Hyeolbiggaek asked.
“What’s up with those golems?”
“This… it’s the Guard Golem that Oknodie assigned.”
The person who spoke was also taken aback. He had almost forgotten about the very existence of the Guard Golems.
That meant the Guard Golems had never fulfilled their role even once.
Hyeolbiggaek felt equally baffled.
“What’s the point of Guard Golems that don’t guard?”
“I wouldn’t know if you told me.”
Sing was seeing that for himself for the first time.
Oknodie’s Guard Golem.
He knew they were newly created, but while immersed in training with Professor Raregrills, he had no reason to go anywhere outside the classroom, training grounds, or dormitory unless it was Oknodie’s request to assist with an organization event.
“I still haven’t finished Professor Raregrills’ simulation.”
Demon Orde Taco, Demon Box Cat.
He had defeated both and acquired a specialization in the third stage of Domain Expansion.
Always returning to the origin.
Origin Type 1, True Extreme – Point of Destruction.
Origin Type 2, Rebirth – Teleportation.
Both were strong techniques, but the problem lay with the third opponent.
Revolutionary Army Leader.
The First Revolutionary.
That man was strong.
Once he opened a gate, he unleashed undying forces that were beyond containment.
Professor Raregrills said the technique was indeed a nightmare.
He was the decisive cause that turned the Destroyer into a half-undead.
A formidable enemy with the highest difficulty, who even after unleashing the powers sealed by a retired previous hero turned professor, was still insurmountable.
If he couldn’t defeat him, there was nothing beyond that.
The owner of the Forbidden Book.
The fourth formidable enemy, Taboo Emperor Pake Hiuqmag.
The unexpectedness of the variant.
The fifth formidable enemy, Chimera Legion Mother-level entity.
The ancient resistance.
The sixth formidable enemy, Underworld Underground Legion Commander.
All of these battles remained within the realm of imagination.
In fact, the reason he had embarked on Oknodie’s request was partly to gain clues to win the battle simulation against the third formidable enemy, the Revolutionary.
If Oknodie was willing to ask, it was clear that an extraordinary opponent awaited.
“Indeed, it has been helpful.”
The fourth stage of Domain Expansion.
He heard there was still a realm he had yet to reach.
Surely, it would become a hint to surpass the Revolutionary.
Domain Expansion.
Domain Extension.
Domain Specialization.
The trial hinted at by Hyeolbiggaek that suggested a realm that would follow.
Had he not gone through this trial, it would have taken an exceedingly long time for him to grasp the existence of the next realm, even with Sing’s extraordinary growth speed.
“Oknodie. You… haven’t given up on me, have you?”
He provided an opportunity for growth.
Thinking that way brought him joy, but…
Gugugugugu.
Zzzzzz.
Gogogogogo.
Seeing the three golems, which were oddly suspicious to the extent that he wondered why he had forgotten about them, made him puzzled again.
Perhaps there was another purpose behind sending out these non-guarding Guard Golems.
“The mountain doesn’t start to crumble before the earth tilts or the dirt begins to pour.”
“Do you think the Guard Golems are trying to topple a peak?”
“A small wave may obscure the river’s flow, but how could the river’s flow change? Now that all you Academy students have left, it’s time to achieve your goal.”
“…!”
Hyeolbiggaek’s words were correct.
Sing felt that way.
The reason the Guard Golems didn’t protect the students was likely that protecting the students was never programmed into the golems from the start.
Due to the limits of magical input, the more powerful the golems were, the harder it became to expand on pre-entered commands.
“Surely, the Senior Examiner couldn’t have been so high-performance that he could coldly analyze and calculate that he had no intention of trying to kill us.”
It was impossible to significantly add both combat and everyday algorithms at once due to the physical constraint of area for engraving the spell.
The golems were limited to either battle-type or support-type.
Battle-type golems take care of real combat, intruder ejection, and guarding.
Support-type golems handle tasks like assisting experiments, transporting cargo, and region cleaning.
From all appearances, Oknodie’s golems were undoubtedly the former.
“So… is this golem strong?”
“You’ll soon find out.”
“If there’s another purpose, then my existence might not matter at all, right?”
“They probably needed something to show to the Academy or other organizations. The golems were sent to guard the students, not as a pretext for an ambush.”
“…You’re saying my existence is merely a pretext for the golem’s movements?”
Such an experience had happened once before.
When he had been invited to the Director’s Mansion by the Director.
Or at the Tower of Training of the Foundation.
While staying there, Sing had felt the limit of his abilities.
He sensed the Foundation’s power and the danger of the Director.
Playing with the human psyche.
Creating situations in which actions are compelled.
Evil wisdom that not only disturbs the body but also the mind.
What was the reason for the Director keeping him close to Oknodie?
The Director allowed him to stay to make him realize the “powerlessness of friends or comrades related to Oknodie.”
It was as if they made a careless child feel the hassle of taking care of a pet and waited for the child to distance itself from the pet when the time came.
“No matter how many things happen, do inherent tendencies just tend to resemble each other?”
Oknodie had shown several times the desire to rebel against the Foundation, but this time, Oknodie’s actions closely resembled those of the Director.
“Now leave. Your lessons have ended. I don’t want to get involved in your circumstances any further.”
Hyeolbiggaek ordered Sing to descend the mountain.
Sing bowed his head in thanks and began his descent.
He soon came upon a crossroads.
One road led to the Transfer Station.
The other one led deeper into the peaks.
If he went to the Transfer Station, he could train without being used in Oknodie’s plans.
However, if he entered the peaks, he could directly witness what Oknodie’s plan was.
“The answer had been predetermined from the start.”
Without hesitation, Sing moved towards the deeper peaks.
His origin was to protect my younger sister.
Oknodie was someone he valued so much that he considered him his second younger sister, following the deceased Younger Sister Lin.
“I won’t avoid it. Your darkness. The true form you could not show to the other friends.”
If he turned back here, Oknodie would no longer reveal his true self to him.
He would also never realize the results achieved by the murderous golems sent under the pretext of the Guard Golems.
Such peace, he neither desired nor demanded.
“And… I also have pride as a swordsman.”
The swordsmanship cultivated after defeating Orde Taco and Box Cat.
He wanted to proudly prove his skills as a swordsman.
I’m not just a pretext for you.
I will become a
For that, I am not afraid of how much blood I may see with these hands.
“It’s rare. I see someone who has ascended the [Blood Peak] and returned alive.”
“A Golem Sorcerer. All three golems are remarkable.”
“Not just the golems; your skill as a swordsman is considerable. You seem to be receiving significant support from a tremendous organization. So we won’t interfere. Pass through unhindered.”
Unlike the low-rank underlings who had charged blindly at the first peak, those positioned around the next peak after passing the Blood Peak showed restraint.
Middle-rank experts who understood Sing and the strength of the Guard Golems managed to retract their bodies, causing the progression into the peaks to quicken.
“I want to know where the flying skeleton and the suspicious person accompanying it are heading.”
“I don’t know if they are more suspicious than the three Raremetal Combat Golems, but I’ll answer anyway.”
“…”
As Sing ventured deeper into several peaks, he felt the attitudes of those lingering around the peaks changing.
Those who had actively retracted their bodies began to assess him and gauge their strength against him as a ‘foe’ or ‘opponent’ little by little.
The deeper the peaks of the mountain range, the more strong dragon veins were present, and the powers held by those who occupied those areas were also substantial.
“An upward leveling has occurred. Unless I stumble upon some hidden spot unknown to anyone, everyone here is strong.”
His bloodless entry came to an end before the largest peak.
“Get lost.”
An assailant who showed aggression without a hint of concession or hesitation at the sight of Sing and the golems.
Feeling the appearance of an aggressive master who mirrored his former self at the beginning of last semester felt like looking into a mirror.
Especially in terms of skill.
“Strong. To think such a master could be hiding in the mountains.”
He felt it.
The kidnapper of the flying skeleton must be somewhere on this peak.
This place seemed to hide a
Hyeolbiggaek.
The reason she remained at the summit of the first peak might also be to guard and monitor this place.
Swish.
If that’s the case, there was no reason to shy away from a fight.
The trial was over.
The real battle was beginning.
“Let’s fight. Sounds good.”
As Sing drew his sword, the opponent drew one too.
His blade radiated azure, aiming directly at Sing with a murderous intent—the guardian of the final peak, Jongmun Swordsman.
The moment he took a step, Sing felt a tremendous wave of power pass by him.
“?!”
It was but a moment.
The master whom he thought could be his equal was turned into a bloody puddle.
“W-What the hell?!”
He saw it but could not comprehend it.
No, his brain refused to comprehend.
An equal opponent had fallen with a single blow.
In other words, he himself could also be taken down with a single strike.
Such golems, three of them, had been attached.
Oknodie’s sword?
Proof of skill?
He could do nothing.
Even after all that growth, he was nothing compared to Oknodie’s golems.
“Was I truly just a pretext for showing to the Academy or the Foundation?”
Crack.
A huge explosion echoed in Sing’s heart.
It was the sound of a crack forming in his pride as a swordsman.
