I'm the Only Totem in Another World - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Pride of Humanity （2）

The empire’s secret research lab, hidden underground, was very spacious.

I thought it would be small since the entrance was narrow, but seeing the wide path stretching out, it seemed I was wrong.

“This isn’t just a lab, it’s a maze built to conceal the lab. We need to find a hidden second door to enter the actual lab.”

That’s what he said. It must be true, coming from Harry.

“What kind of maze is this?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Those civilized people…”

Our tribal warriors, exhausted from the bloody war, followed Harry with expressions full of discontent.

Tsk. I wish Captain Zombie was here.

I checked earlier, but the status window only said it was no longer controllable.

It seems the Tunnel Demon destroyed it with its tentacles when it smashed the elevator.

My precious super-soldier body…

Actually, that’s not the real problem.

“Ah, just wait a little longer.”

This old man, calmly responding to the Barbarians, is the real problem.

It’s been 30 minutes since he confidently declared we’d find the second door in 10 minutes.

━ Are you sure you know the shortcut?

“Didn’t I say I exchanged letters with my friend? I heard all the important details.”

That’s what Harry said, but I couldn’t trust him.

“The path splits into two again… hmm… then this way…”

How can I trust this old man who mutters like this with every step he takes?

“Let’s see…”

“Grandpa, are you sure you know the way?”

Even Paya, who hates speaking harshly to others, is saying this.

She insisted on following us despite me telling her to rest. She must be frustrated that we’re still struggling to find the way after coming this far.

Even Rake’s expression is getting distorted; it seems like she’s about to explode.

“I just got confused for a moment because I heard it a long time ago. I understand you’re anxious after that intense battle.

But in times like these, we need to calm our minds and…”

“Well, I’m starting to think a forgetful old man is playing tricks on us.”

Rake finally exploded.

“…”

Harry, who was smoothly running his tongue, shuts his mouth with a gasp.

This old man, he’s secretly a bully to the weak.

I understand though. Who wouldn’t be scared after seeing Rake slaughter demons?

It’s my turn to step in now.

━ Are you sure there are no traps?

“…Yes, I heard they dismantled them all because there were no magic stones to maintain them.”

━ Mage Harry. Do you get motion sickness often?

“Hmm? Not really.”

━ I see.

He chose his words wisely.

━ Rake. Put Harry on a cart and go through the maze. Harry will guide the way.

We have a few carts we brought for retrieving golems.

“That’s a good idea.”

Rake smiles mischievously.

“W, wait, come to think of it, whenever I ride a carriage… Oof!”

Rake grabbed Harry by the collar and threw him onto the cart as he was trying to make excuses.

“Hold on tight if you don’t want to die, old man.”

Then she started pulling the cart at an incredible speed, Harry’s beard fluttering in the wind.

A fun goryeojang… no, a rickshaw experience.

“Whoaaaa~!”

━ Tell us where to go.

“L, L, Left~!”

Good. This is much more comfortable.

It’s so much better to move quickly and talk.

“T, This time, Riiight~!”

Is this a grandpa-style medieval navigation system? Impressive.

Super Rake’s Speedy Cart quickly navigated through the maze.

We should have done this from the beginning.

Ah, I told Paya and the other warriors to follow slowly.

The cart wheels are covered in debris （mainly worm-human fluids）, so they’ll leave a trail when they move. They’ll find their way.

“Ugh… I can’t even summon Tteunteuni…”

Paya’s muttering, who wanted to follow me until the end, echoes in my ears.

Paya completed her blessing bloom in this war, or to be precise, her 2nd class advancement.

It’s only natural to gain new skills after a 2nd class advancement.

Now Paya can summon Tteunteuni to her location anytime, anywhere.

It’s called the ‘Tteunteuni Summoning’ skill.

I summoned him briefly earlier, and a blue light gathered before Tteunteuni popped out.

I had to reverse summon him because his size made it difficult to move around.

“I see a door.”

“P, Please let me down now. I think I’m really going to die… Ugh~!”

Harry, who vomited profusely, stood before the second door.

“Shall we wait for the warriors?”

━ Yes.

We don’t know what threat might be behind the door. There could be a ‘self-aware, murderous robot’ like in movies and comics.

Or maybe golem scholars turned into demon worshippers.

After all the warriors had gathered, I unlocked the second door.

It was a 100% pure metal door, thicker than the first one, but Rake opened it with a little force.

It would have taken fifteen strong men to open it normally.

“It’s spacious.”

As Rake said, the space inside the door was incredibly large.

Unlike the gloomy, secretive labs I imagined, it was a very pleasant space.

Flowers, trees, birds, and insects were painted on the walls, giving it an open feel.

The ceiling seemed to be 50-60 meters high.

It’s a high-tech facility that Barbarians could never build.

━ Not bad.

Moreover, a mural of the sky was painted on the ceiling, and it felt as real as the actual sky.

It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into designing it to give the feeling of not being in a closed-off basement.

Was it for the mental health of the golem scholars?

Well, there’s a saying that you go crazy if you don’t see the sky.

The empire might have been good at welfare for scientists, if nothing else.

━ I don’t see any golems.

“There must be a separate workshop. It’s likely to be at the far end of the lab.”

Of course, a lab wouldn’t be just for research. There would need to be a large space for eating, sleeping, and resting.

We walked around, observing the interior of the lab.

There was even a graveyard in the corner, likely for the golem scholars who died in the lab.

“It’s too quiet. There’s no sign of life. There must be no survivors.”

Rake, with her superhuman senses, confirmed it.

Harry walked silently without even arguing. It was a silence filled with sadness.

“Lisa… my friend…”

Harry entered a room labeled ‘Rest Area’ and knelt before a skull.

The unidentified skull, as if trying to maintain its dignity, was sitting on a chair, neatly dressed in a robe, when it met its death.

Could this be the mage friend Harry exchanged letters with?

“…Her name was Lisa, my friend. She was a very smart woman, she loved to record things. She must have left a diary.”

Harry rummaged through the desk and found a notebook.

━ I want to see it too.

Records from a native who lived through the apocalypse are valuable. There might be a clue to overcoming this apocalypse.

I watched as Harry flipped through the notebook.

[…And so, facing the apocalypse, the empire’s best golem scholars gathered in one place.

At the empire’s most advanced facility.

Well, except for one person.

Harry, I wish you were here too.

To give up the chance to leave your name in human history for a single granddaughter. As a single person, I probably won’t ever understand.]

[…We decided to focus on mass production of automatic combat golems. If we mix this special metal found in the Skeleton Mountain Range, it should be able to withstand demon attacks.

It will take at least a year to go through various trials and errors and produce a decent result. We can only hope the empire holds out until then.]

[…Unbelievable, I received news I don’t want to believe.

The empire has fallen. All magic towers have lost contact.

I wanted to keep it a secret for everyone, but someone leaked it and the rumor has already spread.

We have enough supplies in the lab to last about three years with this many people, but I wonder if the others’ minds can last three years?]

[With the empire gone, mass production of weapons is impossible. We’ve scrapped all the projects. The new project is called ‘Giant’. The goal is to create a giant golem that can fight a demon army alone.]

[…The young ones are so weak, it’s worrisome. Harry, I wish you were here.]

[We captured those who tried to escape. They wanted to check on their families.

Unfortunately, we can’t let them go because there’s a risk of exposing this lab to the enemy.

I’m sorry.]

[Ralph took his own life.

I’m encouraging everyone, but I’m reaching my limit.

I couldn’t properly answer when they asked what’s the point of all this when the empire has fallen.

I can only believe that even though the empire has fallen, humanity hasn’t.]

[I buried my colleagues. There aren’t many of us left. I’m tired.]

[We’re running out of materials. We’ve stripped all the traps in the maze.]

[One of the equipment broke down. There’s no replacement.]

[Well, at least we won’t run out of food.]

[Should I have gotten married when I had the chance? What if I had children?]

The entries get shorter and shorter.

[I feel like I don’t have much time left.]

…The next entry is the last one.

[We completed the Giant.

There are no magic stones to move it, and no pilot, but the Giant is complete.

Personally, I’d say it’s a war machine unlike any other in human history.

Is it a bit arrogant to say it’s the result of human intellect?

My role is over now.

The Giant is my pride, the pride of the golem scholars.

I still believe we can end this apocalypse.

I believe someone will read my diary…I believe the Giant will play its part.

If you’ve read this diary, tell them about the Giant.

I’m running out of ink. I’ll end here.

Oh, the Giant is in the workshop.

It might be missing some parts, but figure it out.]

“…Sob.”

Harry finally burst into tears. It’s the first time I’ve seen an elderly person cry.

I can’t help but feel solemn.

“Let’s go see… the Giant.”

Harry, wiping away his tears, led us to the workshop.

A giant robot, seemingly 50 meters tall, stood tall among the machinery.

Against the backdrop of the painted sky.

━ Pride.

He said it was the pride of the golem scholars.

No.

This was the pride of the people of this world who held onto hope until the very end.