Chapter 245: Magisteel Forge
"Are these spatial rifts?" Sylas West recognized them too. Faced with such invisible yet lethal traps, even a newly-titled Archmage dared not be careless. He activated his True Sight early, and as each spatial rift appeared, Sylas's expression grew increasingly grave. "Seven spatial rifts in total—why are they so concentrated...?"
"It must be artificial." With two previous encounters with alchemical golems, Leon was mentally prepared for the strangeness of this alchemical lab. Seven spatial rifts were treacherous, but not enough to truly worry him.
As the two spoke, several magical markers were already sent out, tagging each of the seven spatial rifts. This was to help Salomon and Fran—both Archmages, but their mastery of True Sight was nowhere near Sylas West's level, nor did they possess the abnormal magical glyphs of the Magenergy Array. For now, they could only rely on the magical markers to guide their way...
With the magical markers guiding them, the group had little trouble crossing the hall. Soon, all four had passed through the pitch-black corridor and started up the stairs toward the second floor of the stone tower. There was little danger along the way—only a few alchemical array traps, which Sylas West swiftly disarmed one by one.
The stone tower's interior had clearly been expanded by alchemical arrays. From the outside, it seemed no larger than a hundred meters, but once Leon and the others reached the second floor, it transformed into an impossibly vast space. There were no fewer than five libraries, each spanning hundreds of meters, plus abandoned alchemical workshops at both ends, and a variety of storerooms and laboratories. The entire second floor was nearly as large as Triumph Avenue...
Unfortunately, the second floor had clearly been abandoned for many years. Libraries and workshops alike were covered in dust and cobwebs. The four of them struggled to salvage a few intact books and materials; as for the storerooms and laboratories, every one was empty—nothing but dust as far as the eye could see...
"Vaughn is really stingy..." The disappointment was palpable. For the legendary Creator's alchemical lab to be so impoverished, Salomon could barely accept it.
"It might not be Vaughn being stingy..." Leon, however, was unsurprised.
Along the way—from the maze array to two encounters with alchemical golems, and now these empty storerooms—Leon had begun to form some guesses about the lab's true situation. But until he could confirm them, it was best not to speak out loud...
Alright, enough complaining. Let's check out the third floor. I think you'll be really surprised when we get there...
Really...? Salomon looked skeptical—not that he didn't trust Leon, but after seeing the barren second floor, it was hard to expect much from the third...
Sure enough, as soon as the four of them reached the third floor, Salomon was genuinely astonished...
Wh-what is this place?
The entire third floor was a massive alchemical workshop. Just the enormous Magisteel Forge in the center took up over a hundred meters. Dozens of workshops producing different components encircled the forge like stars around a moon, and crisscrossing assembly lines connected all these workshops. At every station stood an alchemical golem—some welding, some assembling, some monitoring...
Without a doubt, this massive alchemical workshop was built for producing alchemical golems. Its scale was unlike anything the four had ever seen. If it operated at full capacity, it could probably churn out a vast army of golems in a single night.
But unfortunately...
The enormous Magisteel Forge was cold and lifeless, the assembly lines had stopped moving, and the golems at each station had long since exhausted their final traces of magical energy.
The massive alchemical workshop was at a complete standstill...
Now you know why the second floor was so empty...
This scale is terrifying. If production resumed, just the alchemical golems alone could conquer Sail City, right?' Salomon was stunned—just looking at this workshop was enough to inspire fear.
Even three Sail Cities couldn't withstand it...
While the two were talking, Fran suddenly showed a pained expression: "I... I'm a bit dizzy..."
'What's wrong?' Sylas West frowned. Though he rarely gave Fran any kindness, they were both from Mercury Tower. Seeing Fran like this, Sylas grew tense and checked him carefully before sighing in relief: 'Nothing serious, probably just can't handle the magical metal radiation. Go rest somewhere, and don't stay too close to the Magisteel Forge.'
'Oh...' Fran nodded, and as he left, his steps were clearly unsteady, staggering as he walked.
Grandmaster Fran's health really does need some improvement...' Leon remarked with a smile as he watched Fran leave.
'Yeah...' Sylas West shook his head helplessly. Now that Fran was gone, he could speak more openly: 'When Fran was young, he had several run-ins with the Merlin Family—one time he was seriously injured and never fully recovered. It still flares up now and then, which is why he holds such a grudge against the Merlins. Merlin, if Fran offends you this time, let me apologize on his behalf. Please don't take it personally...'
'Haha, it's nothing...' Leon replied with a smile, but his gaze lingered on Fran's retreating figure...
Only when Fran's figure had completely disappeared did Leon turn back to the other two and suggest, "You've both seen the scale of this alchemical workshop. If I'm not mistaken, all the resources from the second floor's storerooms must have been moved here. Why don't we split up and see what we can find?"
Alright, same as before—let's meet back here in an hour.
I'll do the same as before...
Salomon was true to his word. The three split up for only a few minutes before the ninth-level Archmage circled back, rolling his eyes at Leon. Salomon said bluntly, 'Just like before—whatever you leave behind, I'll take.'
You really have ambition...
Don't think I don't know—you sent Sylas away in such a hurry because you must've found something incredible!' After several collaborations, Salomon had learned that no matter the situation, sticking close to this young Archmage always paid off. Even picking up his leftovers meant a harvest far beyond expectations.
Well, you're wrong this time...
Impossible!
Really, this time, I'm planning to follow Grandmaster Fran...
Fran?' Salomon looked at Leon suspiciously. 'Didn't Fran go off to rest?'
Seriously, you believe that? A dignified fifth-level Archmage can't handle magical metal radiation? I thought that excuse would only fool Sylas, but I can't believe it got you too...
...
While the two talked, Fran had already walked far, far away...
Once out of sight, the pain on Fran's face vanished, his steps grew light, and he walked along the crisscrossing assembly lines toward the center of the workshop...
Hmph, Marfa Merlin...' As he approached the Magisteel Forge, a smile crept onto Fran's face.
Earlier, to ask for help from Mercury Tower, Fran had written a letter to Nolan, claiming that his research showed this was Vaughn's alchemical lab. At the time, neither Nolan nor Caron believed him—they thought it was just a pretext for aid.
But only Fran knew the truth.
He really had researched some materials...
But that was a long, long time ago, back when Fran was just a master alchemist. By pure chance, he came across a fragmentary document.
The document's author had helped build a stone tower, but was killed as soon as it was finished. No one knows how, but the incomplete document eventually surfaced and ended up in Fran's hands.
So Fran learned some secrets about the stone tower...
But finding a stone tower that had never appeared before the world was no easy task. Fran only paid attention briefly after getting the document, then lost interest.
He never expected that by sheer chance, he would walk into Vaughn's alchemical lab—and that the lab itself would be a floating stone tower. Naturally, Fran started paying close attention, and once inside, he was shocked to find that everything matched the document exactly...
The discovery made Fran ecstatic.
But Fran was always cautious. After discovering this shocking truth, he told no one. He endured from the first floor to the second, and from the second to the third, knowing that the most important item described in the document was on the third floor of the stone tower...
So he used the dizzy spell as an excuse.
But Fran didn't know...
He wasn't the only one who had read that document...