"…"
(No… Not good…Good…Better…Worse.)
(Hm.... ....Change.... Form? Wrong.....Or correct? Repeat.)
Inside the golem dungeon, the creature known as the Mannequin Noble was currently in the middle of its research, which was aimed at both learning and developing the art of core engraving coding.
But unfortunately for the puppet, things weren't looking good as it quickly realized that the art of core engraving coding is not something easily learn and mastered in a short amount of time.
When doing a core engraving coding, you need to focus on the entire body.
Every joint.
Every special part.
Every connection.
Every order of the action.
Every single detail needs to be written.
And the biggest problem for all those who wish to learn the core engraving craft is the time.
Learning how to do the most basic command, a command that would make a simple movement, isn't easy.
There is also the problem that the bodies of the puppets need their own coding to suit their bodies.
For example, one coding can work for golem A, but golem B, with a straight-up, completely different body will not be able to fully utilize the coding, meaning that a completely brand new and separate coding would need to be created for golem B.
Basic, how to utilize them, how to adapt them, how to modify, and you would also need to learn how basic commands work and "how" exactly they work.... In a nutshell, even the very basics of the core engramvent coding would take time, for the very basic movements.... And afterward? Well, there will still be a lot of stairs to climb.
However, even though the dungeon master had not yet made proper coding for his, he was making slow progress, as his commands were causing the wooden mannequin to somewhat react in a positive way.
They were not ready to be used, but still, the progress was visible and steady.
"…"
The dungeon master pointed with his finger, making the wooden mannequin was somewhat walk slowly.... However, at the same time, pathetically. Uncontrollable.... And it didn't really take long after taking a few steps to just fall face-first against the ground.
The creature wasn't really walking, it was "moving" in a bizarre way that it could be called "drunk"....No, it was way worse.
This experiment was a total failure.
(Walking, accomplished…. But too slow…. Safe? Good? Bad? Unstable? Need more data. Needs more time.) - However, even though this attempt ended up in a total failure, the puppet wasn't mad; if anything, it was interested in the results.
It did not see this experiment as a failure, as it then started once again trying the next attempt, and then another one, and then another one, over and over again, trying to achieve at least some progress.
And after a series of failures? There was a single positive result.
The result also ended up in failure... However! There were changes! A positive change.
(Progress made. Progress possible.)
(Continue research.)
(Seek wanted results.)
(…)
(Miasma, resupplied…. Can make wooden mannequin… Should?) – thought the dungeon master, while checking the current dungeon status.
"…"
(No… Too weak… Too useless. Die without doing anything…. Wait… Make sure they are good enough… To the point where weak enemies will be defeated.) – thought the dungeon master, as it realized it needed to finish up its research in order to improve the dungeon.
While experimenting and conducting its test, the dungeon master's mind was also developing, progressing.... Evolving.
The process of learning core engraving coding would not only help out the dungeon, but it would also somewhat help out in the development of the dungeon master's mind.
...
However, while the dungeon master was still focusing only on learning the code engraving coding, a different story was taking place as a lone adventurer was wandering around in the forest.
He walked.
He swung his blade.
He killed the monster.
He walked.
He swung his blade.
He killed the monster.
He walked.
He swung his blade.
He killed the monster.
The man repeated this process over and over while wandering throughout the forest, searching in desperation for his lost brother.
The monsters didn't really stand a chance against the man.... But that didn't mean he was exactly in a "healthy" state.
He was covered in dirt, and it was visible that the men had not slept at all for a long time.... And even as his stomach rumbled, he completely ignored it as he continued his search like a madman.
At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if somebody had mistaken the man for the runaway zombie from the undead dungeon.
"…"
"Adam…. Are you alright?" – asked the young voice.
"Hm? Yeah, yeah. I'm alright." – replied Adam's voice.
"…"
"…"
"?"
"Arthur? Is something wrong?" – asked Adam's voice.
"…"
"I finished my adventurer registering, and I'm an official adventurer starting today." – said the young boy's voice.
"!?"
"What?! Why! I told you—"
"You are doing too much!" – shouted the young voice.
"You are the only family I have, and you are always doing everything!"
"Let me help you for crying out loud!"
"I trained! I've also formed a solid party!"
"I will show you that I'm fit to be an adventurer and that I'm strong enough to stand by your side and help you!"
"Even if I'm not strong enough yet, then I will just train and grow!"
"So please, bro, trust me. I will help you out so you won't have to carry all the burdens by yourself."
"…"
(I should have said no)—thought tired Arthur, who wandered through the forest while remembering his past conversation with his little brother.
(I should have said no!)
(If I..... FUCK! IT IS ALL MY FAULT!)
(But is he really dead?)
(NO!)
(There is still a chance!)
(There was no evidence or anything! This alone proves that he may not have been caught by the monsters or anything! He could still be alive somewhere!)
(If some monsters had killed him, then we would have found remains or traces… The dungeons are also out of the question…. But then, where is he?)
…
Despair and desperation.
The young man was completely broke by his search driven by love.
He was desperately searching around for his little brother, without even paying attention to his own health any longer. He had been searching for hours and was dealing with the monsters nonstop.
He only ate the rations he had on him and only took a short rest, but he neither ate enough nor tried to take a proper nap.
The logical move would be to give up and rest for a moment in order to recover, but the man's desperation and despair were too much for him to handle at this point.
His love for his only family member has blinded him.
He was on his own, searching for his brother. He knew other would try to stop him and tell him to take the rest, so he deceived them friends, saying that he would go back to the town, while in reality continuing search.
However, in that desperation and despair, there was a small light called hope.
He did not find tracks.
He did not find any body remains.
He did not find any items that belonged to Arthur or his party.
There was nothing.
There was still a chance.
And that was a small light of "Hope". A hope that there was a chance that his little brother was still alive out there.
"…"
"?"
Horned rabbits.
A common type of monster that can be found anywhere in this forest.
They are usually more easily found on the other side of the forest, but by the looks of things, Adam had stumbled upon a group of them, blocking his path forward… But not a very big group nor one possessing evolved variety.
He found the monsters that his little brother was hunting…. A small chance at finding the clue.
So, with that simple reason, he walked forward and approached the rabbits without care, not even trying to hide or startle them.
The rabbit monsters instantly noticed the man and started charging at him, but he just swung around his sword, cutting two of the rabbits and killing them.
"?!"
However, the man did not spot the third rabbit with a missing eye, who came at him from the other side, stabbing him in the foot with its horn, but not deep enough to cause any serious wound, thanks to the man's protective gear.
The man just stepped on the rabbit's neck with full force, snapping it, terrifying the fourth rabbit that started running away, and then going straight towards the small hill nearby.
"…"
After dealing with the small group of rabbits, the man instantly started walking forward, trying to find anything related to the missing party, while also looking in the direction where the rabbits ran away…
"?"
And as he walked closer to where the rabbit ran off to, he noticed something.
In the small hill, there was something, a path beneath the hill that stretched downwards.
"?"
(A cave? So that rabbit went into it…Huh?)
(Wait… What… What if they chased the rabbits into the cave?) - thought the man as he stared at the cave where the rabbit escaped.
"…"
The man's exhausted mind couldn't think straight, to the point he started making random assumptions…. Obviously, people would think of this cave as nothing more than "cave" and "hiding spot for the rabbit"... But the man's way of thinking was currently completely mixed, which led him to believe that there was a possibility of his brother being in the cave.... And so he entered it with just this simple thought.
The theory in the man's head was this.
"What if they were hunting rabbits, but then they started running away, which resulted in them going inside, trying to hunt down the runaway rabbit?"
A somewhat random theory and stuff…. But the current state wasn't the best.
Desperation.
Despair.
Exhaustion of the body.
Exhaustion of mind.
…
Honestly, this was just plain stupid and without sense, since how high was the chance that the random cave that the rabbit ran to would be a hiding place for his brother?
...
But there was a problem.
What the man entered wasn't just a simple cave.
It was a dungeon.
The very same dungeon that had claimed the life of his little brother.
"…"
(Intruder.) – The dungeon master, as it found out that somebody had entered the dungeon and instantly used its authority to see who it was…. This surprised the dungeon master as it saw a single-horned rabbit.
It wasn't just an evolved version, just a lone weak rabbit.
At first, the dungeon master thought of it as a false alarm…. But then it found out about the second intruder.
The human intruder.
"…"
(Different…Not the same…Danger?) – The dungeon master was unsure if the new human was just as dangerous as the first ones it saw.
Or a possible stronger "version" of them, since the intruder visible looked different compared to the past "humans".
"…"
The dungeon master started preparing himself for the combat, but as it was about to start, he saw that the adventurer was using a weapon, a long sword…. This made the dungeon master curious.
(Is it better..... If I use this?)
The dungeon master got curious about an option of using a weapon himself that was not his claws or anything like that….. Wondering if the dungeon master would become stronger itself if it were to use the weapon, just like the invaders.
And so, he went to the core room and picked a weapon that he thought he could use.
A sword.
The dagger was too short and wasn't good at all for the monster, since it knew its claws were a better option, while it also didn't know how to properly use a bow yet…. That left only the sword as the option; however, it wasn't bad, as the dungeon master didn't see any too big or annoying problems, which resulted in the dungeon master making up their mind to pick and wield the sword in order to "test out" how the fight would go while using it.
"…"
(Weird… Isn't this cave too long?) - thought Adam, who was holding a small lantern and was traversing the dungeon.
(…. Is this by any chance some monster nest or something? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me at this point….. Should I go back?)
"…"
(No… I need to check this place, just in case…)—thought the man before then noticed that the path in front of him had somewhat changed, alarming him as he put the small lantern on his belt before then drawing his long sword.
The man entered a different part of the cave…. And then he instantly saw it.
The tall humanoid figure made out of wood was standing right in the middle of the room, where the corpse of a freshly killed horned rabbit was lying underneath its feet.
"…"—the puppet looked at the man.
"!?"
(What the hell is that?!)—thought the man, who was completely caught off guard by the bizarre creature in front of him.
(Monster?)
(Wait… But what kind!? I never saw that kind of fucker before?!)
(But why is…Wait…)
"…"
The man was completely caught off guard by the creature he never seen before in his life.... But as he tried observing the creature in order to somewhat understand what it was..... He saw it.
It saw the sword that the creature was holding in its hand.
"…"
"Why do you have that..."
"WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE MY BROTHER'S SWORD!?"