<Chapter 13. Arema Steelworker >
[Resistance, impossible. Requesting reinforcements... Code unrecognizable. Reporting to command... failed.]
[Reporting to code name A.S.]
The Bronze Golems spoke similarly to the Stone Golems, yet said something different after Lee Shin Woo had broken all but the last two into pieces of bronze.
[No answer. Retrying...]
[Reporting to code name A.S. again. ...No signal.]
"Wait a sec. A.S.? The code name is a service center?[1]"
Lee Shin Woo vacantly listened to the golems, and right as he was about to ready his finishing blow, he heard their strange remarks and stopped his axe. Jin then spoke.
"They said they had no signal, right?"
"It's not like they had no signal, but that they've been all killed, right?"
It seems like the two's opinions were in accord. The Bronze Golems, having no signal, froze in place as if they were damaged, but he didn't have the time to worry about them anymore.
"Let's collect the loot first."
[Ceasing function.]
[Ceasing function.]
Lee Shin Woo swung his axe and cleanly broke the golems into pieces. The golems dispersed into several particles of mana and returned to nature. He collected the dropped Perium and Bone Core at the center of where they were, and suddenly surveyed his surroundings. Naturally, he wasn't able to find anything.
But this came out of his vacant mouth.
"The connection hadn't been completely cut."
At first, the golems had requested for reinforcements, then next attempted to report to command. After that, when none of those had worked, they reported to a figure with the code name A.S. He hypothesized that this A.S. figure was either the one in charge of the golems, or their maker.
Until now, he hadn't gotten any answers from their reports, but he'd finally seen a meaningful response. Though they had received a cold reception and gotten no signal, there was definitely a response given after receiving the report.
"But doesn't the fact that they got no signal mean that the person doesn't care, even if we assume that there was someone there to receive their report?"
"Well yeah, because he should be undead."
While there were golems which were born when minerals were naturally saturated with mana, these golems were clearly artificial. This meant that there was a figure who created these golems and managed them, whether it be the Empire or another individual. Then that figure should obviously be undead by now. And that would explain why the golems ended up being neglected...
"I don't know how the golem's reporting system works, but if their owner truly is undead, would they really be able to respond this quickly?"
"Not all of the undead are stupid. If we exclude a high leveled undead's hatred for the living, their intelligence isn't much different from a living person's."
"Seems that way... But if they're that smart, wouldn't they have called these golems and used them?"
"...That's true."
At that point, they were left in the dark. Lee Shin Woo and Jin stopped acting like Sherlock Holmes, when it didn't even fit them, and decided to continue doing what they had planned to do. That was to try reinforcing a Bone Core.
"Alright. I've chosen this one."
Lee Shin Woo chose the Bone Core that belonged to the final Bronze Golem, and placed its 'Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core' onto the floor. Seeing that, Jin asked.
"You're not actually going to use all the other Bone Cores on that one, are you?"
"Yeah, I am. There's not enough information in the Stone Golems' cores, and they've been severely damaged so there's barely any value to them. Sacrificing them is a much better option."
It was something he'd roughly been able to figure out as he examined his own mana, and absorbed the cores through Bone Reinforcement. Though it wasn't possible to understand how the core's activation mechanism worked indirectly, he was able to figure out a way to approach this directly. Honestly, that was amazing enough.
"The Bronze Golems' cores are in better condition, but if I were to absorb them one by one, it would take a long time to add up all the information together."
"If you use reinforcement, will you be able to restore the damaged information?"
"In my opinion... yeah. I guess there's only one way to find out."
If he was able to restore the information within the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core through reinforcement, he wouldn't need a lot of them, and he would be able to figure out the secret that these golems held; if he was lucky, he might even be able to figure out the secret behind the code name A.S. too with this one core. At least, that's what Lee Shin Woo thought.
"Then... Bone Reinforcement."
Lee Shin Woo executed Bone Reinforcement and used one Bone Core to reinforce the other. Though their levels were different, his skill activated without any problems. It was all fine and dandy until the activation, but...
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"No, we can do it. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me who believes in you [2]."
"..."
He didn't know if it was because Jin trusted in Lee Shin Woo, who in turn, trusted in him, but the next attempt succeeded. They rejoiced, but Lee Shin Woo soon assumed a serious expression upon examining the information.
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core]
[Original Core synchronization rate: 13.2%]
"I haven't seen that before."
Lee Shin Woo expected for there to be a +1 behind the Bone Core, but he was wrong. Instead, it indicated a synchronization rate with the original core, something that seemed slightly large-scale. It's likely that if the reinforcement was successful, this value would increase. That's when Jin asked the key question.
"What about the amount of information?"
"Hmm... It's been restored."
It was only a small amount, but a portion of the damaged area was indeed recognizable again.
If he were to say how much, it was like when he was confused about the difference between two homonyms in a sentence before, and now he was sure which was which as it was such a strange difference between them [3]. In any case, what's important was that he was able to restore some of the information.
Maybe the original core would appear if he completely restored the core?
'Though I don't really need to know what the original core is...'
At the very least, he was sure that he was going in the right direction. In order to more thoroughly investigate the change in the synchronization rate, Lee Shin Woo gripped the Bone Core and continuously used Bone Reinforcement. A blinding light arose.
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has succeeded.]
[Original Core synchronization rate: 13.4%]
"What!"
One successful reinforcement resulted in a 0.2% increase? He had 310 more Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores, and a bit more than 100 Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores. It would be a relief if the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores had a high synchronization rate, but it they didn't, he might go broke before he even attempted to use them.
"Ugh... Damn it, I'll go for it regardless!"
"See, I told you you'd feel anxious."
"No, I believe in you. I believe in you who believes in me!"
"You know, I think there's a final version to that. Something like 'believe in the you who believes in yourself'."
"Damn it. I really wanted to say that one...!"
It was too late to back out now. If he failed to restore the core, then he'd have no choice but to leave this place and give up!
With a heart of iron and blood, Lee Shin Woo prepared himself to lose everything and continued with the reinforcement. Because he had used Bone Reinforcement a countless number of times, its speed was at least reliable.
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has succeed...]
[Fail...]
[Fail...]
[Succeed...]
That's how more than 310 Bone Cores, as well as the Reinforced Bone Cores became scarce. In their place was a single Bone Core that seemed to weakly radiate light, but he might've been imagining things.
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core]
[Synchronization Rate: 99.9%]
"Why the hell did it have to be 0.1%? There aren't even any golems left!"
"No, it's fine."
"Can you use other bone equipment to reinforce it by any chance?"
Jin asked reasonably and Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head.
"Cores can only be reinforced with other cores. Probably."
"Get straight to the point."
"I'm saying that the reinforcement's already finished."
Lee Shin Woo propped up the core, which he'd completed by using most of the golems' cores in the highlands, with both hands. Now, Jin could see it too. The geometrical pattern that covered the Bone Core.
"But I can't tell what it says at all."
"Hmm, I'm sure."
"You're really pissing me off..."
If Lee Shin Woo hadn't absorbed a few Bone Cores prior to this, he wouldn't have been able to make sense of it either.
However, in the process of repeatedly utilizing Bone Reinforcement, he meticulously examined the restored patterns, and analyzed the mutual exchange of mana amongst them; now that the core was finished, he knew. What state the Bone Core was in, and what kind of item this restored core was.
"Hoo..."
He calmly gripped the core and emitted his mana. The mana saturating his body flowed and wrapped around the core. The core, which emitted a delicate golden light, was soon dyed completely in a reddish mana; now that he thought about it, once he hit level 4, his mana had changed into a dark red light.
[The Bone Original Core has been completed. You require more materials to manufacture golems. You can analyze the core in order to figure out what materials you need.]
"Heut..."
A smile naturally formed on Lee Shin Woo's face. Jin was relayed the message through their contract and spoke with a disbelieving look.
"You can make golems with that?"
"Yeah. Though I'll need a lot more stuff in the future, that information's also stored inside the core. Everything regarding the golems is assembled inside the core, so I know where they were originally made, what additional materials I need to make them, as well as what characteristics and types there are."
"Oh... I really have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm saying that if I just absorb this core, I can learn about the golems here, as well as all the information regarding them. Think it is as their place of origin."
"Oh!... Huh?"
As expected, it seemed like Jin wasn't very bright as he was naturally talented in sprinting; therefore, Lee Shin Woo gave up on getting him to understand, and gripped the bone core one more time.
Originally, it was probably a core used to manufacture powerful golems, but to him, it was just an appetizing wonder drug. This was the fruit of high level Magic Engineering that contained the method of controlling golems, as well as the corresponding information on golems neatly organized within!
"Bone Reinforcement!"
[By consuming the Bone Original Core, your entire body is reinforced. All stats have increased by 10. Acquiring all the information and memories within.]
At that moment, a tremendous amount of information pushed into his brain, causing him to fall to his knees.
It wasn't even like this when he acquired the Weapon Trickster's Arm Bone. It was also different from when he absorbed Gerrit's bone. He just couldn't accept the tremendous amount of information that came rushing at him all at once.
'The way to control a golem. The way to control a golem. The way a golem attacks. The way a golem attacks. The way to gather and release mana. If I just follow this as is, I could become a golem myself...'
Of course, that should be impossible, but just by understanding the fundamental ways by which a high leveled golem moved, Lee Shin Woo’s knowledge of magic and martial arts skyrocketed.
He was able to make it this far with his numerous skills and his genius, but the areas where he'd lacked in refinement were supplemented systematically by his Mana Bone skill, and he'd relied on the combat knowledge he'd gathered as well as Bursting Thunder technique to correct his bearing and stance. And the result of that appeared instantly.
[The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv9. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw out your mana more effectively.]
[The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has become Lv9. Strength and Magic have increased by 3. It seems you've gained a vague understanding of how to call down lightning upon your weapon.]
Truthfully, when Lee Shin Woo was abruptly dragged into another world and brought into the Underground Empire just a short while ago, he had caught onto the basics faster than the other heroes. It was only natural, since he absorbed the knowledge and experiences of the undead who'd already possessed these fundamentals.
However, he couldn't give himself a perfect score. Since most of the enemies he'd fought were low leveled undead. However, that changed when he absorbed the Bone Original Core.
[The Low Rank Stealth skill has become Lv8. Agility has increased by 7. You can now hide your movements more naturally than before.]
[The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has become Lv2. Agility has increased by 5. Your dynamic visual acuity has grown.]
He possessed an exemplary balance that he couldn't even find in the many individuals in his memories, as well as the know-how of how to handle magic. While it seemed like that's all that happened, most of his skills had also increased in level. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he went through an overwhelming growth the moment he got a handle on the basics.
[Using this core to make a mass produced type golem? What a waste.]
"Ugh...!?"
However, that wasn't the end of it. He accepted all the information regarding the golems, and the panting Lee Shin Woo came to the second wave of information. It was a memory detailing the instant the Original Core was born.
[The copies of the core are deteriorating... Hmm, it might be possible with that.]
[Do we really have to go this far? I don't think we really need to hide our identities.]
It's impossible for the egoless core to possess memories, but as he raised his level, as well as the level of his Bone Reinforcement, Lee Shin Woo was ultimately able to see the memories of related individuals as well!
[This is all for the Empire.]
[Arema. Arema Steelworker! We have all gathered under your name!]
[We are...]
[We are! The best of the Empire!]
[...Since that's the duty we've been given.]
Several individuals' fragmented memories brushed past his brain. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth to remember each and every one of them. The most important word amongst them was obvious.
Arema Steelworker.
A.S.
[1] T/N: A.S. center is Konglish for after-service center. Basically, a repair shop.
[2] T/N: Likely the most famous quote in the anime, Gurren Lagann.
[3] E/N: example: A pole’s poles’ polarity was determined by a couple of polls.
"So this Empire had trains as well, huh."
"More importantly, your world had trains too?"
"It was a place called Earth. Contrary to the Empire, there were several continents on the planet, and there were several nations on those continents... I came from a country called the United Kingdom."
"I see. I'll remember that."
Jin carelessly disclosed where he was born. Lee Shin Woo wasn't very surprised. Since he had figured out that their civilizations were roughly the same as they talked to each other.
Especially since the name of their planets was the same; it was highly likely that their planets only differed nominally. But what was most important is that confirming that fact was difficult. Because of that, he couldn't add anything to the conversation. However, it seems like Jin thought differently.
"Were you born on Earth as well, by any chance?"
"Why's that important now?"
"Well, it just feels different, you know?"
"There's no reason to look into things like that. It isn't the name of the planet we're from that's of greatest importance, but the train right in front of us."
Lee Shin Woo meticulously surveyed his surroundings, rather than hastily looking inside the train. Though the passageway had been filled to the brim with golems, when they had gotten outside of said passageway and arrived at this clearing, there was nothing here.
To be exact, aside from the train with its opened door, as well as the tracks that it ran on, there was nothing else in the vast clearing. It was to the point that they believed that this underground clearing was designed for the sole purpose of running this train.
"Where does this go... I probably won't be able to tell."
"The only thing I'm sure about is that it's really long."
Jin pushed his head forward, examined the continuing railway, and was astonished. Meanwhile, Lee Shin Woo exercised his rights as a general administrator again to access the train, but there wasn't really any information he could gain from doing so.
But there was one thing he did change; it was the reactivation of the train that had long since been silent. Of course, that wasn't his intent.
[The train will depart in three minutes.]
A voice rang out from the train itself. It was then that Lee Shin Woo realized that this lump of iron that resembled a train was also a golem. He didn't know who made it, but they had to be damn smart!
"Try stopping it for now, Shin Woo. Shouldn't we know more about it before getting on?'
"Well, I can turn this thing on, but I can't turn it off."
"What are you..."
"Let's get on. It feels like a waste to just let it go."
Jin just gaped at Lee Shin Woo's recklessness. However, it was true that there was nothing else they could gain from this space, and he was also curious about what lay at the end of the railway.
"Alright, let's get on."
The body of the train, as well as the door, was huge. He could easily guess as to why. This was a freight train designed to load golems onto it. Lee Shin Woo's guess just a short while ago was a bit off. This wasn't a production area for golems, it was the first place the golems were delivered to!
"If that's the case, then the golems that our seniors found in other areas were..."
"We can assume that there were trains like this one there too. No, that's not the issue here."
If they were lucky, they might be able to use this train to go to those areas as well! They could explore every nook and cranny of the Empire with this train!
"But if something goes wrong, we could be dumped into the wrong place and get ourselves killed."
"Could you not say something so ominous...?"
The two entered the train and examined the interior, but the only thing they could discover was traces that this train was once a place that transported golems. Then again, it wasn't likely that it would tell thieves like them where the next station was.
"Oh, it's departing."
"Seems that... ugh!"
The moment the train door closed, the train began driving at a crazy speed. He didn't know what kind of magic was set-up on the railway or what skill the golem was using, but it was much faster than Jin running at top speed!
"Kuhek!"
"Are you alright!?"
The highly agile Jin was able to swiftly regain his balance and took to one side of the train, but Lee Shin Woo flew around the inside of the train and hit the back wall. It was a relief that he was able to use Rule of Bone to reinforce his bones before the collision.
"I would've died...!"
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth tenaciously at the pain all over his body and kept his balance by gluing himself to one side of the train. If he was not made of bone, he would've spilled his guts, as well as his internal organs.
"They should've announced it. What shitty manners."
"Can you stand?"
"I can now... somehow."
How terribly fast did it run? Around the time Lee Shin Woo couldn't even tell how fast it was going, the train gradually began to slow itself down.
"This is..."
"..."
If there was something different about this train compared to one in modern times, it was that this train didn't have any windows. Lee Shin Woo and Jin just quieted their breathing and stood still within the slowing train.
[We have arrived at the manufacturing headquarters.]
The golem's characteristically dry voice came out, notifying them that they'd arrived. Lee Shin Woo just flinched again when he heard that they'd come to the manufacturing headquarters.
He talked all big about how Jin shouldn't worry, but he actually couldn't help but be afraid since he was encountering the unknown. However, he couldn't just turn back and leave. He carefully stepped away from the wall and stood in front of the door.
"For starters, let's activate the seal."
"Should I absorb that core, too?"
"No. When you absorb this core, you'll roll on the floor for roughly thirty minutes while you grunt and groan, so let's keep that for later."
"Seriously?"
The door opened. Lee Shin Woo held the seal out, slowly walked out of the train, and surveyed his surroundings. The first thing he saw was another train on the station platform right next to them.
When one enters the large station, they'd be able to see several trains coming and going...
"Six, seven, eight... nine. Holy shit."
There were nine more trains in the station. If they included the train the two rode on, there were ten trains total! Most of the trains came into the station and were on standby, and only the platform on the right end was completely empty.
"I'm kind of getting scared here. It's way bigger than I'd expected..."
"Wait, didn't you expect that it'd be this big? Even so, it's just a place that manufactures the golems we just took down. We're ok."
Lee Shin Woo lightly used his Acting skill to conceal his unease from his partner. Jin relied on Lee Shin Woo, so if he ended up seeing how tense Lee Shin Woo was, he'd be dispirited. It seemed as though his bluff was effective, as Jin calmed down a bit as well.
[Ah, you actually came.]
"Gah!?"
Jin shamefully shrunk back when he heard the sound of an unfamiliar man's voice from somewhere! He knew they'd be discovered eventually, but he didn't think they'd be discovered as soon as they arrived... Lee Shin Woo naturally manifested a sword in one hand and put up his guard. However, he couldn't figure out where the source of the voice came from.
[No. I'm not going to kill you, so don't be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, I would've killed you earlier. But are you guys really undead?]
"Can't you tell by just looking? We're just bones."
[True. I only see bones.]
"So you're saying you can see us, huh..."
Lee Shin Woo realized at that very moment. The man's voice was coming from the trains everywhere simultaneously. That could mean only one thing: their opponent was someone who had higher authority than Lee Shin Woo.
[If you were an undead spawned by the Emperor's curse, then there's no way you'd be moving so freely; how strange. What exactly are you?]
"I have no reason to answer you, but... if I were to tell you one thing, it's that we weren't affected by the Emperor's curse."
[Yeah. It seems that way to me, too. You guys are truly strange. Especially the skeleton horse, who has a clear-cut will and can move on its own; this is the first time I've ever seen one like that.]
Seeing as how he's speaking like that, the man they were dealing with definitely retained his reasoning and will, and moved accordingly. Lee Shin Woo wanted to ask him about that, but he didn't hear the man's voice for quite some time after.
Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo with eyes that seemed to signal that he wanted to immediately go back onto the train and get the hell out of there (the goblin fire that he emitted was quivering and the fact that he was able to interpret the pattern to this degree touched Lee Shin Woo), and Lee Shin Woo also pondered on what he needed to do first to secure a retreat path.
'That way's no good, so long as I don't have the top authority.'
Otherwise, the highest chance of survival lay in him crushing one of the golems, and them running the opposite way by following the tracks.
No matter how far apart their levels were, it would be extremely difficult to follow Jin, who was a horse born for the sole purpose of running. Though their enemy might be able to match his speed temporarily, Jin possessed unlimited stamina as an undead, so they wouldn't be able to keep up with him!
[I told you. There's no need to run away. More importantly, the General said he'd like to meet with you. We won't hurt you, so won't you come this way?]
"General...?"
Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo instinctually retorted. Why was it that he was so caught up with the word 'General'? If that General was one of the 12 Generals in the Empire, then would he perhaps be... the missing pieces in his head started to match, and it felt as though fireworks were going off in his head.
'Is he General Seagald by any chance...!?'
General Seagald was in charge of the Anti-Skull Project, which attempted to stop the undead curse through the research of several different methods. What if he had been interested in golems, which were artificial life forms immune to the undead curse? And if they prepared for an emergency and created this facility to manufacture golems, then...!
"What are you going to do?"
"...I want to meet him at least once."
"As I thought..."
He had gone this far, so he couldn't back down now. However, he didn't blindly move while trusting in the man's promise that they wouldn't harm them. But, he had a strong hunch that if he backed out now, he wouldn't be able to come back here again.
"If we're unlucky, I might die not once, but several times. You stay put, but if it seems like things are going south, break one of these trains, follow the tracks, and go back. Since I'll come join you later."
"No. I want to meet him too. You told me how you had gotten stronger before, remember? Moreover, it'll be better if I'm there if we're faced with a situation where we have to run away."
"You..."
It really was a response befitting an undead; he was unwilling to stay out of it. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, and nodded his head.
Honestly, if things didn't go as planned, it wasn't as though he didn't have skills to protect him. That skill was none other than the Sacrifice skill.
[Sacrifice Lv1 (Active)]
[You can activate this skill when someone else is about to die. You save the target's life in exchange for your own. The user will die without fail.]
'Though I'd like it if I didn't have to use it.'
When he had first received the Savior karma token, as well as this skill, he'd thought it was a useless skill that just came along with a half-assed karma. Thinking, 'what kind of useless skill is this? I sacrifice my life to save only one other person?'.
However, it wasn't a useless skill for Lee Shin Woo. Why? Because Lee Shin Woo had 97 lives remaining, that's why. He certainly couldn't use the skill recklessly, but he could use for his partner, who more than doubled his fighting strength.
[Good. Come this way.]
They went to the stairway beyond the wide platform, and the door above opened automatically. He wondered what he'd do if there were several golems in there, but... there weren't.
[Welcome, Undead. Even if you go crazy, please don't attack me.]
There, a colossal, burly golem stood awaiting them.
[Since I'm not alive. Understand?]
With mana more powerful than anyone he'd ever met before.
[Lv7 Golem Ark Knight - Guillotine Steelworker]
A golem.
"A golem...?"
Lee Shin Woo muttered as he saw the message informing them of the identity of the titan before them. He expected him to be an undead that hadn't lost its reasoning, or a human that held out inside of a dungeon so that he could survive, but he hadn't expected him to be a golem...
[Of course I am. What else, besides a golem, could retain its sanity within the Empire?]
That's why I'm so interested in you two, the golem added as his eyes lit up. He possessed a human's eyes, skin, face, and hair; he perfectly resembled a human being, so if Lee Shin Woo hadn't learned that information from the message, he wouldn't have known that he was actually a golem.
[Though I'd like to ask you about your identity right at this very moment... the General would like to see you, so follow me for now.]
"What are you going to do?"
"...Let's go."
He couldn't precisely ascertain the situation, but there was something that bothered him. It was the fact that the golem's name was Guillotine 'Steelworker'.
Based on the memories that dwelled within the Original Core, Arema Steelworker was definitely the director. Was it just coincidence that part of his name was similar to the director's? Lee Shin Woo thought that wasn't possible.
'Then, whether it's General Seagald or not isn't the issue here.'
The golem bearing the name of Steelworker was a level 7 powerhouse. If that's the case, then what about the director, Arema Steelworker? He would obviously be an even higher level than the golem... then, wouldn't he be the general the golem's talking about? Lee Shin Woo had definitely miscalculated.
'I didn't think that golems were making other golems. I didn't think that, but... if I think that way, it all makes sense. Golems can't turn into the undead and they shouldn't die of old age either... But it's way too surprising that there's a golem with an innate ego. And a high leveled ego at that.'
[Don't mess with the other doors on the way and just follow straight behind me. Since you could set off a trap.]
"Ah."
"Alright."
Around the time that Lee Shin Woo's head was filled with complications, the golem spoke calmly. Jin, who had been observing the doors that lined the passageway, was shocked and slightly stepped back.
It was so huge that it was difficult to take his eyes off it. There were several roads that branched off from the passageway and even those forked roads branched out into several different paths. Jin wouldn't have known any better, but Lee Shin Woo clearly felt a mass of powerful mana at the end of each of those forked roads.
'Ha..'
Lee Shin Woo just laughed. It made sense how they threw away level 3 or level 4 golems like they were nothing. It was possible for the contents of any one of these several dozen rooms to be able to take down all of those weak golems that were destroyed by Lee Shin Woo and Jin before.
It was possible since they wouldn't lose anything from neglecting the golems or letting them be destroyed. Lee Shin Woo started to become curious as to what their mission was. But for starters, it did seem like they definitely weren't on the side of the Imperial Army, which had degenerated into the undead...
[We've arrived.]
"It's a huge door."
[Consider it an honor. It's not a door that anyone can just enter whenever they wish, aside from the knights that guard the general.]
The door lock looked similar to that of the Anti-Skull's secret facility's, and when Guillotine Steelworker placed his hand on it, a complex mana seal formed atop his hand and released the locking mechanism.
Lee Shin Woo couldn't help but be amazed as he saw the door lock and the mana pattern of the seal intersect and delicately, gradually release the lock. It was an interaction that was worlds apart from Anti-Skull's door lock! It felt like Lee Shin Woo's mana senses had advanced just by watching the process.
[Even if you pay such close attention to it, you probably won't be able to do it yourself so easily. Since it's something only golems can do. Now, go in. The General's waiting for you.]
"Haha."
For a golem, he was quick on the uptake. Lee Shin Woo just smiled bitterly, followed behind him, and stepped into the room.
The first thing he saw was a huge table. Next was the absurdly high ceiling. Finally, what he saw was...
[Lv8 Golem Zero - Golden General Arema Steelworker]
He was a golem that boasted a height of more than six meters even while sitting down.
"Hoh..."
"Ugh."
[How peculiar.]
The general remained seated while examining them and then slowly stood up. When Lee Shin Woo saw that the Golden General, Arema Steelworker, almost touched the ceiling at his full height, he was completely overwhelmed.
He didn't match the Lv5 Treasure Eater in terms of size, but the quality and density of his mana was worlds apart. It was to the point that he'd feel bad comparing that dirty caterpillar to him side by side.
[I don't feel the curse's mana from you at all. This space is filled to the brim with the curse, yet I feel like the curse is bouncing off of you. From an undead, who is neither a human nor a golem. ...Who, exactly, are you?]
"..."
Jin was completely terrified by his strength and stiffened in place. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo remained silent thinking about how he should respond.
The golem before him was powerful, and possessed a method of observing the flow of mana that far surpassed Lee Shin Woo's own. He even contemplated and acted like a human. The fact that he was a golem didn't matter right now. Lee Shin Woo needed to assume that he was smarter than him in every aspect.
'Can I just tell him the truth? Even that we're heroes as well?'
If the Golden General was hostile to the undead, it wouldn't hurt if they told him they were heroes. Since it would confirm that they were both on the same side.
But there was too much he didn't know about them right now. If they don't understand, they could end up dead and would have just given them unnecessary information. If that's the case, then first... Lee Shin Woo stuck out his nonexistent tongue, licked his nonexistent lips with saliva he didn't even have, and opened his mouth.
"Do you know... about Anti-Skull?"
This was the start of his lies.
[Did you volunteer for the Anti-Skull Project? You even know about that?]
As he thought, the general knew about Anti-Skull. If he were one of the twelve generals like General Seagald, it wouldn't be strange if he knew about the Anti-Skull Project, especially if he was a golem that was immune to the curse.
'But this is a trap.'
Seeing the golem's flashing eyes, Lee Shin Woo decided as such. His body movements, as well as his voice were all extremely natural, but he was a golem. From the very beginning, he was suspicious as to whether he actually had a mind or not. It would be the end if he was so easily tricked by his cordial behavior.
"It seems like we can cut to the chase since you know about their project. I'd made contact with them in the past, but the place where their experiments took place is far away. We went a different way from them."
[You've made contact with them...? Hmm, is that so.]
The golem spoke as if he understood and nodded his head. Of course, Lee Shin Woo still wasn't at ease yet. After all, the general was still suspicious of the two.
Well, it's only natural. Since Lee Shin Woo and Jin just popped up several dozens of years after the Empire's fall. So how could they trust them so easily if they just showed up and said that they were part of some experiment that no one knew about?
[You're not one of General Seagald's men?]
"We worked together with one of the men under his command. Thus, we know about the Anti-Skull Project to some extent, and we participated in the plan, but... we've never actually met General Seagald before."
[Indeed. It's not so easy to learn about Anti-Skull. I'm curious as to who that individual was under General Seagald's command, but... No, it's fine. Since even I don't know everything about Seagald right now.]
However, he couldn't just openly deny him. Because he didn't have any evidence that actually refuted Lee Shin Woo's claims. Especially since Lee Shin Woo knew quite a bit regarding the Anti-Skull Project.
The moment one cleverly mixes lies with the truth, one's words become more persuasive and reassuring. That's why Lee Shin Woo could stand so proud.
[The administrator of that project must've been someone considerably famous. Since he successfully created undead who could completely resist the curse, or absorb it.]
"We're just lucky. Several people died as well. Though we were a success, we ended up sleeping for dozens of years in exchange."
[I understand. Since that ability couldn't have appeared if not for your luck that's close to a miracle from God.]
"I agree. It's only natural that this guy and I were the only successes to the experiment. I lost a lot of memories, a lot of time has passed, and there were several side effects as well, but..."
Did they catch on? When he said a 'miracle from God', Lee Shin Woo momentarily thought as much, yet he responded so naturally, like flowing water. Hearing Lee Shin Woo, Arema Steelworker momentarily hesitated, but soon nodded his head and spoke.
[I apologize. I was overly suspicious of you and I ended up bringing up some unpleasant memories. We'll stop the interrogation here. Since we both share a hatred for the curse that fills the Empire.]
"Of course. If it weren't for that curse, I wouldn't have become like this."
[...Agreed. How unfortunate.]
'Is this guy also hostile to the undead as well... If that's true, then should I disclose that I'm a hero? ...No, let's just leave that out for now. Since it wouldn't hurt.'
Lee Shin Woo just inwardly nodded in response to Arema Steelworker. He'd figured out the general's position and had simultaneously managed to hide his own identity. It wasn't perfect, but the golem was level 8; what's worse, he was one of the 12 generals of the Empire, so it turned out ok. The moment he thought so, his Acting skill leveled up.
[You have completely fooled an overwhelmingly higher leveled target. The Acting skill has become Lv8. Your lies become truth until the moment you yourself say otherwise.]
However, that wasn't all. Lee Shin Woo's continued to read through the messages that had caused his eyes to open wide.
[A Joker conceals everything about themselves, and is one who makes false faces. There is no need for there to be a special reason behind your words or actions. That is what it means to be a Joker. All stats have increased by 5. You have fulfilled a part of the conditions to unlock the Joker's innate skill.]
'It doesn't matter whether you have a reason; just lie your way out first... this is my type of skill.'
If he were to deceive his opponent first, it would become easier to get out of the situation later, even if things went wrong. Since all he needed to do was to say something else and lie to them again! His normal way of thinking and this karma was a perfect fit.
It felt as though he'd found his calling and he seemed pleased, but then, Arema Steelworker moved on to a different topic. This was probably the main topic.
[I'm more surprised that you were able to acquire the rights of a general administrator than the fact that you guys are undead. It should've been impossible even if you were considerably talented...]
"I was curious who the owner of all those golems was. I also wanted to know your intentions as well. I was luckily able to make a forgery of it."
[What you did isn't something you can just pass off as a joke. You should be more confident in yourself. ...More importantly, I want to know what your intentions are. I suppose it's time for you to ask the questions now, huh?]
"There're just simple questions. After all, you said yourself that we share a hatred for the Empire's curse."
[Hahaha! Alright, I'll answer your questions, brave skeleton. Since I have nothing to hide.]
Hearing Lee Shin Woo's polite and bold statement, the general laughed uproariously. It looked so natural that he could hardly believe that he was a golem.
Immediately after, something shocking happened. The golem's body, which was close to 9 meters tall at full height, dwindled in size, and turned into a mere 2 meter tall giant!
[Most people... even Seagald and Leofield knew this as a giant transformation skill, but it's not actually that. It's something that can only be used in the golem high command and is a technique that compresses a golem's body. Were you surprised?]
"Yes..."
He was really surprised. Lee Shin Woo had thought it was only possible because the general was a golem, but there really was a way to turn into a giant! Didn't that mean that a skill existed in this world that could transform him into a giant? His heart began to pound rapidly.
[Most of the citizens of the Empire wouldn't know, but the Golden Army formed by Arema Steelworker was comprised of golems from the very beginning. It was an army created without hesitation to protect the Empire, and in order to create those golems that moved and lived with a clear purpose, we transferred a knight's consciousness into a core; this is the fruit of our efforts at the end of all those experiments.]
"...!?"
[Yes. Our goal was different, but we're both similar aren't we? We were both sacrificed for our experiments. As a result, we were also able to avoid turning into the undead, so it's truly ironic, wouldn't you say?]
Hearing such a shocking story of how the golems came into existence, Lee Shin Woo kept opening and closing his mouth, but then, the Golden General spoke faintly.
[The day after the curse struck, all the living became undead. However, we, who weren't of the living any longer, remained.]
The core had been engraved with loyalty to the Empire, yet that Empire was now gone, so they hadn't known what to do.
[We remained, dozens of years later.]
For golems created by humans, loyalty to their master was paramount. The golems were also created for the purpose of protecting the Emperor.
[However, the Emperor wasn't satisfied with just ordinary golems. He wanted them to think and move like a normal human being, while also being able to gain karma and grow. Aside from their unwavering loyalty, he wanted every aspect of them to be as close to a human being as possible. Because of that, we began our experiments. To create an absolute fighting force that was loyal only to the Emperor himself...]
They sucked the Empire's precious resources dry, as well as the souls and magic of several young knights, and at the end of all those sacrifices, they succeeded in creating monsters; the Golden Army that originated from the Golden General, Arema Steelworker.
[There are many who probably don't know about it. ...We lived much longer than the citizens of the Empire could've imagined. But by the time the Emperor, who dreamt of immortality, created us, he was already old and decrepit.]
"Ha."
The knights, whose human souls were combined with a golem's body, certainly were loyal to the Emperor alone, thought like humans, and were also beings who were capable of growth. Above all, they possessed strong bodies and magic, and were able to survive for such a long length of time. They were the best guards for the Emperor.
"The Emperor dreamt of eternal youth and immortality, yet he didn't think of becoming a golem himself?"
[There was a huge problem. Ultimately, we couldn't achieve a success rate of 100%.]
"Ah..."
The Emperor probably couldn't take that risk. Lee Shin Woo just laughed. He didn't plan on attempting to seriously verify Arema Steelworker's claims; but since he'd become so immersed in his interesting story, he naturally became serious about it.
It wasn't his intention, but it had a positive effect on the way Arema Steelworker treated Lee Shin Woo. Though Arema's face softened only slightly, it was enough.
[I knew about the Emperor's desire for immortality, but because I had pledged absolute loyalty to the Emperor, I couldn't express any opinions regarding it. And ultimately, the day that horrific curse was completed... the Emperor become undead, and we were freed. Since the spell that restricted our free will didn't factor in the Emperor becoming an undead.]
"Then, what did you do after you were freed...?"
[I led my subordinates out of the capital and we hid here. The Emperor left me in charge of this place, and it was the only place where we could be safe. The Golem Production Facility.]
They hid? That's what they decided to do once they'd become free of the Emperor's control? Without even trying to fight once? Lee Shin Woo noticed that the conversation had taken a strange turn. After all, this was a bit different than what he'd envisioned!
[Aside from us, everyone else became undead, including the other generals who possessed a fighting force equal to mine. I couldn't win against all of them, and I didn't want to fight against them either.]
"Mm...!"
It was such a weak thing to say, compared to how imposing he seemed when they first met. He wanted to ask if he was weaker than General Seagald by any chance, but now wasn't the time to provoke him. While he was boiling up on the inside, Arema Steelworker cut in.
[We've lost our purpose. We have nothing left to direct our loyalty to, and just remain idle, slowly losing out free will over the passage of time. We're just souls who are unable to sleep, and live underground, gradually rusting away.]
"Hmm..."
[You, the undead who are able to resist the Empire's curse. I don't know who you are, or why you decided to bravely come here.]
At some point, the conversation was coming to an end. Unexpectedly, Arema commended them, and spoke like this.
[We've lost our wills and we're just lingering dolls, so just leave us be and go back.]
"..."
That's a lie. Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure of it when he heard that. He was a way higher level than him, but unfortunately, his acting was much worse than Lee Shin Woo's.
It didn't matter whether he was a golem or not. It didn't matter if there were faults in his reasoning or not. His incredible intuition that developed with his Acting skill was telling him this. Arema Steelworker had different intentions, and he didn't want him to interfere, so he was trying to keep him out in advance!
"Not yet."
[Hmm?]
Lee Shin felt like it was time to use his winning move. Right now, concealing his identity or ascertaining their identity wasn't important compared to this. He decided that he'd extracted all the information he could from them, and that there was still a chance to adjust their relationship!
"I have a request."
Lee Shin Woo said courageously. As always, Arema Steelworker sported a smile, but he was a golem, so Lee Shin Woo couldn't trust his expression.
[I was interested in your ability, so I called you here and spoke to you personally, but I can do nothing more for you. I cannot permit anything else. Go back. The next time you make a copy of that seal and use it to intrude, I won't just sit by and leave you be.]
[Alright. If you're done talking, shall we go?]
When Arema Steelworker finished softly, but firmly, Guillotine Steelworker approached them whilst emitting a turbulent spirit, as though he would execute them if they didn't listen.
All he was doing was emitting mana from his entire body; despite that, Lee Shin Woo felt his body go stiff. He knew that he was no match for him.
"I have no intention of...!"
[Huh!?]
However, Lee Shin Woo utilized Rule of Bone to its very limit, resisting the pressure, and yelled out. In order to achieve his primary objective of coming here!
"I have no intention of stepping into this place, so please allow us to continue using that train! We won't bother you, and we won't talk to you. We just want to ride that train to move around. If you allow us to use the train, we'd like some information regarding the destination as well!"
[...]
"We're going to take care of the undead in the underground empire, and those trains will be really helpful in doing so. Ah, I'll also take care of the golems you're not using, too!]
[You amazing bastard...]
The unexpected request startled Arema Steelworker. Lee Shin Woo acted like he was asking for something trivial, yet it was actually an extremely brazen request; Guillotine Steelworker was astonished that he'd ask for such a thing, and muttered. He may not look it, but he had made the request after planning everything out.
[You truly are brave. Despite the difference in strength, you...]
"That's exactly why. We're nothing compared to you, so that's why we can speak to you like this. Since we're nobodies to you, and it won't hurt you to accept a request from some nobodies."
[...]
Regardless of what Arema Steelworker was thinking about, at the very least, Lee Shin Woo was sure that he was no longer under the Emperor's command. And though he wasn't moving proactively, he held no love for the curse that covered the Empire.
In addition, Lee Shin Woo's intuition told him that based on those feelings, he had some kind of secret plan in the works. Figuring out their identity was likely to ascertain whether they would get in the way of said plan.
"Like I said, all I want is to be able to use the train!"
[Ha...]
Lee Shin Woo was well aware of that, so that's why he made such a suggestion. He roughly understand their situation, so he asked for a little bit of help, on the condition that they don't bother them. It wasn't a bad offer for them either, so he thought they'd have no reason to refuse.
But if they did refuse his offer? Then, they would just get the hell out. The idea of 'Try it. You have nothing to lose' had lead to this situation.
[General, shall I take care of them?]
[...No, they're interesting.]
The moment Arema said that, Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled elatedly. It was exactly the response he'd been hoping for. He'd been acting desperately from the moment they met in order to retain that small 'favorable impression' that tinged his voice.
[Fine. Do as he asks. I'll allow it, on the condition that you not leave the station.]
"Thank you very much."
[General...]
[Guillotine, I'm ordering all the golems including you. From this point on, if those two enter headquarters, kill them without mercy. But if they don't, don't touch them.]
[...I understand.]
He seemed dissatisfied, but Guillotine complied obediently and nodded his head. He had no choice but to do so. Based on the flow of mana, it seemed like Guillotine didn't have any choice in the matter and that Arema was in control.
Was the reason that a golem could become the master of the other golems due to the unnatural nature at which they lost connection with the original master? There was no way of knowing that right now.
[I heard a lot from you, but I haven't heard your name yet.]
Arema Steelworker said. The reason he hadn't asked for their names was because he didn't think they'd see each other again. However, the fact that he'd changed his mind and had asked for their names meant that Arema unconsciously thought that 'they might meet each other again'.
"My name is Paul Zero."
Lee Shin Woo replied in an overwhelmingly confident voice. He felt that it was a relief that they hadn't spoken each other's names once since they came here, and he lied in a situation where he didn't think he would.
[Paul Zero... I'll remember that name. Along with your partner, that is.]
"You'll be able to hear about me from various parts of the Empire."
[At the very least, your spirit is impressive. However, the fact that you possess the will to push forward, despite being in an undead body, leaves quite the impression on us. Go as far as you can.]
He'd lied until the very end, and the moment he'd successfully tricked Arema, his Acting skill had unexpectedly leveled up again!
[The Acting skill has become Lv9. Whenever you make a new personality, people suspect you of having multiple personalities.]
Lee Shin Woo remained stiff, even after he'd received permission to use the train, and dragged Jin through the corridor. Guillotine Steelworker sent them off. Perhaps it was because he'd lied so perfectly, but Guillotine didn't treat Lee Shin Woo too badly.
[Are there a lot of undead like you outside?]
"I've met a few of them. They were partial successes from the Anti-Skull Project, though they degenerated into skeletons like me."
[Hoh...]
He was instinctively respectful to Arema Steelworker, but spoke comfortably with Guillotine like when they'd first met. It might've been because he'd received an order from Arema, but he wasn't concerned with that.
[On that day, I saw General Seagald's form and thought that perhaps... So it really was like that. From the very beginning, that guy was damn impressive...]
"As I thought, he maintained his reasoning as well?"
[Well, you did say that you were asleep following the experiment, so you'd be unaware of that disastrous day. You're right. He was fighting against the Emperor even as an undead. I saw him being restrained by the other generals and him leaving the capital. We were able to leave by taking advantage of that commotion.]
He'd gotten a hold of some great information! Lee Shin Woo only nodded his head, without getting caught. Around that time, Jin, who'd been 'frozen solid', slightly bumped Lee Shin Woo with his head. He was timidly complaining that Lee Shin Woo had dragged him all the way here and put him through all that.
[Huh? Now that I think about it, didn't this guy talk a lot before?]
"He's too exhausted from putting up with the Golden General."
[Well, it's true that the General's magic is considerable. Then how did you endure it? You were also able to obtain the general administrator's rights, so who exactly are...]
At that very moment, the train arrived. Lee Shin Woo saw the door connecting the station platform and the passageway completely close and inwardly, slightly, very slightly, breathed a sigh of relief.
He put in a lot of work to get everything to work out, but he couldn't believe that he'd actually gotten what he wanted. Plus, his Acting skill had even grown! Lee Shin Woo trusted that today's deceit would bear fruit in the future.
[Take it. It's the map for each supply line. You can do as you wish with the abandoned golems there.]
"Thanks."
As expected, he was right; there was a map. From an outside view, it looked to be just an iron plate, but if he displayed the special mana pattern, the map would appear on top of the plate; it was a relief that it was the type of map that he could use with the general administrative rights.
[Then I'll get going now. You better keep your promise. Since the General doesn't lie.]
"I don't lie either."
He lied up until the very end and his trustworthy expression (his blazing red goblin fire) seemed to satisfy Guillotine, as he nodded his head and went back. Soon, they couldn't see him as he had gone through the passageway. Of course, this was still their territory, so they couldn't afford to be reckless.
When the two were left alone, Lee Shin Woo activated the map and picked the place closest to the outskirts of the Empire, aside from where they had been before. That's because it was the easiest to handle.
"Alright. Then shall we go?"
"...I'm not dead yet, right?"
"Of course you're not. We have so many golems left to kill, so you can't die on me now."
"You want me to fight again!?"
"Be happy. When we go past there, I'll give you that (the Bone Original Core)."
"I'm not happy at all, you know!"
The two skeleton heroes unhesitatingly embarked on the train (golem) towards the southern outskirts of the Empire. Like he'd learned from before, he didn't forget to hold on tight.
The train departed right away. And so, Lee Shin Woo began his trip along the Empire's railway.
He didn't know exactly how far reaching Arema Steelworker's control over the golems went, but Lee Shin Woo and Jin tacitly agreed that they would be careful with their words and actions within the train.
In the middle of the odd silence, the train gradually began to slow down. After that, they received a signal that they'd arrived at their destination. They had really traveled from the west end of the Empire to the south end instantaneously.
"Would anyone believe us if we told them?"
"Probably not..."
If all of the heroes were able to use this subway line, the territory of the Empire might change immediately. The system was that revolutionary.
'Is the Undead Emperor unaware of this facility?'
It's because he was unaware of it that this facility had remained safe all this time. He could tell, through the examination of the Original Core, that Arema Steelworker's authority in terms of golem manufacturing was extremely high.
The Emperor had probably trusted in his absolute loyalty and seemed to have entrusted Arema Steelworker with manufacturing the golems, as well as overseeing all the operations. Back then, he had to have absolute trust in them, as they were under a master-servant relationship.
"We're screwed."
At that moment, Jin spoke in a slightly trembling voice. The land was teeming with golems beyond the automatically opening door. Considering the fact that they were all level 4 Bronze Golems and were armed with weapons, he could tell that they possessed Attack Type Cores.
But Lee Shin Woo had already expected that, so he had activated his general administrator seal.
[Confirming general administrator.]
[Welcome.]
A few of the golems spoke mechanically and greeted them. Lee Shin Woo wondered if he could, so he ordered them to stand in line, but they wouldn't follow such a detailed order. A general administrative authority only made it so that they 'wouldn't attack him', that's all.
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Work hard and get through them. Oh, and make sure you choose the right place."
"You demon!"
Lee Shin Woo acted as though he would break apart the seal any minute now, and Jin hastily stepped into the subway train door. He'd desperately moved there to force a 1 on 1 confrontation! Lee Shin Woo, without even giving him any time, erased the seal, and at that very moment, the golems turned their attention to them.
[Detecting a trespasser. He has infiltrated into a critical facility. Reporting to code name, A.S.]
[Communication blocked. Assessing the situation. Proceeding to eliminate the trespasser.]
When the golems were blocked by Arema Steelworker, Lee Shin Woo sensed a portion of the flow of mana in the entire area snap. And what did he realize from that? He realized the way in which Arema Steelworker blocked communication with them.
'He doesn't block communication with each golem, but blocks communication by region, huh.'
In other words, this area was now safe from Arema Steelworker's gaze. The moment he realized that, Lee Shin Woo recreated the general administrator seal and turned the golems away. Jin's eyes blazed with indignation, and he turned around and yelled.
"Are you training me like a dog!?"
"I have to feed you something tasty before the training starts."
"Ugh."
Jin, seeing the Bone Original Core that Lee Shin Woo had been saving, spoke awfully, as though he'd eaten an entire lemon whole. Lee Shin Woo kindly motioned for him to come over with his hand, and Jin looked as though he was a criminal being offered poison, as he slowly walked over.
"But can you take that out now?"
"The connection's been completely cut in this region. We can talk comfortably now."
"Really? By the way, Lee Shin Woo. How the hell were you able to stand in front of a level 8 golem and lie without even blinking!? He was a level 8 golem!"
That was probably something he'd really wanted to say. He was more shocked than awed by what he had seen. Lee Shin Woo just chuckled and replied.
"Who cares? They lied to me too. They definitely oppose the Emperor, but don't trust anything other than that."
"Really!? They sounded like they were going to cry...!"
"Anyone can make something like that up."
It seemed as though Jin had taken everything that they'd said as the truth. Lee Shin Woo looked at him pitifully, and then Jin put great effort into turning his head and spoke as if he were justifying himself.
"We aren't enemies, so it didn't seem like there was any reason to lie to each other..."
"There are things you have to keep from your allies as well. And though we have a common enemy, there's no guarantee that they're not our enemies as well."
"You sure spoke bravely to that golem."
"Since our growth is a pressing matter. Moreover, I was able to say that to him because he doesn't know how fast our growth is."
He replied calmly, and continued on.
"In any case, we got everything we wanted; maybe even more."
"A way to contact them."
They said they'd only use the train, but as they come and go, the golems would inevitably take an interest in them again. Arema Steelworker knew that as well.
Lee Shin Woo's final goal was to constantly use the train, give them a strong impression, gain their trust, and ultimately, forge a deep connection with them. If it's possible, a contract with them as well. Hearing that, Jin was frightened and replied.
"In other words, doesn't that mean that we'll remain visible to them, and they'll be watching us?"
"Life is like that. Isn't it a worthwhile risk?"
"You're really bold, aren't you..."
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to act. Hurry up and come over here."
"Damn it. I hate things that hurt."
Lee Shin Woo had his fill of Jin's admiring gaze and placed the Bone Original Core atop Jin's forehead. And like an oral surgeon about to perform root canal surgery on a patient, he lied gently.
"If it hurts, just say so. Bone Reinforcement!"
"Ughhhhhhhhhh!"
Of course, there was nothing he could do, even if Jin said that it hurt. All he could do was place a hand on Jin's back, share the pain through their connection, and help him to fully absorb the core. Since he'd already absorbed the core once before, it was quite easily for him.
[Strength has increased by 2, and Magic by 3.]
"What a gold mine."
Though he'd already absorbed the information from the Original Core, there was quite a bit of newfound memories remaining within.
[You cockroaches. Why don't you just give up?]
[Our duty is one of honor. It's all for the sake of the Emperor.]
"Hoo."
"Gahhhhhhhhh."
Lee Shin Woo shouldered all of the memories that Jin couldn't handle, and the massive quantity of mana knowledge, as well as the method to harmonize the body and mana were poured into Jin.
It was ridiculously easier than when he'd absorbed the core, but it seemed as though even this was difficult for Jin as he had gritted his teeth.
"It hurts! Just a little... Just a little slower!"
"If I slow it down any further, you'll lose all the memories. It'll be tough, but endure it just a little while longer."
As expected, even if he told him it hurt, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He should've known since he's been to a dentist before! Tears flowed from his eyes at Lee Shin Woo’s betrayal as all the information from the core was being shoved into his brain. It had taken less than five minutes, yet it had felt like an eternity to him.
"Ugh, ugh..."
"You alright?"
"I'm not ok."
After he had finished completely absorbing the core, Jin gasped like Lee Shin Woo had, even though nothing came out, and gritted his teeth. Lee Shin Woo asked gently.
"How much did your stats increase?"
"Strength by 9, agility by 15, health by 7, and magic by 13... Plus, most of my skills increased by 2 or 3 levels each..."
"It was good that you absorbed it, right?"
"Yeah. Damn it..."
Even if he considered that Jin's agility increased by a factor of three, it was a ridiculous increase in stats. The Original Core really was a gold mine.
Of course, the more he absorbed it, the less its effects would be, but it certainly remained an attractive material nonetheless. Lee Shin Woo inspected the outside, filled to the brim with golems, and spoke excitedly.
"By the time we've gone to all the points on the map, we should both be level 5."
"I'm not going to go through Bone Reinforcement for another month."
"Shouldn't we shoot for level 6 in a month?"
"No, you demon!"
How much information could there have been for Jin to still be unable to steady himself and totter around? Lee Shin Woo knew what to do in this situation.
"Now, go out and fight."
"You really are a demon!"
"The information in your head hasn't been fully organized yet, so you should gradually adapt to the knowledge and experiences by actually using them in the field. I've already gone through this before, so just listen to me."
"Ugh..."
Finding no alternative, Jin followed Lee Shin Woo's orders to the letter. Whenever the seal stopped radiating light, the golems would emit a mechanical sound, and come rushing over to them from all over! But at the very least, there weren't any golems equipped with long distance weapons!
[Repelling trespasser.]
[Aiding. The space is narrow and we cannot afford to damage the critical facility. Standing by.]
"Steel Body!"
Countless golems swarmed them! Jin, who fought them off, instinctively activated Steel Body. His body was reinforced much faster and much more naturally than before he absorbed the Bone Original Core!
"Heuaap!"
"Ooh."
Jin instinctually kicked the front golem and stepped on it; then, he turned his body around, and swept away the golems in the front with his hind legs in a single stroke. Through Steel Body, his hind legs were strengthened such that they were as sharp and heavy as an axe and all the golems were blown back with one kick!
"Good, you're doing well! Now you can take on a majority of the golems here!"
"Eugeuaaaaa!"
Jin used Lee Shin Woo's cheers as fuel for his anger, and went on a rampage! What's worse is that even as he fought, he realized that Lee Shin Woo was right about the accumulated knowledge, and was got even more pissed off!
On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo marveled at Jin's fundamental change within such a short period of time, especially when concerning his movements in combat.
'Oh, he's doing much better than I'd expected.'
Jin wasn't originally this talented, but after establishing a contract with Lee Shin Woo, continuously maintaining a connection with Lee Shin Woo, and being thrust into every kind of situation, he had surpassed his limitations. It was miraculous growth that came about due to their contract!
Lee Shin Woo wasn't even aware of that; instead, he just figured that since Jin was more skilled than he'd expected, he wickedly thought that he'd be able to push him even more from now on.
"Hoo, Hooo..."
It'd been 10 minutes since Jin had improved his combat abilities, and eventually, when his Steel Body skill leveled up once more, his front legs had at last touched the ground. There were no longer any enemies left.
"Hey... I took down all of the golems!"
"Wow, there were at least fifty of them. Nice job."
"I really want to kill you right now."
"I could die for you at least once. I would have 96 lives left then."
Lee Shin Woo calmly responded and collected the loot; after that, he applied bone powder on the cracked and cut areas on Jin's body, as if he were rubbing an ointment, and activated Bone Reinforcement. Jin twisted his body as if it had felt itchy.
"A lot of Perium came out, but there're a lot of cores, too. There are 52 Attack Type Cores..."
"Can you complete one core with just that many?'
"The problem is that we have to be lucky with this."
He'd already figured out the composition of the Original Core, but combining the cores to create another Original Core was a different issue entirely. The purpose of reinforcing the core wasn't to match the dislocated sections, but to restore the fundamentally lost sections by combining two cores with similar characteristics. Naturally, there was a failure rate as well.
"But it's fine. Since there should be a lot of them still out there."
"Some of them should've been taken care of by the other heroes."
"That's bad luck. Don't say stuff like that."
Lee Shin Woo scolded Jin, who'd said something that might bring misfortune, and lead him out of the passageway. He maintained the general administrative seal with one of his hands, and Jin, who was suddenly doubtful of his actions, asked.
"Why do you keep creating the seal and then erasing it?"
"I'm practicing."
"You already succeeded in making it, though."
Lee Shin Woo chuckled and replied.
"That's not it."
"Huh...?"
"I feel like I might be able to use it somewhere..."
Honestly, there was another reason he wanted to keep in touch with Arema Steelworker and his golems. He wanted them to share their plan with him, but catching their attention just seemed much too passive of an approach.
Lee Shin Woo wanted to take a much more active approach. Like he had always done. And in order to do so...
"I want to obtain higher authority than just an ordinary administrator."
"..."
Lee Shin Woo's eyes gleamed, and the red goblin fire in his eyes shined wickedly. He was recollecting the seal that Guillotine Steelworker had created in front of the door lock. Jin, who'd finally realized what Lee Shin Woo's true intention was, thought it was fine to just laugh.
<Chapter 13. Arema Steelworker >
[Resistance, impossible. Requesting reinforcements... Code unrecognizable. Reporting to command... failed.]
[Reporting to code name A.S.]
The Bronze Golems spoke similarly to the Stone Golems, yet said something different after Lee Shin Woo had broken all but the last two into pieces of bronze.
[No answer. Retrying...]
[Reporting to code name A.S. again. ...No signal.]
"Wait a sec. A.S.? The code name is a service center?[1]"
Lee Shin Woo vacantly listened to the golems, and right as he was about to ready his finishing blow, he heard their strange remarks and stopped his axe. Jin then spoke.
"They said they had no signal, right?"
"It's not like they had no signal, but that they've been all killed, right?"
It seems like the two's opinions were in accord. The Bronze Golems, having no signal, froze in place as if they were damaged, but he didn't have the time to worry about them anymore.
"Let's collect the loot first."
[Ceasing function.]
[Ceasing function.]
Lee Shin Woo swung his axe and cleanly broke the golems into pieces. The golems dispersed into several particles of mana and returned to nature. He collected the dropped Perium and Bone Core at the center of where they were, and suddenly surveyed his surroundings. Naturally, he wasn't able to find anything.
But this came out of his vacant mouth.
"The connection hadn't been completely cut."
At first, the golems had requested for reinforcements, then next attempted to report to command. After that, when none of those had worked, they reported to a figure with the code name A.S. He hypothesized that this A.S. figure was either the one in charge of the golems, or their maker.
Until now, he hadn't gotten any answers from their reports, but he'd finally seen a meaningful response. Though they had received a cold reception and gotten no signal, there was definitely a response given after receiving the report.
"But doesn't the fact that they got no signal mean that the person doesn't care, even if we assume that there was someone there to receive their report?"
"Well yeah, because he should be undead."
While there were golems which were born when minerals were naturally saturated with mana, these golems were clearly artificial. This meant that there was a figure who created these golems and managed them, whether it be the Empire or another individual. Then that figure should obviously be undead by now. And that would explain why the golems ended up being neglected...
"I don't know how the golem's reporting system works, but if their owner truly is undead, would they really be able to respond this quickly?"
"Not all of the undead are stupid. If we exclude a high leveled undead's hatred for the living, their intelligence isn't much different from a living person's."
"Seems that way... But if they're that smart, wouldn't they have called these golems and used them?"
"...That's true."
At that point, they were left in the dark. Lee Shin Woo and Jin stopped acting like Sherlock Holmes, when it didn't even fit them, and decided to continue doing what they had planned to do. That was to try reinforcing a Bone Core.
"Alright. I've chosen this one."
Lee Shin Woo chose the Bone Core that belonged to the final Bronze Golem, and placed its 'Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core' onto the floor. Seeing that, Jin asked.
"You're not actually going to use all the other Bone Cores on that one, are you?"
"Yeah, I am. There's not enough information in the Stone Golems' cores, and they've been severely damaged so there's barely any value to them. Sacrificing them is a much better option."
It was something he'd roughly been able to figure out as he examined his own mana, and absorbed the cores through Bone Reinforcement. Though it wasn't possible to understand how the core's activation mechanism worked indirectly, he was able to figure out a way to approach this directly. Honestly, that was amazing enough.
"The Bronze Golems' cores are in better condition, but if I were to absorb them one by one, it would take a long time to add up all the information together."
"If you use reinforcement, will you be able to restore the damaged information?"
"In my opinion... yeah. I guess there's only one way to find out."
If he was able to restore the information within the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core through reinforcement, he wouldn't need a lot of them, and he would be able to figure out the secret that these golems held; if he was lucky, he might even be able to figure out the secret behind the code name A.S. too with this one core. At least, that's what Lee Shin Woo thought.
"Then... Bone Reinforcement."
Lee Shin Woo executed Bone Reinforcement and used one Bone Core to reinforce the other. Though their levels were different, his skill activated without any problems. It was all fine and dandy until the activation, but...
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"No, we can do it. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me who believes in you [2]."
"..."
He didn't know if it was because Jin trusted in Lee Shin Woo, who in turn, trusted in him, but the next attempt succeeded. They rejoiced, but Lee Shin Woo soon assumed a serious expression upon examining the information.
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core]
[Original Core synchronization rate: 13.2%]
"I haven't seen that before."
Lee Shin Woo expected for there to be a +1 behind the Bone Core, but he was wrong. Instead, it indicated a synchronization rate with the original core, something that seemed slightly large-scale. It's likely that if the reinforcement was successful, this value would increase. That's when Jin asked the key question.
"What about the amount of information?"
"Hmm... It's been restored."
It was only a small amount, but a portion of the damaged area was indeed recognizable again.
If he were to say how much, it was like when he was confused about the difference between two homonyms in a sentence before, and now he was sure which was which as it was such a strange difference between them [3]. In any case, what's important was that he was able to restore some of the information.
Maybe the original core would appear if he completely restored the core?
'Though I don't really need to know what the original core is...'
At the very least, he was sure that he was going in the right direction. In order to more thoroughly investigate the change in the synchronization rate, Lee Shin Woo gripped the Bone Core and continuously used Bone Reinforcement. A blinding light arose.
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has succeeded.]
[Original Core synchronization rate: 13.4%]
"What!"
One successful reinforcement resulted in a 0.2% increase? He had 310 more Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores, and a bit more than 100 Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores. It would be a relief if the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores had a high synchronization rate, but it they didn't, he might go broke before he even attempted to use them.
"Ugh... Damn it, I'll go for it regardless!"
"See, I told you you'd feel anxious."
"No, I believe in you. I believe in you who believes in me!"
"You know, I think there's a final version to that. Something like 'believe in the you who believes in yourself'."
"Damn it. I really wanted to say that one...!"
It was too late to back out now. If he failed to restore the core, then he'd have no choice but to leave this place and give up!
With a heart of iron and blood, Lee Shin Woo prepared himself to lose everything and continued with the reinforcement. Because he had used Bone Reinforcement a countless number of times, its speed was at least reliable.
[Bone Reinforcement has failed.]
[Bone Reinforcement has succeed...]
[Fail...]
[Fail...]
[Succeed...]
That's how more than 310 Bone Cores, as well as the Reinforced Bone Cores became scarce. In their place was a single Bone Core that seemed to weakly radiate light, but he might've been imagining things.
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core]
[Synchronization Rate: 99.9%]
"Why the hell did it have to be 0.1%? There aren't even any golems left!"
"No, it's fine."
"Can you use other bone equipment to reinforce it by any chance?"
Jin asked reasonably and Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head.
"Cores can only be reinforced with other cores. Probably."
"Get straight to the point."
"I'm saying that the reinforcement's already finished."
Lee Shin Woo propped up the core, which he'd completed by using most of the golems' cores in the highlands, with both hands. Now, Jin could see it too. The geometrical pattern that covered the Bone Core.
"But I can't tell what it says at all."
"Hmm, I'm sure."
"You're really pissing me off..."
If Lee Shin Woo hadn't absorbed a few Bone Cores prior to this, he wouldn't have been able to make sense of it either.
However, in the process of repeatedly utilizing Bone Reinforcement, he meticulously examined the restored patterns, and analyzed the mutual exchange of mana amongst them; now that the core was finished, he knew. What state the Bone Core was in, and what kind of item this restored core was.
"Hoo..."
He calmly gripped the core and emitted his mana. The mana saturating his body flowed and wrapped around the core. The core, which emitted a delicate golden light, was soon dyed completely in a reddish mana; now that he thought about it, once he hit level 4, his mana had changed into a dark red light.
[The Bone Original Core has been completed. You require more materials to manufacture golems. You can analyze the core in order to figure out what materials you need.]
"Heut..."
A smile naturally formed on Lee Shin Woo's face. Jin was relayed the message through their contract and spoke with a disbelieving look.
"You can make golems with that?"
"Yeah. Though I'll need a lot more stuff in the future, that information's also stored inside the core. Everything regarding the golems is assembled inside the core, so I know where they were originally made, what additional materials I need to make them, as well as what characteristics and types there are."
"Oh... I really have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm saying that if I just absorb this core, I can learn about the golems here, as well as all the information regarding them. Think it is as their place of origin."
"Oh!... Huh?"
As expected, it seemed like Jin wasn't very bright as he was naturally talented in sprinting; therefore, Lee Shin Woo gave up on getting him to understand, and gripped the bone core one more time.
Originally, it was probably a core used to manufacture powerful golems, but to him, it was just an appetizing wonder drug. This was the fruit of high level Magic Engineering that contained the method of controlling golems, as well as the corresponding information on golems neatly organized within!
"Bone Reinforcement!"
[By consuming the Bone Original Core, your entire body is reinforced. All stats have increased by 10. Acquiring all the information and memories within.]
At that moment, a tremendous amount of information pushed into his brain, causing him to fall to his knees.
It wasn't even like this when he acquired the Weapon Trickster's Arm Bone. It was also different from when he absorbed Gerrit's bone. He just couldn't accept the tremendous amount of information that came rushing at him all at once.
'The way to control a golem. The way to control a golem. The way a golem attacks. The way a golem attacks. The way to gather and release mana. If I just follow this as is, I could become a golem myself...'
Of course, that should be impossible, but just by understanding the fundamental ways by which a high leveled golem moved, Lee Shin Woo’s knowledge of magic and martial arts skyrocketed.
He was able to make it this far with his numerous skills and his genius, but the areas where he'd lacked in refinement were supplemented systematically by his Mana Bone skill, and he'd relied on the combat knowledge he'd gathered as well as Bursting Thunder technique to correct his bearing and stance. And the result of that appeared instantly.
[The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv9. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw out your mana more effectively.]
[The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has become Lv9. Strength and Magic have increased by 3. It seems you've gained a vague understanding of how to call down lightning upon your weapon.]
Truthfully, when Lee Shin Woo was abruptly dragged into another world and brought into the Underground Empire just a short while ago, he had caught onto the basics faster than the other heroes. It was only natural, since he absorbed the knowledge and experiences of the undead who'd already possessed these fundamentals.
However, he couldn't give himself a perfect score. Since most of the enemies he'd fought were low leveled undead. However, that changed when he absorbed the Bone Original Core.
[The Low Rank Stealth skill has become Lv8. Agility has increased by 7. You can now hide your movements more naturally than before.]
[The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has become Lv2. Agility has increased by 5. Your dynamic visual acuity has grown.]
He possessed an exemplary balance that he couldn't even find in the many individuals in his memories, as well as the know-how of how to handle magic. While it seemed like that's all that happened, most of his skills had also increased in level. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he went through an overwhelming growth the moment he got a handle on the basics.
[Using this core to make a mass produced type golem? What a waste.]
"Ugh...!?"
However, that wasn't the end of it. He accepted all the information regarding the golems, and the panting Lee Shin Woo came to the second wave of information. It was a memory detailing the instant the Original Core was born.
[The copies of the core are deteriorating... Hmm, it might be possible with that.]
[Do we really have to go this far? I don't think we really need to hide our identities.]
It's impossible for the egoless core to possess memories, but as he raised his level, as well as the level of his Bone Reinforcement, Lee Shin Woo was ultimately able to see the memories of related individuals as well!
[This is all for the Empire.]
[Arema. Arema Steelworker! We have all gathered under your name!]
[We are...]
[We are! The best of the Empire!]
[...Since that's the duty we've been given.]
Several individuals' fragmented memories brushed past his brain. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth to remember each and every one of them. The most important word amongst them was obvious.
Arema Steelworker.
A.S.
[1] T/N: A.S. center is Konglish for after-service center. Basically, a repair shop.
[2] T/N: Likely the most famous quote in the anime, Gurren Lagann.
[3] E/N: example: A pole’s poles’ polarity was determined by a couple of polls.
"So this Empire had trains as well, huh."
"More importantly, your world had trains too?"
"It was a place called Earth. Contrary to the Empire, there were several continents on the planet, and there were several nations on those continents... I came from a country called the United Kingdom."
"I see. I'll remember that."
Jin carelessly disclosed where he was born. Lee Shin Woo wasn't very surprised. Since he had figured out that their civilizations were roughly the same as they talked to each other.
Especially since the name of their planets was the same; it was highly likely that their planets only differed nominally. But what was most important is that confirming that fact was difficult. Because of that, he couldn't add anything to the conversation. However, it seems like Jin thought differently.
"Were you born on Earth as well, by any chance?"
"Why's that important now?"
"Well, it just feels different, you know?"
"There's no reason to look into things like that. It isn't the name of the planet we're from that's of greatest importance, but the train right in front of us."
Lee Shin Woo meticulously surveyed his surroundings, rather than hastily looking inside the train. Though the passageway had been filled to the brim with golems, when they had gotten outside of said passageway and arrived at this clearing, there was nothing here.
To be exact, aside from the train with its opened door, as well as the tracks that it ran on, there was nothing else in the vast clearing. It was to the point that they believed that this underground clearing was designed for the sole purpose of running this train.
"Where does this go... I probably won't be able to tell."
"The only thing I'm sure about is that it's really long."
Jin pushed his head forward, examined the continuing railway, and was astonished. Meanwhile, Lee Shin Woo exercised his rights as a general administrator again to access the train, but there wasn't really any information he could gain from doing so.
But there was one thing he did change; it was the reactivation of the train that had long since been silent. Of course, that wasn't his intent.
[The train will depart in three minutes.]
A voice rang out from the train itself. It was then that Lee Shin Woo realized that this lump of iron that resembled a train was also a golem. He didn't know who made it, but they had to be damn smart!
"Try stopping it for now, Shin Woo. Shouldn't we know more about it before getting on?'
"Well, I can turn this thing on, but I can't turn it off."
"What are you..."
"Let's get on. It feels like a waste to just let it go."
Jin just gaped at Lee Shin Woo's recklessness. However, it was true that there was nothing else they could gain from this space, and he was also curious about what lay at the end of the railway.
"Alright, let's get on."
The body of the train, as well as the door, was huge. He could easily guess as to why. This was a freight train designed to load golems onto it. Lee Shin Woo's guess just a short while ago was a bit off. This wasn't a production area for golems, it was the first place the golems were delivered to!
"If that's the case, then the golems that our seniors found in other areas were..."
"We can assume that there were trains like this one there too. No, that's not the issue here."
If they were lucky, they might be able to use this train to go to those areas as well! They could explore every nook and cranny of the Empire with this train!
"But if something goes wrong, we could be dumped into the wrong place and get ourselves killed."
"Could you not say something so ominous...?"
The two entered the train and examined the interior, but the only thing they could discover was traces that this train was once a place that transported golems. Then again, it wasn't likely that it would tell thieves like them where the next station was.
"Oh, it's departing."
"Seems that... ugh!"
The moment the train door closed, the train began driving at a crazy speed. He didn't know what kind of magic was set-up on the railway or what skill the golem was using, but it was much faster than Jin running at top speed!
"Kuhek!"
"Are you alright!?"
The highly agile Jin was able to swiftly regain his balance and took to one side of the train, but Lee Shin Woo flew around the inside of the train and hit the back wall. It was a relief that he was able to use Rule of Bone to reinforce his bones before the collision.
"I would've died...!"
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth tenaciously at the pain all over his body and kept his balance by gluing himself to one side of the train. If he was not made of bone, he would've spilled his guts, as well as his internal organs.
"They should've announced it. What shitty manners."
"Can you stand?"
"I can now... somehow."
How terribly fast did it run? Around the time Lee Shin Woo couldn't even tell how fast it was going, the train gradually began to slow itself down.
"This is..."
"..."
If there was something different about this train compared to one in modern times, it was that this train didn't have any windows. Lee Shin Woo and Jin just quieted their breathing and stood still within the slowing train.
[We have arrived at the manufacturing headquarters.]
The golem's characteristically dry voice came out, notifying them that they'd arrived. Lee Shin Woo just flinched again when he heard that they'd come to the manufacturing headquarters.
He talked all big about how Jin shouldn't worry, but he actually couldn't help but be afraid since he was encountering the unknown. However, he couldn't just turn back and leave. He carefully stepped away from the wall and stood in front of the door.
"For starters, let's activate the seal."
"Should I absorb that core, too?"
"No. When you absorb this core, you'll roll on the floor for roughly thirty minutes while you grunt and groan, so let's keep that for later."
"Seriously?"
The door opened. Lee Shin Woo held the seal out, slowly walked out of the train, and surveyed his surroundings. The first thing he saw was another train on the station platform right next to them.
When one enters the large station, they'd be able to see several trains coming and going...
"Six, seven, eight... nine. Holy shit."
There were nine more trains in the station. If they included the train the two rode on, there were ten trains total! Most of the trains came into the station and were on standby, and only the platform on the right end was completely empty.
"I'm kind of getting scared here. It's way bigger than I'd expected..."
"Wait, didn't you expect that it'd be this big? Even so, it's just a place that manufactures the golems we just took down. We're ok."
Lee Shin Woo lightly used his Acting skill to conceal his unease from his partner. Jin relied on Lee Shin Woo, so if he ended up seeing how tense Lee Shin Woo was, he'd be dispirited. It seemed as though his bluff was effective, as Jin calmed down a bit as well.
[Ah, you actually came.]
"Gah!?"
Jin shamefully shrunk back when he heard the sound of an unfamiliar man's voice from somewhere! He knew they'd be discovered eventually, but he didn't think they'd be discovered as soon as they arrived... Lee Shin Woo naturally manifested a sword in one hand and put up his guard. However, he couldn't figure out where the source of the voice came from.
[No. I'm not going to kill you, so don't be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, I would've killed you earlier. But are you guys really undead?]
"Can't you tell by just looking? We're just bones."
[True. I only see bones.]
"So you're saying you can see us, huh..."
Lee Shin Woo realized at that very moment. The man's voice was coming from the trains everywhere simultaneously. That could mean only one thing: their opponent was someone who had higher authority than Lee Shin Woo.
[If you were an undead spawned by the Emperor's curse, then there's no way you'd be moving so freely; how strange. What exactly are you?]
"I have no reason to answer you, but... if I were to tell you one thing, it's that we weren't affected by the Emperor's curse."
[Yeah. It seems that way to me, too. You guys are truly strange. Especially the skeleton horse, who has a clear-cut will and can move on its own; this is the first time I've ever seen one like that.]
Seeing as how he's speaking like that, the man they were dealing with definitely retained his reasoning and will, and moved accordingly. Lee Shin Woo wanted to ask him about that, but he didn't hear the man's voice for quite some time after.
Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo with eyes that seemed to signal that he wanted to immediately go back onto the train and get the hell out of there (the goblin fire that he emitted was quivering and the fact that he was able to interpret the pattern to this degree touched Lee Shin Woo), and Lee Shin Woo also pondered on what he needed to do first to secure a retreat path.
'That way's no good, so long as I don't have the top authority.'
Otherwise, the highest chance of survival lay in him crushing one of the golems, and them running the opposite way by following the tracks.
No matter how far apart their levels were, it would be extremely difficult to follow Jin, who was a horse born for the sole purpose of running. Though their enemy might be able to match his speed temporarily, Jin possessed unlimited stamina as an undead, so they wouldn't be able to keep up with him!
[I told you. There's no need to run away. More importantly, the General said he'd like to meet with you. We won't hurt you, so won't you come this way?]
"General...?"
Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo instinctually retorted. Why was it that he was so caught up with the word 'General'? If that General was one of the 12 Generals in the Empire, then would he perhaps be... the missing pieces in his head started to match, and it felt as though fireworks were going off in his head.
'Is he General Seagald by any chance...!?'
General Seagald was in charge of the Anti-Skull Project, which attempted to stop the undead curse through the research of several different methods. What if he had been interested in golems, which were artificial life forms immune to the undead curse? And if they prepared for an emergency and created this facility to manufacture golems, then...!
"What are you going to do?"
"...I want to meet him at least once."
"As I thought..."
He had gone this far, so he couldn't back down now. However, he didn't blindly move while trusting in the man's promise that they wouldn't harm them. But, he had a strong hunch that if he backed out now, he wouldn't be able to come back here again.
"If we're unlucky, I might die not once, but several times. You stay put, but if it seems like things are going south, break one of these trains, follow the tracks, and go back. Since I'll come join you later."
"No. I want to meet him too. You told me how you had gotten stronger before, remember? Moreover, it'll be better if I'm there if we're faced with a situation where we have to run away."
"You..."
It really was a response befitting an undead; he was unwilling to stay out of it. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, and nodded his head.
Honestly, if things didn't go as planned, it wasn't as though he didn't have skills to protect him. That skill was none other than the Sacrifice skill.
[Sacrifice Lv1 (Active)]
[You can activate this skill when someone else is about to die. You save the target's life in exchange for your own. The user will die without fail.]
'Though I'd like it if I didn't have to use it.'
When he had first received the Savior karma token, as well as this skill, he'd thought it was a useless skill that just came along with a half-assed karma. Thinking, 'what kind of useless skill is this? I sacrifice my life to save only one other person?'.
However, it wasn't a useless skill for Lee Shin Woo. Why? Because Lee Shin Woo had 97 lives remaining, that's why. He certainly couldn't use the skill recklessly, but he could use for his partner, who more than doubled his fighting strength.
[Good. Come this way.]
They went to the stairway beyond the wide platform, and the door above opened automatically. He wondered what he'd do if there were several golems in there, but... there weren't.
[Welcome, Undead. Even if you go crazy, please don't attack me.]
There, a colossal, burly golem stood awaiting them.
[Since I'm not alive. Understand?]
With mana more powerful than anyone he'd ever met before.
[Lv7 Golem Ark Knight - Guillotine Steelworker]
A golem.
"A golem...?"
Lee Shin Woo muttered as he saw the message informing them of the identity of the titan before them. He expected him to be an undead that hadn't lost its reasoning, or a human that held out inside of a dungeon so that he could survive, but he hadn't expected him to be a golem...
[Of course I am. What else, besides a golem, could retain its sanity within the Empire?]
That's why I'm so interested in you two, the golem added as his eyes lit up. He possessed a human's eyes, skin, face, and hair; he perfectly resembled a human being, so if Lee Shin Woo hadn't learned that information from the message, he wouldn't have known that he was actually a golem.
[Though I'd like to ask you about your identity right at this very moment... the General would like to see you, so follow me for now.]
"What are you going to do?"
"...Let's go."
He couldn't precisely ascertain the situation, but there was something that bothered him. It was the fact that the golem's name was Guillotine 'Steelworker'.
Based on the memories that dwelled within the Original Core, Arema Steelworker was definitely the director. Was it just coincidence that part of his name was similar to the director's? Lee Shin Woo thought that wasn't possible.
'Then, whether it's General Seagald or not isn't the issue here.'
The golem bearing the name of Steelworker was a level 7 powerhouse. If that's the case, then what about the director, Arema Steelworker? He would obviously be an even higher level than the golem... then, wouldn't he be the general the golem's talking about? Lee Shin Woo had definitely miscalculated.
'I didn't think that golems were making other golems. I didn't think that, but... if I think that way, it all makes sense. Golems can't turn into the undead and they shouldn't die of old age either... But it's way too surprising that there's a golem with an innate ego. And a high leveled ego at that.'
[Don't mess with the other doors on the way and just follow straight behind me. Since you could set off a trap.]
"Ah."
"Alright."
Around the time that Lee Shin Woo's head was filled with complications, the golem spoke calmly. Jin, who had been observing the doors that lined the passageway, was shocked and slightly stepped back.
It was so huge that it was difficult to take his eyes off it. There were several roads that branched off from the passageway and even those forked roads branched out into several different paths. Jin wouldn't have known any better, but Lee Shin Woo clearly felt a mass of powerful mana at the end of each of those forked roads.
'Ha..'
Lee Shin Woo just laughed. It made sense how they threw away level 3 or level 4 golems like they were nothing. It was possible for the contents of any one of these several dozen rooms to be able to take down all of those weak golems that were destroyed by Lee Shin Woo and Jin before.
It was possible since they wouldn't lose anything from neglecting the golems or letting them be destroyed. Lee Shin Woo started to become curious as to what their mission was. But for starters, it did seem like they definitely weren't on the side of the Imperial Army, which had degenerated into the undead...
[We've arrived.]
"It's a huge door."
[Consider it an honor. It's not a door that anyone can just enter whenever they wish, aside from the knights that guard the general.]
The door lock looked similar to that of the Anti-Skull's secret facility's, and when Guillotine Steelworker placed his hand on it, a complex mana seal formed atop his hand and released the locking mechanism.
Lee Shin Woo couldn't help but be amazed as he saw the door lock and the mana pattern of the seal intersect and delicately, gradually release the lock. It was an interaction that was worlds apart from Anti-Skull's door lock! It felt like Lee Shin Woo's mana senses had advanced just by watching the process.
[Even if you pay such close attention to it, you probably won't be able to do it yourself so easily. Since it's something only golems can do. Now, go in. The General's waiting for you.]
"Haha."
For a golem, he was quick on the uptake. Lee Shin Woo just smiled bitterly, followed behind him, and stepped into the room.
The first thing he saw was a huge table. Next was the absurdly high ceiling. Finally, what he saw was...
[Lv8 Golem Zero - Golden General Arema Steelworker]
He was a golem that boasted a height of more than six meters even while sitting down.
"Hoh..."
"Ugh."
[How peculiar.]
The general remained seated while examining them and then slowly stood up. When Lee Shin Woo saw that the Golden General, Arema Steelworker, almost touched the ceiling at his full height, he was completely overwhelmed.
He didn't match the Lv5 Treasure Eater in terms of size, but the quality and density of his mana was worlds apart. It was to the point that he'd feel bad comparing that dirty caterpillar to him side by side.
[I don't feel the curse's mana from you at all. This space is filled to the brim with the curse, yet I feel like the curse is bouncing off of you. From an undead, who is neither a human nor a golem. ...Who, exactly, are you?]
"..."
Jin was completely terrified by his strength and stiffened in place. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo remained silent thinking about how he should respond.
The golem before him was powerful, and possessed a method of observing the flow of mana that far surpassed Lee Shin Woo's own. He even contemplated and acted like a human. The fact that he was a golem didn't matter right now. Lee Shin Woo needed to assume that he was smarter than him in every aspect.
'Can I just tell him the truth? Even that we're heroes as well?'
If the Golden General was hostile to the undead, it wouldn't hurt if they told him they were heroes. Since it would confirm that they were both on the same side.
But there was too much he didn't know about them right now. If they don't understand, they could end up dead and would have just given them unnecessary information. If that's the case, then first... Lee Shin Woo stuck out his nonexistent tongue, licked his nonexistent lips with saliva he didn't even have, and opened his mouth.
"Do you know... about Anti-Skull?"
This was the start of his lies.
[Did you volunteer for the Anti-Skull Project? You even know about that?]
As he thought, the general knew about Anti-Skull. If he were one of the twelve generals like General Seagald, it wouldn't be strange if he knew about the Anti-Skull Project, especially if he was a golem that was immune to the curse.
'But this is a trap.'
Seeing the golem's flashing eyes, Lee Shin Woo decided as such. His body movements, as well as his voice were all extremely natural, but he was a golem. From the very beginning, he was suspicious as to whether he actually had a mind or not. It would be the end if he was so easily tricked by his cordial behavior.
"It seems like we can cut to the chase since you know about their project. I'd made contact with them in the past, but the place where their experiments took place is far away. We went a different way from them."
[You've made contact with them...? Hmm, is that so.]
The golem spoke as if he understood and nodded his head. Of course, Lee Shin Woo still wasn't at ease yet. After all, the general was still suspicious of the two.
Well, it's only natural. Since Lee Shin Woo and Jin just popped up several dozens of years after the Empire's fall. So how could they trust them so easily if they just showed up and said that they were part of some experiment that no one knew about?
[You're not one of General Seagald's men?]
"We worked together with one of the men under his command. Thus, we know about the Anti-Skull Project to some extent, and we participated in the plan, but... we've never actually met General Seagald before."
[Indeed. It's not so easy to learn about Anti-Skull. I'm curious as to who that individual was under General Seagald's command, but... No, it's fine. Since even I don't know everything about Seagald right now.]
However, he couldn't just openly deny him. Because he didn't have any evidence that actually refuted Lee Shin Woo's claims. Especially since Lee Shin Woo knew quite a bit regarding the Anti-Skull Project.
The moment one cleverly mixes lies with the truth, one's words become more persuasive and reassuring. That's why Lee Shin Woo could stand so proud.
[The administrator of that project must've been someone considerably famous. Since he successfully created undead who could completely resist the curse, or absorb it.]
"We're just lucky. Several people died as well. Though we were a success, we ended up sleeping for dozens of years in exchange."
[I understand. Since that ability couldn't have appeared if not for your luck that's close to a miracle from God.]
"I agree. It's only natural that this guy and I were the only successes to the experiment. I lost a lot of memories, a lot of time has passed, and there were several side effects as well, but..."
Did they catch on? When he said a 'miracle from God', Lee Shin Woo momentarily thought as much, yet he responded so naturally, like flowing water. Hearing Lee Shin Woo, Arema Steelworker momentarily hesitated, but soon nodded his head and spoke.
[I apologize. I was overly suspicious of you and I ended up bringing up some unpleasant memories. We'll stop the interrogation here. Since we both share a hatred for the curse that fills the Empire.]
"Of course. If it weren't for that curse, I wouldn't have become like this."
[...Agreed. How unfortunate.]
'Is this guy also hostile to the undead as well... If that's true, then should I disclose that I'm a hero? ...No, let's just leave that out for now. Since it wouldn't hurt.'
Lee Shin Woo just inwardly nodded in response to Arema Steelworker. He'd figured out the general's position and had simultaneously managed to hide his own identity. It wasn't perfect, but the golem was level 8; what's worse, he was one of the 12 generals of the Empire, so it turned out ok. The moment he thought so, his Acting skill leveled up.
[You have completely fooled an overwhelmingly higher leveled target. The Acting skill has become Lv8. Your lies become truth until the moment you yourself say otherwise.]
However, that wasn't all. Lee Shin Woo's continued to read through the messages that had caused his eyes to open wide.
[A Joker conceals everything about themselves, and is one who makes false faces. There is no need for there to be a special reason behind your words or actions. That is what it means to be a Joker. All stats have increased by 5. You have fulfilled a part of the conditions to unlock the Joker's innate skill.]
'It doesn't matter whether you have a reason; just lie your way out first... this is my type of skill.'
If he were to deceive his opponent first, it would become easier to get out of the situation later, even if things went wrong. Since all he needed to do was to say something else and lie to them again! His normal way of thinking and this karma was a perfect fit.
It felt as though he'd found his calling and he seemed pleased, but then, Arema Steelworker moved on to a different topic. This was probably the main topic.
[I'm more surprised that you were able to acquire the rights of a general administrator than the fact that you guys are undead. It should've been impossible even if you were considerably talented...]
"I was curious who the owner of all those golems was. I also wanted to know your intentions as well. I was luckily able to make a forgery of it."
[What you did isn't something you can just pass off as a joke. You should be more confident in yourself. ...More importantly, I want to know what your intentions are. I suppose it's time for you to ask the questions now, huh?]
"There're just simple questions. After all, you said yourself that we share a hatred for the Empire's curse."
[Hahaha! Alright, I'll answer your questions, brave skeleton. Since I have nothing to hide.]
Hearing Lee Shin Woo's polite and bold statement, the general laughed uproariously. It looked so natural that he could hardly believe that he was a golem.
Immediately after, something shocking happened. The golem's body, which was close to 9 meters tall at full height, dwindled in size, and turned into a mere 2 meter tall giant!
[Most people... even Seagald and Leofield knew this as a giant transformation skill, but it's not actually that. It's something that can only be used in the golem high command and is a technique that compresses a golem's body. Were you surprised?]
"Yes..."
He was really surprised. Lee Shin Woo had thought it was only possible because the general was a golem, but there really was a way to turn into a giant! Didn't that mean that a skill existed in this world that could transform him into a giant? His heart began to pound rapidly.
[Most of the citizens of the Empire wouldn't know, but the Golden Army formed by Arema Steelworker was comprised of golems from the very beginning. It was an army created without hesitation to protect the Empire, and in order to create those golems that moved and lived with a clear purpose, we transferred a knight's consciousness into a core; this is the fruit of our efforts at the end of all those experiments.]
"...!?"
[Yes. Our goal was different, but we're both similar aren't we? We were both sacrificed for our experiments. As a result, we were also able to avoid turning into the undead, so it's truly ironic, wouldn't you say?]
Hearing such a shocking story of how the golems came into existence, Lee Shin Woo kept opening and closing his mouth, but then, the Golden General spoke faintly.
[The day after the curse struck, all the living became undead. However, we, who weren't of the living any longer, remained.]
The core had been engraved with loyalty to the Empire, yet that Empire was now gone, so they hadn't known what to do.
[We remained, dozens of years later.]
For golems created by humans, loyalty to their master was paramount. The golems were also created for the purpose of protecting the Emperor.
[However, the Emperor wasn't satisfied with just ordinary golems. He wanted them to think and move like a normal human being, while also being able to gain karma and grow. Aside from their unwavering loyalty, he wanted every aspect of them to be as close to a human being as possible. Because of that, we began our experiments. To create an absolute fighting force that was loyal only to the Emperor himself...]
They sucked the Empire's precious resources dry, as well as the souls and magic of several young knights, and at the end of all those sacrifices, they succeeded in creating monsters; the Golden Army that originated from the Golden General, Arema Steelworker.
[There are many who probably don't know about it. ...We lived much longer than the citizens of the Empire could've imagined. But by the time the Emperor, who dreamt of immortality, created us, he was already old and decrepit.]
"Ha."
The knights, whose human souls were combined with a golem's body, certainly were loyal to the Emperor alone, thought like humans, and were also beings who were capable of growth. Above all, they possessed strong bodies and magic, and were able to survive for such a long length of time. They were the best guards for the Emperor.
"The Emperor dreamt of eternal youth and immortality, yet he didn't think of becoming a golem himself?"
[There was a huge problem. Ultimately, we couldn't achieve a success rate of 100%.]
"Ah..."
The Emperor probably couldn't take that risk. Lee Shin Woo just laughed. He didn't plan on attempting to seriously verify Arema Steelworker's claims; but since he'd become so immersed in his interesting story, he naturally became serious about it.
It wasn't his intention, but it had a positive effect on the way Arema Steelworker treated Lee Shin Woo. Though Arema's face softened only slightly, it was enough.
[I knew about the Emperor's desire for immortality, but because I had pledged absolute loyalty to the Emperor, I couldn't express any opinions regarding it. And ultimately, the day that horrific curse was completed... the Emperor become undead, and we were freed. Since the spell that restricted our free will didn't factor in the Emperor becoming an undead.]
"Then, what did you do after you were freed...?"
[I led my subordinates out of the capital and we hid here. The Emperor left me in charge of this place, and it was the only place where we could be safe. The Golem Production Facility.]
They hid? That's what they decided to do once they'd become free of the Emperor's control? Without even trying to fight once? Lee Shin Woo noticed that the conversation had taken a strange turn. After all, this was a bit different than what he'd envisioned!
[Aside from us, everyone else became undead, including the other generals who possessed a fighting force equal to mine. I couldn't win against all of them, and I didn't want to fight against them either.]
"Mm...!"
It was such a weak thing to say, compared to how imposing he seemed when they first met. He wanted to ask if he was weaker than General Seagald by any chance, but now wasn't the time to provoke him. While he was boiling up on the inside, Arema Steelworker cut in.
[We've lost our purpose. We have nothing left to direct our loyalty to, and just remain idle, slowly losing out free will over the passage of time. We're just souls who are unable to sleep, and live underground, gradually rusting away.]
"Hmm..."
[You, the undead who are able to resist the Empire's curse. I don't know who you are, or why you decided to bravely come here.]
At some point, the conversation was coming to an end. Unexpectedly, Arema commended them, and spoke like this.
[We've lost our wills and we're just lingering dolls, so just leave us be and go back.]
"..."
That's a lie. Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure of it when he heard that. He was a way higher level than him, but unfortunately, his acting was much worse than Lee Shin Woo's.
It didn't matter whether he was a golem or not. It didn't matter if there were faults in his reasoning or not. His incredible intuition that developed with his Acting skill was telling him this. Arema Steelworker had different intentions, and he didn't want him to interfere, so he was trying to keep him out in advance!
"Not yet."
[Hmm?]
Lee Shin felt like it was time to use his winning move. Right now, concealing his identity or ascertaining their identity wasn't important compared to this. He decided that he'd extracted all the information he could from them, and that there was still a chance to adjust their relationship!
"I have a request."
Lee Shin Woo said courageously. As always, Arema Steelworker sported a smile, but he was a golem, so Lee Shin Woo couldn't trust his expression.
[I was interested in your ability, so I called you here and spoke to you personally, but I can do nothing more for you. I cannot permit anything else. Go back. The next time you make a copy of that seal and use it to intrude, I won't just sit by and leave you be.]
[Alright. If you're done talking, shall we go?]
When Arema Steelworker finished softly, but firmly, Guillotine Steelworker approached them whilst emitting a turbulent spirit, as though he would execute them if they didn't listen.
All he was doing was emitting mana from his entire body; despite that, Lee Shin Woo felt his body go stiff. He knew that he was no match for him.
"I have no intention of...!"
[Huh!?]
However, Lee Shin Woo utilized Rule of Bone to its very limit, resisting the pressure, and yelled out. In order to achieve his primary objective of coming here!
"I have no intention of stepping into this place, so please allow us to continue using that train! We won't bother you, and we won't talk to you. We just want to ride that train to move around. If you allow us to use the train, we'd like some information regarding the destination as well!"
[...]
"We're going to take care of the undead in the underground empire, and those trains will be really helpful in doing so. Ah, I'll also take care of the golems you're not using, too!]
[You amazing bastard...]
The unexpected request startled Arema Steelworker. Lee Shin Woo acted like he was asking for something trivial, yet it was actually an extremely brazen request; Guillotine Steelworker was astonished that he'd ask for such a thing, and muttered. He may not look it, but he had made the request after planning everything out.
[You truly are brave. Despite the difference in strength, you...]
"That's exactly why. We're nothing compared to you, so that's why we can speak to you like this. Since we're nobodies to you, and it won't hurt you to accept a request from some nobodies."
[...]
Regardless of what Arema Steelworker was thinking about, at the very least, Lee Shin Woo was sure that he was no longer under the Emperor's command. And though he wasn't moving proactively, he held no love for the curse that covered the Empire.
In addition, Lee Shin Woo's intuition told him that based on those feelings, he had some kind of secret plan in the works. Figuring out their identity was likely to ascertain whether they would get in the way of said plan.
"Like I said, all I want is to be able to use the train!"
[Ha...]
Lee Shin Woo was well aware of that, so that's why he made such a suggestion. He roughly understand their situation, so he asked for a little bit of help, on the condition that they don't bother them. It wasn't a bad offer for them either, so he thought they'd have no reason to refuse.
But if they did refuse his offer? Then, they would just get the hell out. The idea of 'Try it. You have nothing to lose' had lead to this situation.
[General, shall I take care of them?]
[...No, they're interesting.]
The moment Arema said that, Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled elatedly. It was exactly the response he'd been hoping for. He'd been acting desperately from the moment they met in order to retain that small 'favorable impression' that tinged his voice.
[Fine. Do as he asks. I'll allow it, on the condition that you not leave the station.]
"Thank you very much."
[General...]
[Guillotine, I'm ordering all the golems including you. From this point on, if those two enter headquarters, kill them without mercy. But if they don't, don't touch them.]
[...I understand.]
He seemed dissatisfied, but Guillotine complied obediently and nodded his head. He had no choice but to do so. Based on the flow of mana, it seemed like Guillotine didn't have any choice in the matter and that Arema was in control.
Was the reason that a golem could become the master of the other golems due to the unnatural nature at which they lost connection with the original master? There was no way of knowing that right now.
[I heard a lot from you, but I haven't heard your name yet.]
Arema Steelworker said. The reason he hadn't asked for their names was because he didn't think they'd see each other again. However, the fact that he'd changed his mind and had asked for their names meant that Arema unconsciously thought that 'they might meet each other again'.
"My name is Paul Zero."
Lee Shin Woo replied in an overwhelmingly confident voice. He felt that it was a relief that they hadn't spoken each other's names once since they came here, and he lied in a situation where he didn't think he would.
[Paul Zero... I'll remember that name. Along with your partner, that is.]
"You'll be able to hear about me from various parts of the Empire."
[At the very least, your spirit is impressive. However, the fact that you possess the will to push forward, despite being in an undead body, leaves quite the impression on us. Go as far as you can.]
He'd lied until the very end, and the moment he'd successfully tricked Arema, his Acting skill had unexpectedly leveled up again!
[The Acting skill has become Lv9. Whenever you make a new personality, people suspect you of having multiple personalities.]
Lee Shin Woo remained stiff, even after he'd received permission to use the train, and dragged Jin through the corridor. Guillotine Steelworker sent them off. Perhaps it was because he'd lied so perfectly, but Guillotine didn't treat Lee Shin Woo too badly.
[Are there a lot of undead like you outside?]
"I've met a few of them. They were partial successes from the Anti-Skull Project, though they degenerated into skeletons like me."
[Hoh...]
He was instinctively respectful to Arema Steelworker, but spoke comfortably with Guillotine like when they'd first met. It might've been because he'd received an order from Arema, but he wasn't concerned with that.
[On that day, I saw General Seagald's form and thought that perhaps... So it really was like that. From the very beginning, that guy was damn impressive...]
"As I thought, he maintained his reasoning as well?"
[Well, you did say that you were asleep following the experiment, so you'd be unaware of that disastrous day. You're right. He was fighting against the Emperor even as an undead. I saw him being restrained by the other generals and him leaving the capital. We were able to leave by taking advantage of that commotion.]
He'd gotten a hold of some great information! Lee Shin Woo only nodded his head, without getting caught. Around that time, Jin, who'd been 'frozen solid', slightly bumped Lee Shin Woo with his head. He was timidly complaining that Lee Shin Woo had dragged him all the way here and put him through all that.
[Huh? Now that I think about it, didn't this guy talk a lot before?]
"He's too exhausted from putting up with the Golden General."
[Well, it's true that the General's magic is considerable. Then how did you endure it? You were also able to obtain the general administrator's rights, so who exactly are...]
At that very moment, the train arrived. Lee Shin Woo saw the door connecting the station platform and the passageway completely close and inwardly, slightly, very slightly, breathed a sigh of relief.
He put in a lot of work to get everything to work out, but he couldn't believe that he'd actually gotten what he wanted. Plus, his Acting skill had even grown! Lee Shin Woo trusted that today's deceit would bear fruit in the future.
[Take it. It's the map for each supply line. You can do as you wish with the abandoned golems there.]
"Thanks."
As expected, he was right; there was a map. From an outside view, it looked to be just an iron plate, but if he displayed the special mana pattern, the map would appear on top of the plate; it was a relief that it was the type of map that he could use with the general administrative rights.
[Then I'll get going now. You better keep your promise. Since the General doesn't lie.]
"I don't lie either."
He lied up until the very end and his trustworthy expression (his blazing red goblin fire) seemed to satisfy Guillotine, as he nodded his head and went back. Soon, they couldn't see him as he had gone through the passageway. Of course, this was still their territory, so they couldn't afford to be reckless.
When the two were left alone, Lee Shin Woo activated the map and picked the place closest to the outskirts of the Empire, aside from where they had been before. That's because it was the easiest to handle.
"Alright. Then shall we go?"
"...I'm not dead yet, right?"
"Of course you're not. We have so many golems left to kill, so you can't die on me now."
"You want me to fight again!?"
"Be happy. When we go past there, I'll give you that (the Bone Original Core)."
"I'm not happy at all, you know!"
The two skeleton heroes unhesitatingly embarked on the train (golem) towards the southern outskirts of the Empire. Like he'd learned from before, he didn't forget to hold on tight.
The train departed right away. And so, Lee Shin Woo began his trip along the Empire's railway.
He didn't know exactly how far reaching Arema Steelworker's control over the golems went, but Lee Shin Woo and Jin tacitly agreed that they would be careful with their words and actions within the train.
In the middle of the odd silence, the train gradually began to slow down. After that, they received a signal that they'd arrived at their destination. They had really traveled from the west end of the Empire to the south end instantaneously.
"Would anyone believe us if we told them?"
"Probably not..."
If all of the heroes were able to use this subway line, the territory of the Empire might change immediately. The system was that revolutionary.
'Is the Undead Emperor unaware of this facility?'
It's because he was unaware of it that this facility had remained safe all this time. He could tell, through the examination of the Original Core, that Arema Steelworker's authority in terms of golem manufacturing was extremely high.
The Emperor had probably trusted in his absolute loyalty and seemed to have entrusted Arema Steelworker with manufacturing the golems, as well as overseeing all the operations. Back then, he had to have absolute trust in them, as they were under a master-servant relationship.
"We're screwed."
At that moment, Jin spoke in a slightly trembling voice. The land was teeming with golems beyond the automatically opening door. Considering the fact that they were all level 4 Bronze Golems and were armed with weapons, he could tell that they possessed Attack Type Cores.
But Lee Shin Woo had already expected that, so he had activated his general administrator seal.
[Confirming general administrator.]
[Welcome.]
A few of the golems spoke mechanically and greeted them. Lee Shin Woo wondered if he could, so he ordered them to stand in line, but they wouldn't follow such a detailed order. A general administrative authority only made it so that they 'wouldn't attack him', that's all.
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Work hard and get through them. Oh, and make sure you choose the right place."
"You demon!"
Lee Shin Woo acted as though he would break apart the seal any minute now, and Jin hastily stepped into the subway train door. He'd desperately moved there to force a 1 on 1 confrontation! Lee Shin Woo, without even giving him any time, erased the seal, and at that very moment, the golems turned their attention to them.
[Detecting a trespasser. He has infiltrated into a critical facility. Reporting to code name, A.S.]
[Communication blocked. Assessing the situation. Proceeding to eliminate the trespasser.]
When the golems were blocked by Arema Steelworker, Lee Shin Woo sensed a portion of the flow of mana in the entire area snap. And what did he realize from that? He realized the way in which Arema Steelworker blocked communication with them.
'He doesn't block communication with each golem, but blocks communication by region, huh.'
In other words, this area was now safe from Arema Steelworker's gaze. The moment he realized that, Lee Shin Woo recreated the general administrator seal and turned the golems away. Jin's eyes blazed with indignation, and he turned around and yelled.
"Are you training me like a dog!?"
"I have to feed you something tasty before the training starts."
"Ugh."
Jin, seeing the Bone Original Core that Lee Shin Woo had been saving, spoke awfully, as though he'd eaten an entire lemon whole. Lee Shin Woo kindly motioned for him to come over with his hand, and Jin looked as though he was a criminal being offered poison, as he slowly walked over.
"But can you take that out now?"
"The connection's been completely cut in this region. We can talk comfortably now."
"Really? By the way, Lee Shin Woo. How the hell were you able to stand in front of a level 8 golem and lie without even blinking!? He was a level 8 golem!"
That was probably something he'd really wanted to say. He was more shocked than awed by what he had seen. Lee Shin Woo just chuckled and replied.
"Who cares? They lied to me too. They definitely oppose the Emperor, but don't trust anything other than that."
"Really!? They sounded like they were going to cry...!"
"Anyone can make something like that up."
It seemed as though Jin had taken everything that they'd said as the truth. Lee Shin Woo looked at him pitifully, and then Jin put great effort into turning his head and spoke as if he were justifying himself.
"We aren't enemies, so it didn't seem like there was any reason to lie to each other..."
"There are things you have to keep from your allies as well. And though we have a common enemy, there's no guarantee that they're not our enemies as well."
"You sure spoke bravely to that golem."
"Since our growth is a pressing matter. Moreover, I was able to say that to him because he doesn't know how fast our growth is."
He replied calmly, and continued on.
"In any case, we got everything we wanted; maybe even more."
"A way to contact them."
They said they'd only use the train, but as they come and go, the golems would inevitably take an interest in them again. Arema Steelworker knew that as well.
Lee Shin Woo's final goal was to constantly use the train, give them a strong impression, gain their trust, and ultimately, forge a deep connection with them. If it's possible, a contract with them as well. Hearing that, Jin was frightened and replied.
"In other words, doesn't that mean that we'll remain visible to them, and they'll be watching us?"
"Life is like that. Isn't it a worthwhile risk?"
"You're really bold, aren't you..."
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to act. Hurry up and come over here."
"Damn it. I hate things that hurt."
Lee Shin Woo had his fill of Jin's admiring gaze and placed the Bone Original Core atop Jin's forehead. And like an oral surgeon about to perform root canal surgery on a patient, he lied gently.
"If it hurts, just say so. Bone Reinforcement!"
"Ughhhhhhhhhh!"
Of course, there was nothing he could do, even if Jin said that it hurt. All he could do was place a hand on Jin's back, share the pain through their connection, and help him to fully absorb the core. Since he'd already absorbed the core once before, it was quite easily for him.
[Strength has increased by 2, and Magic by 3.]
"What a gold mine."
Though he'd already absorbed the information from the Original Core, there was quite a bit of newfound memories remaining within.
[You cockroaches. Why don't you just give up?]
[Our duty is one of honor. It's all for the sake of the Emperor.]
"Hoo."
"Gahhhhhhhhh."
Lee Shin Woo shouldered all of the memories that Jin couldn't handle, and the massive quantity of mana knowledge, as well as the method to harmonize the body and mana were poured into Jin.
It was ridiculously easier than when he'd absorbed the core, but it seemed as though even this was difficult for Jin as he had gritted his teeth.
"It hurts! Just a little... Just a little slower!"
"If I slow it down any further, you'll lose all the memories. It'll be tough, but endure it just a little while longer."
As expected, even if he told him it hurt, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He should've known since he's been to a dentist before! Tears flowed from his eyes at Lee Shin Woo’s betrayal as all the information from the core was being shoved into his brain. It had taken less than five minutes, yet it had felt like an eternity to him.
"Ugh, ugh..."
"You alright?"
"I'm not ok."
After he had finished completely absorbing the core, Jin gasped like Lee Shin Woo had, even though nothing came out, and gritted his teeth. Lee Shin Woo asked gently.
"How much did your stats increase?"
"Strength by 9, agility by 15, health by 7, and magic by 13... Plus, most of my skills increased by 2 or 3 levels each..."
"It was good that you absorbed it, right?"
"Yeah. Damn it..."
Even if he considered that Jin's agility increased by a factor of three, it was a ridiculous increase in stats. The Original Core really was a gold mine.
Of course, the more he absorbed it, the less its effects would be, but it certainly remained an attractive material nonetheless. Lee Shin Woo inspected the outside, filled to the brim with golems, and spoke excitedly.
"By the time we've gone to all the points on the map, we should both be level 5."
"I'm not going to go through Bone Reinforcement for another month."
"Shouldn't we shoot for level 6 in a month?"
"No, you demon!"
How much information could there have been for Jin to still be unable to steady himself and totter around? Lee Shin Woo knew what to do in this situation.
"Now, go out and fight."
"You really are a demon!"
"The information in your head hasn't been fully organized yet, so you should gradually adapt to the knowledge and experiences by actually using them in the field. I've already gone through this before, so just listen to me."
"Ugh..."
Finding no alternative, Jin followed Lee Shin Woo's orders to the letter. Whenever the seal stopped radiating light, the golems would emit a mechanical sound, and come rushing over to them from all over! But at the very least, there weren't any golems equipped with long distance weapons!
[Repelling trespasser.]
[Aiding. The space is narrow and we cannot afford to damage the critical facility. Standing by.]
"Steel Body!"
Countless golems swarmed them! Jin, who fought them off, instinctively activated Steel Body. His body was reinforced much faster and much more naturally than before he absorbed the Bone Original Core!
"Heuaap!"
"Ooh."
Jin instinctually kicked the front golem and stepped on it; then, he turned his body around, and swept away the golems in the front with his hind legs in a single stroke. Through Steel Body, his hind legs were strengthened such that they were as sharp and heavy as an axe and all the golems were blown back with one kick!
"Good, you're doing well! Now you can take on a majority of the golems here!"
"Eugeuaaaaa!"
Jin used Lee Shin Woo's cheers as fuel for his anger, and went on a rampage! What's worse is that even as he fought, he realized that Lee Shin Woo was right about the accumulated knowledge, and was got even more pissed off!
On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo marveled at Jin's fundamental change within such a short period of time, especially when concerning his movements in combat.
'Oh, he's doing much better than I'd expected.'
Jin wasn't originally this talented, but after establishing a contract with Lee Shin Woo, continuously maintaining a connection with Lee Shin Woo, and being thrust into every kind of situation, he had surpassed his limitations. It was miraculous growth that came about due to their contract!
Lee Shin Woo wasn't even aware of that; instead, he just figured that since Jin was more skilled than he'd expected, he wickedly thought that he'd be able to push him even more from now on.
"Hoo, Hooo..."
It'd been 10 minutes since Jin had improved his combat abilities, and eventually, when his Steel Body skill leveled up once more, his front legs had at last touched the ground. There were no longer any enemies left.
"Hey... I took down all of the golems!"
"Wow, there were at least fifty of them. Nice job."
"I really want to kill you right now."
"I could die for you at least once. I would have 96 lives left then."
Lee Shin Woo calmly responded and collected the loot; after that, he applied bone powder on the cracked and cut areas on Jin's body, as if he were rubbing an ointment, and activated Bone Reinforcement. Jin twisted his body as if it had felt itchy.
"A lot of Perium came out, but there're a lot of cores, too. There are 52 Attack Type Cores..."
"Can you complete one core with just that many?'
"The problem is that we have to be lucky with this."
He'd already figured out the composition of the Original Core, but combining the cores to create another Original Core was a different issue entirely. The purpose of reinforcing the core wasn't to match the dislocated sections, but to restore the fundamentally lost sections by combining two cores with similar characteristics. Naturally, there was a failure rate as well.
"But it's fine. Since there should be a lot of them still out there."
"Some of them should've been taken care of by the other heroes."
"That's bad luck. Don't say stuff like that."
Lee Shin Woo scolded Jin, who'd said something that might bring misfortune, and lead him out of the passageway. He maintained the general administrative seal with one of his hands, and Jin, who was suddenly doubtful of his actions, asked.
"Why do you keep creating the seal and then erasing it?"
"I'm practicing."
"You already succeeded in making it, though."
Lee Shin Woo chuckled and replied.
"That's not it."
"Huh...?"
"I feel like I might be able to use it somewhere..."
Honestly, there was another reason he wanted to keep in touch with Arema Steelworker and his golems. He wanted them to share their plan with him, but catching their attention just seemed much too passive of an approach.
Lee Shin Woo wanted to take a much more active approach. Like he had always done. And in order to do so...
"I want to obtain higher authority than just an ordinary administrator."
"..."
Lee Shin Woo's eyes gleamed, and the red goblin fire in his eyes shined wickedly. He was recollecting the seal that Guillotine Steelworker had created in front of the door lock. Jin, who'd finally realized what Lee Shin Woo's true intention was, thought it was fine to just laugh.
