The Story of Eternal Golem

The Knight of Death.

One of the mightiest summons of Shiva in his previous life. Yet, before he became Shiva's summon, he was renowned by another title.

He was known as "The Eternal Golem," the pinnacle creation of a fallen legend.

This is a tale known only to a select few within the tower.

Long ago, there existed a legend consumed by an insatiable passion for crafting golems. He fashioned every conceivable type golems there is: stone, mud, steel, wood, even those formed from corpses and bones.

He attained the pinnacle of the art of golemcraft, and achieved the status of 'myth'.

Yet, the legend remained unsatisfied. His thirst for creation drove him to seek something beyond mere dolls—something capable of assuming a life of its own. Thus, he embarked on a new journey of experimentation.

Initially, his experiments progressed smoothly, showing promise and innovation. However, as time wore on, he encountered obstacles. For the first time, the brilliant legend faced failure.

Golems were traditionally inert objects, and what he sought to accomplish challenged the very laws of nature. Breathing life into an inanimate creation, instilling it with will and consciousness, proved to be a monumental task beyond his reach.

Unable to accept defeat, the legend veered from his path, resorting to inhumane methods in his relentless pursuit of success. He subjected his closest comrades to grotesque experiments, sacrificing them in his quest to achieve his goals.

Upon learning of his atrocities, other 'Myths' who became aware of his actions could no longer remain passive. They endeavored to halt his mad ambitions, but their efforts came too late. The legend had already forged a path, defying all norms and rationality.

Utilizing the bones of dragons, the flesh of legends, and the organs of infernal creatures, he succeeded in creating the unthinkable—a living golem.

However, the legend had already succumbed to his own twisted creation. In the process of birthing the golem, he had been corrupted into something far darker. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, he commanded the golem to embark on a massacre spree.

Though possessing its own will, the golem remained bound to its master's commands. Thus, it obeyed, unleashing death upon countless lives. The massacre started with the fallen legend himself; having achieved his greatest desire, he no longer wished to live and desired to be slain by his own creation.

With the master deceased and his final directive lingering, the ensuing carnage surpassed any previous atrocities witnessed within the tower.

Cities lay in ruins, countless lives snuffed out. Yet, with each battle, the golem grew stronger.

Finally, the legends could no longer turn a blind eye to the devastation. They united to confront the Golem.

The ensuing battle was fierce, spanning two nights and three days. In the end, the combined might of two of the tower's strongest legends managed to stop the golem.

However, their victory proved hollow. Despite being slain, the golem continued to regenerate endlessly. It was then that they understood the significance of its name, bestowed upon it by the fallen legend: the 'Eternal Golem.'

Terrified by the immense power of the Eternal Golem and haunted by the prospect of its resurgence, the legends opted to seal it away.

Constructing a cave separate from the tower, they transformed it into a dungeon, isolating the golem within. To prevent the sinister forces lurking in the shadows from harnessing its power, they enacted restrictions, ensuring that only the weakest could ever penetrate the dungeon's depths, according to the limitations of the system.

Thus, the Eternal Golem descended into a deep slumber....

Such was the story of the figure lying within the coffin before Shiva. As he gazed upon the slumbering form, emotions welled within him. Afteral, he was not just a summon to Shiva. he had been his mentor, protector, and, above all.....a friend.

Nevertheless, Shiva moved towards the bookshelves after observing the sleeping figure for some time. There, he found numerous books related to creating golems and the fruits of innumerable research conducted by the fallen legend, particularly focusing on the enigmatic 'cores'.

Though Shiva himself had little interest in such matters, and lacked the intellectual capacity to comprehend the depth of the research, he knew someone who did.

"That guy would lick my boots if I offered him these books," Shiva chuckled at the thought of seeing the knowledge-hungry bastard's reaction.

Without further ado, he began filling his inventory with the books. Though the books were considered to be of a similar category, he could only fit a hundred books in a single slot. So, it still took him six slots to collect them all.

"Now, shall I begin clearing the dungeon?"

Shiva signaled his summons, who were gathered in a corner, to approach and stand around him. The orc skeletons complied, but the corrupted giant's sheer size made it difficult for him to maneuver freely within the cave.

As a result, Shiva allocated him to stand guard beside the glass coffin, ensuring it remained undamaged.

Then making sure that everything was prepared, Shiva commanded, "Begin the trial."

In response to his command, the dungeon stirred.

A single golem at the far end of the cave advanced, its previous empty sockets now aglow with green flames, and positioned itself in front of Shiva.

Golden runes materialized before him, displaying a message,

<Please correctly answer the golem's question to clear dungeon.>

<Each correct answer will reward you based on your response.>

Following this prompt, a mechanical voice emanated from the golem before him.

{What is the most important thing for a person?}, it asked.

Shiva gazed at the golem for a moment, a smile playing across his lips. It was time to pay back these fucking golems!

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