Chapter 237: Iron Golems

Around these fields, Su Lun also found some broken crystal pillars carved with many glyphs. After careful examination by Heatherway, the runes etched there were for scouting, monitoring, altering the surrounding environment, and more.

Arcanists of the Arcane Empire Era could use spells to constantly monitor the growth of Magical Plants and adjust the environment based on their needs. Su Lun even suspected this didn’t require manual intervention.

Under these crystal pillars, Su Lun discovered Energy Conduits meant to transport magical energy, though many pipes were damaged and their energy nearly depleted.

“Intruders detected!”

“Counterattack mode activated! Eliminate intruders!”

“System powering!… Insufficient energy!… Activating reserves!… Reserve power engaged! Counterattack mode active!”

“Mission command: Eliminate intruders!”

A cold mechanical voice rang out. An intact crystal pillar nearby flashed, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Dim red lights glowed in the distant murky fog as tall shadowy figures emerged.

Several large Construct Puppets appeared. Unlike the popular Wizard puppets of the time, these were coated in glossy black metal, giving them a solid, imposing feel.

“Iron Golems?!”

Su Lun recognized them instantly. The leader resembled the early Iron Man armor from his past life. A few were damaged, likely battle scars.

“Target acquired!”

“Begin attack!”

Upon spotting Su Lun and Heatherway, the lead Iron Golem pointed its arm. Its palm split open, revealing a dark barrel. Energy erupted instantly. Su Lun pulled Heatherway aside without hesitation.

“BOOM!”

“CRASH!”

Multiple energy blasts struck where they’d stood, blasting a crater over four meters wide. A mushroom cloud rose from the explosion.

“Holy… That much power!”

Su Lun gasped at the crater, contributing to global warming. Each blast was stronger than a fireball. Continuous firepower like this could easily wipe out an army.

“Lightning Spear!”

A spear made entirely of lightning appeared in Su Lun’s hand. It flashed across the air, striking the foremost Iron Golem.

Intense lightning melted the golem’s chest into molten iron. A surge of electricity engulfed its entire frame. Its red eyes blinked erratically before dimming. The multi-ton Iron Golem crashed to the ground.

The remaining golems pivoted, firing more energy blasts.

“High-threat target detected! Priority elimination!”

All remaining Iron Golems targeted Su Lun. As energy blasts flew, Heatherway cast spells swiftly.

“Slow!”

“Energy Shield!”

“Haste!”

“Chain Fireballs!”

A magical glow enveloped the golems, slowing their already sluggish movements. A translucent shield formed around Su Lun, and his speed dramatically increased.

Five glowing orbs materialized near Heatherway. Arcing through the air, they struck three Iron Golems. When the light faded, the golems showed minimal damage—only slight surface cracks.

“Incredible magic defense!”

Su Lun slid aside, evading a heavy swing, then darted forward. His sword slashed at a golem’s knee joint.

“CLANG!”

Metal met metal. The golem staggered with a deep gash on its joint. Su Lun spun quickly, dodging another swing while continuously hacking at its leg.

Sparks flew. Soon the leg joint was covered in cuts.

“CRACK!”

The damaged joint snapped. The one-legged golem lost balance and fell heavily.

“Freezing Ray!” 3

Seizing the moment, Heatherway fired three ice-blue beams. They struck three golems, slowing them further under overlapping Slow effects.

Su Lun charged, his sword flashing. He sliced through their knee joints in swift strikes. Immobilized, the golems became easy targets. Soon, Su Lun severed each energy core. Their red eyes blinked and faded.

Su Lun sighed, discarding his sword—now jagged. “Damn! These golems are tough. Need better gear next time. Without the right weapon, this is like dismantling a mech with bare hands!”

“Heatherway, can you craft these golems?”

“My alchemy skill isn’t high enough yet. Plus, these Iron Golems from the Arcanum Empire are trickier to build than modern ones. I must take them apart back home,” she shook her head wryly.

Su Lun approached the fallen golems. He selected the best-preserved one and shoved it into his Storage Space. The others had to stay; his Storage Space was almost full.

The golems looked identical—definitely mass-produced. Su Lun guessed they were assembly-line outputs.

These Iron Golems had a Challenge Rating of around thirteen. Su Lun defeated them easily partly due to his strength, but also because they were low on energy. Otherwise, incessant energy blasts would have forced him to retreat.

The pair gathered useful loot and moved deeper. Past the fields lay a lake. Its water was clear but lifeless; centuries of isolation had destroyed its ecosystem. After some searching, Su Lun only unearthed several intact lotus seeds in the mud. Heatherway planned to plant them later.

Beyond the lake sprawled ruined buildings, mostly collapsed walls and debris. Some structures were obliterated, leaving only craters.

Su Lun picked up a piece of rubble. It was Obsidian, enchanted with the Hardening Spell. The devastation showed just how fierce the battle must have been.

While most buildings were destroyed, a central castle remained partially intact. After a brief exterior search, they entered. Inside lay chaos: shattered Iron Golems, rusted beyond use, littered the floor.

Scattered bones covered the ground—though most crumbled to dust upon touch. Besides human remains were thicker Orc bones and remnants of giants.

The skeletons painted a picture of brutal combat. Following the bones, Su Lun soon found the Secret Realm’s control center.

In a well-preserved room lay a control-like area. Six thick metal poles bore complex Rune Formations. Nearby, a huge crystal screen wall radiated spiderweb cracks.

This room saw the fiercest fighting. Discarded weapons lay everywhere. Su Lun picked up a Scimitar. Its enchantments had long faded; even the blade corroded.

Such weapons weren’t salvageable—they’d need reforging. Only a few high-grade enchanted weapons retained some power, but even they required repair by an Alchemy Master.

“CLACK”

A skeleton stirred in the room. Sensing Undead energy, Su Lun barely glanced at it. After millennia in such a death-filled place, minor Undead were normal—though higher-level versions couldn’t thrive here.

Low-level wraiths and skeletons were dealt with easily.