Shane sensed an ulterior motive behind Capernian's advances. He had plenty to do and no energy to spare on a seductive elf.
Making a construct's skeleton was much easier than making arcane metal. Hardened steel required little precision and could be produced in a single smelting session. Only the sheer quantity needed had stretched the work over so many days.
Molten steel was poured straight into molds made with a shaping spell. Once it cooled, a bone was ready. He began with the main supporting bones, then moved on to the joints and smaller bones. With the Eye of Truth assisting him, assembling everything on the construction frame according to the blueprints was highly efficient.
"Next, draw the arcane metal into wire and inlay it into the bones." Using a wire-drawing tool unique to construct crafting, Shane fitted strands of arcane metal into the grooves he had left in the bones. He also had to set pieces of arcane metal the size of ping-pong balls at the junctions.
The entire process took fifteen days. Once the power cores and intelligence core were installed, it would be a walking skeleton.
"User, the power cores can be repaired simply by replacing their arcane crystals. Resetting the intelligence core is recommended." A minor problem had cropped up: modifying the original intelligence settings was rather troublesome. Shane had overlooked something. The guard construct's recognition permissions were assigned to Silvermoon City's military officers, and the weapons and powered wheels he had added also required new behavioral routines.
"Eye of Truth, is there any other option besides making a new intelligence core myself?"
"This device can modify the core settings through quantum states, but the process will draw on the user's mana. Proceed with modification?"
"Proceed. Delete all recognition permissions and add routines for using the weapons and powered wheels."
"Understood. Modification in progress. Estimated time: sixty seconds."
He could clearly feel his mana being drawn out, though the amount was small. A sensation arose between his brows, as though someone were pointing a finger at the spot. The intelligence core on the table gave off a faint glow and heat.
"Are the light and heat energy losses during the quantum interference conversion process?" Shane speculated as he watched.
"This device's database has been lost. No theoretical knowledge of its operating principles remains in storage. However, some energy is indeed being wasted during the modification process... Modification complete."
This involved higher arcane theory, so Shane did not pursue the question. After repairing the four power cores, he installed them together with the intelligence core in the construct skeleton's chest. They formed a five-point arrangement, protected by eight rib-like supports.
One more crafting step remained: inscribing an energy-absorbing magic array so the cores could draw energy from the Sunwell's radiation.
All the remaining arcane metal was drawn into fine wire. Using Mage Hand, Shane controlled eight wire ends at once, winding them around the five cores to inscribe an energy-absorbing array with eight branches. The finished array looked like a spider clutching its prey.
Done. Without pausing, he struck the array with a mass of arcane energy. The single eye on the construct's head blinked, indicating that it had activated. Upon activation, the core automatically recorded the arcane fluctuations and assigned the highest recognition authority to their owner.
"Can you understand commands? Blink once for yes and twice for no," Shane said.
The single eye blinked once.
"Raise your right foot."
The construct raised its right foot.
"Raise your left foot."
The construct raised its right foot.
"Raise both arms and clench your fists."
At his commands, the construct went through turning, crouching, and other movements in sequence. The results were excellent. Everything from the arcane circuits to the skeleton functioned normally.
"Now remain still and enter energy-saving mode."
The single eye blinked once. It sat on the floor, every joint in its body relaxed.
A full charge would take three days, and he still had several days to spare on his workshop access. He would rest for a day first, then memorize his fourth-circle spells.
Back in his little house, he found that the family had sent someone with a contract transferring a five-percent stake in the Dawnblade trading ship to him. A generous gift indeed-that was an eight-hundred-ton ocean-going merchant vessel. Shane accepted it without hesitation or guilt.
When he returned to the fourth-floor library, there was still hardly anyone in sight. Everyone was busy with their own affairs. After consulting the mechanical administrator, Shane found the spell reference section and began searching for the spells he needed.
But even library members did not have unrestricted access to knowledge. After searching the spell reference section, he found only eight fourth-circle spells available, one from each school.
Shane selected the three spells belonging to his schools.
Conjuration school: Summon Monster IV
Abjuration school: Remove Curse
Evocation school: Flame Shield.
Ordinary mages needed a dedicated quiet room to memorize spells. Shane did not. With the Eye of Truth's help, the three spell models were inscribed in his mind in an instant. All that remained was practice and honing his casting technique.
He made another circuit of the shelves. Not a single book contained spells of the fifth circle or higher.
"Where are the spells of the fifth circle and above?" Shane returned to the entrance and asked the construct administrator.
"Fifth- and sixth-circle spells are available only to management. Mages can obtain spells above the sixth circle only from the Royal Arcane Society."
"Are there more fourth-circle spells, then?"
"Management can access all fourth-circle spells held by this library."
The library's management was the Arcane Brotherhood, which had four members: the head librarian, Aldorron, and the three administrators beneath him.
Arcane studies could not be rushed, and there was still plenty of time. Shane continued reading other books. As he accumulated knowledge and honed his skills, the doors to higher arcane mysteries would naturally open to him.
The Principles and Applications of Flame Shield-A Chronicle of Aldorron the Exploder's Destruction of Thirty-Three Troll Lairs. He had casually picked a book related to his new spell, only to discover that it told the head librarian's story-and had been written by the head librarian himself.
He sat down in a chair and began reading. A fiery-red figure took a seat not far from him. It was Capernian.
Shane looked up at her, then lowered his head and continued reading.
Capernian, however, kept shifting her crossed legs with studied nonchalance, sometimes resting her left leg over her right, sometimes the reverse. She subtly adjusted her chest to offer Shane the best possible view.
"User, what is that female elf doing?"
She's in heat. Shane badly wanted to say it, but the Eye of Truth had already gone astray when it came to "a man's romance." He thought for a moment. "She's practicing yoga."
"Conversational task established. Receiving new term. Practicing yoga: does this refer to an organism, driven by its reproductive instincts, displaying the beauty of its body to the opposite sex in order to gain favor and secure mating rights?"
"Where did you learn that?" Shane wondered why the Eye of Truth always went off track in certain areas.
"This device derived that analysis from The Behavioral Study of Biological Reproduction."
Shane had read that book before entering the library.
"No, no. Reproduction isn't her goal. She has another motive."
"If reproduction is not the goal, what is the behavior of displaying bodily beauty to the opposite sex called? The user sometimes says that dating without the intention of marriage is just playing around. The purpose of marriage is reproduction. Working backward, is the female elf Capernian just playing around?"
"...Just call it practicing yoga." Shane decided to give up trying to fix it.
"Understood. Added to the database."
While Shane was conversing with the Eye of Truth, Capernian called out to him.
"What is it, Mage Capernian?" Shane looked up and asked without expression.
"Magical attack detected. Effect identified as charm, intended to gain favor. The user's strong will has resisted the spell's effects."
The moment he resisted the spell, Shane was certain that Capernian had also studied the enchantment school. No wonder her Fire Blast could confuse its target in his previous life. Shane had heard of this ability: a metamagic technique called compound casting.
"I've been watching you for a long time. You're far too diligent for an elf." Capernian leaned her chest forward slightly. Gravity scored a critical hit; her great white rabbits cheered, and bright pearls atop the Alps were faintly visible. "Why be in such a hurry? We have long lives ahead of us. Why don't we find somewhere to have a proper chat and explore the secrets of the arcane? What do you say?"
"I say..." Shane closed his book and looked at Capernian with utter seriousness, enunciating clearly. "I'm not interested in an elf who spends all day flaunting her body and acting like she's in heat." He scored a critical hit too.
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