Chapter 7: Interlude I part 4

Aura watched the ancient Dragon hum softly to himself as he worked, heart pounding in her throat. She wasn't supposed to be here. If she hadn't borrowed an Item from Demiurge, she wouldn't even be capable of surviving in the harsh air of the Lava Floor.

But still… it was definitely worth it.

She subtly wiped her mouth of drool as he stopped hammering to stretch, corded muscles rippling in the dull light of the forge. It was a sight more than worth the lengthy preparations she had made to get it, no matter what others might imply.

See, the past week had consisted of the Ancient One 'buying out the Pureia Market', as Momonga-sama put it. The rarest and most valuable Items in the Nine Realms were bought up or taken by the ancient Dragon in a rapid surge, something that utterly baffled the others of her kind.

But she knew. She had seen the signs before, this was the beginning of one of his projects. And if there was one thing she knew about said projects, they usually ended up with him shirtless in his forge.

She didn't care why he was in his forge, just that she had a convenient hiding place to, ahem, appreciate the view.

Would his Maidens be annoyed if they found out? Most likely. Would Shalltear tease her until the end of time if she knew? Most definitely. But did she care? Most certainly not.

The Ancient One's pace slowed, and he fell silent as he held something large and golden up to the light. It shone brilliantly even in the low illumination, a burnished gold piece of metal in a very specific shape.

Oh. Oh.

He was making a Metal Golem of some sort. A Blade Golem, perhaps, or a Living Armor.

Aura nodded once to herself, adjusting her pose. She was lying flat on her belly with her chin propped on crossed arms, squeezed into a small space likely meant for ventilation. Metal Golems took quite some time to build properly, so she would be there for a while.

One might think that a Beast Tamer like Aura would find the proceedings boring. One would be wrong about that. Because, in truth, she wasn't there to watch his work, she was there to watch him.

In a totally non-creepy way.

Honestly.

She only got nosebleeds from the dry air, no other reason.

The ancient Dragon placed the sheet of metal in position, then moved back to pick up another brick of gold. His arm raised, his hammer glowing from within. Muscles larger than Aura's head flexed, bringing the hammer down with a mighty blow. The shock of the blow ran down his back, muscles rippling harmony to contain the force.

And what a nicely toned back it was…

Oh yes. Mare could take care of their Floor by himself. She would be busy for quite some time.

I nodded to myself, closing the NPC creation screen. Nazarick had an extra Level from when I deleted a pointless character no one had even bothered to name, so I took it upon myself to fill it. I had already filled the Tomb with various Golems capable of matching high-Level NPCs in terms of raw power, which took care of anything that may require expendable forces.

That just left me to make someone to direct them.

This would be another of my many experiments that were dotted around Nazarick, far below the notice of the oft-absent Guildmaster. A simple Level 1 Air Elemental with nothing special about him.

Except, of course, the flavor text.

I do, of course have rules for what I do and don't add, rules that would remain even during his creation.

But while I likely couldn't turn him into a Level 100 just by adding a few lines… I could make him an absolute expert at using his powers, a positively lethal being with no real morals.

"You will be Whisper." I told the blank Elemental lowly, a smirk toying at my lips. "My silent aide, dwelling within the darkness. Serve me well, as you have for all of time."

Yes. To him, it would have been with me since 'the beginning', a time that his limited memory only vaguely recalled. Before the Cataclysm, a fictional disaster of my own design. Before the World Tree's death, which would be coming very soon. And through it all, he would live, endlessly honing his simple abilities through sheer force of repetition.

If I couldn't give him EXP… let's see if I can simulate experience instead.

Time was ticking on. Running low. Running out. But I didn't mind.

Time is meaningless compared to eternity.

I closed my eyes, my shaking shoulders the only sign of my suppressed laughter.

"You what?" I managed, clamping down on the smile that threatened to split my face.

"I'm letting you go." The manager dismissed idly, flipping through pages on his clipboard. "Your numbers have been down for some time, plus there's that leg of yours…"

I neglected to mention the fact that it had been a factory accident in this very building that had turned me into an unwilling amputee. This world didn't matter, none of it mattered.

And reality had just thrown me the last tether I had remaining in this world.

I fought back my snickers, knowing he would never understand the joke. He would still be here in a few days, still working his endless job where people were reduced to numbers and lives were cheaper than machinery. But I would be free.

"I understand, sir." I said politely, bowing. "Thank you for your years of employment. Will I be receiving the customary benefits?"

The manager grunted, reaching into his pocket to pull out a crumpled envelope. "Here. Now get. I have an interview in ten minutes."

An interview for the job I just vacated? Well, I hadn't expected anything less. I took the envelope, bowed respectfully, and left the building.

The moment my gas mask was on, I no longer bothered to hold in the guffaws of laughter that had been building inside of me. Oh, the poor, poor fool. I had planned this all perfectly. Yes, my numbers had been dropping, but that was because of my constant exhaustion from long hours of gaming. Sure, I hadn't known it had been coming now, but I knew it would always be a possibility.

See, the company policy states that upon releasing an employee with disabilities, they had to give them a small pension up front that would support them until they could get their next job. Of course, that never happened in this shitty society, so most people in my situation squandered it on drugs, but not I. No, I was already planning out the last week of my life.

This check will pay for enough food and nanomachines to barricade myself into my room and never come out. The windows could be bolted, the doors firmly shut and barred. No one would disturb me when I was so close, no one would take my life when it was so close to being complete.

One way or another… my life would end soon. And any world other than this one will be fine by me.

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