The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [89] Good to See You Again

The golem hung suspended mid-air, its metal form supported by thin, gleaming cables that connected directly to its spine. Its faintly glowing emerald eyes gave it an unsettling presence, but it made no move to attack or defend itself. The figure bore an uncanny resemblance to the Angels Bjorn had loathed in his previous life. However, its wings lacked the feathers typical of those beings, consisting only of skeletal joints and the bare structure of a bird's anatomy.

Bjorn tensed, ready to strike at the first sign of hostility. The others hesitated, uncertain, as this was the first of the golems to address them directly. Its voice, eerily similar to Doxy's monotone cadence, caught them off guard. Could this be the entity they had been communicating with all along? Bjorn sniffed the air but detected no trace of the distinct aetheric presence that marked a True Angel. This was not one of their kind, it was a golem designed in their likeness.

"Are you Doxy?" Tanisha asked, her tone sharp but curious.

"Incorrect identification," the being replied. "I am Laxy, G Series, G-21: Seraph, angelic humanoid Mecha-Doll, designated as a maintenance and fabrication assistant android. Doxy is the Alpha Extraction Site Aetheric Program. Our functions are distinct. My focus is equipment management and fabrication support, not site-wide data analysis or command oversight. How may I assist you?"

"Uh, Android? Is that like a golem?" Tanisha asked, tilting her head.

"I see you are unfamiliar with this term," Laxy replied as the cables supporting it began lowering it gracefully to the ground. "An android is a technological construct, distinct from a golem. While golems are typically animated by magic alone, guided by a magecaster's will or an enchantment, I am a hybrid construct. My design merges magical components with advanced technologies, granting me greater autonomy and versatility.

"For example, my core programming allows me to analyze tasks, suggest optimizations, and function independently within established parameters. Unlike a golem, I do not require direct magical guidance. Think of me as a magically-augmented machine, engineered to assist rather than serve as a simple automaton."

"Yeah, I didn't catch most of that," Aurelius interjected, scratching his head. "So... it's just another type of golem, right? Annnnndroid. Sounds weird."

"You're not going to attack us like the other golems—or, uh, androids outside?" Fuyumi asked, her eyes narrowing as her hand drifted toward her weapon.

"No," Laxy said with a polite bow of its head. "I am incapable of harming anyone. My purpose is maintenance and fabrication assistance, not combat. The units you encountered such as the S Series, S-01: Silhouette, are Mecha Dolls, hybrid constructs built for stealth and combat. My role is entirely non-combative."

"Are there more like you, non-combative androids?" Fuyumi pressed.

"Yes," Laxy affirmed. "There are others like me stationed in different maintenance facilities, each designed for similar non-combative roles. Additionally, this facility employs cleaning droids and non-humanoid drones to ensure operational efficiency and system integrity."

As Laxy touched the ground, a ripple of light shimmered over its metallic body. Its appearance shifted, and the lifeless metal silhouette was replaced by the form of a kind-looking human woman with dark hair and faintly glowing green eyes. Golden lines traced along her exposed skin. She wore what appeared to be a pristine white coat, reaching into one of her breast pockets to retrieve a pair of glasses, which she perched delicately on her nose.

Her wings, however, remained metal but were covered in golden feathers as they folded neatly behind her. One by one, the cables hissed softly before releasing her, retracting silently into the ceiling. It took Bjorn a moment to notice that she wasn't actually touching the floor but hovering less than an inch above it.