I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

"Let's go, Professor, Lord Sieg. We don't have much time left."

After saying this, Rod turned around and continued walking forward.

Professor Isaac, supported by the lightness potion, was still panting heavily, with sweat streaming down his forehead.

Sig followed behind, his breathing deeper and slower than before, but his steps remained steady.

In this underground cavity where high gravity and strong magnetic fields intertwine, the number of suspended black rocks increases, and their density also increases.

Rhodes followed the flow of the magnetic field, choosing a path to avoid the suspended objects that would cause irregular oscillations.

The ground here is uneven, with gravel and dry dust rolling underfoot. Occasionally, these particles are attracted to black stones suspended in the air, forming thin trails of dust.

Professor Isaac wanted to speak, but he became noticeably short of breath after each word.

He could only clutch the magnifying glass in his hand and nod vigorously to indicate that he could keep up.

Rhodes did not slow down, but stopped every so often to let the professor catch his breath.

After walking for about twenty more minutes, the noise from the magnetic field became clearer, no longer a low hum in the background, but like some kind of stable mechanical vibration.

Rhodes stopped and reached out to touch the rock wall.

The rock face is not made of ordinary stone; its surface has very fine metallic particles that feel slightly sticky to the touch.

A narrow crack appeared ahead, from which a steady stream of heat flowed out. The temperature was not high, but the surface was very dry.

The crack edges show signs of artificial cutting, with straight lines, as if it had been repeatedly trimmed by large tools.

Rod raised the lantern and shone it in. The light revealed that the crack was not a natural cave, but an artificial passage leading downwards.

The passage is lined with numerous black pipes, their surfaces covered in gray scale, indicating that liquids or vapors had flowed through them over a long period.

Professor Isaac finally caught his breath and said in a low voice, "This is an industrial pipeline network, not a tomb. There must be large-scale energy supply facilities here."

Rhodes nodded but did not reply.

His sense of danger wasn't a sharp alarm, but rather a persistent feeling of oppression.

Sieg stepped forward, glanced at the passageway, and gestured for them to continue.

The three entered the passage, and after only a few steps, the gravity increased again, from twice to an even higher value. However, Rhodes did not feel any discomfort; on the contrary, he felt that the pressure here was more even.

Professor Isaac's face turned pale, and Rhodes tightened his grip on the back of his collar, lifting him more steadily.

Sig's shoulders and back were visibly tense, and his breathing became deeper, yet he was still able to move forward.

At the end of the passage is a half-open metal door, with worn-out symbols engraved on the door frame, the same as the patterns on the rubbings of the broken corridor.

A faint blue-white arc of electricity emanated from behind the door, and there was a slight ozone smell in the air, consistent with what Rhodes had smelled in the thunderstorm area, but cleaner and more stable.

Rod pushed open the door and went in.

The space in front of him allowed Professor Isaac to briefly forget his difficulty breathing.

He lost his balance and almost knelt down, but Rod pulled him back.

The ground consists of concentric circular metal platforms connected by bridges.

Below is a bottomless vertical shaft, from which hot mist rises slowly. The mist is compressed into a thin layer by some force field, rising along the shaft wall and forming a stable circulation.

Numerous pipes of varying diameters extend outwards from around the shaft, passing through platforms and walls, spreading into deeper, unknown areas.

The most striking feature is the giant sphere in the center of the platform.

The sphere is at least twenty meters in diameter and its surface is not metallic, but rather an extremely uniform gray rock, as if it were formed by melting and then resolidifying granite.

The surface of the sphere is engraved with grooves, inlaid with black metal ridges. Faint points of light occasionally flash between the metal ridges, as if an extremely slow energy exchange is taking place.

Countless pipes eventually converge at the interfaces on the bottom and sides of the sphere, forming a massive loop.

Some pipes contained flowing steam, some contained flowing dark red liquid, and some contained only the occasional flickering electric arc.

Professor Isaac's throat tightened, and his voice became dry: "This isn't a machine; it's like... some kind of core."

Rod stared at the sphere and nodded slowly.

On the metal platform next to the sphere stood a row of control consoles.

The console is corroded, but the grooves and interfaces on it are still there.

Behind the console is a vertical black stone slab with dense engravings, resembling either a list of instructions or a running log.

At the very top of the black stone slab is a section of Earth Language symbols identical to those in the rubbing.

Professor Isaac raised his magnifying glass to get closer.

Rod reached out to stop him: "Don't get too close, watch your step first."

There are many small holes on the metal platform underfoot, and the edges of the holes show signs of wear, as if a large number of structures were once fixed and parked there.

The holes are arranged in a strict array, extending into multiple channels towards the edge of the platform, each leading into deeper darkness.

Rhodes recalled the warning from the illustrated guide: "Grand Golem Legion's dormant zone, core not extinguished."

He is now certain that the so-called heart of the rock is this sphere.

Professor Isaac continued, "These pipes convert geothermal energy into steam pressure, then into kinetic energy, and then drive... drive the structure. The Mortal Dynasty really did it."

Rhodes did not correct him. He knew the professor needed this explanation to maintain his conviction, and he also knew that the less he said in front of Sieg, the safer he would be.

Sieg stopped ten meters in front of the sphere.

His gaze swept over the pipes, the control panel, the black stone slab, and finally settled on Rhodes.

Those gray eyes were devoid of emotion, but Rhodes could read their meaning: this was exactly what the king wanted.

Sieg raised his hand, made a brief gesture in the air, and took it.

Rhodes said, "Lord Sig, this thing is too big to move. We need to determine its function first, at least to prove that it is a weapon and not just a pretty stone. Otherwise, His Majesty will not be satisfied."

Sieg stared at him for two seconds, then slowly nodded, signaling him to continue.

Rhodes walked toward the control panel, deliberately making his movements appear cautious and clumsy.

Instead of touching the core, he first checked the ground around the console.

The danger was not immediately detected and an alarm was sounded, but Rod noticed a ring of black deposits around the edge of the metal platform near the control panel, which looked like scorch marks formed after being washed by some kind of high-temperature gas for a long time.

This indicates that energy release occurred here, possibly during startup or a malfunction.

He looked up at the black stone tablet. The encyclopedia did not translate automatically, but Rhodes was already able to understand the gist of the symbols based on his previous automatic comprehension.

Two keywords appear repeatedly: central control and hibernation.

This confirmed his judgment: it was not a simple power source, but a legion-level control core.

It can issue various commands, which are transmitted to each puppet node through the pipeline network and the earth's magnetic field.

This means that obtaining the core is equivalent to obtaining the key.

Rhodes' breathing slowed further. If the core were handed over directly to the royal family, the king would have the potential to control the puppet army.

Doing so would remove the protective umbrella.

The king had given an ultimatum, which proved he would purge those in the know. Rhodes could not entrust his life to such a person.

But he couldn't openly rebel, because Sieg was right there, ready to slit his throat at any moment.

Rhodes needs to pull a fast one, giving the royal family something that can deliver, prove its value, and function, while keeping the real control key in his own hands, or putting it into a state that only he can restore.