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Shff, shff. The sound came at regular intervals as Ian flipped through the pages of a book.

Ever since he sat down, Ian had opened his book, and even after several hours, he hadn’t stopped reading.

Next to him, there was a stack of empty lunch boxes—he must have eaten during that time too.

“Haha.”

Garavan asked Ian with a peculiar expression, “You alright?”

“Pardon?”

“You were chuckling to yourself. Like a madman.”

Ian touched his mouth with his hand. Sure enough, as Garavan said, the corners of his lips had curled upward.

“…I must have found it amusing without realizing. Sorry if it disturbed you.”

“I’m not bothered. I’m just asking if you’re alright.”

“I’m fine.”

It was just a side effect of the stimulant. After his meal, he had felt drowsy and decided to try a doping pill.

“Your focus is quite something, though.”

“There’s nothing else to do.”

“You should take a break now and then. Rest is essential.”

“I’ll sleep later. Right now, there’s too much to read.”

“Ha. Well, if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask. It’s better to address confusion right away.”

Ian nodded and returned to his book.

The book, written by a Level 7 golem master, explained the basic structure, operating principles, and components of golems in an easy-to-understand way.

Technical terms were clearly broken down, and if a bit of magic was channeled into the illustrations, they would transform into 3D models that could be rotated and examined from all angles.

It made Ian wonder if it was really alright for such a book to be circulated freely. But with Garavan’s guarantee, he had access to it.

After all, Garavan was a Level 6 mage with spiritual power, so he likely had the authority to share this kind of knowledge.

‘…Fascinating.’

Even after turning the page, the phrases he had read stayed perfectly clear in his mind.

‘Is it because I already know most of this?’

In the past, before his regression, he had helped repair golems alongside Elian Pretus.

He had experience removing the outer armor to repair damaged magical circuits, and the conversations from back then helped him understand what he was reading now.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation. He had felt the same when he trained in Bane of Evil.

This regression was proving to be more of a blessing than he had imagined.

He wasn’t just rewinding time—he was accelerating his growth by drawing on the experiences and memories of the past.

“Garavan.”

“Just call me Garavan. That’s easier for both of us.”

“Garavan, is it possible to take control of a golem that another mage is operating?”

“It is, yes. But to do so, you’d have to break through their encryption and reset the identification system. There’s a lot to tamper with. A high-level mage might be able to do it easily if it’s a silver-ranked golem, but for ones at the gemstone level, it’s practically impossible. Just bypassing the multiple layers of encryption is daunting, and they usually have their own independent consciousness. It’s like trying to rewrite the memories of a transcendent being.”

“Hm. So for a meteorite-class golem, it would be even more impossible.”

“A meteorite? Of course. That’s essentially an entity on the level of the heavens—8th Level or higher. Didn’t the book mention it? The Blue Eye created by the Green Magic Tower using a dragon’s heart. It’s a highly intelligent being, not something you can control. It only cooperates as one of the empire’s protectors.”

“Right.”

“But if you’re not talking about combat, things are different. You could gain ownership if the golem’s master transfers it to you. Or, if it’s an inactive, masterless golem, you can re-imprint it.”

“Re-imprint…?”

“It seems you’re curious about that. Want me to explain? While controlling a golem is another matter, re-imprinting one isn’t that difficult. All golems share the same fundamental framework. This is one of the teachings passed down by the Eleventh Lord, Ajin, and it’s practically an unchanging truth.”

Garavan drew out a thread of magical power from his fingertips, arranging it into a specific pattern and intertwining it.

“And this is the biometric code for re-imprinting. Just as each person’s magic has a unique pattern, like a fingerprint, this is a kind of magic that builds upon that.”

“Is this also how ownership of relics is confirmed?”

“That’s right. With old relics, for instance, simply infusing them with blood or magic records your biometric code. This connects a magical pathway between the user and the object. Now, let me teach you how to create this biometric code. Learn it well—you never know when you might need it.”

Garavan explained it in such detail that Ian found it almost puzzling why he was being so generous. Thanks to this, Ian was able to master the technique for creating a biometric code.

Although it wasn’t yet perfected and took some time, by the time the train arrived at Helrem Fortress, he had managed to reduce the process to about one minute.

They gathered their belongings and stepped off the train.

“By the way, Garavan, with this much skill, wouldn’t you say I have some magical talent?”

“Of course, you do. Not just magic—you could even learn barrier arts if you wanted to. But I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ve already trained in martial arts, haven’t you? It’s better to focus on one field. Look at the Heroes. Although I haven’t seen it myself, rumors say they can erase magic with a single swing of their sword.”

Ian recalled Gailgron. He had erased the bombardment from Ollak Aira with a single strike. Even before Ian’s regression, he had witnessed similar sights.

“If you try to learn too many things, you’ll often end up being mediocre at everything. My advice is not to chase after futile dreams.”

Ian nodded and followed Garavan.

As they passed, the fortress’s residents and soldiers recognized Garavan and respectfully greeted him.

Watching this, Ian asked, “Then why are you teaching me about golems?”

“Golems are my primary attack method, but for someone like you, they’ll serve as auxiliary tools. You have the resources—you are a Berger, after all. Order a few platinum-grade golems with subspace storage from the Green Tower. They’ll make camping alone much more convenient.”

“Well, I suppose that would be useful.”

“Besides, your goal is to be a hero, right? Someday, you’ll cross over into the ruined territories of the Xail Empire. If you’re lucky, you might find some deactivated gemstone-grade golems there.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“If I did, do you think I’d be stuck in this fortress at the edge of the world? I’d have gone to retrieve them immediately. But don’t get your hopes up. It’s been hundreds of years. Even if something’s left behind, it likely won’t be in working condition.”

“That’s true.”

Ian gave a bitter smile as they arrived at the castle at the heart of the fortress. A servant approached and greeted them.

“Make sure a meal is prepared. You can use any room on the second floor.”

“When will you begin the test?”

“Do you want to do it right now?”

Just as Ian was about to answer, a terrible grinding noise suddenly swept through the castle.

Grrrrrrrrrriiiind!

“…It’s the outer gate.”

“This happens often. Hopefully, it’s not inside the fortress walls.”

Garavan’s face remained remarkably calm.

“I’ll head over first.”

An alarm bell rang out.

“If you look at the walls, you’ll see a signal beacon rising. Head there.”

Ian nodded and exited the castle.

Three plumes of smoke rose from the western wall, signaling a Level 3 outer gate threat.

By enhancing his body with magic and leaping across the rooftops, he quickly reached the walls.

Upon arriving, the soldiers and knights looked startled.

“Who goes there?”

“Ian Berger. I came with Lord Garavan.”

Ian showed the emblem on his collar. The golden insignia, more convincing than anything else, gleamed in the sunlight.

The sharp-eyed knight’s wariness slightly eased, though he kept his sword drawn, still warning him.

“Don’t act rashly, and stay quiet.”

Nodding, Ian peered beyond the fortress wall. In the not-too-distant area, an outer gate was opening.

A massive rift had formed in the air, spilling forth a flood of crimson energy.

Though Ian had rushed here, he realized upon surveying the scene that there wasn’t much need for him to intervene.

This was a star-shaped fortress near the defensive line. Cannons were already prepared, and soldiers quickly manned them, adjusting their aim with remarkable speed, likely aided by targeting magic.

Magical circuits shimmered along the barrels of the cannons, glowing as they powered up.

“Ready to fire!”

“Good, hold!”

Why aren’t they firing right away? Closing the outer gate should be the priority, shouldn’t it?

The thought barely passed before Ian realized: they were waiting to harvest materials from the monsters.

Kyaaah!

A screech pierced the air as the rift widened, and grotesque monsters began pouring out.

Just as Ian frowned at the horrifying sight, a booming voice echoed.

“Fire!”

With the knight’s command, the inside of the cannon flared to life.

Boom!

The cannonball shot out with blinding speed, hitting the outer gate squarely. The precision and power were beyond what Ian had expected.

Boom! Boom!

The monsters, spilling out from the freshly torn rift, were shredded by the overwhelming firepower. Blood and chunks of flesh were blasted into the sky, raining down.

Though the barrage seemed relentless, Ian knew that if this were enough to stop them, the outer gate wouldn’t be considered a threat.

The gate, as if enraged, expanded further, spewing out even more monsters.

Boom!

Groooaaaan…!

Finally, a monster tough enough to withstand the cannon fire emerged. Covered in a thick outer shell, it stretched its massive form and let out a shriek.

Screeeeeech!

The sound was so piercing it temporarily halted the cannon fire.

Though the soldiers were well-trained through countless battles, resisting their primal instincts wasn’t easy.

The fact that they didn’t scream or flee was worthy of praise.

“What are you doing? Fire again!”

The knight quickly issued another command, and the cannons roared back to life.

Boom! Boom!

But the monster had already moved, rapidly advancing toward the fortress with terrifying speed.

Kyaaah!

Its fierce energy surged as it closed the distance, causing the soldiers to falter, though none abandoned their posts.

Ian placed his hand on the sacred sword at his waist, but the knight beside him stopped him.

“Stay where you are.”

As Ian stood puzzled, he saw figures leaping down from the lower wall of the fortress, landing with a heavy thud.

‘Knights?’

No, that was the wrong assumption. These weren’t humans from the start.

Though they were clad in full armor, their movements felt artificial, almost mechanical. It was like watching dolls imitating the act of running.

‘Golems.’

There was no doubt these were creations of Garavan. Twelve of them, each equipped with different weapons.

Shields, greatswords, spears, axes, hammers—most wielded heavy weapons and charged toward the much larger monsters.

Boom!

A shield-bearing golem took the lead, but it couldn’t fully withstand the impact and was thrown back. However, in the brief moment the monster’s speed slowed, the other golems launched a coordinated attack.

A greatsword sliced through the monster’s legs, stripping it of its mobility. Spears and axes pinned its back, preventing escape.

The hammer came down on its head.

Thud!

Teeth, once firmly anchored in its jaw, scattered into the air, and the monster went limp, as if knocked unconscious.

The golems didn’t stop. They moved swiftly, targeting other monsters that had survived the cannon fire and were now charging toward the fortress.

Their teamwork was impeccable—more efficient than many mercenary bands.

Boom!

Though the shield-bearing golem was battered and sent flying again, Ian couldn’t feel pity. After all, these weren’t living beings.

Moreover, it was clear they had been designed with such situations in mind—slow but incredibly durable.

It was a sight worthy of applause, but Ian felt an inexplicable unease watching the golems.

———-