chapter 40

He set Lukas down firmly.

"Now we can speak freely and in private," the Professor said. "I cannot take any risks with what you may know of Kym. You must explain how you have this prior knowledge and convince me you mean no harm, or I will have no choice but to seal away your memories."

Lukas took a deep breath. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. "As I said, Professor, I've had dreams from a young age that don't make sense. When I saw the huge body, the name simply came to me."

The professor remained stern but thoughtful. "Dreams, you say? Let's see what the truth really is," he muttered, throwing a white badge at him.

"Grab it and tell me the truth."

Lukas looked at the small white badge with intricate symbols and enchantments. He had been expecting this. The true stone.

"You saw that thing in your dreams?"

Lukas nodded. Professor Oaken waited patiently for the token to start ringing, but when it didn't, he felt even more perplexed. However, he did not let go of his suspicion.

"How do you know the word 'Kym'?"

The real name of the golem was Kymeir, honoring Sir Kymir who sacrificed his life during the war.

"The words came naturally to me the moment I saw it," Lukas replied, his breath heavy. He was also nervous; he had to escape from here. His plans were already messed up, realizing it was being made here and not at the Magicians' Star Tower.

Seeing the true stone not reacting, the professor was shocked again.

"Do you know anything more?" he asked.

"It's powerful," Lukas said.

"What about its weakness? How is it manufactured?"

"I don't know anything, Professor, except for what I saw face to face."

The questioning continued for a couple more minutes before stopping. Lukas spoke the truth, choosing his words carefully and twisting their meanings. As for him seeing it in visions, that was the truth. He still couldn't forget how it destroyed his homeland. He had his fair share of nightmares, which continued to haunt him even in his current life.

The professor took a deep breath, relieved that the problem wasn't huge. It was hard for him to believe, but the truth was right in front of him.

He believed in the true stone, the highest quality human-made stone with near hundred percent accuracy.

He sighed and took out a small blue page from the drawer, grabbing a pen to write down a bunch of things.

Lukas looked at the contents and realized he had messed up. The professor was writing the soul contract, which basically meant he couldn't tell anyone anything. Lukas knew that a soul contract was to be expected, but he didn't anticipate it being this harsh.

"Sign this, kid. I apologize for the earlier incident. But this is far more important than you can imagine. Sign it and you'll be okay."

Lukas hesitated to sign because one of the points the professor included was a ban on his life's tasks.

The point:

- One shall never harm the golem, and one shouldn't try changing any of its contents without authorization.

He couldn't agree to this. He had already decided to destroy the golem, but signing this contract meant he couldn't do that without consequences.

The professor sighed, realizing the kid's predicament. Lukas was around thirteen years old, and it was natural for him to feel worried in this situation. The professor had predicted that the kid might cry or have some emotional reaction, but seeing him composed was a relief. However, the professor couldn't let his emotions interfere with his work.

"Sign it. I know it's too much. How about this? I will allow you to visit here and learn from me. Does that sound good?"

That's the only thing he could offer to try and cheer Lukas up. The professor had initially thought of giving him credit points, but realized it wouldn't be wise considering Lukas should have already received one thousand credit points as a first-year student.

Lukas still felt uneasy, but he knew he had to sign it. As for changing the contents, he couldn't. It would only raise suspicion. And the offer the professor made was a good thing.

With no other choice, Lukas sighed, and the professor nodded before activating the orb. It glowed before dissolving along with the paper.

And so, the contract was done. Lukas could immediately feel something form within his heart before slowly disappearing.

The contract was done.

Professor Oaken smiled, pleased with the reaction from someone his age.

"Okay, that's taken care of. I'm sorry once again. Come, I will show you something even cooler."

Lukas nodded, still uneasy about the contract but curious to see what else the professor had to show him. The professor led him out of the room and down a long corridor. "Most students are not granted access so early, but I sense you may have a gift that could aid our research," the professor explained. "Through here is where we study the golem's energy signatures."

They entered a large laboratory filled with mystical devices emitting low hums and glows. In the center was a circular containment field holding a miniature version of the enormous golem Lukas had seen earlier.

The professor paused beside the containment, gazing pensively at the creature. "That's what it would look upon completion."

Lukas couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and trepidation as he stared at the miniature golem within the containment field. It was a marvel of craftsmanship and magic, but knowing its potential for destruction sent a chill down his spine.

"Is this... is this what you're working on here?" Lukas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The professor nodded solemnly. "Yes, this is our latest project. We're trying to understand its energy signatures, its behavior, and ultimately, how to control it."

Lukas swallowed hard, his mind racing with thoughts of the devastation such a creature could cause if it fell into the wrong hands. "But... why? Why create something so dangerous?"

Professor Oaken shook his head. "As you are under the contract, I can say some things. First of all, it's not dangerous. We are researching the very core of Sir Kymeir's golem. You can say we are bringing the golem back to life, with a more modified body including three domains instead of one, along with several counter buttons."

"The one you see here is the replica we were given for research. The main unit is hidden far away," Professor muttered.

Lukas realized something as the pieces started coming together.

"The golem wasn't being controlled after completion. It was corrupted to begin with!"

Lukas took a deep breath. He wasn't an active fellow to know what was happening in the world as he was forced to take high-level training. Despite that, he knew some key events and some rumors.

To think, the Kymeir had so many deep information chains. It made him realize he had to act cautiously and research before acting, even through the events and the enemies and the fucked-up situation he had already gone through.

[To be continued...]