“Ellie. Is there anything different about me today?”
“Huh?”
In an instant, Ellie’s body stiffened. She wore a grim expression, as if she anticipated something significant.
I blinked, wondering what was going through her mind that made her so tense, when I noticed that not only were the waitstaff preparing for the opening, but Lydia and Benny, who were waiting, were also gulping nervously.
Then it dawned on me just how my earlier words would be interpreted in this world.
“Brother. Is there anything different about me today?”
That question had once made my past self shudder. It was like a declaration of war.
From now on, if you don’t satisfy me, I’m going to be a nuisance all day long.
Of course, I didn’t hold such deep meaning. I was just curious about how much impact the skills and powers I gained this time would have on the atmosphere and momentum.
With beads of sweat dripping down her forehead, Ellie began to scrutinize me, her eyes darting around rapidly, as if trying to avoid trembling. As a former high-ranking adventurer, her gaze was thorough and analytical.
Though one could feel a sense of desperation in her, as if she couldn’t afford to mess up.
I could clear up the misunderstanding right now, but… honestly, I was having too much fun and decided to let it be. I could always reveal it after having my good time, right?
Instead, I spread my arms wide, making it easy for Ellie to inspect me. I couldn’t help but let my lips curl into a smirk.
After carefully observing me for quite a while, Ellie opened her mouth, looking like someone who sensed her doom.
“D-did you cut your hair?”
“…Wow.”
I can understand her feelings, but isn’t that just the worst answer possible?
I wasn’t the only one thinking so; the others around us began to put their hands to their foreheads and sighed deeply.
At this point, Ellie seemed to realize something was wrong and hurriedly reached out her hand.
“Wait! If you give me another chance…!”
“Ah, it’s fine. You don’t have to go that far.”
“…Huh?”
“Ah, I see. Ellie thought I cut my hair. Hehe, by the way, my hair is still the same.”
“……”
Ellie’s face turned pale, arms still outstretched as I stepped closer. And then—
Squeezy.
I stood on tiptoes and gave her a strong hug. I then leaned in to whisper into the perplexed Ellie’s ear, “The answer is I like you more today than I did yesterday!”
“What?”
Ellie was at a loss for words. I patted her empty shoulder for no reason before letting go.
“Well, I’m off to the labyrinth to earn some money today, so you keep an eye on the shop, okay?”
“…Saying that makes it sound like I’m a gold-digging woman living off a man!”
I waved goodbye, chuckling at Ellie’s delayed reaction.
“Just kidding! Anyway, I’ll be back, so look forward to it.”
“Uh. Since it’s my first time on the third floor, don’t push yourself too hard. …But look forward to what?”
“Just something!”
I giggled and turned around. After all, I couldn’t just say I was going to look for Ellie’s artificial arm.
*
If the World Tree was on the first floor and the Earth God was sleeping on the second, then the God of Mechanical Devices was buried on the third floor.
Through a long history of war and rapid technological advancement, what emerged was a new field created from the mix of magic, metallurgy, and alchemy that they thought would never combine. Magical Engineering.
The God of Mechanical Devices was born from the very concept of Magical Engineering.
By the time he was born, the God of Magic had already passed away, so magic had spread and alchemy itself sought to unearth mysteries, making it incapable of giving birth to new ones.
Alchemy could only be named as the study aimed at reaching omniscience through the means of truth, which is why the God of Alchemy couldn’t exist.
Thus, the God of Mechanical Devices, born from the concept of Magical Engineering, was birthed by tearing apart the body of the last living blacksmith god from the inside, swallowing the carcass to lay the foundation for his divinity.
He was that powerful and that alien.
The place he was buried resembled a sophisticated machine in a way that was distinctly different from other layers of the labyrinth or the outside Pan Grave.
Yes, specifically… it looked like steampunk.
“Finally…!”
Upon reaching the third floor, I was greeted by walls of steel surrounding me on all sides.
This shelter-like space, surrounded by thick metal, was surely the Safe Zone.
Idly fiddling with my Unicorn Dagger, I opened the closed door.
What greeted me first was a thick mist. Beyond it lay the faint silhouettes of angular buildings.
“Yawn. That square building never gets easier to adapt to. Don’t you think so, Lydia?”
“I can’t say for other things, but what a waste of metal. Why would they build a whole building out of solid metal?”
Lydia sighed in response to Benny’s question as he stretched with his flat chest puffed out.
I wonder if that’s how those two see it?
To me, it resembles an apartment or a building, so it actually feels familiar.
But as Lydia said, the fact that everything was made of metal… especially dull, dark metal, didn’t sit well with me.
It feels stifling just to look at it.
And the hissing of steam and the constant clattering of metal were a bit distracting.
It wasn’t that I disliked it, but it felt a bit off… Being someone who sharpened my senses to navigate my surroundings, it was surely a negative aspect.
In a limited field of view, the fact that I couldn’t fully utilize my hearing was a problem.
Thinking about fighting here rather than simply watching makes it clear that the difficulty has increased significantly.
Though the surroundings were dark, the third floor was an open space with many buildings, contrasting the restricted space of the second floor, which limited confrontations with enemies.
In fact, adventurers could only see mist, making it hard to gauge their surroundings, plus the unfamiliar vibe for the people from the Pan Continent.
The incomplete map of the third floor wasn’t just a coincidence. The thought of wandering around here to document it made me sigh already.
Well, even if there’s no map, the rules for finding the way don’t change.
In the distance, a towering gear tower could be seen, barely visible through the thick mist.
That large clock patch was the resting place of the God of Mechanical Devices and the place where the layer guardian is summoned.
In other words, it was the centerpoint that I had to know to find my way and gauge my position.
I looked up at the clock tower, obscured by fog, and spoke.
“Shall we get moving if we’ve seen enough?”
“Yeah. Be careful not to stray too far since the mist is thick.”
“Ah, finally! I’ll get to stretch my legs. It’s been stifling just sitting and researching.”
Nodding, Lydia and Benny fell behind me, seemingly ready to follow my lead but not engage in any affair.
It’s only natural since their aim was to enhance my skills.
After lightly rolling my shoulders and loosening my muscles, I began to explore the surroundings.
“For now, let’s go this way.”
As I moved, Lydia and Benny silently followed.
How long did we cautiously walk through the mist? Suddenly, the sounds of clattering metal and a new harsh sound broke through the steam.
Creeeak.
A sharp sound pierced my eardrums reminiscent of trying to force open a rusty hinge.
Lydia and Benny gestured for me to stop and swiftly hid behind the corner of a nearby building.
After a few seconds of waiting hidden from sight.
Creeeak. Creeeak.
The creaking sound intensified, and a large body emerged from the mist.
Standing nearly two meters tall, with an ominous teal metal exterior, and a peculiar dwarf-like figure protruding from its chest.
At first glance, it looked like an armored golem wandering alone, but to me, who understood the God of Mechanical Devices and the powers of those gods, it appeared differently.
That thing was merely a golem with a brain transplanted into it. The official name is Human Golem.
Resulting from transplanting the brains of those whose limbs were destroyed or were on the brink of death into a golem, giving them a second life.
In the domain of the God of Mechanical Devices, those so-called followers began to flow with lubrication instead of blood.
The problem was that the moment they shed their existing bodies, they became susceptible to techniques attacking the mind and soul.
The curse left behind by the God of Madness clouds judgment and gnaws at the soul.
While their thick armor protected their frail brains from most external pressures, it couldn’t shield their souls.
As a result, these Human Golems, unable to defend themselves, succumbed to madness and roamed the labyrinth as monsters.
Given that they were designed with such archetypes, they displayed remarkable physical strength…
“But surely they can’t withstand this.”
At this opportunity, I plan to test the third-tier magic, Explosive Flame.
I reached out my hand and began incanting. Though it’s knowledge that was forced into me, I’m not sure what significance it holds, but the amount of mana flowing into it was certainly enormous.
Benny’s eyes widened as he watched from behind.
After a lengthy incantation, my spell was ready. I pointed my finger at the back of the Human Golem, who was sluggishly dragging itself, preparing to launch.
“Explosive Flame!”
The blue-and-white fireball shot forth in a grand arc.
The Human Golem belatedly realized in a futile attempt to curl up its arms in a defensive posture.
Boom!
As a thundering sound faded away, it disappeared without a trace.
“…Huh.”
What the heck? Give me back my magic stone!
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