The Return and Heart to Heart Conversation

I continued my work in the workshop, crafting two additional Gems of Virtue for Regeneration. My goal was to equip the entire group with at least one gem each so that, upon their return, we could minimize the risk of any severe injuries to them or myself.

Despite my engrossment in tinkering and magical pursuits, anxiety lingered. There was still no sign of their return, and the thought of facing them, especially if there were casualties, weighed heavily on my mind. I was the sole individual with any healing abilities or magic, adding a layer of responsibility and concern for the well-being of my companions.

'Ouch' I whimpered as I wounded myself trying to create another Gem of Virtue, it seemed that my anxiety was making me make mistakes

'This is useless' I thought as I looked at my hand that started bleeding, the blood splashing on the gem, but as a surprise instead of refusing my blood, the gem started to absorb it, seeing this I quickly analyzed it.

[Bloody Gem of Regeneration]

[Rare]

[A gem that was embedded in the blood of a mage that had a great affinity for earth magic, it's prowess enhanced due to this]

[Use: 7/7]

I was mortified by what I saw

'If blood can enhance the result of my craft, does that mean that anyone in this universe can kill other mage to use their blood to create artifacts of great power' I thought darkly, the idea of such a thing repulsing me to an uneasy degree

'I will still use you ' I thought as I looked at the gem 'But this will be the only time I will use something like that '

This was a disgusting manner to enhance their own power, and I knew that if I discovered something like that, other people could just kill people to enhance their crafts too.

Humans were like that, but perhaps perchance, we could be the only humans in this universe and all the other races never discovered this, but I will not be hopeful like that. There could be other races far worse than us Humans.

Examining the gem once more, I stepped out of my workshop with it in hand. As I exited the cave, I observed that the houses had been completed—simple medieval structures, neither extravagant nor subpar.

Moving on to the cellar, I found that the golem had efficiently relocated all our food inside. Glancing at the partially finished field where seeds were to be planted, I noted its progress.

"This is progressing faster than I anticipated," I remarked with a smile, observing the gradual development of the city. Although it was far from matching the grandeur of Haven town in the game, I knew it would soon advance.

As the sun began to set, I eagerly awaited the return of my men. In the meantime, I directed the golems to retrieve resources still stored in the mines. Two days had passed since the creation of the ore mine and one day for the sawmill, so there should be a decent amount waiting for me.

The next task at hand was the construction of roads to facilitate access to these resources. I instructed the remaining golems to begin digging pathways towards the quarry and the sawmill, improving the supply chain.

Then suddenly I sensed multiple lifeforms approaching at moderate speed, I ordonned the golems that remained near me to form a line in front of me to protect me if needs arise.

But I exhaled a sigh of relief when I saw who the approaching beings were, it was my men, coming back, all of them alive and well as I could see.

Approaching them with a smile, I noticed the Light waving at me with a cheerful expression. "Are you all right?" I inquired, realizing that the lack of visible injuries didn't necessarily mean they were unharmed, especially with the mention of a magic caster.

"Yes, my Lord, we are safe," George replied as he came closer. "We were ambushed near another potential mining outpost. The same beasts that attacked us before, but this time they had numbers—approximately thirty, I would say. They had a magic caster, but fortunately, with the blessing of the [Pendant of Holiness] that you possess, my Lord, we were immune to the curses, and we swiftly dealt with them."

The explanation was detailed, shedding light on their encounter. Curious, I examined the map provided by the system, which had been updated with their return. It revealed all the discoveries they had made.

[You found another civilization's territory]

Hearing this, I focused on the map and indeed discovered the beginning of a territory to the north. The group hadn't ventured into it yet, and I preferred to keep it that way for now. If it turned out to be the territory of a peaceful civilization, it could be beneficial. However, considering the repeated ambushes by these savage beasts near the borders, it was more likely to be their territory. While I understood the circumstances, they would pay for their aggression.

I wasn't a proponent of war, but recognizing the need for territorial expansion, I ordered the golems to station near the borders and eliminate any of those hostile beasts on sight. With my soldiers back, I updated them on the progress of my magic and the city's development.

"This is incredible, my Lord!" exclaimed Thom, marveling at the houses that had seemingly sprouted overnight.

"The progress will only accelerate," I added, and we gathered around the fire, sharing a meal filled with laughter and joy. The first two days had been challenging, but tonight, my men would sleep in houses. Meanwhile, I continued my research in the workshop, and the Light guarded the city.

"Ah, before we rest, Jean, you should go to the fountain to upgrade into a Praetorian," I instructed the other sentinel. He nodded and promptly set out, accompanied by two golems for safety.

"I will accompany him, my Lord," said Thom, standing up too. They followed the golems as they walked toward the fountain, leaving George and Philip to head toward one of the newly constructed houses.

Alone with the Light, I asked, "Everything's fine, Light?" She hadn't spoken since returning.

"I wanted to say something to you," she began, gesturing for me to follow her. We walked toward the edge of the town, her light illuminating our path.

"I spoke with the others during this expedition," she continued, looking at the sky. "I expressed my desire to be something more than a mere messenger of Elrath. All my life, I pledged myself to Elrath, and yet it returned nothing to me. I was never made a Seraphim to help in the army."

Surprised, I realized that the Radiant Light could also harbor doubts, contrary to my previous belief that they were unwaveringly loyal to Elrath.

"When I was summoned by you, I thought you'd be like every Lord I had served, monsters who cared little for how many troops died or how many lives were taken. These Lords only saw Elrath and his 'righteousness.' Initially, I believed it was the humans tarnishing the Lord with their actions, but it was more insidious. Even the servants of Elrath, Uriel and Michael, betrayed his ideals. They began transforming young virgin women into Seraphim."

"Girls barely out of childhood, turned into weapons of war!" she exclaimed in outrage. "So we rebelled—some Seraphim and us Radiant Light. We decided to aid a necromancer named Anastasia in reaching Heaven to confront and eliminate Uriel and Michael."

"Then we discovered that these traitors had imprisoned the Lord and were using his name to reignite the war with the followers of Malassa," she concluded, taking my head in her hands.

"Promise me, Lucas Aldaric, that you will never use us like that," she pleaded, her voice cracking slightly. Her hands felt incredibly warm, as if I were close to a lit fireplace.

I flashed a smile at the Light. "I promise," were the words I spoke. "I am not a monster. I respect the life of everyone, and I want everyone to be safe."

[Elrath is very pleased with your answer. You have gained knowledge about the Light Lore of Magic.]

[Light Magic I]

[Enhance your understanding of the lore of Light and its practical applications.]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the racial spell of Haven: Angelic Protection.]

[Angelic Protection: Envelop a troop in the protective light of Elrath, significantly boosting its defense.]

My body glowed in a golden light as the knowledge of the light magic was coursing through my head, suddenly I widened my eyes, sensing a new spell added to my head: [Heal], it was different from [Regeneration], the light version was an instantaneous spell as the earth variant was a healing that perdured.

The Light was looking at me, eyes widened, her body trembling in sheer fright.

"Lord Elrath, I was not disrespecting you an-" she started to say, kneeling on the ground before my voice cut her out "He is not mad, light he is actually proud of you, you and your friends did what was right" 

I saw the trembling of the body of the light come to an end as she looked at me, tears of light streaming on her face, I gave her my hand to help her stand up, she looked at it for a split of a second before taking it, I gently pulled her up on her feets.

"Thank you, Lucas. I feared my Lord had forsaken me for my betrayals, allowing someone as unholy as a Necromancer into Heaven," she said, her gaze turning toward the sky as she began to float.

"I won't take any more of your time, My Lord," she added, preparing to depart.

"Would you like a name?" I asked suddenly. Elrath's knowledge came with this request, to rectify all the mistakes he made in Ashan. As he granted me knowledge, I would honor his demand.

"It would be an honor, my lord, to be the first Radiant Light to be named," she replied, flashing me a beautiful smile.

"So, I name you Aurelia, the golden one. As your next evolution, harbor a golden light," I said, recalling a bit of Latin from my school years.

"I love it, my Lord," responded the newly named Aurelia. "I hope that all my sisters will be treated as well as I am," she added with a chuckle, rising even higher in the sky. "I bid you goodnight, my Lord," she said before teleporting above the city.

"You too," I replied as I promptly headed toward my workshop. I needed to progress in my talents. Making a brief detour to the stockpiled resources, I took hold of five crystals brought back by the golems before the group's return.

During two hours I created a grand total of forty golems, these golems were different, they were far bigger and their arms were two large swords. I knew that slaying two groups of these beasts would enrage them and we are not enough for now to defend ourselves against an entire civilisation, as primitive as she seemed to be, they could always drown us in large numbers.

After fashioning their shells, I proceeded to create gems to embed within their bodies. With advanced talents in both disciplines, I instinctively knew the shape and size the gems needed to be to animate these golems successfully.

It took an additional two hours to craft forty gemstones for the 'war golems' I had designed. Swiftly placing them inside the golems and animating the constructs, I commanded thirty of them to protect each resource site we occupied. One could never be too cautious. The remaining ten golems were stationed to guard the Fountain of Elrath for the time being.

As I settled into my stone bed, I thought, 'I can sleep soundly tonight; there shouldn't be any attacks.' Before drifting into sleep, I checked my character sheet.

[Character Sheet]

Lucas Aldaric

[Cleric]

Attributes:

Might Power: 0

Might Defense: 2

Magic Power: 2(+2)

Magic Defense: 2(+1)

Leadership: 2

Destiny: 1

Talents:

[Novice Golemancer -> Advanced Golemancer 45/5000, 0/1]

[None->Novice Jeweler -> Advanced Jeweler 40/2000, 0/1]

Skills:

Urgash's Blessing

Earth Magic I(+50%)

Light Magic I

Spells:

Regeneration

Earth Shield

Fire Mastery

Heal

Minerals Detection II(Temporary)

Artifact:

Pendant of Holiness

Enhanced Cleric Staff of the Earth

'I hope nothing bad happens tomorrow,' I mused as my golems set out on their assigned tasks.

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Well, last chapter for today, I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to comment on things that you like or don't like.

Cheers