Chapter 23 Part4 (1/2)
<chapter 23.=”” level=”” 6=”” -=”” 4=””>
”What could possibly be hidden for him to act like that? Are they trying to kill me? If not, then are they trying to use me to provoke someone?”
But unfortunately for Guillotine, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't trust his words at all. He spoke, once he got off the golem train and stepped into a new area.
”s.h.i.+n Woo, can't you try trusting in people some more?”
”It's not between people; it's between a skeleton and a golem. The genre's completely different, so what's the point?”
”...”
Even as Lee s.h.i.+n Woo spoke, he activated the administrative seal naturally, like flowing water, and came into owners.h.i.+p of the abandoned golems on standby in the production facility. He'd already become quite familiar with the process, as he'd done this several times already.
[In honor of Steelworker.]
[I will protect you with my life.]
”Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's a level 5 one!”
[I am an Iron Golem. I will protect you, Steelworker.]
[I will protect you as well.]
”It's not just one!”
As he'd roamed the Empire, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had a rough idea as to the value of golems. Firstly, level 3 Stone Golems were pretty much worthless to him, while the level 4 Bronze Golems were normally quite strong. However, they were pretty pointless once he surpa.s.sed the level 2 danger zones.
However, it's different when referring to the Iron Golems, which were level 5 elites. They're definitely the 'bully' of the level 2 danger zones! They would probably be useful, even in the level 3 danger zones with their level of durability and power.
”But I haven't found any golems that are a level higher than them...”
”They're probably in those rooms that they didn't let us in, right?”
”There might be some of those golems in the level 3 danger zones already.”
”Yeah, there's a high chance of that.”
The two chattered on whilst Lee s.h.i.+n Woo lead the golems outside. There were five golems standing by in the underground facilities, with another five outside as well; so in total, there were 10 Iron Golems by their side.
[Waiting for your orders, Steelworker.]
[It's an honor to be guarding you, Steelworker.]
[Command us.]
”They're quite loyal...”
”Mm, so Arema Steelworker doesn't really care about the level 5 Iron Golems, huh...”
”Huh? That's what this means?”
”Look. There are Iron Golems right outside the train underground even without us going above ground, so they didn't bother picking them up. That means that these Iron Golems hold no value to Arema Steelworker.”
The fact that Arema Steelworker sent them on their way on the train, despite knowing that there were Iron Golems there meant that he considered these Iron Golems trash 'yet to be disposed of'.
However, Arema treasured the level 6 golems. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Jin were able to roughly estimate the level of the golems in the areas where they weren't permitted to enter.
He didn't care about the level 5 golems, but he did care about the level 6 ones. There was one thing that suggested as such.
”He has no way of creating cores. If he were able to create cores, he would've collected the level 5 golems, and even the level 4s and taken them apart. And would've created more level 6s, but the fact that he didn't means that...”
”Ah, you're probably right.”
The Iron Golems' cores were high-cla.s.s, and were very similar to the Original Core. Honestly, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was confident that he would be able to make an Original Bone Core with just four or five of them. However, Arema Steelworker was leaving those Iron Golems alone.
”...I wonder what Arema Steelworker is thinking about? What does he intend to do? Why did he send us here?”
”I wonder. ...I suppose that's for us to find out.”
If there were one thing he was sure about, it would be that Arema Steelworker made a huge mistake; he hadn't taken into account Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's latent potential and had thoughtlessly revealed his secrets. It didn't take long for Lee s.h.i.+n Woo to come to that conclusion.
”You guys go back. If we keep going like this, we should be able to reach the level 2 danger zone without any danger.”
[As you command, Steelworker.]
[I will follow your command, by working together with my comrades.]
Though he'd just gotten command over the group of golems, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo sent the golems away in the next moment. To be exact, he'd sent them to the designated gathering place for his troops in the level 2 danger zone.
”Go to the meeting place as soon as possible, but if you think there's any danger to your cores, run away and take a detour immediately. If you can't escape, collect your comrades' cores and keep them with you. Remember that.”
[I understand!]
[Thank you for taking us into consideration, Steelworker.]
Once they grouped up with the other golems, their mission would be to roam around the Empire, collecting information and hunting monsters.
If they don't overdo it, such that they don't incur casualties and cut down the number of undead, they would help in gradually, very gradually purifying the Empire. If they worked together, they would at worst be as effective as 1 hero.
”Unlike the Pauls, the Golems can't grow.”
”But the bones that they collect can be used to reinforce the Pauls, right? Moreover, there's something else I'm thinking about, too.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo sent the golems, which departed for their long journey, off with a delighted smile. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had frantically picked up the Iron Golems while Arema Steelworker had thrown them away and considered them useless. From the outside, it clearly seemed like a completely one-sided superior and subordinate relations.h.i.+p, but it was strange, as it felt like if it were Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, it might be different.
”Then, shall we get going, secretly?”
”How? You don't have Shadow Sprint anymore.”
”Ah, that's right.”
At the beginning, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought he'd be able to change skills as he wanted like how he could so naturally change mana as he wished, but he couldn't. If it were that easy, they wouldn't be skills. If it had a particular element to it, then he might've been able to recreate it, but the 'Shadow' element didn't exist in this world.
”Whenever I try, I just keep making Shadow Horns. d.a.m.n it...”
”It can't be helped. If we need to, we can just run away. Let's go.”
”Sseup...”
Like with all of the golem production facilities, their destination was in the highlands, northwest a ways away from the center of the Empire. When they looked down, they saw the satellite city that Guillotine had told them about, Kadinan.
He inwardly thought that this city might've been cleared out by the other heroes, but considering the abundance of mana he felt, it meant that the undead were still stationed inside the city.
”Is the lord about level 6? Level 6...”
”Don't smack your lips. Yeah we're going to charge in, but now's not the time, right?”