Castle of Black Iron

The entrance of Golden Crown in Garby City was on a mountain inside the city.

That mountain was actually a gold mine hundreds of years ago. When miners reached the deep place of the mine, they discovered that karst cave and the towers of time in the karst cave. From then on, the mountain which had three average peaks became the encampment of the national defense department of Sterland Republic and was heavily guarded all the years round. After hundreds of years, this mountain had been utterly different than that hundreds of years before. It was verdant everywhere. Additionally, guards could be seen in each a few steps.

Zhang Tie took a car which was dispatched to Moonlight Hotel by the national defense department of Sterland Republic especially for them with Bordili and a colonel all the way to the entrance of Golden Crown smoothly.

Being on the hillside, that entrance was higher than 5 m and thicker than 2 m like a round alloy gate of the vault in a bank. After checking the document presented by the colonel, that officer asked his men to open the entrance.

There was a long downward tunnel being reinforced with steel rails and steel plates behind the gate. On both sides of the tunnel were eternal fluorescent lamps. The entire tunnel was dimly green like a secluded backroom of the knight. Besides their footsteps, they could hear no more sound inside.

After walking over 1,000 m in the underground tunnel, they saw another same gate. That colonel then presented the same document to the guard before being allowed to access it. There was another reinforced 1,000 m long downward tunnel behind the gate. After passing the third protective gate, they saw a crude elevator that looked like an iron cage at the end of the tunnel. After entering the elevator, the three people started to descend rapidly with squeaks and slight tremble.

“Many objects inside Golden Crown are mining facilities. Only these mining facilities are available here. This steam elevator is especially for miners hundreds of years ago. Although it looked crude, it was safe as people provide regular maintenance for it!” Sitting in the elevator, that colonel of the national defense department of Sterland Republic introduced it to Zhang Tie and Bordili as if he didn’t want the two “foreigners” to look down the power of Sterland Republic.

“If demon knights launch a sneak attack towards the entrance and collapse the tunnel, won’t people be trapped downside?” Bordili asked him.

“We’ve already considered this possibility. Therefore, there’s an emergency tunnel in the karst cave below. However, that alternative emergency tunnel’s location is confidential. Even I don’t know about the location of its entrance or exit. That emergency tunnel couldn’t be used until this tunnel is closed!”

Bordili then nodded. After taking a look at Zhang Tie who remained silent, he didn’t speak anymore.

Zhang Tie remained silent today. As he was going to enter the tower of time, he had been absolutely reassured.

No matter how bad was the situation facing Taixia Country, it wouldn’t deteriorate too much in a couple of days. It was not late for him to deal with that when he left the tower of time. It was time for him to clean up those evil forces and trashes in the three major clans, even Taixia Country as a whole.

This ‘frail’ period was a rare experience for Zhang Tie. In this short period of time, Zhang Tie returned to the frontline of the battlefield and experienced the brutality of the holy war again as an ordinary fighter.

Since ancient times, the middle- and low-class commoners and grassroots always suffered the greatest losses in each war, turmoil and crisis. Watching the Coldwater City which had turned into ruins and been covered with the blood of humans and those rotten skeletons in the mountains outside Coldwater City, Zhang Tie made up his mind for the first time——to end the holy war and drive all the demons back into the underground abyss.

7-8 minutes later, this elevator came to a stop with a squeak. That colonel of the national defense department of Sterland Republic then pulled open the door of the elevator. The three people then walked out of this elevator and entered another elevator for further discussions as they couldn’t enter the very deep underground space with only one elevator.

After taking 5 elevators, the three people traveled in the underground mine cave being covered with rails by bogie truck for over half an hour. Finally, they came to the front of a huge protective door as same as before. The colonel then presented the last document to a guard. After that, the thick door was opened, revealing another tunnel behind it.

“It’s the karst cave of No. 3 tower of time right at the end of this tunnel. According to the rule, I must stop here,” the colonel said as he took a look at the watch on his hand, “As long as you leave the tower of time and enter this tunnel 5 days later, the protective door will be opened. By then, I will pick you up!”

“Okay!” Bordili nodded with a stern look. After that, he walked towards the tunnel together with Zhang Tie.

When Bordili and Zhang Tie was going to access the last protective door, the colonel opened his mouth again.

“The code name of our troop here is Golden Crown. All the fighters of Golden Crown are the most loyal and fearless warriors in Sterland Republic. They are ready to sacrifice themselves for Golden Crown. Additionally, they’re the most reticent ones in this country. After joining Golden Crown, they must defend this dark underground space all year round; they must leave their family members, friends, and honors. The comrades-in-arms could even call each other by code names; instead of their real names. They didn’t have an opportunity to enter the tower of time; neither are they qualified to enter it. They are not allowed to take a glance at the tower of time which they defend until they’re going to leave here. When they return to the surface of the ground, their memory about the period when they were in Golden Crown would be erased with medicine. The image about towers of time that they defend could only stay in their mind for a few hours…”

Zhang Tie instantly stopped his foot as he turned around and looked at that colonel.

When he saw Zhang Tie coming to a stop, Bordili stopped too.

After noticing Zhang Tie’s response, that colonel instantly moved his eyes from Bordili to Zhang Tie as he looked straight into Zhang Tie’s eyes fearlessly and talked to him in a low tone, “The reason that these fighters wish to defend towers of time here and bury their youth underground is that their duty is meaningful. They’re firmly convinced that each person leaving any tower of time here would kill more demons in the battlefield above ground. Each knight who grew more powerful here would become the hardcore of humans and the guarantee for humans’ existence. They wish to defend here for such people, even at the cost of their own lives!”

Zhang Tie glanced over the calm faces of that colonel and the two rows of fighters in silence. After that, he nodded and entered the tunnel. That colonel then gave a military salute to Zhang Tie.

The thick protective door was slowly closed from outside, leaving two people’s footsteps in the tunnel.

“Sigh…” Bordili didn’t maintain his majesty and arrogance anymore when he faced Zhang Tie alone. He suddenly sighed. “Perhaps humans could finally survive on the former two holy wars because of the sacrifice of these people!”

“Do you think it is righteous for Holy Light Empire to establish Sword of Brilliance at the cost of so many people’s lives in that means?” Zhang Tie suddenly asked Bordili after taking a glance at the latter.

After considering it for a short while, Bordili answered, “Not righteous; but it’s necessary. Because righteousness couldn’t kill demons; however, powerful fighters could!”

After taking a look at Bordili, Zhang Tie didn’t speak anymore. Because a huge karst cave had already appeared in front of them.

This colossal karst cave was higher than 10,000 m. It was giving out golden lights everywhere because of raw gold ore. A tower of time higher than 1,000 m was standing loftily right in the middle of the karst cave.

The exit of that tunnel was above the karst cave. Standing on the platform at the entrance of the karst cave, they could well overlook the entire karst space. The huge tower of time was right under their foot. Additionally, there was a tunnel on the stone wall which connected the platform to the bottom of the space.

It might also be the first time for Bordili to the watchtower of time. He was greatly shocked by the flowing rune light over the tower of time.

“See you 5 days later…” Zhang Tie left one sentence to Bordili. Closely after that, he flew off the platform and came to the entrance of the tower of time with a flash. When he pushed open the gate of the tower of time, a streak of white light instantly poured out of the crack between the gate and its frame. When Zhang Tie entered the tower of time, the gate closed at once.

Standing on the platform at the entrance, Bordili was stunned by Zhang Tie’s movement. Not until then did he find that Zhang Tie was a knight. Additionally, Zhang Tie’s moving speed was far from his imagination.

This tower of time was very similar to that one which he entered in Ice and Snow Wilderness before.

There was a long and profound crystal tunnel being covered with flowing odd runes behind the gate of the tower of time. As it gathered the energy of this tower of time, it felt pretty comfortable when Zhang Tie took a breath…