Chapter 249: Is Anyone Still Alive?
The sudden thought startled even Leon himself...
But on closer reflection...
It really might be possible...
Throughout the history of the Northend world, there have never been more than a handful of Sky Rank Alchemical Golems. Three of them were crafted by Igor the Azure Sage, and all three eventually ended up in Vaughn's possession. After Vaughn's death, however, they vanished from the world.
Could it be that the one lying in this abandoned warehouse is actually one of them?
With this thought, Leon quickly bent down to examine the ruined alchemical golem. Sure enough, it was a Sky Rank alchemical array, though it was severely damaged—less than half remained intact. Only a few external interfaces and the most basic functional modules were still working.
Wait, there's also this frame...
Leon quickly pulled a glass vial from his pocket and carefully dripped a reagent onto the black frame. Instantly, a thumb-sized patch of crimson appeared where the liquid touched.
"Embersteel!" Leon realized at once. No wonder he thought the golem's frame looked like magisteel but was a shade darker—turns out, it was Embersteel.
Legend has it that Embersteel can only be found in the deepest layers of the Abyss—a semi-natural magical metal born when ordinary magisteel veins lie beneath abyssal flames for tens of thousands of years, until the entire vein is burned to ash, leaving only a trace of pure essence. That's why it's called Embersteel.
The yield of Embersteel is absurdly low—sometimes an entire magisteel vein produces only a fist-sized chunk...
Embersteel forged under such conditions possesses unmatched defensive power, nearly immune to all spells and physical attacks below Sky Rank. Owning armor made of Embersteel is almost equivalent to immortality.
Moreover, Embersteel is astonishingly flexible. A golem frame cast from Embersteel is nearly indistinguishable from a living human.
Leon remembered that, at the end of the Plane Colonization Era, the Shadow King—who became a saint through puppet alchemy—was always accompanied by a Sky Rank Sword Saint. Back then, this was an unbeatable duo: a Sky Rank mage and a Sky Rank Sword Saint who swept aside all opposition.
But strangely enough, that Sky Rank Sword Saint never revealed his face, and no one even knew his name. All people knew was that he always stood silently behind the Shadow King, and only when he acted did the world truly feel the awe-inspiring force of a Sky Rank master.
For a long time, people speculated about the true identity of the Sky Rank Sword Saint...
It wasn't until centuries later, after the Shadow King perished in the Abyss, that a Title Archmage stumbled upon his remains—and the thoroughly destroyed wreckage of an alchemical golem. Only then did people realize that the nameless Sky Rank Sword Saint had been a golem all along.
And that golem's frame was forged from Embersteel...
Once the secret was revealed, alchemists across Northend went mad, frantically searching for Embersteel. Every alchemist dreamed of casting a perfect frame from Embersteel, hoping to recreate the Shadow King's legendary companion...
This alone shows how powerful an Embersteel-forged alchemical golem truly is—almost indistinguishable from a living human, capable of wielding any martial art or spell.
Among Northend's alchemists, Embersteel is often called 'living magical metal.'
"Looks like this really is one of the three Sky Rank Alchemical Golems Vaughn once possessed..." Confirming the frame was cast from Embersteel, Leon could almost be certain this golem was crafted by Igor the Azure Sage.
Back then, Igor the Azure Sage crossed the Infernal Gate and only returned to Northend ten years later, weary and travel-worn. During those ten years, he traversed layer after layer of the Abyss, slaying demon lords and amassing a stockpile of Embersteel. It was an open secret—rumor had it that Emperor Charles's armor was forged for him by Igor from Embersteel.
"But how could a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem end up lying here?" For a moment, Leon's mind was flooded with questions.
A frame forged from Embersteel, half a Sky Rank alchemical array—just from these alone, the identity of this golem was clear. This was a genuine Sky Rank Alchemical Golem.
And so the question arose...
That's a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem!
To take down a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem, you'd need another Sky Rank powerhouse, wouldn't you?
Could it be that Vaughn's laboratory in Four Seasons Gorge was once visited by a Sky Rank master?
But why would a Sky Rank master come here?
For some benefit?
That doesn't seem likely. What does a Sky Rank master even want? There are so few things in this world that could tempt someone at that level. Vaughn's alchemy lab might sound impressive, but to attract a Sky Rank master? Not even Star Sage Joey would bother visiting Vaughn's lab if you asked him—he wouldn't have the slightest interest...
But if not for some benefit, then for what?
Could it be that Vaughn's alchemy lab hides some secret beyond magical materials and that set of crystal scales?
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Leon thought and thought, but couldn't make sense of it. He could only shake his head and refocus his attention on the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem...
The damage to this Sky Rank Alchemical Golem was truly astonishing—even the Embersteel frame had suffered irreparable trauma. This was Embersteel, supposedly immune to all spells and physical attacks below Sky Rank, yet it was wrecked like this. Clearly, it must have gone through a battle of unimaginable scale.
Maybe a Sky Rank master really did come through here...
"What a shame..." Such a fine Sky Rank Alchemical Golem, now damaged beyond repair—even Leon felt a pang of regret.
After a thorough inspection, only the control core in the head was still intact. Leon thought for a moment, then fished a Level 20 magic crystal from his pocket and embedded it in the mana source. Using the tools at hand, he repaired a few nearby mana circuits and temporarily connected the control core to the mana source.
Originally, Leon just wanted to see if he could fix the control core and maybe restore some functions to the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem...
But as soon as the Level 20 magic crystal was embedded, the half-ruined Sky Rank alchemical array suddenly lit up.
Then Leon saw the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem's eyes snap open...
"Bloody hell..." Leon nearly had a heart attack. Was this a joke? Even a tenth of a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem's power could kill both him and Salomon on the spot...
Leon instinctively jumped back, his Icefire Shield flaring to life, one hand flipping open the Death Tome, ready to unleash a Limit Spell—when suddenly, the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem spoke...
"Is anyone still alive?"
"..." Leon nearly choked on his own spit...
Damn it, two living people standing right in front of you, and you ask if anyone's alive? Isn't that a bit much?
Only then did Leon realize he'd been scaring himself for nothing. The golem's eyes and mouth were open, but all he'd done was restore power to the control core. The real threat—the power system—had long ago been melted into a lump by extreme heat. A single Level 20 magic crystal wouldn't fix that, and even with dedicated repairs, there was no way to restore a power system that had been fused into slag.
Besides...
A Level 20 magic crystal might be a lot for an ordinary golem, but for a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem, it's barely enough to power a single spell...
He'd been spooked for nothing...
"People can scare each other to death..." Leon finally dismissed his Icefire Shield and stuffed the Death Tome back into his pocket.
"Is anyone still alive?" The Sky Rank golem repeated its question again.
"Alive, alive! Can't you see two living people standing right here?" Realizing he'd been scared by a broken-down golem, Leon snapped irritably...
But the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem didn't seem to hear, stubbornly repeating the same question: "Is anyone still alive?"
"What's going on?" Leon was starting to get suspicious...
Sure enough...
"Is anyone still alive?"
...Leon suddenly understood—the Sky Rank Alchemical Golem could only repeat that one line.
Wait a minute...
That line... could it have been a question from Igor the Azure Sage?
Leon was an alchemist himself—not on the level of Igor the Azure Sage, but familiar enough with golem construction to know that when a Sky Rank Alchemical Golem keeps asking the same question, it's almost always because the creator implanted that line during its making...
So that line...
Was almost certainly Igor the Azure Sage's question...