The Virtual Martial Arena

Inside the laboratory, the half-elf Ranger, burning with shame and anger, drew her bow and shot an arrow with all her strength, piercing the hearts of the two Goblins in the middle of their coupling. The unlucky Goblins returned to the River Styx in a daze.

Watching the two little things go hand in hand to the River Styx, Ryan felt sorry for them for one second, then went back to clean up the mess on the floor. The thrifty Mage sorted the spellcasting materials used to inscribe the magic circle and recovered them one by one.

Once the dust had settled, the young Mage began to feel the ache in his wallet again. He carefully gathered up the golden amulet, the amethyst, and the rest, returning them to Traveler Space.

After finishing all this, the two of them stepped through the door hidden behind the steel wall.

They walked less than five hundred feet along a steel passageway, its metallic sheen glinting coldly in the air, before they spotted the exit. As they emerged from the cramped passage, the view before them suddenly opened up.

A vast, empty underground space lay before them. The changes brought about by the dragon blood in Ryan's body let him see the magnificent, bizarre architectural spectacle despite the pitch-black darkness.

From the cliff walls, walkways stretched across the space from east to west. Steel corridors wide enough for two people crisscrossed overhead, while vapor rising from below gathered into clouds in midair. The faint glow of bioluminescent creatures on the cavern ceiling lent the mists the colors of rosy clouds—a magnificent sight, as if clouds and sunlight had filled the sky.

Long bridges lay across the waves—if there were no clouds, what dragons would fly there? Elevated walkways crossed the sky—if the day were clear, what rainbows would appear?

Looking at the scene before him, Ryan, whose literary education was nothing to write home about, suddenly recalled those lines from an ancient poem.

But the steel grating and metallic feel of the walkways clashed with the beauty of the fairyland-like scenery, leaving Ryan rather disappointed.

What caught Ryan's attention even more were the orderly inhabitants and the dense steel forest of buildings, each of a different height, in this underground space.

In the dim, pitch-black ruins, faint, scattered sounds came from beneath Ryan and Jelona's feet. The two of them were walking along the intricate steel walkways crisscrossing in midair, and their excellent night vision gave them a clear view of the bizarre scene below.

Among the tightly packed steel buildings, there were no magical light sources like the ones used for illumination in the laboratory. In the darkness, only dim indicator lights blinked at intervals. Ryan guessed that the residents here simply had no need for light to see.

"wankq,45835656,6565658,zzzt,zzzt..."

In this steel-forest community, numbers and abbreviated letters had taken the place of writing and words, while lights blinking at different frequencies had replaced speech. The mechanical constructs in their steel bodies had built a social system of their own.

Among the uneven but orderly steel buildings, tall golems stood guard, tiny puppets cleaned the workshops, and nimble mechanical constructs carried out their manufacturing work. They communicated and cooperated with one another simply and efficiently, reopening the long-sealed ancient workshops.

The ruins' reactivation had clearly awakened the ancient factory from its long slumber. Batch after batch of weapons—sharp, keen, and steeped in the aura of slaughter and death—were being manufactured. The steel creations followed their master's will, preparing for war without sleep or rest.

Steel needed no sympathy, and machines craved no recognition. Their sole purpose was to be used up as tools.

There was not a trace of human warmth in the silent air. Only the sporadic beeps of indicator lights and faint, strange electrical crackles echoed through the vast space. The entire process was marked by the cold efficiency and decisiveness unique to mechanical thinking.

Ryan and Jelona stood on the walkways above this enormous factory, which was gradually coming back to life. The half-elf Ranger watched, stunned, as constructs—rarely seen in Faerûn—worked in orderly groups below. Their movements were complex and intricate, yet perfectly disciplined.

"Phew." The Mage let out a soft breath, as though trying to exhale all the awe and longing in his heart.

At that moment, Ryan suddenly understood what it meant to be a true master of golems and steel.

No wonder this person had managed to build a Gundam from scratch in another world with his bare hands. Looking at the production lines below, slowly coming back to life as the ruins awakened, Ryan was incredibly envious.

Of course, the main reason definitely wasn't that Ryan had spotted lifelike female humanoid machines among the many angular devices. With their pretty faces, alluring figures, and hair in a variety of colors, the humanoid robots wore exquisite, gorgeous outfits. Their exposed skin looked just like real flesh, making them stand out among the strange steel constructs like ink spots on white paper.

Ryan felt that, as an eager and studious student, he absolutely could not let this senior's painstaking work and knowledge remain buried beneath these mountains, forgotten by all.

The Mage resolved to learn how to make golems and lifelike robots from the ruins. It wasn't for the scantily clad beauties, of course. The pure-hearted young man claimed he just wanted to build up his skills, follow in the footsteps of the great master before him, and, while he was at it, make himself a 2B beauty to fulfill a dream.

"Ryan, are all those golems?"

Looking at the magnificent factory below, which resembled a steel city, Jelona asked in a bewildered, incredulous tone.

After all, on the continent of Faerûn, golems were strategic assets that only wealthy Mages could afford to own.

Even ordinary clay golems and Stone Golems could serve as the sturdiest shields in a party. They were reliable both for hard labor and in battle.

More advanced models, such as Iron Golems treated with enchantments, were impervious to blades and spears while possessing the brute strength of a bull. They could even decide the outcome of a small-scale battle.

The terrifying number of golems and the enormous steel city deeply shocked the half-elf Ranger. Jelona, who had never witnessed an assembly line or the steel age, clearly couldn't remain as calm as the Mage.

Having recovered from his initial surprise, the Mage's thoughts had already begun to wander as he considered how to design a unique construct of his own. Ryan, caught between choosing a maid outfit or a school uniform, heard Jelona's question and answered softly:

"Yes. This is a creation of the ancient magical empire—a huge construct-manufacturing factory. The great master is terrifying."

By the time he reached the last sentence, Ryan's voice had become so faint that only he could hear it. Fully aware of his own shortcomings, the young man made no effort to hide his admiration, envy, and yearning.

After letting his envious gaze linger over the steel marvels, Ryan reluctantly led the half-elf Ranger, still shaken by the might of steel, across the elevated walkway and up to a sealed silver-white door.

Following Alexander's example, Ryan held his palm against the Magic Crystal on the door and channeled his magic into it. Just as expected, the delicate patterns on the door lit up one by one.

"Beep. Visitor detected. Conducting eligibility check... Temporary authorization detected in legacy mode. Identity verified.

"Honored inheritor, welcome to the Virtual Martial Arena. We wish you an enjoyable examination."

The familiar, cold mechanical voice made Ryan's mood turn cloudy. Having been tricked by the mechanical Tower Spirit before, Ryan was suspicious of the second trial. There was no way he would get through it easily.

It took one old schemer to know another. Ryan, a seasoned schemer himself, simply couldn't accept whatever deranged, underhanded design might await him.

As the green indicator light came on, the silver-white doors slowly slid apart. But contrary to their expectations, what appeared before the two of them was not the scene Ryan had imagined.

Hearing "Virtual Martial Arena," Ryan's first thought had been of a nutrient pod with tubes plugged into the back of his head. He hadn't expected this virtual testing ground to be so unconventional.

"Trial participants must carefully read the Virtual Martial Arena's management guidelines and user manual before entering. You assume full responsibility for any mishaps caused by improper operation. The Tower Spirit System of the Tower of Babel reserves the final right of interpretation."