Akatsuki Translations

In the City of Sin, Greed, infamous for its avaricious, a sprawling region centered around this city renowned for its insatiable desires, there lies a distinctive feature—the proliferation of dungeons of various sizes, not only within the city of Greed itself, but throughout the entire area. 

The dungeon that Ur and Shizuku ventured into this time was one of those many dungeons. They had ventured outside the boundaries of Greed and walked for about half an hour, arriving at a ruin. Hidden within the remains of what seemed to be a city that existed before the era of the Great Dungeon Flood, there was a staircase leading down to an underground chamber. 

“It seems smaller in scale compared to Greed.” -Shizuku 

“Rank 13. They say it “was” the smallest-scale dungeon that even we chalk-ring adventurers, could go to.” -Ur 

That was in the past. Currently, this dungeon had already been cleared. The 【True Magic Core】 contained within its depths had been destroyed, and it was no longer a place that spawned monsters. It had been reclaimed from the clutches of the dungeon. 

And someone had bought it. 

—”The location was a bit unfavorable. So, the Temple put it up for sale, and that woman bought it.” 

That was Glen’s explanation. Someone had destroyed the dungeon and purchased it. They were an acquaintance of Glen’s, a golem engineer, the so-called “Golem Master”.” 

“Since the dungeon no longer has its core, there shouldn’t be any monsters, and there’s no need to be nervous.” -Ur 

“That’s true.” -Shizuku 

In fact, the journey to this city might have been more dangerous, traversing through unguarded territories beyond the Human Survival Zone, than what lay ahead.  

At that moment, Ur underestimated the situation. 

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“Former” Small-scale Underground Dungeon, Floor 1 = Final Layer 

“…” 

“…” 

『『『OOOOOOOOO…』』』 

Within the narrow passages of the dungeon reminiscent of Greed, for some reason, there, despite the belief that it had already crumbled into ruins, was now teeming with a peculiar congregation of golems. At first glance, four or five Clay Golems[1], roughly shaped like human figures, were wandering through the dungeon’s remains. 

“…No, Ur-sama. Perhaps these are the golems possessed by the owner of this place?” -Shizuku 

“Ah, got it. So they’re monsters prepared for security purposes.” -Ur 

Golems, apart from the special ones created within the dungeon, are monsters crafted by humans for various tasks, such as eliminating other monsters or cultivating fields. Since they are still considered monsters, they cannot be used within the confines of a city. However, this place is not within those confines. 

If the occupant here is a golem engineer that possibility is quite high. 

“In that case, there is a possibility of bein- 『OOOOOOOOO!!!!』- attacked.” -Shizuku 

As soon as the golems noticed their presence, they let out tremendous roars and recklessly charged toward them. Despite momentarily entertaining the thought that it might be a welcoming gesture, the fact that they were raising their right fiss made it highly unlikely. 

“Ur-sama!” -Shizuku 

At the call of Shizuku, Ur drew out a large spear. Even though the dungeon had been conquered, there was still a considerable chance of external monsters flowing in, so Ur had not neglected to prepare for combat, which seemed to have paid off. 

Three golems emerged, with one of them protruding further forward. They were huge, about two meters tall. However, Ur had the advantage of reach with his spear. 

“Hah!” -Ur 

『OOOOOOO!!! 』 

Stepping forward, exhaling, and swinging his spear horizontally. The spear, reached before the golem’s fists made of clumps of soil, tearing through its legs. Fragile. That was the impression he got, perhaps because he had dealt with a crystal golem before. Among the crowd of golems, this particular one was smaller in stature, and it seemed that the soil constituting its body was not as dense. 

“【Sing, O Frost, and Pierce】” -Shizuku 

Ice needles pierced through the golem’s legs. Physically inflicting damage seemed to be more effective than fireballs. Shizuku, too, showed a slight look of surprise. The soil golems were much more fragile than she had thought, but then again, crystal golem was simply too resilient. 

Soil golems varied in size, but humanoid-sized ones ranked 13th among the hierarchy of monster species. Even novice adventurers like Ur and Shizuku could handle them. They were simply predictable. When they attacked, they would charge straight ahead and swing their fists downward. That was all they did. 

They were not living beings like monsters. They imitated human form and copied human fighting styles. Therefore, they were remarkably easy to read and avoid. 

In any case, the current situation posed little threat to the duo. It was manageable to the extent that Ur deemed it not even a good practice session against the crystal golem. 

『OOOOOO… 』 

The golem shattered and wriggled. There were two vulnerable spots on a golem— the head and the heart. 

Engraved within their minds were magical cores, which, if destroyed, would cause them to forget their roles and go out of control. 

By destroying the heart’s magical core, their functions would cease. 

The delicate limbs, the lightest in mass among the golems, were shattered, bringing their movements to a halt. However, it seemed that the intricate mechanisms in the heads remained intact, and by some stroke of luck, the magical cores remained unscathed. Gradually, the golems began to stir, embarking on a process of regeneration. 

“Shall we defeat them?” -Shizuku 

“They might belong to the master here, so let’s stop.” -Ur 

Perhaps they were merely golems for security purposes. If they were to intrude into someone’s house and destroy them without permission, they would be in the wrong. They didn’t want to give a bad impression to the person they would negotiate with in the future. 

“Shizuku, before the golems revive, please take care of the surroun――” -Ur 

Shortly after that, as they were about to begin their search to find the eccentric, or rather, the intended person who would reside here, they sensed movement. Having continued to explore the dungeon, they had become sensitive to any signs of activity. As they turned their gaze toward that sense of unease… 

“Golem…?” 

“…Those are…” 

Three golems stood in a row. They were the same small size as before. Because of that, for a moment, Ur tried to relax his guard slightly. And a question arose in his mind regarding the strange objects they held. 

Tube-like, thick, and long. The objects they held, as if embracing them with both hands, resembled cannons loaded with gunpowder. However, they were small for cannons. 

Those tubes began to emit light. They crackled. They vibrated. Perhaps due to the intense movements, the hands of the golems holding them were falling apart here and there. 

Oh, this is bad. Ur and Shizuku realized this simultaneously. 

“Take cover!” -Ur 

“Get down!” -Shizuku 

They shouted simultaneously and immediately prostrated themselves. 

Following that, a series of explosive sounds erupted, as if lightning had struck nearby. They wanted to cover their ears, but they couldn’t let go of their weapons and gritted their teeth. 

“—–?!—-!!” 

“—–!!” 

What’s happening?! Their voices were drowned out by the roaring noise. It seemed like Shizuku was also shouting something beside him, but Ur couldn’t hear anything. Ur gave up on raising his voice and, as a vanguard, covered Shizuku, assuming a defensive stance, shielding her from the flashes. 

The thunderous noise and destruction continued intermittently for over ten seconds, fluctuating in intensity, and then rapidly subsided. When Ur and Shizuku looked up, the scene in front of them had completely changed. 

『OOO… 』 

The clay golem, holding the small tube, was in tatters. The swirling whirlwind of light that scattered throughout the surroundings due to the effect of the light emitted by the small tube had burned and destroyed even the one who launched it. 

Of course, the surrounding area wasn’t spared either. It was evident that walls were collapsing in various places, presumably due to the chaotic light of destruction. This dungeon was dead, so there would be no recovery. Burn marks, resembling those caused by a lightning strike, were visible everywhere. 

“Ur-sama, are you injured?” -Shizuku 

“I’m… fine. Are you alright?” -Ur 

The white shield held aloft bore numerous small scorch marks, but Ur and Shizuku themselves were unharmed. Although it was a shield they had recently purchased, it seemed to have fulfilled its purpose. Its appearance still gave off a somewhat dirty impression, but now it looked somewhat proud. 

“However, what the hell was that…? What on earth is this place’s owner thinking, creating something like that?” -Ur 

“――Ur-sama.” -Shizuku 

“What’s the matter?” -Ur 

Shizuku’s voice calling out to him was tinged with tension. 

Ur, once again, readied his spear and shield, and Shizuku directed her gaze forward. There were the worn and collapsing golems they had just witnessed. In mere moments, one after another, they crumbled and fell apart, seemingly damaged by the swirling light vortex that shattered the magical cores in their hearts. 

However, among the three golems, one stood still without collapsing to the ground. Despite its damaged legs swaying unsteadily, and… 

“It’s broken in the worst place, no, it’s fortunate…,” -Ur 

Ur once again looked closely at the golem. It was an ordinary-looking golem, missing various parts due to the earlier attacks. Its right hand, ankle, and… 

“…head.” -Ur 

The golem stood there, wobbling and swaying, with no head. Nothing remained but the remnants scattered on its shoulders. It was one of the golems’ weaknesses. The head containing the inscribed symbols defining their roles had vanished. In other words… 

“A rampa――” -Ur 

When he understood, that was when it all began. 

『O, O…GI, GIGIGiGIGiGIGiGIAggAAgggGAGAGAGA!!!』 

In place of its lost head, the golem’s shoulder split wide open, and from there came a strange noise, a groaning sound. It was a series of sounds that no longer resembled anything living. The golem, now leaning forward as if collapsing, slammed both its hands on the ground and in the next moment, it moved its limbs erratically, charging towards them like a wild beast. 

“Wha…!” -Ur 

“【Sing, O Wind, and――― 

Caught off guard by the golem’s overly hasty movement, Ur couldn’t react quickly enough. On the other hand, Shizuku swiftly began to chant her spell. Her judgment was much faster than Ur’s. However… 

『GLィィ――』 

The monstrous thing, now almost impossible to call something resembling a human, with its gaping mouth split open on its shoulder, with no eyes, charged straight at them faster than Shizuku’s magic could take effect. 

“Ah…!” -Ur 

During spell casting, a magician was defenseless. Therefore, the front line must take the risk of dying. 

That was the teaching that Glen had drilled into Ur, forcibly pushing his stiff body forward. Ur couldn’t pull off any skilled moves to intercept the charging golem like Shizuku could. Therefore, he made a slight adjustment to his trajectory, just enough to step in between Shizuku and the golem that was about to pounce on her. 

『GIGIGA?! 』 

They collided head-on. Sparks flew from the impact. Had he not raised his shield, he might have been blown away. 

“【――dance with us!】Ur-sama!” -Shizuku 

“I- m fin,e.” -Ur 

Brushing off the flickering stars around him, Ur glared at the golem. He wrapped himself in the tardy wind armor and once again faced the rampaging golem. It must have been no easy impact for the other side either, but… 

『Giggi, gya, gyahaha, GYAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!! 』 

Rolling on the ground, its already tattered body further crumbling, the golem laughed. 

The laughter was distorted, emanating a sense of something broken. It was shattered, indeed. This golem. Ur disregarded the term “runaway” lightly. In essence, it deviated from its intended operation like a malfunctioning arcane device, producing strange noises as it went out of control, simply self-destructing. 

But that was not the case. The term “runaway” meant a deviation from the very essence of being an arcane creature, a state of utter chaos. Ur came to understand this. 

『Gihhihihi,  

GYAYAGAGAGGAGGAGAAGAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! 』 

What once had been a golem, that “Something,” now detached from reason, wiggled its body and charged once again. Ur thrust his right hand equipped with wind armor. 

『GIIIIIIII!!! 

Unbeknownst to him, the golem’s mouth had transformed into fangs resembling those of a beast. The earthen fangs were sharp, but Ur’s arm, protected by his gauntlet and wind magic, remained intact. 

“Shatter――” -Ur 

He attempted to slam the golem, which had sunk its teeth into his arm, onto the ground, but in the next instant, it vanished. Suddenly, an impact came from the right. It rammed into him, impossible to track with his eyes alone. 

“Above!” -Ur 

『GYAHA!! GyahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! 』 

Like a reptile, the golem clung to the ceiling, laughing and sneering. While smashing its own body with absurd movements, it laughed loudly with its large mouth. Though overwhelmed by its madness, Ur gritted his teeth. 

If he struggled even with a mere golem, there was no way he could accomplish his goal. 

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! 』 

“Pierce――” 

At the moment it leaped from the ceiling, Ur forcefully kicked the ground with his right leg, propelling himself towards the golem clinging to the ceiling. His enhanced body, empowered by magic, delivered a full-force charge, akin to an arrow released from its bowstring, striking with a single blow. 

“――Through!!” -Ur 

The sound of shattering echoed. 

“GA…….a” 

The golem, pierced through along with the ceiling, emitted a final scream of agony, followed by the extinguishing of the vacant light in its eyes. Ur grabbed the spear embedded in the ceiling and hung from it, then pulled out the spear and landed on the ground. 

“…Phew.” -Ur 

“Ur-sama, are you injured?” -Shizuku 

“Ohhhh, Good work~~.” 

The voice of Shizuku, filled with concern for Ur, echoed through the air, and just as naturally as anything, another woman stood beside them. Ur couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise, but the woman showed no particular reaction and continued to absentmindedly poke at the remains of the golem Ur had just shattered. 

“Well, looks like the focus of the Dragon Cannon wasn’t enough. This won’t be of any use like this. I guess I need to suppress the mana release from the magic core a bit more…?” she muttered to herself, inspecting the golems. 

She had an unusual appearance, or rather, she looked like she was wearing pajamas with bare feet as she stumbled through the dungeon, muttering to herself while examining the golem and their tubes. 

It was strange, but Ur and Shizuku had no right to reprimand her. She was the master of this place. 

“…Ur-sama, is it possible that she is…?” -Shizuku 

“…Most likely.” -Ur 

A golem engineer, an eccentric, woman who made the dungeon her home. 

It was unimaginable to think that there could be two individuals who fit that description, which meant she must be the one. The person introduced by Glen, the eccentric living in a conquered dungeon outside the city. 

Former Silver Rank adventurer, Golem Master Magika Graze.