'This is an obvious waste of time. What are those two captains thinking? What would waiting five more days change anything…?' many thought.

The days changed and time pa.s.sed. The crew's training sessions progressed.

Those who watched the training irritably began to feel coldness seeping into their hearts, even in the heat of June.

The postures of the Essen crew members were still clumsy. Their movements were awkward, and their fighting style was sloppy. There was no set formula, and they couldn't draw the beautiful lines of movement that experienced warriors were proud of. They tried new, ridiculous things, and they occasionally laughed at their own actions.

However, once two full days pa.s.sed, no one dared laugh at them. The members of the Absolute Clans, those who seemingly ruled over the continent with their martial prowess, started getting up from their resting positions. Despite being an open place where everyone could see each other's movements and skills, the Absolute clansmen started training seriously.

Giyoung wiped the sweat from her brow. She glanced to the side. There, she could see the Essen crew members engaged in training.

'Can I suppress them?'

Giyoung recalled the battle organization she learned within the Ki-Jang Clan. The Ki-Jang Clan was known for its battle formations and tactical, organizational skills. The clan specialized in organized battles. When three Ki-Jang clansmen gathered, the combat power of nine could be brought out. Giyoung questioned the validity of what she learned for the first time in her life.

The Essen crew members took their training seriously. Although it was obviously spontaneous, the intensity of the training was the same as in any reputable clan. They never gave up and never hid their desire for achievement.

Also…

They were going through a period of explosive evolution and development. The group tactical operations became flexible, and the group movements became refined like a sharpened blade. They were developing their own means of communication and were experimenting with the performance and optimal use of their new weapons.

Three days after they began their training, San and Biyeon joined. Now that the basic training was finished, the main training began. It was similar to an artist creating a sketch with a pencil before filling the canvas with color.

“There's no study as good as what one learns directly from one's body.”

“Taste the pain of failure early on. It hurts more if one stumbles later on.”

“Small successes matter. Success will lead to other successes.”

The crew learned from their last expedition that the key skills of observation and reenactment were essential for proper training.

They were practicing their realization of 'creative and critical thinking'. Furthermore, their captains constantly emphasized efficiency and effectiveness during their training.

“The weapon is part of your body. Thus, learn to fight with your whole body.” 

“The purpose of battle is to win.”

“Do not be deceived by appearances. The one who survives is the cool one.”

“Finish in one move. If you observe properly, try to achieve two goals with one movement.”

“Keep your five senses open and learn to keep them optimized.”

“Be cheeky. Be brave. You will be a hundred times stronger than someone who is just following orders.”

The martial arts they presented were converging to become a 'one-shot, one kill' mentality. Furthermore, with the entire organization buying in, the strength of one individual was amplified with the inclusion of other like-minded brothers and sisters in arms.

One kill per blade. Or even more! The evolution towards a more economical battle. The warriors who were watching the crew members felt fear as their backs seemed to freeze over with anxiousness.

They now saw what the crew was aiming for. The crew resembled the captains in the way they thought and moved, flexible yet firm. They made clear goals before taking any action. No motion was wasted. Every step helped get them closer to their final objective.

The goal was not to chase and kill the enemy. It was to survive until the end without hurting themselves! That was the goal set by the crew members for this operation.

In just five days, the defense-oriented training was running smoothly.

A comprehensive system was revealed in which 'weapon', 'warrior' and 'organization' became one and moved toward the same goal. San and Biyeon joined and worked with them to achieve their preparation.

For every observer, it was obvious that none of the crew members would easily die unless they faced an overpowering enemy. They would probably not lose to even the Absolute Clan members present in the caravan…

“Amazing… They're risking their individual 'life' for their colleagues! No one told them to do that. What about the warriors of our Clan? Are we really going to do our best to a.s.sist another clansman? I don't think so! What I'm seeing in front of me is a real, true organization!” Gibin described to Giyoung. He emotionally conveyed his thoughts to his clansman with a little moisture around his eyes.

Gibin, who would, later on, be called the 'Phantom of Strategy', becoming one of the five living legends of his generation, and be popularly referred to by successive generations as a war demon who dominated the battlefield with his novel warfare techniques, tasted and saw a part of his future. The scenes that he observed this day would become a seed in his heart that would sprout and drive him to excel in his future endeavors.

Gibin was also preparing for a possible battle. He was very careful and meticulous with his training. This was, after all, a very dangerous place.

Fifty years ago, five Awakened warriors and 300 strong men united and tried to enter the Forbidden Grounds, but they disappeared without a trace. Among them was a Ki-Jang Awakened warrior.

After that event, no other adventurers ventured into the Forbidden Grounds. Now, at least two Awakened warriors, clansmen from three Absolute Clans, and a party including special warriors and merchants were trying to break through this seemingly unfathomable, enigmatic land.

***

Everyone gathered together. A final briefing was held before the operation began. For the past five days, the crew conducted reconnaissance in the mornings, training during the day, and discussions at night.

These evening discussions were very special. It was a place filled with shocking knowledge and perspectives that made even Rain, who had previously experienced their discussions before, hold her breath in antic.i.p.ation and listen intently to the captains. It was the same for the Dong-Myung clansmen, Ki-Jang clansmen, Han-Sung clansmen, merchants, and individuals from the royal family.

This was their final discussion before proceeding into the Forbidden Grounds.

“To sum up,” Biyeon stated.

In front was a map of the area that had been revised and supplemented through constant reconnaissance missions, charts filled with various markers and notes, and pieces of paper with numbers and pictures on them.

“We've concluded that no one has used this road, let alone regular traffic, for at least the past 100 years. However, it's certain that some buildings are being managed by someone. Among them, the pentagonal building at the back and the pathway leading up to it have traces of recent use.”

Many people took in a deep breath after hearing that there were traces of movement within the Forbidden Grounds. Biyeon's briefing continued.

“However, we could not find any traces of life, including inside the ruins. As a result of a.n.a.lyzing the ecological structure, water quality, and climate around this area, it is presumed that no meaningful ecosystem exists within the s.p.a.ce.”

“Then, who's managing the building?” San asked.

“It's most likely not a living lifeform.” 

“Any other possibilities?”

“There are three possibilities. First, it's a life that eats food that is completely different from ours; second, an ecosystem is formed in the bas.e.m.e.nt of a building outside our research area; third, 'something' that can move around without actually possessing life…

“If you had to choose an option, which one would it be?”

“I suspect the third possibility.”

“Something that moves without life… do you mean a machine?”

“It's very likely that it is also a self-moving, self-sustainable machine.”

“So, you're saying a robot.”

“It's an out-of-place, fantastical machine, so I think it's appropriate to call it a golem, right?”

“This is… ugh. Everything that can appear in this fantasy world is starting to come out now. Anyway, why do you think it's a golem?”

“The area itself is a huge mine with deposits of iron ore, non-ferrous metals, and rare earth minerals. It rarely rains, thus, there is no moisture, so there is no fear of metal oxidation, and the sunlight and wind are strong and consistent in the region, which makes it easy to operate renewable energy operations. Besides, there are no rodents or other destructive life forms, so one won't have to worry about anything breaking from outside variables. Also, according to legend, the Iron People were a race that dealt with fire and iron, so the possibility of a Golem or Golems is fairly high.”

“Any other possibilities?”

“The ruins themselves may possess intelligence. The ruins are made up of geometric patterns that can only be understood when viewed from the sky. It means that the operator may be someone or something up in the sky.”

“Why would a heavenly being need such a structure?”

“Information gathering, communications, defense, etc., but we'll have to go see to be sure. Judging from the sensitivity of our mobile phones, it seems that there is a geostationary satellite up here. If it is a G.o.d, I think we should say h.e.l.lo.”

Biyeon smiled brightly. However, everyone who took part in the discussion fell completely silent. It was difficult for anyone to understand what was being said. Most of the partic.i.p.ants agreed with the a.s.sumption that there was probably 'something', but at the same time, they started wondering who San and Biyeon really were.

“If our opponent is a machine, how should we prepare?”

“I already gave the crew some suggestions and preparations.”

“Alright. Then, what time should we depart?”

“The afternoon would be nice. Whatever it is out there, it will most likely be powered by solar power.”

Episode 3. Book 2: Search – Chapter 9

[There doesn't seem to be any signs of ambush.]

[What about b.o.o.by traps?]

[None within the detection range.]

Pat-Pat-Pat-

San started running. The crew followed closely behind him. Once one pair advanced to a specific area, they'd briefly stop and survey their surroundings, allowing the next pair to move to their location before proceed further to the next designated area.

It was a segment-forward movement method that was used in the Korean military. On both sides of the road leading to the large gate, five meters high cliffs surrounded the road like folding screens.

On one of these cliffs, Biyeon stood and observed her surroundings vigilantly, preparing to sound the alarm for any possible danger. Her eyes could scan the area through ultraviolet and infrared light, so she searched for devices that may have been hidden on the only access road to the main gate. Though she had conducted surveillance of this area before, it was the proper practice to do these safety checks on a recurring basis.

Everyone arrived safely at the gate. The gate was open. When they got closer, they saw that the gate was almost the height of a 20-story building.

San scrutinized the structure before pa.s.sing through the gate. Above the gate, embossed patterns and designs could be seen.

In the upper part of the gate's arch, artistic patterns were clearly visible. Even after the pa.s.sage of many years and through the various eroding elements present in the area, the patterns looked crisp and refined, as if they had just been created the day before.

As he moved his eyes down, San stopped at a small plaque near the entrance of the gate. His eyes narrowed. Familiar characters were engraved on the plaque. It was very blurry, and a few letters had disappeared due to erosion, but still…

Holy Mech***ca* Wo**d 1* Nov**ber 2*81 –“d.a.m.n it…”

San frowned.

“Do you know this text? It is said to be the language from the age of legends…” Gibin, who approached San, asked.

“Somewhat…”

San said, wiping his mouth with his gloved hands. Rather than an expression of realization or surprise, San had a very perplexed expression.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are a lot of missing letters, but I think it's roughly saying, 'Forest of Sacred Machines', a Holy Mechanical World. The bottom seems to be the date this building was built, around November 2000 something… What does this mean… and why is this here?”

Gibin's eyes widened. He couldn't help questioning, once again, who San and Biyeon really were.