Chapter 97: Necromancer's Knowledge (5/5)

Wade stood at the edge of the earthen pit, rubbing his temples as he stared at the motionless stone golem below. It had been quite some time since the construct had ceased its destructive rampage. The souls had returned to their relatively intact skeletal bodies, leaving him utterly helpless against this behemoth. The stone golem was simply too massive and heavy—like an immovable iron mountain with impossibly durable construction.

The construction project it had ruined would likely have to be abandoned. Would this thing just remain as useless decoration in the pit? Wade looked down at the unexpected golem that had already destroyed nineteen skeletons, their bones crushed beneath rubble and yellow earth from the construct’s powerful strikes.

The remaining active skeletons were busy below the pit, retrieving tools and materials. Wade pondered whether there was any way to salvage the situation as he descended into the pit and circled the motionless golem. He wondered—couldn’t this thing itself be considered a usable “vessel”? Though made of stone, since it could move, shouldn’t it qualify as a vessel?

If he could make the stone golem move again, perhaps its tremendous strength could help quickly rebuild what it had destroyed. Wade placed his palm against the golem’s rough surface, attempting to channel souls into the construct. But the vessel was simply too massive for human souls—while they could enter, they couldn’t properly control it.

What if the souls coordinated their efforts? Some controlling the arms, others the legs, with a few maintaining balance—like troops drilling formations, moving in practiced rhythm. Wade directed nineteen souls to disperse throughout the golem—five in the torso, three in each limb, and the remaining two in the head.

The souls successfully spread out. In theory, Wade could train these nineteen souls to cooperate—lifting a foot, taking a step. But only in theory. He lacked the power source to animate the golem. The skeletal vessels operated using his soul fire as energy, but this stone construct was fundamentally different from undead skeletons. Soul fire couldn’t power the golem, and even if it could, his own soul fire couldn’t possibly match the energy requirements of this multi-ton construct.

He seemed to have no means to reactivate it—especially since he’d just destroyed the golem’s original energy circuits. It appeared he’d have to abandon this opportunity and restart the entire construction project from scratch—gathering new stone and timber materials to begin again at another suitable sandy area.

Frustration gnawed at him. The project had been mostly complete—the cave dwelling framework dug out, ready for the next step of connecting the basement space to Wade’s cavern. He’d been about to gain a proper underground “structure”—more spacious and sturdy—before the golem ruined everything. His original plan had been to move in two days later after completing the basement, perhaps even setting up a bed.

Coincidentally, the dice’s recharge was nearly complete, allowing another passage through the door. But this sudden disruption had derailed all his plans. Perhaps not entirely bad—he’d never known a stone golem was buried beneath him. Imagine if an earthquake had triggered it while he slept, delivering an unexpected slap—that would’ve been a true disaster.

Once tools were gathered, he’d have the skeletons thoroughly inspect the underground for other hidden dangers—all potential threats needed elimination. Only his avatar traveled outside—his true body remained in the wasteland. While losing an avatar mattered little, any accident befalling his true body would leave no chance for recovery.

Passing through the door would have to wait—handling current affairs took priority. Wade withdrew the souls from the golem and directed the other skeletons to clean up the ruins. Another trip to Skeleton Sands and Bramble Forest would be needed to replenish bones, plus careful excavation to check for buried alchemical bombs or other surprises.

Looking up at the silent giant, Wade gave it a light kick in frustration. The stone offered no response, and he wisely restrained his strength—no point damaging his boots. As he did this, Mia flew to the golem’s surface, studying its chisel marks with thoughtful intensity.

She floated along the fractured grooves, extending her tiny hands as frost crystals formed along the damaged sections, attempting to reconnect the broken lines. “Can you repair these fractures?” Wade asked. Mia turned, nodding then shaking her head—even she seemed uncertain. Puzzled, Wade thought—she shouldn’t know anything about constructs. Was she just following the cracks randomly?

After deeper communication, Wade understood her mixed response. She truly lacked knowledge about constructs, but recently she’d digested fragments of the necromancer’s soul. She’d gained some of the mage’s knowledge—Casimodo Vic, a man most skilled in necromantic flesh stitching. Mia had absorbed some principles about how sewn beasts operated and even learned several necromantic spells like “Dead Servant Control,” demonstrating she could now animate bones using magic.

Mia sensed similarities between controlling stitched beasts and golems, hence her frost repair attempt. But being unsure of her method’s correctness, she’d shaken her head at Wade. “Right or wrong, let’s test it,” Wade said, deciding to try everything—there was nothing to lose anyway. He gave the little ghost an encouraging thumbs-up, fully supporting her experimental efforts.

Mia blinked, then flew around the golem. Wade watched her diligently repairing fractures—the larger cracks remained beyond her ability, but she focused on key pathways, even reconnecting the damaged crystal in its head. Unfortunately, the golem remained motionless, its magic crystal’s energy output still stagnant. Wade patted her head, telling her it was fine to fail.

But the little one proved stubborn, insistently examining each repaired junction for adjustments. Wade didn’t stop her—having a distraction was good, and if she enjoyed it, why not? He didn’t expect Mia would persist all night, remaining at her task even as he entered dormancy, skipping her usual rest in the small bed.

The next morning, Wade awoke to Mia’s excited chirping as she perched on his skull, urgently tugging his finger toward the cave entrance. Following her back to the pit, he saw the golem now covered in frost patterns replacing the original grooves, with the head crystal circulating magic energy through the icy channels.

To Wade’s astonishment, the magic circulation seemed partially restored—the golem no longer moved erratically, as Mia had cleared its original commands during repairs. Once again, Wade marveled at Mia’s incredible talent for magic.