“Your grandson uses a peculiar weapon, huh?”
“Oh! A shovel! Quite unusual!”
“Interesting.”
The three looked at Johann, who pulled a shovel out of the ground, making their comments. Regardless of their feelings, it was time for the test, so they each drew their weapons with cool heads as members and examiners.
“Feels kind of awkward.”
“Well, it’s the lord’s command, so what can we do!”
“It reminds me of the days of the coming-of-age ceremony on the deserted island.”
The trio chatted and looked at Johann. Johann, with the shovel still planted in the ground, observed them with a vigilant stare.
‘Grandma has the ability to imbue souls into inanimate objects. Vulcanus has abilities related to blacksmithing, and Lumi is associated with puzzles, huh.’
It was a hasty guess, but he didn’t want to fight blindly without any assumptions. He preferred martial arts battles on a well-planned board.
“Grandson, why are you looking at us like that?”
“To think a grandson would strike his grandmother…”
‘If I had known, I would have never included her.’
While he didn’t mind attacking Lumi and Vulcanus, he was hesitant about going after Maria, making him struggle to decide on the course of the battle.
Hitting someone biologically related to you, especially a grandparent, felt wrong. So, he decided to take a detour.
“Crafting.”
“Oh! That’s amazing!”
Vulcanus gasped in awe as Johann disappeared into the ground in an instant, likely because of how swift the process was. Maria stroked Teddy while observing the jungle.
“Lumi. Are you planning to turn this forest into a riddle?”
“Yep. Looks like a sharp one despite its appearance, so it should be a fun test.”
With a faint smile, Lumi crouched and began drawing in the sand with a stick, knowing that intricate puzzles required careful preparation.
“Maria! What will you do? I’m thinking of following that guy!”
“I’ll look for useful souls. There’s nothing here to put Teddy in.”
“Then we’ll scatter for now! Hahaha! See you later!”
The two parted ways, while Lumi quietly began planning a giant puzzle to draw in the sand.
——————————-
Well, I’ve definitely made a splash.
But honestly, wouldn’t it have been better to throw the first punch?
A late regret.
Of course, not against Grandma, just the other two. I was confident my grandma’s abilities wouldn’t be able to overpower me when it came to her performing against me. I mean, how could she do anything to me with powers related to inanimate objects?
If she could extract my soul in one shot, that’d be a different story, but… I’m not sure if that’s even possible.
For now, though, it’s Vulcanus charging at me from afar.
I infused the nearby trees with the power of the World Tree. The trees, now infused with its energy, evolved into “World Trees.” Placing my hands on one, I activated my skill.
“Crafting.”
A more advanced crafting skill instantly turned the wood into armor that enveloped my body. It was thinner than the armor I had when facing a dragon.
Transforming into something resembling a wooden golem, I looked ahead.
Here he comes.
“Oh! That’s really cool!”
What is that in his hand? How is he holding that? I couldn’t help but stare in shock at the chainsaw-like device Vulcanus was holding.
“That’s…”
“Ah! It’s a tool for cutting wood!”
Is that really a chainsaw?
I observed the burly man wielding a chainsaw that looked like it could chop down the World Tree with ease. He didn’t slow down as he approached me closely.
Like a charging bull.
I had no idea what would happen if I collided head-on. I needed to dodge.
Or maybe… block it.
“Crafting.”
As if I were in an old cartoon, five layers of walls appeared before me. Each one was a meter thick. It would be a tough road even with aura.
“Crafting.”
Next, I wrapped the shovel in the World Tree. If I wanted to restrain him, I’d have to clash weapons. The shovel, now covered entirely by the World Tree from top to bottom, had become so massive it could hardly be called a shovel anymore, but I had no issues wielding it.
Twelve years.
That’s how long I’ve been handling shovels.
“Haha! This is fun! This ability is amusing!”
The walls implode. No, they tear apart. The chainsaw, crafted by a member of the Quartz family, forcibly rips through the walls with a strength beyond mere aura.
I adjusted my grip on the shovel when the fourth wall began to crumble.
He’s getting closer.
I lifted the shovel and swung it at the back of the chainsaw, which was tearing through the wall. The shovel in my hand trembled wildly.
“Haha!”
The chainsaw veered off course. I immediately swung the shovel towards him, aiming for the neck.
He wouldn’t die from this, right?
“Exciting! There’s a connection between us as fellow craftsmen!”
…What are those gloves made of that they block a shovel made from the World Tree without a scratch?
“How do you like my gloves? They’re crafted with great care!”
“Impressive.”
“Your armor is also remarkable! To create such a splendid suit on the spot! I learned something today!”
I felt myself getting pushed back. Was it his size? Or was it his brute strength? My body was being effortlessly dragged by his power. I reluctantly dropped the shovel and shouted.
“Crafting!”
In an instant, the shovel transformed into a prison, trapping him inside. A prison made of the World Tree, so he wouldn’t easily escape.
“Crafting.”
But…
There was no guarantee he wouldn’t break out. The prison was already cracking.
I needed to get an extra hit in before he could escape.
“Ooh!”
The prison sank underground. Tangling roots of the World Tree wrapped around him, leaving only his head above ground as he looked up at me.
“I didn’t see this coming!”
“Will you surrender?”
“Haha, I’m no man to be subdued so easily!”
Is he a demigod or what?
Does he expect to break out of the prison like that?
What kind of strength does he have?
“Still, this is a bit sturdy! It’s quite interesting material! What kind of wood is this?”
“It’s the World Tree.”
“Oh! The World Tree!”
With a sigh of amazement, his body broke through the ground and emerged above.
This won’t be easy. I can manage to subdue him briefly, but continuous suppression seems nearly impossible.
If it comes to killing, he doesn’t seem accustomed to that kind of battle, so that might be doable.
“Vulcanus.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“What?”
“Crafting.”
With confidence, I retreated into the ground.
———————————-
“Haha, I took a hit there!”
“Vulcanus. Have you lost the grandson?”
“Indeed!”
Maria’s lukewarm gaze scanned the ground. After circling the island, she looked at Teddy and spoke.
“Teddy. What do you think we should do?”
Teddy scratched his head and feigned ignorance. He didn’t particularly want to fight the grandson either.
But since the esteemed ancestor commanded it, she had to test Johann Quartz.
“I don’t really need to directly fight, so I’ll have to talk to Lumi.”
“I’ll keep chasing him!”
Vulcanus laughed heartily as he moved forward. She, watching his retreating figure, turned her body while holding Teddy tightly.
There’s no need to physically hit him just because it’s a test.
Death and killing aren’t the only criteria for a trial.
Maria headed straight back to the beach where Lumi was.
Lumi was still drawing a blueprint in the sand with a stick.
“Lumi.”
“Successor?”
“He ran away.”
“I see.”
Despite hearing the news that Johann had fled, her expression didn’t change. Even if he escaped, he was still on this island, and as long as he was here, she could pull him out anytime.
“Have you completed the puzzle?”
“Almost.”
“Shall I help?”
Lumi nodded immediately. With Maria’s abilities, the design could be made much easier. After Lumi agreed, Maria closed her eyes and sealed her lips for a moment, before relaying information.
“The grandson is on the opposite side of the island. He seems to be making something with wood.”
“I see.”
Maria closed her eyes again.
Having circled the island, everything on it was under her surveillance. All inanimate things she touched would act as her eyes and ears.
Fully aware of this ability, Lumi integrated her into the blueprint.
“Then we can start slowly now.”
“Don’t go too hard.”
“Are you worried about the grandson?”
“…Hmph.”
Maria scoffed and turned her head. With a slight red blush on her cheeks, Lumi smiled faintly and closed her eyes.
“Implementation.”
The puzzle they designed over thirty minutes began to cover the entire island.
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