Chapter 35

Chapter 035 : Cerulean Golem and Sleepy Hummingbird

I focused my mind and pictured the Cerulean Golem’s appearance.

Its glacier-blue crystal body, its frame as solid as a city wall, its enormous size….

‘The Cerulean Golem was definitely a golem created to repel intruders, wasn’t it?’

What was the obsession they must have harbored for so long?

An automated golem that awakened whenever the blue star crossed the sky and purified the earth.

The single-minded will to destroy all creations with soft, warm flesh, the power to devour magic, and the driving force behind it.

When I wholly accepted the reason the Cerulean Golems existed and the will they must have kept within them, a blue-glowing chant brushed through my mind.

“O primordial crystal, awaken beneath the blue starlight, devour magic, and crush the intruders!”

When I recited the spell, a cool light flowed out from my entire body.

Soon, blue crystal pierced through my skin, grew out in an instant, and covered me from head to toe.

I planted my heavy soles on the ground and gazed at the pale blue-white world.

｢You have disguised yourself as a Cerulean Golem!｣

｢A guardian that has protected Moss Valley since ancient times! All living beings with hot flesh, blood, and bones are your enemies!｣

｢Your Level is still low, so you cannot draw out the full power of a Cerulean Golem! Insight decreases. Agility decreases. You cannot jump.｣

｢Your racial trait greatly increases Magic Resistance! Mana Sensitivity increases!｣

｢You can grow by devouring magic!｣

─…Mm!

I slowly moved my body and examined the new flesh I had obtained.

When I clenched my fist, I felt hardness and strength incomparable to calluses.

─Ah… fortunately, my voice comes out well too….

Though my voice echoed like a cavern, it was welcome news that communication was possible.

When I transformed into a Lesser Rat, my oral structure had only allowed me to make squeaking sounds.

When I picked up the robe hanging over my head and handed it over, Malton looked at me in surprise.

“This is… the Cerulean Golem we fought, is it not! You could transform into a golem too?”

─I became able to after defeating the boss. Though this is the first time I have transformed into one directly.

“Huh… To think it is possible to transform into an ancient magical lifeform as well… As expected of Lord Antagon’s Authority.”

As Malton admired me and examined my crystal arm, I puffed out my shoulders in golem fashion and turned to Radi.

But for some reason, she was staring at me with a strange gaze.

‘Those eyes are definitely….’

It was similar to the expression she had made when she saw the exchanged amount at the guild.

“Wait a moment. Perhaps, maybe… this might be a chance to print money without limit….”

─What?

“Malton-nim, I think it would be quite profitable if we took off Doran-nim’s arms and legs and sold them. You know, they’re rare monster materials.”

─W-wait, have you gone mad, creature? What will you do if my arms and legs are missing when I turn back into a human?!

“Hmph, that isn’t my concern.”

─…Are you perhaps still angry?

“Do you think I wouldn’t be?”

SHIVER─!

It seemed the magic-blocking effect did not block murderous intent as well.

Before Radi could put on a golem dismantling show, I hurriedly moved my feet.

THUD─! THUD─!

The deeper I went into the forest while making the earth rumble, the thicker the greenery became.

Outwardly, it was a forest so peaceful it seemed almost ridiculous.

Sunlight entered easily between the trees, making me want to lie down and take a nap.

‘…Is this languid feeling also a racial trait?’

Now that I thought about it, didn’t Cerulean Golems spend most of their time asleep?

I had not known while only facing them as enemies before, but the next time I hunted similar monsters, perhaps I could take advantage of this laziness.

After I had walked quite a distance while enduring the urge to use moss as a blanket and sleep, Radi looked around and said,

“Nothing has happened so far… To think people were attacked in such a peaceful place….”

“Be careful. Danger always comes when one lets one’s guard down.”

“Should I tighten the earplugs more?”

─Mm… yes. Now that we have come this far, it should appear soon….

At that instant, a faint song came riding on the wind.

A sweet melody like a hummingbird’s chirping.

The moment the body of the magic-craving golem felt an instinctive hunger, I shouted.

─Everyone, cover your ears, quickly!!

｢Magic nullified!｣

｢Magic nullified!｣

｢Magic nullified….｣

Ignoring the alerts constantly updating on the Log Window, I sharpened all my senses.

The culprit was nearby.

As I looked around according to the crystal body’s instinctive guidance, suspicious locations became candidates.

A hollow old tree, a gap between vine-covered rocks, behind a tree trunk.

‘It isn’t here either. Then…!’

When I raised my creaking neck and looked up at the sky, I saw small figures perched on a tree branch.

Birds singing as elegantly as sopranos with adorable wingbeats.

When I tapped Radi on the shoulder, she looked where I pointed and murmured quietly.

“Those birds….”

─Can you hit them?

After reading my lips, Radi fired the crossbow in rapid succession without delay.

FLUTTER─!

The birds whose chests were pierced by bolts fell, spewing feathers as if they had burst apart.

After confirming that the song had stopped, we approached and pieced together the scattered corpses. Only then could we visually confirm the monster’s identity.

‘…As expected, my prediction was right.’

[Sleepy Hummingbird]

｢A small, cute bird that enjoys gathering together and singing.｣

｢Normally harmless, but during certain periods, they turn into cruel tyrants! They especially love amphibians as food!｣

It was a small, plump yellow bird that seemed popular enough to be kept as an ornamental pet.

Sleepy Hummingbirds were birds that mainly inhabited quiet broadleaf forests.

Their bodies were as fragile as paper, and they had no attack power whatsoever, but during breeding season, they used powerful humming magic that stole away intruders’ minds.

Once caught, a victim would not only be left defenseless against attacks by other monsters, but the birds would also hypnotize them again around the time they regained consciousness, making them one of the most troublesome monsters.

After confirming it was safe, Malton loosened his earplugs and said,

“This monster… I have seen it before. After knocking adventurers unconscious, they feed on the pieces of flesh torn off by other monsters and supplement their nutrition that way.”

“They’re quite nasty despite their cute appearance. But Doran-nim, how did you see through the monster’s identity just from the symptoms?”

─It was nothing.

There were no external injuries on the unconscious people, so it was not a physical factor, and many people collapsing at once could only be explained by magic.

As far as I knew, this was the only monster on the First Layer that could do such a thing.

Including the fact that it was not recognized as a monster due to its cute appearance.

Most importantly, this was exactly the season when they entered egg-laying season, causing unconscious adventurers and herb gatherers to appear one after another.

‘But this is a little strange….’

In my memory, Sleepy Hummingbirds were supposed to lay eggs only in places with abundant food.

But there was no reason for them to nest around here, even while enduring natural predators, at a time when adventurers had entered in large numbers.

Could there have been some abnormality on the wetland side?

A change great enough that they would nest here despite giving up some safety….

Ding─!

｢You have obtained information on the abnormality in the wetland!｣

｢It is very rare for Sleepy Hummingbirds to lay eggs near predators! This is surely related to the wetland’s flooding.｣

｢To identify the nature of the abnormality, cross the wetland by raft.｣

｢Reward: ???｣

‘…What is it planning?’

On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary quest as always, but I sensed a strange current.

It felt similar to when it had tried to send me into the gorge without any prior warning about the golem.

‘There are only a few incidents that would happen in the wetland at this time….’

It felt a little unpleasant, but not going was not an option.

If I failed to reach the Second Layer within the time limit, I would not only be unable to participate in building the Dungeon Gate, but it would also interfere with quickly reaching Level 30.

As I scratched my jaw joint in thought, Radi wiped the blood from her bolt and said,

“If you hadn’t been here, Doran-nim, we would have been helplessly caught too… But what should we do? We have to drive those birds away to resume logging, but we can’t exterminate all of them by ourselves….”

─It is fine. They gather in one place to lay eggs, so if we destroy their nest, they will scatter on their own.

And the method for finding their nest is….

“The place where the song sounds more intense! Because of their protective instinct, the closer an intruder gets to the nest, the more fiercely they’ll sing!”

─Precisely, creature. Your head turns quite well.

And this body can trace their magic backward.

｢Cerulean Golems are a race that feeds on magic and starlight!｣

｢You instinctively feel hunger for the sweet mana!｣

I followed the hunger tickling inside my stomach like butterflies and headed deeper into the forest.

THUD, THUD─. The closer we got to the nest, the more intense the song grew.

The melody that had been calm gradually gained force, and the mana held within the tune also grew denser along with it.

The number of Hummingbirds also increased noticeably, and they circled around my head, flailing violently.

｢The pack of Sleepy Hummingbirds is greatly flustered! You are the first opponents in this forest on whom their magic has failed!｣

｢Strength temporarily increases by 3!｣

─Kuhahahaha!! What pitiful creatures!

The sight of the birds’ desperate struggle made laughter burst from me naturally.

There was no way such frail beaks could scratch a crystal body.

As for the ones that occasionally flew into my joint gaps and pestered me, I burst all their heads.

After we had gone far enough into the forest, I finally found the target in the middle of a clearing.

─Found it! That is the source of all evil.

｢You have discovered the Sleepy Hummingbirds’ nest hidden in the forest!｣

｢Sleepy Hummingbirds are monsters that practice communal rearing. If you destroy their nest, they will lose their focal point and naturally leave the forest.｣

It was an enormous nest piled high with eggs the size of quail eggs.

After smashing every surrounding tree and forcibly evicting the birds, I removed the feathers and bits of flesh stuck to my head and sat down with a THUD─!

─What are you doing, creatures? Hurry and light a fire.

“…A fire?”

─Sleepy Hummingbird Eggs permanently raise stats when eaten. Only by a tiny bit, but it cannot be ignored.

“No. You’re telling me we’re going to leisurely cook eggs in the middle of a monster den when those monsters might fly back and cast magic on us again at any moment?”

Radi looked at me as if arguing, but I shrugged as if asking what the problem was.

At some point, Malton had also sat down beside us, smacking his lips and rubbing his palms together.

Radi pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a deep sigh, then sat down beside us.

“I hate that I’m getting used to this… I have weapon-maintenance oil in my pouch, so use that.”

After we poured oil and eggs into Malton’s pot and lit a fire, delicious-looking fried eggs were soon completed with a sizzling sound.

“By the way… can you eat in that state, Doran-nim?”

─We will know if I try.

I poured the eggs into the gap of my open maw, pot and all.

If the ancient mages who designed the Cerulean Golem were competent, they should have implemented at least a primitive digestive organ.

‘There’s no taste, so the mushy texture feels strange…!’

Ding─!

｢Intelligence permanently increases by 1!｣

｢Sleepy Hummingbird Eggs are aggregates of mana! Perhaps it is your imagination, but you feel as though you can sing a little better!｣

｢Eating additional eggs will not grant duplicate effects!｣

─Oh, it seems there is an effect. You creatures should try eating some too.

“Then let us see….”

“I shall gladly partake.”

After hearing my words and cautiously tasting the fried eggs, Radi and Malton let out exclamations.

“Th-they’re incredibly delicious! The mild yolk goes so well with the oil…!”

“Hooh, this is quite a delicacy… Savory, and perfect with alcohol. …But does it truly raise stats?”

─Of course. Trust me, creature.

‘It’s a shame that people of this world can’t directly confirm their own stat increases….’

It was only 1 Intelligence, but the more stats accumulated, the greater their effect became.

Just like how I was only Level 28 right now, but if one added together the values that had risen through various rewards and achievements, I was comparable to someone in the early Level 40s.

As long as I triggered [Chaos] well, I could also use my instantly inflated stats to subdue opponents far stronger than myself, like the Night Stalker.

‘If I revealed that I’m a Reincarnator, I could lead the party far more efficiently than now….’

For a moment, that thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.

There was no way the residents of this world would tolerate an unfamiliar Outsider and Evil Spirit no different from a murderer.

“…….”

For an instant, my eyes met Radi’s as she looked up at me with an unreadable gaze, but I immediately turned my head away.

While I stood guard in place of Radi and Malton, the Log Window updated.

｢Radi’s Intelligence has permanently increased by 1! If her Intelligence stat rises further, you can give wings to her cleverness.｣

｢Malton’s Intelligence stat has recovered by 1! The time required for the stats reduced by the curse’s aftereffects to return has decreased very slightly!｣

｢If the bond between companions increases, you will be able to view more detailed information!｣

‘Can I now check the stats that rise for Radi too because she’s officially joined as a companion?’

While I admired the extremely convenient Status Window system, I also felt something was off.

Come to think of it, hadn’t this Status Window hidden the title “she” until I realized Radi’s gender?

As if it had been intentionally trying to make a fool of me….

─…It seems that is enough. Let us return to the campsite now.

After thoroughly burning the Sleepy Hummingbirds’ nest, we cleaned up the remaining embers and left the forest.

When I transformed back into a human, returned to the campsite, and reported, the merchants widened their eyes and exclaimed in admiration.

“I-I see. To think birds that used magic were the cause! In that case, we will immediately organize a subjugation party and….”

“We have already destroyed the nest, so by now, they should have left for another forest. You only need to resume logging now.”

“N-no, you are saying it has already been resolved?!! We organized search parties several times before, but all of them failed… Then we will begin work immediately! Skilled lumberjacks and carpenters are on standby, so the raft construction should be finished quickly!”

“Then I’ll wait.”

“Ah, but there is one piece of news I must inform you of, Doran-nim.”

The merchant stopped me as I was about to leave, his voice filled with concern.

When I urged him to continue with my eyes, he spoke in an awkward tone.

“The truth is… before you, Doran-nim, there were adventurers who rented rafts and attempted to cross the lake… but some of them have gone missing.”

“You mean they disappeared in the middle of the wetland?”

“Yes. It could simply be that they made a mistake operating the raft or docked at another landing… but I hope it is just my needless worry.”

It felt as if a shadow had fallen over the dense lake fog.