Chapter 9

"Huwaaaa... finally done!"

Lylah guzzled water from her leather pouch ravenously.

In the background—more precisely, behind Lylah's back—Rocky was busy sorting and selecting various purple crystals of assorted shapes. Although he could not see their colors, he knew each crystal possessed unique forms and differing mana densities.

He had also just realized that the mana contained within them was far more volatile than that of ordinary mana stones.

The denser the mana, the larger, smoother, and more well-defined the crystal's surface would become. Most of these crystals were shaped like two square-based pyramids joined at their bases—or sometimes mere fragments.

When Rocky ingested one, something inside him began to fill up. It felt much like consuming a mana stone or crystal—Rocky considered it as mana replenishing his body. He sensed that his capacity for mana was still far from being completely filled.

Furthermore, his perception gradually sharpened and expanded each time he consumed a small piece of such "monster crystal," which, even if only in trace amounts, proved better than nothing at all.

Meanwhile, Master Sage surveyed Rocky and Lylah, who now seemed to have almost forgotten the recent life-and-death battle they had endured.

"You two… this isn't some sightseeing trip, you know!" Master Sage reminded them firmly.

Lylah beamed broadly as she looked at her master.

"Hehehe… but wasn't that so much fun, Master? Right, Rocky?"

Rocky, busy crunching on a piece of monster crystal, could only shrug and nod in response.

"Haaah, enough… It seems we were simply unlucky; today might just be mating season for them," murmured Master Sage while glancing at the garden that now resembled a shipwreck. Several farmer golems were busy clearing and rearranging the disarrayed space.

Before the garden could be relocated, Master Sage quickly produced a pouch and tossed it from a height. The bag landed near the working golems. Rocky could sense that inside were several seeds—likely the vegetable supplies for Lylah and Master Sage.

"Alright, let's go down and search for more mana stones or crystals. Master has run out of them," Master Sage instructed as he descended from atop the tiled roof.

At these words, Lylah quickly tucked her drinking pouch into her robe and dashed after him.

"Wa-wait, Master! Rocky, come on!"

Rocky followed from behind, carrying a bundle of monster crystal fragments that he would hand off to Lylah to catch up with Master Sage.

They soon reached a high watchtower that, by chance, had not yet moved. Lylah and Rocky entered the tower to join Master Sage. Once inside, Master Sage produced a glowing orb from his staff and nodded toward them.

"Come on, Rocky. You'll lead the way. This building is filled with traps, so it's up to you to handle them," he said.

Without hesitation, Rocky surged forward. However, as he began to descend the stairs, Lylah grabbed him by the waist.

"Wait! Why must you be in the front, Rocky?" she protested.

Master Sage looked at his complaining pupil, puzzled.

"If not him, then who?"

Lylah glared at her master and shouted,

"Don't we normally use trap-detection magic?! Then why must Rocky be the sacrificial one?!"

Master Sage, visibly annoyed, lightly smacked Lylah's forehead.

"Your trap-detection isn't very effective, and besides, I must conserve mana. Who else can we count on?"

Lylah grinned sheepishly and scratched her head, "Hehehe... you're right. I'm sorry, Master. And Rocky! I'll always remember your contribution!"

Her final words, uttered with respect for Rocky, earned another playful tap on her head.

"Don't you act as if I'm a hero doomed to fall in battle!" came a muffled sound from Rocky—his voice resembling the sound of stone grating and clashing.

"Ah! Master! Rocky! Stop hitting my head! I might end up getting dumb!" Lyrically pleaded Lylah.

Now, the trio made their way down the watchtower. As Master Sage had warned, their journey was laden with traps.

With Rocky leading the way, they managed to navigate safely—even though the stony golem's body was repeatedly fractured by deadly traps. Fortunately, Lylah, ever at the rear, provided him with pieces of monster crystal, accelerating his regeneration.

At the very back, Master Sage observed Rocky with a scrutinizing gaze. Any suspicion or dislike for the golem had completely melted away, leaving only a deep curiosity regarding Rocky's mystery and his seemingly inexhaustible mana capacity.

"Hmm... so he can also be fed monster crystals, huh?" Master Sage mused.

Hearing this, Lylah turned and asked, "Hm? What's so special about monster crystals, Master?"

Master Sage shook his head.

"Ahem. You know, monster crystals are crystallized mana drawn from monsters—a symbol of their strength."

Lylah nodded and continued Master Sage's explanation,

"Umu! As Master said, the larger and more perfect the crystal, the stronger they are, right? So what's so strange?"

Master Sage stroked his long beard thoughtfully.

"Exactly. However, the mana within them is chaotic and corrosive if used directly. That's why monster crystals must be purified before being used. They differ from the more refined and tranquil mana stones or crystals, which are safe as backup mana reserves."

Rocky listened intently. Truth be told, he had never noticed such details—he simply assumed that all mana-bearing stones were alike and ate them as usual.

After pausing, Master Sage continued,

"… Lylah, if you absorb monster crystals directly, you have only two possibilities: either your body mutates into the very monster from which the crystal came, or it gets eroded by the toxic mana within."

Lylah nodded in understanding.

"So, what's the issue then, Master?"

"Haaah… you see," Master Sage shook his head, "either Rocky is immune, or because he is a golem, neither effect manifests."

'So does that mean I won't turn into a stone cockroach monster, Master Sage?' Rocky thought silently, his voice still a rumble of colliding stones.

Master Sage, clearly unsettled by Rocky's response, raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What? I don't understand what you're trying to say, Rocky! Especially when almost your entire body is riddled with arrows, making your speech even less clear!"

'Huh? Seriously?!' Rocky mused as he surveyed his body. And indeed, countless iron arrows had lodged themselves into him—now making him resemble a porcupine more than a traditional golem.

'Damn it, why wasn't this mentioned earlier?!' Rocky quickly plucked out the impaling arrows.

"Hahaha! I don't know what you're saying, but honestly, you're hilarious, Rocky! Hahaha!" Lylah burst into hearty laughter, amused by Rocky's panicked antics.