If you have a lot of magic power, it will take a long time to recover when it is depleted.
　It was a good thing that I had tested the magic of building piers two days ago, but it was a bad luck that I had been discovered by some very particular craftsmen.

　After much tinkering and shouting, I made some minor adjustments to the pier columns, and they are now magnificent works of art.
　However, it was nothing but hell for those who were moved by mouth.
　There were two sculptures on each of the forty-five pillars, and they even used flight magic to carry the masters around, receiving detailed instructions and making adjustments to every detail.
It was impossible for an amateur to reproduce the opinions of a professional, and I was subjected to a dizzying amount of work and nothing but unreasonableness.

　In some cases, I was even forced to rebuild the game from scratch.
　The dwarves of Hanba Civil Engineering really don't know anything about compromise.
　In the end, they barely succeeded in finishing the work at the very edge of perfection.

"Oh, you're awake. Did you get your magic back?
"Only about a third of it. You've used all your magic, so your recovery will be delayed.
So?　Are you able to work?　Five piers by the end of the day. ......
As long as we don't have any more problems like the day before yesterday, we'll be fine, but if they have to rework them, we'll be stuck here for three days.

　Nagri turned his head away as hard as he could.

　It was he who had asked Xelloss to do this job in the first place, and Nagri had said, "I won't allow anything to be done halfway! He said, "I won't tolerate anything half done!" and forced him to modify the engraving on the pillar of the magic experiment.
　If it depleted the magic power and delayed the construction of the bridge itself, it would be a complete disaster.
　He probably thinks that he has gone too far.

　But I can tell you this.
　When a dwarf sees an architectural structure or a work of art, he turns into an endless "demon".
　They may be unable to control something hot that gushes out.

　I almost betrayed the trust of my employer.

I've decided to call this magic 'Base Building'.
I've decided to call this magic 'Base Building'." "Well, that's fair enough, isn't it?　Anyway, do you want to drink the mana potion?
I will. I'll try to recover as much as I can, since my head is still wandering with a third of my magic power.

　I gulped down the mana potion I received, but the recovery was minimal.
　But it's better than no recovery.

　The only reason I feel lightheaded is because this is the first time I've experienced the depletion of my magic power, and even with a third of my magic power, it's far more than most mages have.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

So, let's get started. Come on, man.
I'll do what I can. Just like the day before yesterday, right?
Yeah, do you have the width of the piers in mind?　I can look at the blueprints if you want.
No problem. Let's get started.

　Xelloss walked to the front of the cliff, held out his hands to activate the magic formula, and cast a spell towards the expected location.
　A pillar of light appears on the surface of the water and then spreads out to push the water away.
　The inner barrier became the formwork for the piers, collecting and condensing the mud and stones piled up in the river, and the stones and sediment compressed under high pressure generated heat, causing the water inside to boil and evaporate outward.
　A large amount of steam rose to the surface of the water.

Oh, wow!
That's why only mages can handle magic.
Once the piers are up, we're good to go.
I can't wait to get my arms around ......!

　They were frustrated because they hadn't been able to work for three days.
　They smiled ferociously, wringing their hands as if they had been waiting for this moment to come.
　They were severe workaholics.

　They were so addicted that they would go hunting in the forest to increase their magic power and level up.
　Dwarves are craftsmen, but they are also born to be warriors.
　Their strong physical strength and arm strength, combined with earth elemental magic, has turned them into construction warriors.
　Of course, unlike the engineers on the battlefield, all they do is level up for the sake of building.
　They only do what is necessary.

　Moreover, they have a great passion for their work, as they have destroyed bandits who had dared to attack them.
　They seem to have no mercy for anyone who gets in their way. Fear not, Hanba Civil Engineering .......
　Where they are going is a mystery.

　In the meantime, the second pier was built.
　When the dwarves saw it, their spirits soared.

"Let's go, you bastards!　Let's show them what we can do, Hya-ha---- ---Let's see what we can do!
「「「「Ya-------- ------s!」」」」」

　It was rock and roll as far as the eye could see.
　They took their places with their boiling power, eager to do their part.

"First group, forward!
「「「「Ya-------- --」」」」
Get ready!
「「「「 We're just a bunch of dung beetles with nothing better to do than work. 」」」」
Let's go. -------- --Get ready!
「「「「Im'rock 'n' roll! 」」」」

　If they don't work, they're as good as dead.
　The one thing that all dwarves have in common is that when it comes to work, from farming to war, they give it their all.
　Their passions are burning for life in many places.

　On the piers that have been built, they collectively invoke Gaia Control to connect the bridge's foundations.


　What they lack in magic, they make up for in numbers and teamwork.
　The supply team brings in potions to support the shortage of magic power.

　As soon as the foundation was set, another team appeared in a line, snapping their fingers and "rock forming", and then they were replaced by those who had moonwalked to the site and set the stone in place.
　The "Gaia Control" team was the one who heaped the soil and formed the shape.
　They were the main dancers.

　The first group of dancers continued to move forward, building the foundation while the "Rock Forming" group of back-up dancers assisted, and the back-up supply team supplied recovery medicine while dancing.
　The dwarves piled up the stones in the completed areas, and the ones who placed the decorated stones were doing headspins on the stones, it was like entertainment.

　And yet, they did their job perfectly.
　In no time at all, the foundation was completed on the piers.

　When he looked behind him, Xelloss was taken aback.
　Naguri's eyes spoke softly to him.

"You do it too!
"...... Are you serious?

　His eyes were serious.

　Xellos is not interested in the entertainment industry and is not very good at such things.
　However, the only celebrity he knows is that person.
　The trouble was, he was good at imitating her on an amateur level.
　He even performed it at a year-end party. .......

"Yes, it's show'time!

　In the beginning, he didn't want to get beaten up, so he was forced to do it, but the trouble was, it became more and more fun.
　Before I knew it, I had become one with them.
　Now the old man is [BAD].

　Normally, the work would be delayed, but they finish the work at an unbelievable speed.
　As soon as they find a part that seems to be slowing down, they follow it up by dancing around it in a fluid manner.
　In many ways, they were masters of their craft.

　On this day, an old man and the dwarves were connected by some force in their hearts.
　The building work began early in the morning and continued until nightfall.

　Like a great entertainer, .......
　Dancing old man and dwarven craftsmen.

　There are two levels of foundation construction, and the third level is the main part of the bridge.
　After the shackles were removed, the dwarves worked like fish out of water for several days to complete the foundation.

　The people of Hanba Civil Engineering are crazy, dancing like crazy.


　　　


　Early in the morning, Xellos wakes up with a pain in his body.
　The muscles used were too different between farming and construction while dancing.
　The last few days of construction work had overworked his body, and his middle-aged body was fatigued.

Oh, ......, my muscles hurt. .... How come you guys are fine?
"Oh?　Because we're trained.
That's not cool, dude. I can't believe you're so uptight about this.
Well, that was pretty sharp for amateurs, wasn't it?

　That means they're dancing every day.
　At this point, they are already not proper civil servants.

"Dancing construction workers. ...... Another world to be reckoned with...

　This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

Today we're going to start on the second level and work on the main bridge at the same time. Let's get into it, fellas!
「「「「 Oh, -------- ----! 」」」」

　They continue to build the bridge today, dancing around.
　It was hard for Xellos, who hadn't fully recovered his remaining magic power.


　Work at Hamba Industries is surprisingly normal, except for the dancing.
　Each of them divided their roles and worked efficiently.
　While playing voice percussion, .......

　Those in charge of masonry and decorations leave the bridge builders to swing chisels and hammers.
　The sound of the chisels and hammers is a haunting eight-beat, and the tapping that accompanies the sound adds to the good mood of the music.
　As is the nature of their race, they like to celebrate, and this tune lifts their spirits, and they get excited and get to work.

　Xellos, who is unable to move due to muscle pain, is just amazed at them.

Why don't they cause an accident? ....... It would be dangerous no matter what you think.

　The bridge is a three-tiered arch bridge.
　At the end of the first tier, the dwarves are carrying logs without lifelines, moving in rhythm.
　These logs are used to build scaffolding and decorate the hard-to-reach places, but under their feet is a flowing river.
　In a different world, this would be a violation of labor laws.

　The height to the top of the cliff is less than 20 meters, and no matter how slow the current is, if they fall, they will not get away with it.
　The current was still too fast to be swum through by human power.

"Oh, you're from Hanba Civil Engineering!　Thanks for the help this time.
"Oh, of Meiga Engineering!　We're on the same side, don't be a pussy.
I'm here to help you. I'm here to help. I'm gonna show the f*cking Count what I can do!
I'm counting on you, Tubley.



　One after another, people from the construction industry gathered.
　They were all friends who had worked with Hanba Civil Engineering before, and they were also friends who drank together.
　Their information network is extensive, and they know the inner workings of each noble family's territory.
　In a sense, they were not people you wanted to make enemies with.

　At first, Meiga Civil Engineering took over the construction of the road, but later they were forced to build a bridge.
　Originally, they had planned to go straight ahead and pass through the Count of Yokubukeno's territory to the Duke's territory, but they were suddenly forced to build a bridge without any reason, and they were at a loss.
　However, they were at a loss when they were suddenly asked to build a bridge without any reason. Moreover, they couldn't refuse the job since it was ordered by the government.
　In fact, they did not know that the construction of the bridge was still in the undecided stage, and even though they had a plan, they were not at the stage of starting work.

　So, they consulted Hanba Civil Engineering, and they took on the task of building the bridge, and that was the beginning of the story.

"Count, you didn't learn your lesson after beating me once, did you? Now I'm going to kill you half to death.
What's the point of building a bridge here?
I don't know!

　The government has its own agenda.
　It wants to build a city in an uncharted land, and to facilitate the economy by cultivating it.
　Of course, they would have to spend a large amount of money, but there were mountains in the uncharted land that could be used as mines, and it would be a good way to promote the development.
　The plan was still in the planning stage, but it was decided to expand the roads while there was still budget.
　If the plan was approved, many craftsmen and merchants would come and go along this road.
　This would make it easier for them to transport goods.

　Count Jokubukeno took notice of this and took the initiative in constructing the road.
　The bridge, however, was built at his own discretion.

　Noblemen are like hereditary governors and mayors, but their authority is not absolute.
　It is not uncommon for a hereditary aristocrat to be removed from his role and another aristocrat to take his place, depending on the popularity of the people.

　The nobles who rule the land for a long time are the ones who take responsibility for their roles, but the newer nobles often neglect their responsibilities.
　Most of the time, those who are recognized for their achievements become nobles, but as soon as they gain power, they become tainted.
　Count Jokubukeno is the third generation of the family, and while his grandfather was a capable man, the current head of the family is a foolish man who has been spoiled.
　His grandfather was a capable man, but the current head was a spoiled fool.

　The Duke of Solistea had the city roads built as an advance investment, and he merely imitated that.
　Once the road was completed, Count Yokubukeno would be in charge of it, but he didn't realize that he had a fire under his feet before that.
　Complaints from the people against the current head of the family had reached the royal family.
　And since the cost of building this bridge was not included in the national budget, he had to pay for it.

　In short, Count Jokubukeno took the liberty of carrying out a task not requested by the state in the name of the state, and forged the request form.
　This alone is enough to warrant the extreme penalty, but he is obsessed with money and power and does not care about such things.
　He threw away all the formalities and acted according to his desires.

　If he succeeds, he will be given grace. If he failed, he thought he could get money from the people who helped build it.
　He did not even consider that his own safety was not included.
　Even if the bridge was built, he would have to pay for it, and at the same time, it would come to light that he had forged the royal warrant.

　The situation would have been different if he had asked the king's permission, but since he didn't even follow such a simple procedure, he cannot avoid being held responsible.
　It's hard to understand whether he is smart or stupid.

　As a side note, the aristocrat who had ordered the design to be rewritten several times at the construction site was Count Yokubukeno, and it was so bad that Nagri unintentionally sanctioned him.
　Since then, Hamba Civil Engineering has been the enemy of the city.

　They don't like clients who change their designs over and over again.
　The problem was that Count Yokubukeno was so bad that Nagri couldn't take it anymore and beat him up, which led to his one-sided resentment.
　He even went so far as to bargain for the construction costs.
　This would have made any craftsman angry.

My brother is better than him. If he's the head of the family, he'll probably go under soon.
That's different. Well, in a little while he'll be the boss. He's a decent guy.
You want to hit him while you're at it?

　It was a crazy job, and even though it was ordered by the king, it was Count Yokubukeno who was in charge.
　It is true that this job would not have been possible without Xelloss, but if the king had ordered it, his role would have been to inform him of the situation on the land and stop the plan.
　However, since he had originally pushed ahead with the construction of the bridge on his own, the bill he would have to pay would have been huge.

　I am especially afraid of the eyes of those involved in civil engineering.
　They are glaring at us like bloodthirsty animals.
　They must have a lot of resentment built up.

"Hey, we're going to do it again today!
「「「「 Oh, -------- --------! 」」」」

　They quickly split up and went to their respective work stations.
　While dancing, .......

Are you still dancing? .... Why are other people dancing too?
I don't know why everyone does that when it comes to my work. Why is that?
Why do you ask me that?

　I take out a cigarette from my pocket and light it.

　The bridge construction site had become a place of great spectacle.


　　The bridge construction site was a great spectacle.


　There were about twenty people running through the forest.
　They were all frightened and hypersensitive to the slightest rustle of leaves.
　They were alert to their surroundings, and when they judged it was safe, they started running again.

　But what lay ahead of them was a cliff.


　I can see the despair on their faces.

"Hey, look at that!

　They turn their heads at the sound of someone's voice and see a bridge under construction.
　The hope that they might be saved gives them strength.

Let's get over there. We've got to get there before that thing comes after us. ......

　They all nodded and started running at once.
　They were mostly young men and women with children, and their clothes were stained with blood and dirt.

　One day, the black beast suddenly attacked.
　It was the devil himself, killing and eating everyone in the village.
　All they could do was run away, and in the process, many people were killed.

　Some of them even killed their families, relatives, wives and children.
　Some of them even killed their families, relatives, wives and children.

　They managed to get to the bridge and shouted as loud as they could.

Help me!

　It was the dwarves who were building the foundation who noticed the change.
　They noticed the desperate cries of the villagers and used Gaia Control to build a staircase to rescue them.

　They were so exhausted that their work was temporarily suspended.
　They decided to bring the villagers to a resting place and feed them.
　They treated their injuries and gave them protection.

　In the meantime, they asked about the situation in detail.

"This is terrible, isn't it? What kind of refugee are you?
I'm not a refugee. The village was attacked by a demon and they had no choice but to flee.
Demons?
A black monster. They say it's a giant, man-eating monster that changes form while eating people.

　Xelloss remembers it as a demon with extraordinary regenerative abilities.
　It had no sense of pain and would attack you even if you cut off its arm.

"Excuse me. How many of these demons were there?
There were four. ...... They killed my wife... ugh...
There's three more of those things. ......
You know about this?
I was testing my magic when I was attacked. I killed one of them. ...... That thing was crazy. I don't know if I'd call it a creature.

　I don't know if I'd call it a creature," he said, "but it had unusual powers and regenerative abilities. It made Xellos shudder as he remembered the starvation-stricken form he'd traded for it.
　The demon had temporarily matched the power of the cheat Xelloss.
　No creature could have been more terrifying.

You defeated it?　Then it's a piece of cake, isn't it?
"That's not quite true, sir. They're outnumbered, and above all, they have extraordinary regenerative abilities.
Like ogres and orcs?
More so. Instead, they are constantly hungry and need to be fed upon to survive. As a creature, it's a failure.

　The basis of life is to live and procreate.
　But the black monster leaves nothing behind.
　It just continues to eat and take in anything that moves and exists.

I think we should move the workers back here temporarily.
I'm already on it. I've got a bad feeling about this. I've got weapons.
The creature has no sense of pain. If you attack it, it'll just come right at you, okay?
Seriously, ......, how'd you do that?
I blocked its movement and burned it to the ground.

　Naguri remembered the grounded traces left behind by the place where he had experimented with magic.
　He remembered that the ground had been glassy and hot.

So that's it. ....... That's what you're dealing with, isn't it?
It seems that because they don't feel pain, they can draw out their strength to the limit, and they regenerate super fast. To be honest, it's not a demon I'd want to deal with.

　At the same time, it was the first time I felt my life was in danger.

　---Gun!　Gun! Gun!　Gun! Gun!

　The sound of metal banging suddenly echoed through the air.
　At the watchtower erected at the scene, a dwarf rang the alarm bell.

"Here it comes...
Let's go. We can't afford to have our workplace ransacked.

　Xellos leaves the resting place with Nagri.

　As they hurriedly ran to the bridge, they saw a humanoid beast with black bristles on the other side of the river.
　It didn't seem to notice the sound of the alarm bell.
　However, it seemed to have a sense of sight, and when it saw us, it started running towards us furiously.

"What the hell?
That's the monster. ...... Are you guys ready?
「「「「 Oh, ---------! 」」」」



　The dwarves deployed their magic a little early against the fast-moving monster.

「「「「 "Gaia Control" 」」」」

　It manipulates the ground, making it ripple like water.
　As soon as the demon reaches it, it is caught up in the earth and is dragged down to the bottom.

Fix it!
「「「「 "Rock Forming" 」」」」

　It immediately petrifies the surrounding area and stops the demon's movement completely.
　Unable to escape the petrified ground, it flailed about until its claws broke.
　When the dwarves picked up their weapons and tried to defeat it, that's when it happened.

　---Buju, bitey, bujuri...

　With a sickening sound, the monster began to move forward, tearing off its upper body.

"You monster. ......

　The scene was so bizarre that it left me speechless.

　The demon's wounds began to regenerate and close up even as it tore off the lower half of its body, and several spider-like legs sprouted from its back.
　It was so fearsome that no one could move.
　Except for one person: ......

　In a flash, Xellos closes the gap and slams the glittering fireball in his hand into the demon, who immediately jumps backwards to avoid being caught in the explosion.

　The scorching flames envelop the demon, and an unpleasant smell surrounds it.
　The demon was burned without screaming and disappeared into the dust.

I didn't expect it to be so monstrous. ....... I didn't think it was going to rip my body apart...
"No. What kind of monster is this? ......
It's not a creature of the natural world. Could it be an artificially created ......?
Did someone create this monster?　If so, that's pretty crazy.

　It is not a creature that can be born from nature.
　It's not impossible, but it's unlikely that four of them would appear at the same time.

　Mutant species of demons can be born in some situations, but even so, one of them is common, and the others are normal species.
　From the point of view of probability theory, there is no such thing as zero, but the percentage of multiple appearances is certainly quite low, and if they appear in the same place at the same time, it is more likely to suspect human interference.

...... Two more to go.
Don't be a prick. It's true.

　It's not safe to say that there are still unidentified demons out there.
　The demons are still lurking deep in the forest on the other side of the river, and you never know when they will strike.

　At the same time, it would force a halt to the construction.

　The dwarves stared at the forest on the other side of the river with abhorrence.

　　
　　.


　In the dark forest, two demons were fighting each other.
　It wasn't a flattering fight, they were feeding on each other and preying on each other.

　Those who had once been men were no more.
　It is constantly tormented by a ravenous hunger, and this unsatisfied hunger makes it even more ferocious.
　Because of its powerful regeneration ability, it is unable to settle down and is forced to fight for a long time.

　It tears off its arms and eats them, it pulls out its organs and eats them.
　The beast, possessed by an unstoppable ravenous appetite, had already reached its limit.
　Their cells were screaming at each other, unable to keep up with their rapid regeneration.

　But apart from that, a powerful magic power continues to boil up, and it won't let this monster die.
　Eventually, one of the demons slows down, and the other becomes entangled, devouring the flesh with its sharp gears.
　The sound of bones and flesh being torn apart echoed through the forest, and this demon had finally devoured its own kind.

　---A great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great!

　A roar echoed in the darkness.
　When the demon ate its own kind, it swallowed a small piece as well.
　It gave them more power and satisfied their hunger for the first time.

　In time, its body swelled to twice its size, and the humanoid form of the demon further changed its shape.
　At the same time, hunger strikes again, and the demon begins to move in order to eat even more.

　It attacked other demons, large and small, at random, preying on them and gaining strength from them.

　Eventually, the creature reached the side of the cliff.
　When it realized that there was a creature ahead, it let out a roar of joy.

　The creature began to move toward the other side of the cliff.