precisely, the part that served as their brain. I understood that this component sent commands throughout the body. But how it processed thoughts remained a mystery, even after analysis.

This was similar to the phenomenon I observed when analyzing a dead brain.

I could understand up to the point that it was a mass of proteins, but knowing exactly how it functions was beyond me.

“Hmm, I’m interested too.”

“Haha, then allow me to explain.”

Fisu and the others joined us, and Tanasis began his explanation.

“The secret behind the operation of the pseudo-magical constructs lies in their joints. They can handle heavy loads without breaking, and they don’t damage themselves through friction. They are both strong and flexible—”

“(Oh, so that’s where he’s starting.)”

It seemed he was explaining how the constructs physically moved. Well, it made sense. From his perspective, we didn’t even know that much.

Still, I listened carefully, hoping to pick up some new information.

Eventually, it became clear that the construction of modern pseudo-magical constructs was almost the same as that of the “Colossus.” Once he finished his explanation, I asked the burning question on my mind.

“Hey, how do pseudo-magical constructs walk and fight on their own?”

“Haha, a very natural question.”

Tanasis stroked his beard, nodding, and took a moment to think before answering.

“Well now… First, are you familiar with the magical beast known as the Golem?”

“Golems, huh? Of course, I know them. They still roam modern mines.”

“Then this will be easy to explain. Though I’ve never seen one myself, it is said that the brain—or more precisely, the calculation circuits—of a Golem are made of crystalline structures.”

“Really? That’s interesting.”

I responded, intrigued, though I was already used to hearing this kind of biological talk. After all, I had spent a long time as a slime and had seen more than my fair share of grisly battle scenes.

“The properties of this crystal are very similar to Mana Crystals. The Great Sage theorized that by combining Mana Crystals with certain minerals, one could recreate the calculation circuits of a Golem. And that research led to the creation of the pseudo-magical constructs.”

“I see. But, if they work like Golems, didn’t they ever attack humans?”

“There are no such records. The self-operating circuits of the pseudo-magical constructs generally won’t function without orders from someone with high-level authority. The regular pseudo-magical constructs haven’t fully replicated a Golem’s brain.”

He continued to explain the detailed composition, but most of it flew over my head. I was amazed they managed to create something so complex.

“That’s incredible. Creating life with human hands… Even if it wasn’t a perfect recreation, you could still gain <Soul Fragments> from defeating them, right? They’re practically living beings. That’s amazing.”

“No, that’s incorrect. You do not gain <Soul Fragments> from destroying pseudo-magical constructs.”

“Huh? But when I defeated the ‘Colossus’…”

“Both are true. You only gain <Soul Fragments> from defeating those classified as Sovereign Tier or higher. This is where things get a bit technical, delving into magisoul studies—”

Just as Tanasis was about to launch into another explanation, a voice cut through the air.

“Heh, so you’re the humans who came from the surface?”

The sound of someone stepping through the plaza’s gravel accompanied the voice. A girl with dark green hair and a challenging smile stood in front of us, planting her feet firmly on the ground.