Chapter 377: Solderin’s Exploration

Cecil Territory, Deep within the Rebellious Fortress, Southern Sector.

The glow of a portable magic crystal lamp cut through the dim darkness of the ancient ruin’s corridors. As the light advanced, the crisp sound of combat boots striking stone slabs shattered the unbroken silence that had lasted for centuries.

A soldier clad in light armor emerged from a corridor’s bend. His armor was unlike most combat gear of this era—it resembled a close-fitting leather suit, but with sturdy steel plates reinforcing vital areas like the chest and abdomen. On his back was a compact pack, like a miniature version of a battle backpack. On his left wrist, a device resembling a lightweight military magi-tech terminal was strapped firmly.

This gear was essentially a lightweight variant of the current standard infantry kit in Cecil.

The soldier wore a peculiar helmet—fully enclosing his head in metal, even covering his eyes. Where the visor should have been, two narrow strips of dark red crystal served as lenses, like goggles or a targeting scope. At this moment, the crystal “goggles” emitted a faint red magical glow.

The magic crystal lamp illuminating the corridor was mounted on the front of the soldier’s left-hand magi-tech terminal. These versatile terminals could be fitted with various modules. Thanks to ongoing simplifications of low-level magic arrays by the Rune Research Institute, after the initial thermal ray gun module, force field shields, arcane missile launchers, and electric spears were quickly developed. Simpler, low-energy lighting modules naturally became standard. Unlike torches, magic crystal lamps provided steady, bright light without risk of extinguishing or fire—essential for exploring dark ruins.

The soldier swept the lamp’s beam down the corridor, then pressed a button near his temple on the helmet. The red glow from the crystal lenses dimmed and gradually turned transparent. A low voice came from beneath the faceplate: “No abnormal magical readings.”

More footsteps echoed behind him as a dozen similarly equipped soldiers appeared. The corridor brightened to daylight under the magic crystal lamps. Then, clad in hunting gear, Solderin stepped into the group. The high-ranking ranger surveyed their armor and movements, nodding slightly.

“Good. Maintain this formation and proceed cautiously. Dom, how’s the goggles?”

“Quite… strange,” Dom, the scout who had just reported, shook his head and touched the crystal lenses before his eyes. “So this is how mages see magic flows…”

Solderin shot him a glance. “I didn’t ask for your impressions.”

“Sir!” Dom snapped to attention. “The view is clear. You can see obvious magical currents, but there are lots of flickering light spots that get uncomfortable after a while… Also, the helmet’s a bit stuffy.”

“This is a prototype. Each helmet has slight variations. I’ll note your feedback and have the tech team make adjustments,” Solderin nodded. “Let’s move on.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers responded in unison, reorganized their formation, and cautiously pressed forward.

Solderin stayed at the rear, vigilant of the shadows beyond the lamps’ reach.

With his high-level ranger skills, he could still monitor the entire squad from this position—even in emergencies.

Looking at these “Iron Rangers,” soldiers outfitted with cutting-edge magi-tech gear so different in design, combat style, and tactics from any conventional unit of this era, Solderin felt a surge of emotion.

Their weapons and armor were all newly designed and had undergone extensive lab testing before issue. Thanks to the master metalworker Nicholas Egg, production and testing of these advanced sets were incredibly swift. Many components were modified versions of existing mature technologies within the territory, so these prototype kits reached the soldiers quickly.

According to Gawain, the territory’s industry shouldn’t rely too heavily on Nicholas Egg’s talents but aim for self-sufficiency—“cutting the external plug-in,” though no one really understood what that meant. Still, for prototypes or special units like the Iron Rangers, Nicholas Egg remained indispensable.

Because of his efforts, Solderin was able to see his Iron Rangers fully equipped so early—though some key gear was still in development—and witness the incredible power of these so-called “magi-tech armaments.”

Now he fully understood why Gawain was so determined to mass-produce cheap magi-tech devices usable by ordinary people. This path… was truly viable.

Lost in thought, a soldier’s voice broke through: “Sir, there’s a containment gate ahead. Large scale, residual magical energy detected. Possibly… a Class I gate!”

Solderin immediately looked ahead.

At the end of a wide, ancient yet sturdy corridor, a powerless black gate blocked the way.

He recalled the briefing from Byron—within this ancient Rebellious Fortress were various containment corridors and gates, classified into three types by function and size. Class III gates were ordinary doors within fortress sections, usually entrances to rooms, mostly powerless but structurally weak and simple enough to be bypassed or broken. Class II gates separated fortress sectors, larger and sturdier, with backup power mostly intact, and could be opened using Kamail’s unlocking method. Class I gates were the largest, located on main thoroughfares—only a few had been found, at the ruin’s entrance hall. They served as the fortress’s main portals.

Solderin’s expression grew serious. He signaled the soldiers to close ranks and stepped forward to the gate.

Up close, he confirmed the soldier’s assessment.

The gate was massive, at the end of what appeared to be a main corridor. An ancient identity verification device stood beside it. The entire gate seemed forged from purple steel…

This was no ordinary sector door—it was a main containment gate.

Had they reached the southern end of the Rebellious Fortress?

So soon?

Solderin was surprised. He knew the fortress was vast, with endless dark corridors hiding unknown areas. He had prepared for a long-term operation here. Yet this was only his sixth day inside, with four days left before the one-week exploration limit—and he’d already reached the southern terminus?

“Stay alert—lights, illuminate every shadow. Odd-numbered team members, activate detection goggles. Even-numbered, assist observation.”

Solderin issued orders swiftly. The corridor’s corners brightened under the magic crystal lamps. He alone approached the heavy, ancient purple steel gate and looked up at the inscription.

It was written in ancient Gondorian script, which Solderin recognized:

“Beyond lies the Shadow Experiment Field.”

Another experimental zone beyond the gate?

He stared at the gate with a mix of surprise and curiosity, then immediately grasped the unusual nature of this “Shadow Experiment Field.”

Separated from the main fortress by a Class I gate—a theoretically fortress-grade, extremely sturdy door with extraordinary magical resistance!

Drawing on seven centuries of experience traveling the continent, Solderin judged that although this gate resembled a main entrance, it was likely not the southern boundary of the fortress. Instead, it was an extra heavily fortified protective barrier. Beyond it lay another important sector of the Rebellious Fortress.

“Sir, shall we attempt to open the gate?” a soldier asked, his goggles flickering with dark red light. “There’s still magical energy flowing through it. The lock seems intact.”

Solderin thought briefly, then shook his head decisively. “Mark this location on the map. Leave a magic network node and lighting here. We’ll return after full preparations.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers obeyed. Solderin turned and cast one last glance at the purple steel gate.

He was more curious than anyone about what lay beyond, but he hadn’t forgotten this was a training exploration. Leading the Iron Rangers into the ruins served both to train troops and test new gear. It was already a bold move. Even with Nicholas Egg’s tech and Solderin’s oversight, soldiers using prototype equipment faced great risks. Equipment failures or sudden dangers were anticipated. Before departure, Gawain had ordered a maximum one-week exploration, limited to one sector, no entry into high-risk zones, and immediate retreat if combat occurred.

Faced with the unknown “Shadow Experiment Field,” Solderin chose to follow orders and withdraw for now. He would report back and prepare before returning.

It wouldn’t take long—though it had taken six days to reach this point due to mapping, exploring side paths, and setting guidance lights, a full-speed round trip would take only a day.

…

At the same time, in the study of the Cecil Lord’s manor, Gawain finished reviewing documents. Settling back into his large chair, assured no interruptions would come, he relaxed his mind and began to establish a link with the surveillance satellites.

Images from synchronous orbit slowly materialized in his consciousness, forming a stable view. From this vantage, he clearly saw the mountains and plains of northern Loren continent.

He gradually zoomed in, adjusting the satellite’s focus.

His gaze swept over Ansu’s southern border, then northeast, passing through the Grant territory and beyond Ansu’s eastern frontier…

The image stopped moving and zoomed in further. On a gently rolling plain, he spotted a somewhat blurred fortress standing atop a stone plateau.

Fortified Keep.

Gawain shifted into a more comfortable position and patiently began adjusting the surveillance satellite’s slightly blurred image, a result of its aging hardware.

(End of chapter)