Episode 119
119. Change it
He didn’t want to betray the bright, sunny smile of a child.
Truthfully, the other refugees were also looking on with poorly concealed anticipation.
However, golden hand spoke as if coaxing a little child.
“Well, if you want me to. But you’ll have to wait a little bit, okay? Can you do that… for me?”
golden hand spoke carefully so the little one wouldn’t be disappointed.
But the child scrunched up her face as if about to throw a tantrum.
“Why? Why not? Can’t you make something for me right now? Huh?”
Even her puffed-out cheeks and sulky look were unbearably adorable. Yet, golden hand remained utterly unmoved by that adorable display. Instead, he pointed toward Iron Walker, who was struggling to hold the passage.
“My friend is having a hard time over there. Just wait a little while.”
“Ah, your frieeeend…”
“Yes, my friend.”
The little girl seemed to ponder the word ‘friend’ for a moment. Soon after, she grinned, showing her white teeth. She took a step back and said:
“Hehe! Then after you help your friend, you have to come play with me, okay? Promise?”
“Alright… I promise.”
“You promised the little lady, right? Then I’ll wait!”
With a radiant smile, she scampered off and disappeared into the crowd. Only then did Geumson let out a shallow sigh of relief.
Strangely enough, it was Ma Jincheol who chided him.
“If only I’d gotten married to my girlfriend, I might have had a daughter like that…”
“Mr. Jincheol, you’ve never had a girlfriend. Not even once…”
“W-what nonsense! What do you know! You probably don’t realize it, but I’m actually quite popular! Me!”
For some reason, Ma Jincheol raised his voice. Sorry, but he knew. They had survived the age of ruin together, sharing all sorts of pointless stories. When Geumson didn’t bother to reply, Ma Jincheol cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“But… don’t you feel sorry for the kid? You could’ve just whipped up something quick. You’re always knocking things together in no time.”
“Mr. Jincheol, are you free? Can’t you see the ice melting over there?”
“Huh? Ah! It’s melting again! Those damn undead really are endless!”
Having easily brushed off Ma Jincheol’s idle talk, golden hand clenched and unclenched his fists, checking his condition.
‘My own problem is solved now… Next is Walker.’
The warm-up was over. His frozen fingers had completely loosened up. Now it was time to prepare new parts for Iron Walker.
‘Usable materials…’
golden hand meticulously scanned the Fame Shop’s listings. More carefully than when enhancing his own gear. He began gathering materials for Iron Walker.
[‘Everfrost Ice Crystal’ purchased. -2,000P]
[‘Ancient Machine Rotating Shaft’ purchased. -2,000P]
[Remaining Fame Points: 2,000]
“Points are tight. Now, then… shall we begin the main work?”
A considerable amount of points—double what he’d spent on enhancing his own gear. But it wasn’t a waste at all. This was a gift for Iron Walker, who was struggling alone.
Geumson took out the materials he had purchased along with the ones he already possessed.
[Earth-Crushing Fang]
[Giant Sand Angler Tusk]
[Desert Cobra Venom Fang]
[Petrified Giant’s Bloodstone]
.
.
.
Hard and sharp materials. Starting with the Earth-Crushing Fang obtained from the ‘Corrupted Earthworm,’ he was practically scraping the bottom of the barrel of his stored materials. The new part for Iron Walker was already decided.
The right arm had a flamethrower.
So, what about the left?
‘A drill imbued with ice attributes!’
Flame and frost.
A hybrid golem wielding two opposing elements simultaneously. He intended to design Iron Walker as if projecting his own image.
Moreover, the new part wasn’t just a simple striking fist, but a powerful rotating weapon that would grind through and pierce enemies. Into it, he would embed the ‘Everfrost Ice Crystal’ to grant it frost properties.
‘This way, even if it overheats from the flames, the frost in the left hand can cool itself down.’
Not only would Iron Walker’s overheating issue be resolved, but it wouldn’t matter if the drill’s blades were damaged. Iron Walker’s ice drill would repair itself. Having finalized the design in his mind, it was time to move.
Thud-
Clang-!
Clangclangclang-!
golden hand’s hammering sped up. Using the ‘Ancient Machine Rotating Shaft’ as the core, he carved the giant tusk into a spiral to form the drill blades and placed the Everfrost core at the center to create the power source. Then, he covered the exterior with the ‘Earth-Crushing Fang’ from the Corrupted Earthworm that had burrowed through hard earth and underground. golden hand’s hammering continued.
Thud-
Clang!
Clangclangclang!
He subdued the materials that tried to repel each other with his hammer, and when they finally became one, the message he desired appeared.
[Crafting Successful!]
[Due to the effect of the ‘Luck’ stat, ‘Transcendent Great Success’ has occurred!]
[The ‘Divinely Inspired Handicraft’ skill activates, completing a precise combination.]
[The Golem Modification Evolution skill has reached Lv.2.]
[‘Glacial Rotary Drill’ has been completed.]
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.
.
[Glacial Rotary Drill]
Grade: Ancient
Creator: golden hand
Effects:
[Absolute Penetration]: The rotating drill ignores enemy defense and pierces through.
[Rapid Cooling]: Upon attack, absorbs ambient heat and converts it into frost.
[Blizzard Spin]: Spins the drill at high speed to create an ice storm around it.
[Self-Repair]: Automatically repairs damaged drill blades.
The completed new part for Iron Walker. More than just a part, it was an astonishing creation that could even grant Iron Walker a ‘skill.’ But Geumson had no time to rejoice. Iron Walker’s condition was unstable.
“Woo…awk…”
Iron Walker’s voice sounded strained. Hearing it, Geumson quickly grabbed the completed drill and rushed to him.
The battle was still fierce. Iron Walker was completely preoccupied holding back the swarming undead.
Kiiikiiing-
Sputter…
The flames of the flamethrower were waning, and a metallic groaning sound came from its red-hot body. It had reached its limit.
“Walker! Stick out your arm!”
golden hand shouted.
With great effort, Iron Walker extended its left arm.
CRUNCH-
Without hesitation, golden hand violently ripped off the left-hand part. Sparks flew and gears scattered. An act no ordinary magi-technician would dare attempt—replacing a golem’s part mid-battle, and a moving one at that.
But for golden hand, it was familiar. In the age of ruin, under a hail of gunfire, he had repaired and modified broken machinery. No, he had to do it. Those days when he could comfortably maintain equipment in a maintenance bay were few and far between. The memories from that era seemed etched into his body, making it move on its own.
Screech-
Screechscreech-
Screeeeeech-
CLUNK-!
Wheeeeeeng-!
Lavi’s gift, the top-tier magi-technical tool set, proved useful once again. golden hand swiftly replaced Iron Walker’s left arm.
Giiiiiiing!
The moment it was attached, the drill spun with a strange hum. Simultaneously, a pure white cold erupted from it. The frost began rapidly cooling Iron Walker’s overheated body. The dangerously molten-red right arm also gradually returned to its original color.
“Wooawk! New! Mine! Wooooo! Ker!”
Iron Walker seemed to have regained its energy, spinning the drill with a whoosh-whoosh. It clearly liked its new toy. golden hand grinned and patted its back.
“Good. Shall we run a performance test?”
“Wooawk? Test? Teeest?”
“Yeah, don’t we have to test new things?”
golden hand pointed at the undead swarming through the breach in the ice wall. During the brief pause in the flames, they had closed the distance. They were within arm’s reach. But Geumson felt no sense of crisis. He merely curled the corner of his mouth upward.
“Walker, scrap them!”
“Wooawk! Scrap! Scrap! Go away! Wooawk!”
At golden hand command, Iron Walker lunged forward. No longer content with merely blocking the passage, it began pushing back against the tide of undead.
Whooosh-!
Giiiiiiing-!
Flames from the right hand, and the frost-imbued Glacial Rotary Drill from the left. No undead could withstand Iron Walker’s overwhelming power.
“Wooooooawk!”
Iron Walker’s voice sounded immensely pleased with its new part. Overheating was a thing of the past. Iron Walker became an unstoppable tank of destruction, ravaging the undead legion. Simultaneously, golden hand system messages grew busy again.
[Burning High-Class Zombie defeated.]
[Flame-Resistant Skeleton Knight defeated.]
[Plague Ghoul defeated.]
[Level has increased! Lv. 85]
[Level has increased! Lv. 86]
[Level has increased! Lv. 87]
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.
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[Level has increased! Lv. 90]
The sound of the drill spinning at high speed was horrifying to the undead, but not to Geumson. To him, it was just the happy sound of experience points rolling in automatically.
‘Good. If we can just hold out like this…’
Even the undead legion occupying Frelia wasn’t infinite. In fact, the number of red dots marking the Prelia map had noticeably decreased. If they could just hold out, the witch Elmari would surely show herself.
Time was on Geumson’s side.
That’s what he thought.
If only Baek Jinju hadn’t spoken up.
“Sorry to ask during the fight… but do you happen to have any spare food?”
Baek Jinju wore an apologetic expression for not being helpful in combat. Her question finally made golden hand properly notice the refugees’ faces. The faces of refugees on the brink of collapse from hunger.
