Intelligent? Golems? Well, only so far as the artificer trusts them to be. The peak [Artificers], those at least Level 40 are rumored to be able to create thinking beings. Powerful Skills reside at those milestones, and decades of practice only add to their effects. I have even heard rumor of a [Golemancer] that claimed to have created something truly absurd, a construct able to level. Being the [Golemancer] in question, I can personally claim that particular rumor was indeed false. I shall refrain from disavowing any others in hopes you read on, hoping my expertise may answer it for you.

- Advanced Constructs and Golemancy, Unknown [Golemancer]

It had been a week since uncovering what'd I'd since thought of as the vault. In that week, I made little progress opening it, rather my efforts were focused elsewhere, despite my curiosity towards the insides of the spiked container.

I had been studying, tinkering with the broken wooden golems, learning through trial and error in lieu of any documented studies. I was able to identify a sigil regarding simply activating the golem, though that required me to push mana into the construct. The Art Of Magic detailed the process and moved along to the next topic as if that was the easiest part. It took me an entire day but even that process was accelerated since I already knew through my [Basic Knowledge] how my mana felt. If anything, it reaffirmed my reasonings for not touching on the topics of magic. They'd take much too long to learn. And time was something of a resource as valuable as food or water.

With a smooth hum, the broken golem attempted to right itself. It managed to stand itself despite missing both arms and parts of its torso. I deactivated and turned to the other bodies. The only ones that ceased to activate were those missing their torso entirely, or large sections of it. Conversely, a torso by itself would activate, which likely meant the majority of the functioning magic was centered in the chest. Of those, only the dummies with an intact head would stand up, or try, leading me to believe that the magic was controlled and directed by the skull.

The central sigil, the one that turned the golem on, was easy enough to identify once I narrowed down what missing pieces meant functional failure. The sigil that controlled the golem was harder to identify, the process of elimination was considerably harder given there were no partial head deformations amongst the golems, most were removed entirely or destroyed completely. In the end, I managed to find it when I stumbled upon one of the steel golems which was missing part of its head that refused to stand up.

I pushed my mana into the control sigil and stepped back. The golem relaxed from its regular combat-ready stance and its head turned to me. I stared back considering the possibility I had placed it under some protocol unbeknownst to me. The library seemed to hum in the same way it did when I removed the knight statue's sword, but just as it did then, it subsided.

"Task?" It said.

I jerked. Its voice was calm and undeterred by the oppressive silence of the library. This one was one of the fully intact wooden ones, the very same one I had been sparring endlessly over the days. I tested my throat, my vocal cords, to see if I still knew how to talk.

It was higher than I imagined, not so deep as I had thought. Yet, the grainy texture of unuse was evident. The words came out uncomfortably. "Follow."

I led the golem to the hydroponics area I had set up. If the library constructs were able to be assigned tasks I gave the library the benefit of the doubt, they might've been designed to help all the researchers in their studies. That meant their functions might be broader than simply sparring. The golem's face roamed the area, not as unthinking as I was led to believe.

"Hardyet. Greyrice." I said as I moved to tend to them. Adjusting a few plants when necessary, adding nutrients to some of the droopier bins, skimming the water of film. "Can you tend to them?" I croaked, my throat had become sore already. How long had it been unused?

"I am able." It spoke, immediately moving to another bin. It automatically went for a water gem, finding what I'd left in the cabinet and adjusted the water levels of each bin. Somehow it was controlling the flow of water.

I mimicked him, pulling a gem from my robe and holding it over the stone basin. Water burst forth from all sides of the gem. "How are you doing that?" I asked the golem that had beaten me senseless countless times.

"Direct your intent, scholar." It replied. "The waterstone will abide." It did not stop in its tasks, it had somehow found a pruners clippers and was snipping parts of each plant. Such a delicate task and it did not flinch at my question or in the action of giving an answer.

They were a definite advanced construct, likely created by some type of [Craftsman] with a particularly potent Skill. The implications were such that I hesitated on sending it through the breach. Whatever manner of construct this was, it was undoubtedly the work of someone high leveled.

This time I directed the waterstone to shoot a small stream into my mouth. Like an archerfish, a spurt of water shot from the stone, fresh and clear. I drank, soothing my throat. With a final glance back to the golem, instead of returning to the combat hall I came back to the central room.

I combed through the reception desk, a hunch assaulting the back of my mind, finally unearthing a clipboard full of paper. It was a list of names and assigned time slots for what were known as "library helpers" who would assist someone in their endeavors. I had seen it before and thought it was simply a job for a person to undertake, but what if it wasn't? Had I been sparring with these helpers this entire time?

My bare feet slapped against the combat hall's training mats. There were only three wooden dummies that were undamaged, one of which was now my glorified gardener. The next tier up were the steel ones of which there were only two. And finally, there was one undamaged silver. There were only five of those silver ones but the other four of them were broken worse than any other dummy.

I pushed mana into the other two wooden ones and felt myself go lightheaded. Mana fatigue already? I grimaced, I should've been exercising mind, body, magic this entire time. They jerked up and looked at me, asking for a task.

I beckoned them to follow and brought them to the wooden spiked vault. If I couldn't do it, maybe they could? My [Search: Library] didn't bring up any other materials as pertinent to constructs and golems as the ones that were resounding from the spiked vault, but if my hunch was correct and they were truly so valuable as library helpers I hesitated to send even one through the library's breach. I needed to make my own, something simple I could send through.

"Open it," I pointed, voice sore.

They followed my gaze and set to work. Wordless, and yet they worked in near tandem, trying ideas and methods that hinted at critical thinking. That was unprecedented and simultaneously fascinating. What was their mental capacity then? To begin, they approached and pulled on the spikes, uncaring at the thorns that tore at their hands. It was my first thought as well. Following that, they brought their arms down on the sides of the spikes attempting to break them. If I had the strength or the right tool, it was where my mind would've gone as well. When the more straightforward approaches failed I stared as I watched one's arm morph into a crowbar, albeit a wooden one. It managed to dislodge a single spike, but with eyes wide I watched the vault repair itself, pulling the wooden spike back into place as if there was never any damage to begin with.

The second construct followed the first and morphed its arm to a crowbar. Then, as I would've done, they began to attempt to erode its capabilities. In short, a test of endurance. Perhaps the vault would run out of whatever powered it before they?

They held my attention for thirty minutes before it was diverted to more practical matters such as my studies. I nibbled on some combat rations, careful to eat only enough to sate my hunger, and began to delve into my readings. I had plucked some history books and geographical texts from this section while I was in the process of lightening the shelves earlier. It was to be determined if they were still relevant, but at the least, I could cross-reference this data with any other locations mentioned in my creature encyclopedias.

I was able to make significant connections and began to form a rudimentary understanding of the geography above. Although, it did seem as though there were swaths of lands unnamed and thus uncharted. That was a helpful reminder that for all the knowledge in the world, there would always be unknowns. It was a possibility that none of my preparation would matter, but what else was I to do but try?

I began to write down my findings. I found doing so in my own hand helped me retain the memory.