Chapter 62: Coding a mud golem
[Bip]
[Database integration complete.]
[Visual recognition activated.]
The very next instant, my vision changed.
I slowly swept my gaze across the Alchemy Station.
A small blue annotation appeared above every object, perfectly organized.
[Spiritual Purification Vessel.]
[Function: Stabilization of volatile reagents.]
My gaze shifted a few centimeters.
[Runic Silver Forceps.]
[Recommended precision for handling cores smaller than three centimeters.]
.
.
.
.
No piece of equipment remained unfamiliar.
Whenever an object entered my field of vision, the Biochip immediately identified its function, limitations, and most likely applications.
I smiled faintly.
That eliminated days of learning.
I no longer saw the station as a chaotic collection of equipment, but as a single integrated system.
In practice...
It was a gigantic manufacturing machine.
A combination of forge, chemical laboratory, precision workshop, and enchanting table, all brought together on a single platform.
That was when my eyes found a metal arm attached to the side of the workbench.
At its end was a large circular lens.
I stepped closer.
It resembled an ordinary magnifying glass.
But only at first glance.
Its surface was made of a crystalline glass unlike anything I had ever seen.
Hundreds of micro-runes ran throughout its internal structure.
Each layer refracted light differently.
I immediately realized it wasn’t based on optics alone.
It was magic working together with the principles of physics.
Since I had rented a first-class station, the lens could achieve magnifications ranging from three hundred to five hundred times.
Impressive.
On Earth, comparable equipment would require sophisticated microscopes.
Here...
All it took was channeling mana.
Once again, I looked at the spiritual core I had placed on the workbench.
On its surface, I would have to engrave structures smaller than a strand of hair.
That was precisely why alchemists were so highly respected.
Magical formations were not drawings.
They were circuits.
Every line carried energy.
Every curve altered its flow.
Every intersection represented a processing node.
A master alchemist could engrave more than a hundred different formations within a ruby the size of a fist.
All functioning simultaneously.
Without interfering with one another.
It was an astonishing display of precision.
I was still far from reaching that level.
Fortunately... my Biochip was with me, and with it, nothing was impossible.
My design required only seven primary formations.
Seven.
The Biochip projected each one before my eyes.
The first was the Summoning Code.
The foundation of every artificial creature.
Without it, the core would remain nothing more than an energy crystal.
It was this circuit that authorized the birth of the Golem.
Next came the Body Construction Formation.
Its purpose was to use the elemental energy present in the environment to form a physical body.
In my case...
Mud.
A whole lot of mud.
The third formation was the Mental Imprint Control System.
The most important of them all.
During its engraving, a portion of my own magical energy would be incorporated into the core.
It wasn’t merely a signature.
It was a permanent bond.
As long as that imprint existed, the Golem would recognize only one master.
Me.
The remaining four formations were responsible for the internal circuits.
Distribution nodes.
Elemental conductors.
Flow regulators.
Movement channels.
It was thanks to them that a pile of mud would be able to move its arms, legs, head, and fingers naturally.
Honestly...
I still didn’t fully understand all the logic hidden behind those codes.
A large portion of them had been optimized by the Biochip itself.
My role wasn’t to reinvent them.
It was to execute them with absolute precision.
Even so...
The responsibility resting on my shoulders was still enormous.
I took a deep breath.
Closed my eyes.
Then spoke calmly.
—Biochip.
—Begin the complete engraving simulation.
[Bip!]
[Simulating...]
The world around me disappeared.
Inside my mind, the virtual laboratory took shape.
I saw my own hands.
I saw the core.
I saw every tool.
Then I began.
Stroke after stroke.
Line after line.
The Biochip interrupted every incorrect movement.
Restarted.
Corrected.
Began again.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Fifty.
Hundreds.
I completely lost track of how many simulations had been executed.
Outside...
My body remained motionless for nearly fifteen minutes.
It looked like a statue.
But inside my mind...
I worked without pause.
Only after I could reproduce every movement without the slightest hesitation did the Biochip end the simulation.
[Acceptable precision achieved.]
I removed a bar of Black Magic Iron from the pouch fastened to my waist.
Without hesitation, I placed it into the crucible.
Then I rested my hand on the station’s runic control panel.
I channeled mana.
Hummm...
The entire workbench vibrated gently.
Beneath the crucible, a white flame sprang to life.
For at least fifteen minutes...
Its temperature was kept under constant control.
Any fluctuation would compromise the entire metal fusion process.
Here...
The station handled everything for me.
The magical formation automatically controlled the flame’s intensity.
The distribution of heat.
The melting time.
The energy consumption.
While the Black Magic Iron slowly began to melt, I was able to devote my attention to the rest of the procedure.
I carefully picked up the core from the workbench.
Positioned it at the center of the engraving platform.
Then adjusted the mechanical arm.
The lens slowly moved closer.
I selected the ideal angle.
Then adjusted its magnification.
Beside it rested the tool responsible for the engraving.
It resembled a metallic pen.
When supplied with mana, its tip concentrated heat into an extremely fine beam.
Thinner than a mosquito’s leg.
I gripped the tool.
My wrist steadied.
My eyes met the lens.
I activated its magnification.
[Zoom: 10x]
The crystal’s surface expanded before me.
[Zoom: 100x]
Tiny imperfections began to appear.
[Zoom: 300x]
Suddenly...
The core no longer looked like a thumb-sized crystal.
Before me stretched an entire microscopic world, filled with natural mana channels, crystalline fissures, and delicate mana structures.
The tip of the alchemical tool glowed faintly as I channeled a thin stream of magical energy.
Then...
A narrow beam of heat struck the surface of the core.
The yellowish crystal immediately turned reddish at that tiny point of contact.
Its hardened structure began to soften.
A small indentation appeared.
It was the first cut.
I slowly moved the beam.
Not with my hands.
But with mana itself.
Guiding its path as though threading a needle through a single strand of hair.
As the heat advanced, a microscopic line remained engraved upon the crystal’s surface.
Perfectly straight.
Without the slightest irregularity.
The Biochip projected a true holographic overlay over it.
Green lines indicated the ideal path.
Red areas marked prohibited zones.
Small blue numbers displayed the exact depth of every engraving.
[Depth: 0.031 millimeters.]
[Proper speed.]
[Lateral deviation: 0.004 millimeters. Correcting trajectory.]
Every tiny movement was accompanied by dozens of calculations.
My only task was to follow those instructions.
Nothing more.
The first formation began to take shape.
I slowly moved on to the second formation.
Then the third.
I kept all four corners completely clear.
That was where the primary energy distribution nodes would be installed.
At the center...
I reserved space for the main circuit.
It would be the heart of the system.
The point where all the formations would converge.
...
Time disappeared.
I only became aware of my own body again when the Biochip quietly informed me.
[First stage completed.]
I raised my eyes.
An hour and a half.
I had remained completely focused that entire time.
I looked at the core once more.
All seven formations had been engraved.
Every line possessed perfectly uniform depth.
I smiled faintly.
It was clean work.
But it was still incomplete.
The engraving had only created the channels.
Empty grooves.
By themselves...
No mana would flow through them.
Those grooves had to be filled with a material capable of conducting energy.
I turned my gaze toward the crucible.
The Black Magic Iron had finished melting.
Its liquid surface shimmered with dark blue reflections.
Naturally...
If I were absurdly wealthy, I would have used Mithril.
Its magical conductivity was incomparably superior.
Energy loss would be almost nonexistent.
The circuits would respond much faster.
And the Golem’s overall efficiency would increase dramatically.
Unfortunately...
Mithril cost a fortune.
Far beyond the means of an acolyte.
My budget allowed only for Black Magic Iron.
It wasn’t perfect.
Its conductivity wasted part of the mana.
The circuits heated up more.
Its efficiency was limited.
Even so...
For a simple Mud Golem...
It was more than sufficient.
I activated the workbench’s formation once again.
A thin stream of molten metal slowly began flowing out of the crucible.
Now came an even more delicate stage.
It wasn’t enough to simply pour the metal.
I had to guide it.
Every tiny stream.
Every millimeter.
Using my own magical energy.
I took a deep breath.
Then I began.
The Black Magic Iron slowly advanced through the tiny grooves.
I continuously adjusted its speed.
If it advanced too quickly...
Internal bubbles would form.
If it cooled too soon...
Cracks would appear.
If it spilled out of the groove...
The entire circuit would be ruined.
For nearly an hour, I remained completely motionless.
My focus was entirely fixed on that tiny crystal.
My mana reserves steadily diminished.
I could feel the exhaustion mounting.
My forehead began to grow hot.
Soon, small bluish veins became visible beneath my skin.
My mana control was reaching its limit.
An ordinary Second-Level acolyte would never have been able to maintain such refined control for so long.
Much less in microscopic work.
Without the Biochip...
I probably would have failed on the very first formation.
But it constantly corrected my slightest fluctuations.
[Flow increased by 1.2%.]
[Temperature exceeding optimal level. Reduce mana by 0.8%.]
[Uniform distribution restored.]
I continued.
Minute after minute.
Until...
The final strand of Black Magic Iron settled into place.
The seven formations were finally connected.
I slowly deactivated the workbench’s formation.
The molten metal cooled.
Solidified.
It remained perfectly embedded within every microscopic groove.
I carefully moved the magnifying lens away.
It slid aside with a faint metallic sound.
Then I remained silent.
The small core floated serenely above the Alchemy Station, surrounded by a faint yellowish aura.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
[Bip.]
[Analysis complete.]
[Structural integrity: 99.87%.]
[Circuit stability: Excellent.]
[Core complete.]
....
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