“Ta-da!”
『Oh, it suits you well.』
Fiss, having finished her bath, came to the large room assigned to me.
Her attire was the sleeping clothes of this country.
A one-piece garment, I guess you’d call it. The top and bottom are connected, and it’s quite loose-fitting. Fiss seemed somewhat happy to have changed clothes after so long.
『So, how was it? Did you notice any suspicious people lurking around?』
I focused my 〖Telepathy〗 on Fiss and asked.
To this country, we are outsiders. There might be those who would try to eliminate us, so I had told her to be cautious.
“Hmm, there weren’t any suspicious people. No traps were set either, and Xanthos-san was just preparing the meal as usual.”
『I see. That’s a relief, but don’t forget to enhance your immunity and hearing before going to sleep.』
“Of course.”
As you can tell from her wearing sleeping clothes, Fiss isn’t wearing her armor or carrying her axe right now.
Even with her base physical abilities, she probably wouldn’t lose to just anyone, but if she were stabbed in the chest by surprise, that would be the end of her.
It’s better to be overly cautious.
“But, Kouya, don’t forget to be cautious too.”
『I know, if anyone’s being targeted, it’s probably me first.』
Fiss, disguised as a mere girl, is likely being underestimated in terms of threat level.
Therefore, if they were to eliminate us, it would be less troublesome to kill me first and then take care of Fiss, rather than killing Fiss and raising my guard. That’s just common sense.
Unless they were trying to take her hostage… but Fiss wouldn’t be caught off guard by someone trying to capture her alive.
『Alright, I guess that’s enough preparation. Let’s head to the dining hall. I can at least help with setting the plates.』
“Okay, I’m looking forward to the food of this country.”
Xanthos was surprisingly—though it might be rude to say—a good cook.
We enjoyed his underground cuisine, chatted and discussed things for a while, and then returned to our rooms.
“(Phew, a lot happened today…)”
Starting with the fight against the “Colossus,” and ending up in an underground kingdom. We’ve been busy, but we can finally take a breather.
After gazing out the darkened window for a bit, I checked my own 〖Status〗.
“(Oh, I learned a new 〖Skill〗. Let’s see…)”
~Skill Details~
Deceive: When deceiving others, adds a bonus to credibility.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
…What a dishonorable 〖Skill〗. Well, I’ve been lying a lot, so I guess it’s to be expected…
“(Oh well. The analysis is almost done, so I’ll focus on that.)”
I shifted my focus to the 〖Skill〗 I had been using all along.
The analysis of the “Colossus'” various parts and armaments was nearing completion.
“(Processed Mana Crystal… an Artifact, was it? Looking at it again, it’s unbelievably intricate.)”
I muttered while reviewing the analyzed information.
I had analyzed many Mana Crystals before, and I thought I had a good grasp of their properties. But I realized that knowing their properties wasn’t enough.
Just as analyzing gunpowder doesn’t give you the blueprint for dynamite, how to process the material is left to the skill of the user.
And I had been too focused on the Mana Crystal’s ability to absorb 〖Mana〗, and had underestimated the speed of 〖Mana〗 transmission, and the ability to interfere with the properties of 〖Mana〗 itself.
“(Well, in the first place, the properties of natural Mana Crystals are too weak to be of any use—)”
—If I were to join and process Mana Crystals using the “Colossus” as a model, I could maximize their effectiveness.
“(Taking out the Mana Crystal from 〖Weapon Storage〗… 〖Arms Craftsman〗)”
The Artifacts incorporated into the “Colossus” are proper weapons. Naturally, I can create similar items with my 〖Skill〗.
The red Mana Crystal writhed as if it were alive, expanding, contracting, and twisting, until it finally took a shape.
“(Alright, that should do it.)”
What I created was a part of the mechanism built into the “Colossus'” arm.
Creating an entire arm or weapon is still too difficult, both in terms of materials and technique.
Processing Mana Crystals requires an unprecedented level of delicate manipulation.
“(Okay, I need to pour 〖Mana〗 in from here… and control the generation coordinates with how I pour the 〖Mana〗… Alright, shield activation!)”
The flat, rod-like Artifact I made converted the 〖Mana〗 that was sent into it, and created a semi-transparent membrane in front of it.
It was the 〖Mana〗 shield that the “Colossus” had used.
“Slaa, Sla! (Alright, success!)”
I pumped my fist in my mind.
There were some parts that didn’t go as planned after analyzing it, but it was a great first attempt.
I’ll keep making more at this pace.
“(Well, that’s what I’d like to say, but)”
This is a rented house. I’m hesitant to develop dangerous weapons here. I can’t say when they might explode.
That’s why I made a shield generator.
“(I mean, the Crimson Wings and the Black Shield have functions other than attack…)”
However, there was a reason why I couldn’t make those myself.
Simply put, I lacked the materials.
All four of the additional armaments used by the Machine God were made with a generous amount of rare Mana Minerals, the kind that are rarely found even in Feral Beast territories.
It seems that they enhance existing effects or create new ones through interaction.
“(Even if I can’t make the armaments, there are parts that use only Mana Crystals, so I’ll start with those.)”
Various sensors. A main tank that can directly convert 〖Mana〗 into a beam.
A path for sending 〖Mana〗 from the main tank to each part.
And the part that corresponds to the nerves for sending commands to the whole body.
Making these will also deepen my understanding of Mana Crystals and improve my technique.
“(Ah, this is fun.)”
I’m aware that I’m getting carried away with this unknown technology.
The majestic figure of the combined Machine God is still burned into my memory, and I’m sure I’d be incredibly happy if I could make something like that myself.
“(Besides, this is also a form of ‘strength’, isn’t it?)”
Killing Demon Beasts and processing them into weapons.
That’s how I’ve grown stronger so far, but there should be other paths as well.
“(I still have a lot of untouched 〖Feral Beast〗 materials left. Let’s get to processing them with all my might!)”
And so, I continued my work, and by the time I had finished making a set of weapons, I fell asleep.