"The rumors about the golems wandering the Valley of Souls brought me here, but this... this is an ancient golem."

The old man's wrinkled eyes filled with amazement. It seemed he instantly recognized that Leon's golems were ancient.

His gaze, full of interest, moved closer as he gently stroked the surface of the armor golem. A nearly reverent expression of awe passed across his face.

It was clear at a glance that the old man had a deep affection for golems.

"What kind of help do you need?" Leon asked, though he was still taken aback by the sudden appearance of the old man. Nevertheless, he decided to listen to the proposal.

"Well… First, I should explain the research I’m working on," the old man said, straightening his hunched back and continuing. His initial excitement subsided, and now his gaze reflected the wisdom gained from many years.

"I'm currently researching the differences between modern and ancient golems. My focus in this study is on the core markings."

"Markings… I've never built a modern golem," Leon responded, implying that it might be difficult for him to assist.

The old man shook his head.

"Your expertise on ancient golems alone would be invaluable. Naturally, I would credit you in the paper, and we could share the results of the research. And…"

Chief hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"To be honest, I’d like to see the core up close. To examine the markings in detail."

The tone in his voice indicated he knew it was a difficult request.

It was true that the core markings were essential. In modern times, they were often deliberately made complex to protect the technology.

However, more important than the markings was the magic spell that imbued the core with life. While simply showing the markings wouldn't allow someone to instantly steal the golem-making techniques, it was still strange to offer such access to someone Leon had just met.

“I understand that this is no small favor.”

Chief paused and then carefully pulled something from inside his robe. What he revealed made Leon question his eyes.

It was a small piece of pure white metal—Orichalcum, a legendary material. Though it was small enough to fit in a palm, its value was immeasurable.

"If you were looking to sell it, this size might not be sufficient to create something. But I can tell you where I obtained it."

Leon’s curiosity was immediately piqued.

Orichalcum was a miraculous metal, the ultimate material for crafting the Gigantes golem.

According to Leon's blueprint, Gigantes was supposed to be made from mithril, but Orichalcum was an even higher-grade metal. If used, it would undoubtedly make Gigantes even more powerful.

However, he couldn't agree hastily based on that alone.

“I have two questions. First, if I go to this location, is it guaranteed that I’ll obtain Orichalcum? And second… why didn’t you go yourself, Chief?”

Chief paused, momentarily lost for words. Seeing Leon’s head tilt in suspicion, he hurried to explain.

"At the moment, I can't give you a 100 percent guarantee… but as your abilities grow, your chances of obtaining it will increase. As for the second question… it’s because I’m not strong enough to retrieve it."

Leon confirmed that Chief was at the mid-tier in the forbidden arts. Given that he was a magical engineer, this wasn’t too surprising. In fact, for a technologist, he was relatively high-ranked.

After a long silence, Leon let out a deep breath and nodded. The information seemed worth pursuing.

"Alright. I’ll visit you tomorrow."

Watching Chief turn and walk away, Leon immediately went to find Laysia, who was staying in the room next to his.

After a knock, Laysia soon opened the door. Her eyes still carried a hint of sleep, and her golden hair was tousled.

"…I’m sorry to disturb you while you were resting."

"It’s fine. What’s up?"

"Do you know anything about someone named Chief? He introduced himself as a magical engineer."

"Chief?"

Laysia’s sleepy eyes suddenly sharpened.

"His rank isn’t that high, but he’s well-known in the magical engineering field. Why?"

"He asked me to help with his research."

"Research?"

Laysia sighed in exasperation.

"How many research offers have you received already? Chief is considered an authority in golemology."

She sighed again and continued.

"At this rate, when you enter the academy in five years, it’s going to be a problem."

Leon was puzzled by her sudden remark.

"Why?"

Laysia smirked playfully.

"Why? Because if you enroll with so many publications to your name, the professors will never leave you alone. They’ll all try to recruit you for their research."

It was something for Leon to seriously think about, especially since he was already inclined to attend the academy.

He thanked Laysia and was about to leave when she added something with a serious expression.

"Oh, and be careful. Recently, beasts have been appearing outside their usual habitats in other regions."

The next day, Leon headed to Chief’s research lab.

The lab was filled with golem parts and various tools. On the walls hung diagrams of different golem forms and structures, and thick research notebooks, collected over decades, were scattered everywhere.

The air smelled of metal and had a unique, musty scent.

Chief welcomed Leon and gestured for him to sit. There was warm tea prepared on the table.

"My personal ambition is to collect all types of ancient golems."

Before diving into the research, the two of them shared a brief conversation. Chief’s voice was calm and soothing, putting Leon at ease.

"To be honest, the difference between ancient and modern golems isn’t that great. From a practical perspective, modern golems are actually superior. After all, technology has advanced, making them more refined. But ancient golems have their own advantages."

Chief sipped his tea before continuing.

"Forgotten ancient wisdom and techniques are fascinating on their own, but that’s not all. The raw, intuitive power of ancient golems and their ability to sustain core energy over long periods of time—those are the strengths of ancient golems. These techniques have been passed down through only a select few over thousands of years. If these ancient methods were combined with modern technology, their value would be unimaginable…"

"Then is your ultimate goal to merge ancient and modern golem technology?" Leon asked.

Chief smiled softly and shook his head.

"Combining the two technologies is as difficult as creating an entirely new form of magic."

He continued explaining the differences between modern and ancient golems.

"Both types of golems follow simple commands. This is because controlling multiple golems through willpower requires the use of will strings, which severely limits efficiency."

In that sense, the "Secret of Creation" was a special type of ancient golem magic. It allowed for control of golems without the need for will strings. Once a mage achieved a high level, they could control 10, 20, or even more golems at once using independent magic.

"I believe the biggest difference lies in the markings on the core. The essence of the technique is there. Of course, the magic that breathes life into the core is crucial, but for someone like me, a magical engineer, the technology itself is the most important aspect."

It seemed that Chief was keen on studying this aspect.

That day, Leon simply showed him the core of an armor golem, answered a few questions, and then returned.

A month had passed.

Leon was still living in the Valley of Souls. Both Arpina’s and Chief’s research were far from being completed, and Leon continued with his own studies.

During that time, Leon mastered the first level of the "Advanced Secret of Creation."

Leon’s skills began to rapidly improve when he took on the challenge of creating a new type of golem. This time, he aimed to create a small, humanoid golem.

He had already experienced countless failures, and the corner of his room was filled with discarded golem prototypes.

Through trial and error, Leon realized that he needed to simplify the details, such as facial expressions, muscle contours, and finger joints. Instead of aiming for perfection, he decided to focus on functionality.

Slowly and confidently, Leon crafted the shape of the small humanoid golem.

Using mana, he carefully inscribed circuits on each joint and key area.

He also made space in the golem’s chest for a core. Although Leon wasn’t yet skilled enough to create a new marking, he modified the core of the armor golem slightly.

Finally, after long hours of effort, Leon sighed with satisfaction.

"Done."

Standing before him was a golem about 1.5 meters tall. Its round head and human-like arms and legs made it resemble a young boy.

Leon draped a simple robe over the golem.

The body was delicately balanced.

The shoulders and chest were slightly rounded, giving the golem a sturdy appearance, while the arms and legs were relatively slim but flexible. The hands and feet, crafted with extra care, seemed capable of performing fine tasks.

Leon smiled as he admired his work.

'Is this the pride that artisans feel?'

"Your name is Neo."

Neo nodded as if it were alive, though it couldn’t speak.

'Modern golems can speak. I’ll have to ask Chief about that,' Leon thought.

While Leon could now control 50 golems, that was merely an additional achievement.

He commanded Neo to stand guard outside his room, then laid out three magic tomes on the floor.

The Radiance of Creation, The Curse of the Black Night, and The Secret of Creation.

Leon’s fingers moved over each tome as if they had been waiting for this moment, comparing and analyzing the magical formulas like an ancient puzzle.

The arrangement of the SSS-class magic formulas followed a spiral structure, with a large symbol in the center. It was the same structure as the spiraling rune at the core of the Secret of Creation.

At first, the formulas had seemed chaotic, despite the symbols being readable. The intricate patterns were like a maze.

But as Leon’s understanding of the Secret of Creation deepened, the meanings of the other two formulas became clearer as well.

Once Leon clearly grasped the structure of the formula, he dove into his studies with a burning passion.

Because he was juggling several different tasks, three months flew by for Leon.

Currently, he was inside the Valley of Souls, beyond the defensive magic barrier.

It was a place where it wouldn’t be surprising if a beast suddenly appeared.

Leon’s heart was pounding—not from fear of the beasts, but because he knew the power of the SSS-class magic.

Leon drew in his mana and briefly chanted.

"Reveal yourself."