[Year 14 Month 2: 1 month has passed]

  [Blessed: 1909 - 17 - 63 + 56]

  [You have gained 3 levels]

  [You are level 30]

  As I did my best to monitor deaths in both settlements, I suspected the 63 that had died on top of the 17 adventurers were the last of the group from the cathedral. While I hadn’t received an upgrade in quite a while, I suspected something was coming soon.

  None of that was as important as Salfi’s class. The idea that she received [Apostle] was simply absurd. I had expected something vastly different than what I had observed with Osbert, but to the extent that it had turned out? No way.

  After she had completed the entire Penelope debacle, trust me, she had some strong words for me once she had woken up. Some of the more colorful insults I had to mentally wash out of my mind. Penelope can be rather venomous for such an otherwise kind woman.

  It took several days and conversations with Salfi for her to calm even the slightest bit.

  Salfi was taking it considerably better, at least, after the initial shock of it all. With some of her abilities not having much of a description, I set up a small warded zone that she could train and practice in without any interruptions.

  Osbert and I had a conversation on the ramifications if any information would get out about her, and in turn me as a new [Apostle] would threaten the already established religions. While we were both afraid someone would have a skill to see her class, neither of us would try to sequester her away.

  The best chance she would have to stay alive would be to level, and quickly. As such, she took on a few beasts near Gorn at first, and only after gaining a few levels and getting a grasp on her skills did Salfi enter the dungeon.

  I made sure Sahil gave her the weapon we created together before the elven apostle could get too far in the dungeon. While it was a little late due to some poorly timed dormant periods, it was perfect for Salfi.

  Osbert expressed his approval, as he was worried she would push herself beyond reason. He had even accompanied her on the rare occasion, not directly interfering, but making sure she had a safety net for when she inevitably fell.

  Osbert is truly concerned for her. Having entered the late thirties in levels, several of his skills had upgraded, although he didn’t share all the details.

  There is also the topic of aging. Osbert’s cellular decay had slowed. While I hadn’t noticed it at first, his body was more accepting of the healing mana emitted from the pillars and obelisks I had scattered around the area.

  I suspected it had to do with his skill upgrades and levels combining with his specific class. I didn’t have enough data to make a truly educated guess, but it didn’t stop me from thinking it.

  Frankly, the slowing of his aging was a major relief, as he was a major pillar of support for the others, and while we didn’t see exactly eye to eye on some topics, we both agreed on protecting those we could.

  The real question was whether he would begin to become ‘younger’ as he became more powerful.

  What level would a mortal have to reach for that to happen?

  [Year 14 Month 6: 4 Months have passed]

  [Blessed: 1885 - 35 + 74]

  [You have gained 3 levels]

  [You are level 33]

  Salfi hit level 20 in her class right as winter began to set in. Having discovered that her ability [Tether] could be used to link herself with a single ‘entity’ around her, enabling her to share a stat to share. Whether that was health or mana.

  If they are a willing person, it would instantly link. If it were a beast or monster that was certainly hostile, she had to be at a much higher level to affect them.

  I had also noticed a sharp increase in the amount of experience I had been gaining once she began to delve, so I presume her class gave me more experience than other blessed or even marked.

  Alas, nothing else of note really occurred, and so I let [dormant] sweep me out of consciousness.

  [Year 14 Month 8: 2 Months have passed]

  [Blessed: 1924 - 53 + 157 ]

  [You have gained 2 levels]

  [You are level 35]

  With another surge in population, Runehold had grown by another thousand or so people. Things were heating up on the other side of the continent, with several countries on the brink of war. Many attempted to leave before they were conscripted into the military.

  The thing I was most excited about was a skill I gained immediately at level 35. The system granted me [Animate Golems]

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Pulling up the description, I read over it.

  [Animate allows for the creation of golems. Golems can be animated metallic minerals and other basic minerals, such as stone or dirt. Some materials require a higher consumption of mana to maintain. Golems do not cost any mana while inactive.]

  Curiously, there was a follow-up notification.

  [Warning: If the Golem is too large for current mana storage and regeneration to support, you may enter dormancy if completely drained]

  Okay, so don’t be dumb. It’s strange that this skill in particular has a warning attached to it.

  I mentally focused on the obscured training grounds I had set up for Salfi several months ago. Looking for something I could test my ability on, there was a large hill of dirt that had been slowly accumulated as Salfi kicked up dust when practicing.

  Instantly, I felt a tremendous pull on my mana, and right before it bottomed out, I saw a notification.

  [Attempted Golem diameter: 27,673 kilometers]

  [You have run out of mana]

  [Activating dormant]

  Oh. So that’s what it meant.

  [Year 14 Month 9: 1 Month has passed]

  [Blessed: 2028 - 14 + 37]

  An unfortunate side effect of my mana bottoming out meant all of my obelisks and pillars were disabled for several minutes. This also meant that all warding of Gorn village had been down for the same amount of time.

  On the bright side, the few people who noticed the village in the distance didn’t have enough time to get inside the barriers before the wards recharged and the village once again vanished from sight.

  Of course, I missed all of this, as I woke up several weeks later.

  According to a very concerned group of village chiefs, one of the adventurers who had been curious enough to investigate was barely kept out by the memetic side effect of the barrier.

  If it hadn’t been for my presence and the stronger anti-detection field my body emitted, Gorn would have been revealed.

  It had taken a few weeks for the buzz of a mysterious town to die down, but with Astrid’s help and some strategic totem usage. The Adventurer's Guild maps that marked the ‘anomaly’ had been unfortunately lost in a tragic fire.

  For now, Gorn was still a secret, but suspicion had been raised. Unfortunately, the wealthy caravan leader who had come with the original settlement expedition also happened to remember that the city itself had barriers with similar effects to those described.

  While I would have preferred for the event not have happened, it did. No reason for me to lament what had already been done.

  With my quick nap out of the way, a full mana reserve, and many things I wanted to test with [Animate Golem].

  Once again, I returned to Sahil with a request. This time, not for a sword, but for a body of steel. While she had complained about the time it would take, especially with her once again working as a full-time smith in Runehold. The task was interesting enough that, as long as I provided the materials and finances–which I had Astrid pay the smith- Sahil would still make it.

  She said it would take about a week to make the casts and let the metal cool after she poured the body.

  And so I waited.

  [8 Days later]

  Sahil dropped off the steel body at a warehouse in Runehold, while I would have preferred Gorn, we could no longer smuggle items back and forth between the two. Runehold’s population simply grew too large. There was always a pair of eyes watching from a nearby alleyway.

  With the population growing beyond my ability to keep track, while I had noticed a dramatic increase in my ability to multitask since I had evolved, there were over 8 thousand people to monitor. So no, that wasn’t gonna be happening.

  Thanking Sahil for the delivery, I refocused on the task at hand.

  The metal statue was a solid chunk of steel, with a weight of 800 kilos; it had required several men and a good wagon to move across the city.

  I looked more closely. Sahil had made it look human-like. While it was a bit shorter than the average man, its hands were blocky, but would work as the first generation.

  Sahil told me that if I wanted another statue, it would only take about half the time, as she didn’t need to make any molds. I don’t think she had managed to guess my exact reasons for wanting the metal man, but she was more than smart enough to know something was up.

  Focusing on the statue, I made sure that my intent was only focused on it rather than anything else around it. Knowing that the system would understand what I wanted. I activated [Animate] and watched the mana work.

  Exiting a pillar I had planted in the otherwise empty warehouse to speed up the conversion process. The mana traveled slowly, unlike the previous skills I had; this wouldn’t be an instantaneous process.

  This time, my mana hadn’t immediately emptied, and my mana regeneration could easily keep up with the consumption.

  Watching as the metal was filled with mana, I saw when the skill’s effect truly began. Snapping into place, the magic settled within moments, flowing much faster than before.

  [You have created a level 15 Steel Golem]

  [-4% mana regeneration while active]

  I pulled up my current mana regeneration.

  [Mana Regeneration: 200% (Base) + 205.1% (Blessed) - 4% (Golems)]

  Ah, so it wasn’t 4% off overall, but bonus-wise. Much better.

  Feeling a connection to the Steel Golem, I could tell it was awaiting an order. Speaking into its mind, which was more like a computer than anything else, I told it to stand.

  Despite its own weight, it had no issue picking itself off the floor before freezing in place it stood. Oh yeah, this can work just fine. Curiously, its joints moved fine, without much issue or hesitation. Considering that it had been solid steel mere minutes ago, that was a pleasant development. Maybe I should have Sahil make a small mock version with joints. It might reduce the maintenance cost.

  It was a safe assumption to guess that it wasn’t ‘free’ by anymeans for the golem to move around by pure magic. Perhaps mixing machinery with [Animate] would be best.

  Before ordering any more, I had the golem walk to a corner of the warehouse and deactivate. Its body once again becomes a solid block of steel.

  Finding Sahil relaxing in a reclining chair–don't ask me how she got one, I don’t know either; I released a small bit of mana to let her know I was there before speaking to her, “Sahil, I want ten of them.” With them all active, it would be a 40% subtraction from my mana regeneration, which was honestly perfectly acceptable.

  The woman simply took a deep and calming breath before slowly standing. “I'd better get paid extra for this.”

  “Oh, I also want a smaller one, with joints,” I spoke quickly.

  “Of course you do.” For as much as she grumbled and complained, she got to work on them immediately.

  Thinking of what I could do with my own workforce, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. Golems don’t need to rest, nor do they need air.

  If one could have heard my internal laugh, they would have probably thought me to be an evil spirit.

  Crazy? Maybe, Evil though was a stretch.