Master Of None

"We have a few golem cores. I hope that they are useful?" Walker posed this as a question without removing any of them from his inventory. 

"If they are from crafted golems then I could care less. I can make better golem cores than anyone else and prefer them tweaked to my specifications. The rune work I add is pristine." Grey knew that many would bring him their golem cors so he could fix them. It became such a problem that he refused to touch other golem cores any longer. 

"Oh, so you don't care about the golem core we received from a snow golem?" Walker pulled out the snow golem core, "Or an undead golem, or a premature silver golem, or even the steel golem core we were gifted?" Walker pulled the others out as he spoke. 

The two saw that Grey became excited after the indeed golem core. This was much rarer than he expected to be shown. "Snow golem core can be sent to the food storage caves. We use those cores to make chilling golems that keep food cold. One core can be used in the same golem for two hundred years. It is worth a bit. That steel golem core is nice. It will make a perfect guardian golem for the vaults. This silver golem is not complete and needs to be modified. It's a shame because if it was fully grown it could have been a light food golem for exterminating the undead we run it to from time to time." Grey rambled off the uses and he insp[ected each core. The last he came to was the undead golem core. 

"This is the great prize here. We may find some ancient burials from time to time while mining. But the golems we find lose their flesh and become bone golems. Their cores are dried out brittle bone. This is a real undead golem core. It is tough and layered. I want it." This got the attention of Gil and Walker who were processing the uses of the other golems' cores. 

"I can use this to make a few unique golems. My new design I was going to build if I even got a core like this is called a shedding golem. It would have multiple layers of defense that when broken would detach making the golem faster until it reached the lowest possible threshold for defense. Then its speed would be untouchable and its attack unavoidable." 

Grey shared the ideas making Walker feel that such an enemy would be tougher than most would expect. The more damage done to such an enemy the harder it would be to beat them and hit with another attack. That and the fact that the one fighting such a golem would lose their mana and stamina well before they had to face the strongest attack form of the shedding golem. 

"Of course I could make a bone armored golem but those are worthless unless I have ancient dragon bones. But those are better for crafting than golem building." Grey had mused on this for a second before sharing the third option he had. 

"I could just use it to make a bone carapace with self repairing capabilities. But it would constantly need to be left with monster bodies to absorb and repair and it couldn't get stronger. Not to mention the long repair time it would have." Grey looked to be at odds with this decision. 

Walker was surprised that making a self repairing armor was possible. However, when Grey explained that it would take a lot of time and also repair along with the fact that it would require monster materials Walker realized it was a very inefficient piece of gear. 

"I think the shedding golem sounds the best. It could take on multiple dangerous enemies and push through the attacks. If it is hit hard it just drops a piece of armor off and continues. It sounds like you can easily repair the armor too." Gil could only see the upsides to this golem and Walker wasn't going to disagree. 

" Then you two are allowed to stay for a bit. I will show you some interesting things. These cores aren't bad quality. I wish the silver core was perfect but I already know those slimes must have caused it. They have caused a lot of bad things lately. I lost five prototypes to them." Grey was clenching the undead golem core in his hands showing his annoyance. 

Walker and Gil were very interested to see more of the work shop that Grey used. However, there was the fact of payment for the golem cores that was eating at them. "The cores are all hard fought battles. I wonder what price you would put on them?" Walker tried to make it sound the best he could without insulting Grey.

"Price? Oh, you don't want to be an apprentice? I thought you two wanted to try and ignore your systems for golem building. Hmm, price. I can make you some golems. The undead core is more of a toy to play with anyways. Give me the other three and I will make you a shedding golem."

Grey didn't care much for exact process or reasons. He just wanted the materials so he could build what he wanted without restriction. "Actually, forget the shedding golem. You had a dragon with you, did you not? I can use her for a template design. That will work. I can make a shedding dragon golem." 

The look on Greys' face made Gil and Walker shudder. He had become full of smiles and was nearly shaking with enthusiasm. The madness that overcame him while he planned out a new experiment was on par with no other. This was a genius that could create many eccentric things as the king of the middle had warned before. 

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