While assisting Arpina with her research, Leon made weekly trips to the Valley of Souls to inspect the defensive magic circle.

On the day Arpina’s first research phase was completed, Leon took the mana stones he received as payment and headed straight to the mineral shop.

“To supply that much mineral, I’ll need some time,” the shopkeeper said, frowning after hearing the amount Leon requested. It was far beyond the usual quantity.

Since the golems Leon created were larger than average, this was only natural. The armor golems alone were taller than a person.

Having no choice, Leon purchased what minerals he could immediately along with a suitable cauldron before heading back to the Valley of Souls.

Upon arriving at the desolate wasteland via teleportation magic, he cast a levitation spell to begin surveying his assigned area, checking for any issues with the defensive magic circle.

Before long, Reisia appeared beside him, surprising him and causing him to halt his flight.

“…When did you get here?” Leon asked.

“I was bored, so I was waiting to see when you’d show up.”

“I told you, you can signal the golems if you need anything...”

“Leon, you're too formal.”

Reisia simply smiled mysteriously, brushing aside his response.

Leon only tilted his head in confusion but continued his inspection in silence.

After a while, Reisia spoke again.

“Is your work helping the master’s research finished?”

“Yes… for now.”

“Lucky you. When do you think I’ll get a chance to help with her research?”

“Couldn’t you just ask?”

Reisia looked at him incredulously, as though he didn’t understand how difficult that actually was.

“Do you think it’s that easy? Do you know how many people want to help with the master’s research? Her work is in such a specialized field that even other schools are interested. Not many magicians in the Empire are capable of creating multi-element magic like she is.”

Her words were filled with admiration and pride for Arpina.

“That requires not just mastery of magic but an entirely different kind of understanding, a whole new level of talent.”

Reisia’s gaze toward Leon was filled with envy.

“There aren’t many people capable of helping with her research to the degree that satisfies her. Do you have any idea how shocked I was when she asked you to assist? She’s always done her research alone without even picking a single assistant, and yet she asked you?”

“I see,” Leon replied, feeling somewhat detached from the conversation. He was only participating in the research because he needed mana stones, but from what both Grios and Reisia said, Arpina wasn’t just an ordinary high-level magician.

Their inspection was nearly finished as they slowly descended to the ground.

“So, are you going to stay at the Valley of Souls for the foreseeable future?”

“It looks like it.”

Leon had agreed to continue helping with Arpina’s research, but since it wasn’t a project that could be completed quickly, he planned to spend the remaining time at the Valley of Souls performing guard duty.

In his spare time, he intended to use the newly purchased minerals to create more golems.

“That’s good. Patrolling the magic circle alone was starting to get dangerous.”

She then casually lifted her light blue robe, revealing her shoulder.

“…!”

Leon, about to avert his gaze, froze when he saw a fresh scar on her pale shoulder.

“I ran into a beast at the secret arts level a little while ago. It was a close call.”

Though she mentioned it casually, Leon couldn’t help but feel guilty. She had been inspecting and recording the beasts’ movements alone all this time.

“…Let’s go together from now on.”

Seeing Leon’s apologetic expression, Reisia smiled.

“Thanks.”

“There must be strong beasts here. Do more powerful ones live deeper in the forest, like in the Beasts' Forest?”

Reisia quickly pulled her robe back up and answered calmly.

“Do you know why this place is called the Valley of Souls?”

“No.”

“It used to be known as a graveyard before it was discovered by magicians. People who stepped foot in here would mysteriously vanish. It wasn’t until it was excavated and the beasts were culled that it became a place for raising them.”

Leon looked around, realizing that the mana in this place was indeed different. It was thick and dense, but it felt unstable, a trait often associated with artificially generated mana.

“That’s why we sometimes get unexpected, powerful beasts that appear. Some evolve after devouring others, and there are cases of mutants being born.”

“Is that the kind of beast you encountered?”

“Probably. The habitats of the beasts are well-documented. It’s rare for them to leave those areas, so I was just unlucky.”

“How do you handle such beasts?”

“We report them, and then they’re culled. The one I encountered has already been dealt with by another magician.”

Reisia smiled gently, assuring him there was nothing to worry about.

“The magician who came was quite impressed by your golems.”

She pointed to the golems moving systematically within the defensive magic circle.

“There aren’t many people who own that many golems unless they’re engineers specializing in them.”

“I suppose. Did they say anything else?”

Leon wondered if they had recognized the ancient golems, but Reisia shook her head.

“They didn’t say anything in particular. But I bet rumors are already spreading among the magicians on guard here. Soon enough, it’ll spread throughout all of Astellia.”

It was only natural. The appearance of golems, something rarely seen, especially in large numbers, would undoubtedly attract attention.

After completing their inspection of the magic circle, they returned to their quarters, which were designed for rest and training, with a serene atmosphere and mana quietly filling the rooms. Beyond the windows, the massive walls of Astellia could be seen in the distance.

Just before entering their rooms, Reisia asked, “In six months, there’s a duel among the personal disciples. There’s a banquet before that. Will you be attending?”

“A banquet?”

“It’s an event where personal disciples can build rapport with each other.”

Without hesitation, Leon shook his head.

“I won’t be attending.”

“I figured as much. Well, suit yourself.”

She waved lightly and disappeared into her room. One thing Leon appreciated about Reisia was that she never pushed him on anything and always respected his choices.

Leon, meanwhile, remained in the Valley of Souls, focusing on golem production.

It took longer than usual because this time, he had to make the golem bodies himself.

The true first step in creating golems was refining the minerals, a process that required The Fire of Creation.

This method, described in The Secrets of Creation, could melt even the hardest minerals, making any material easy to work with.

“It’s a lot like the process of making essence.”

Refining the minerals and preparing the molds for the golem bodies was a meticulous task.

Leon carefully handled the Fire of Creation, watching as the minerals melted away. He repeated the process until the minerals were refined to a pure state.

Afterward, he prepared the molds for the golem bodies.

But the process didn’t end there.

The most crucial part of the body was the mana circuits.

These circuits were essential for allowing the golem to move and understand commands. After the core, they were the most important component.

Until now, Leon had used ready-made golem bodies he had obtained from ancient ruins, so this was the first time he had worked on such a task from scratch.

Naturally, he encountered many setbacks.

Since the armor golems were too large, he decided to start by making scorpion golems to get accustomed to the process.

After a week of trial and error, Leon moved on to crafting the armor and gargoyle golem bodies.

The workshop was soon filled with various golem parts in different stages of completion.

Another month passed.

Since the guard duty at the Valley of Souls was a year-long commitment, Leon continued to stay in the quarters there.

During that time, unless he was inspecting the magic circle or patrolling the beasts’ habitats with Reisia, Leon rarely left his quarters, focusing entirely on his golem production. Occasionally, he would visit Arpina’s lab or go out to purchase more minerals.

The duties he was assigned were not particularly complex. Apart from checking the defensive magic circle and monitoring the beasts, he had ample free time. He could now see why Arpina had recommended this assignment to him.

Other magicians guarding different areas sometimes visited the quarters, but they would only exchange a few words with Reisia before leaving. Reisia always made sure to pass on the message that Leon was busy, helping him avoid unnecessary interruptions.

The road to achieving the second star in The Secrets of Creation was smooth.

Leon frequently visited the mineral shop, purchasing all the white obsidian as soon as it arrived.

Before long, Leon had crafted over 200 golems.

The day he achieved the second star in The Secrets of Creation, he eagerly pulled out the advanced version of the book.

At last, he could decode the runes and delve into the ancient magic rituals.

Leon immersed himself in deciphering the runes written in the advanced book.

The Secrets of Creation: Advanced contained detailed explanations on hidden sections of the golem blueprints, the more powerful Fire of Creation, intricate mana circuits, and the method of creating golem cores—the heart of the golems.

Leon immediately examined the hidden sections of the golem blueprints.

Beyond the familiar blueprints for the scorpion, armor, and gargoyle golems, their evolved forms were revealed.

The next level of the scorpion golem resembled a fairy-like creature with wings. Its stinger was deadly, but its primary purpose seemed to be stealthy reconnaissance.

The upgraded version of the armor golem was smaller yet more agile, resembling a knight golem. More precisely, it was like a magical knight equipped with spells.

The gargoyle golem’s superior form had evolved into a massive drake.

Finally, Leon’s gaze fell upon the colossal figure towering on the final page of the blueprint: Gigantes, a giant golem reaching for the skies.

These advanced golems were not only capable of casting magic but required far rarer and more valuable minerals to create. In return, their defensive capabilities were greatly enhanced.

However, there was one downside.

All the golems were heavily focused on combat and reconnaissance.

“Maybe I should try creating a new golem.”

Leon felt a growing desire to create a delicate golem that could provide him with auxiliary support.

One day, as Leon contemplated his next steps while studying The Secrets of Creation: Advanced, he received an unexpected visitor at his quarters.

When he opened the door, he saw an elderly man with frosty white hair and a hunched back, who bowed courteously.

“Are you perhaps the renowned Leon, creator of these remarkable golems?”

Outside his room, golems that couldn’t fit inside his quarters were scattered all over.

“…Yes, that’s me.”

Leon nodded reluctantly, and the elderly man smiled brightly as he introduced himself.

“I am Chief, a magic engineer. I’ve come to seek your insight regarding my ongoing research into golems. May I ask for your assistance?”