The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 112

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#112. Rook

Thanks to Sung-jun deploying twenty piloted golems to the Surface, the front line—teetering on the brink of collapse—experienced a dramatic resurgence.
Unlike conventional artillery or bullets, the magical projectiles fired by Sung-jun’s golems possessed devastating power capable of piercing the carapace of giant beetles exceeding ten meters in a single strike.
Moreover, certain armaments designed for wide-area support—such as multiple launch rocket systems and vertical missile platforms—transcended mere explosions, generating flame zones or acidic swamps within a certain radius of the detonation point, adding supplementary functions to their destructive capability.
Overwhelming firepower that conjured images of the U.S. Military before D-day itself.
Bolstered by the reassuring artillery support of these steel giants, the Soldiers defending the Gate entrance roared with exultation as they clashed against their enemies.

‘We can win this.’

A steel golem caught the head of a Giant Monster that had been attempting to surge over the steel barricade and engulf the Soldiers, seizing it with a single hand.
Then, grasping the creature’s torso with its remaining hand, it wrenched with tremendous force, tearing head from body through sheer strength.
Having dispatched an insectoid Giant Monster larger than itself in a single motion, the steel golem retreated rearward, extending its arm to gather nearby tank wreckage and deposit it into the backpack mounted on its back.

‘It converts scrap metal into ammunition automatically, as promised.’

The Soldier piloting the golem experienced overwhelming euphoria.
Beyond the security of being enveloped by over four meters of steel, I could wield transcendent superhuman strength—the kind an Awakened might possess—freely and without complex manipulation, guided solely by my will.
Furthermore, the external armor of Sung-jun’s steel golems, tempered with mana, remained unmarred even against Corrosion Entity attacks that shredded tank armor like tissue paper.
Conversely, the projectiles fired from the magical weapons the golems wielded pierced the hardened carapaces of massive Corrosion Entities—creatures that withstood Tomahawk missiles—with effortless ease.
The reversal of position, turning back upon the enemy the terror and despair I had felt as a mere Soldier facing Corrosion Entities.
While these twenty steel giants, suddenly manifested on the Battlefield, labored to restore the crumbling front line, Sung-jun worked ceaselessly in the Underground Hangar far beneath their feet, manufacturing over thirty additional steel golems.
Simultaneously, I transferred the remaining equipment—excluding tanks specially prepared as materials for the steel golems—into my Subspace, whose capacity approached infinity.
At that moment, a Soldier observing Sung-jun’s work approached and posed a question.

“Are you planning to manufacture more?”
“I intend to produce approximately twenty additional units.”
“Then perhaps we should send the completed golems to the Surface now and have them reinforce the front line.”

Even with the deployment of twenty steel golems, the situation on the Surface did not reverse dramatically.
The previously overwhelming disadvantage merely improved to a level barely sustainable.
Should an additional hundred golems be deployed, overwhelming the enemy seemed feasible, and so the young Soldier requested authorization from Sung-jun to board a golem and join the Surface forces.

“I apologize, but the golems here have another purpose.”
“Sir!?”

The Guard naturally assumed that Sung-jun had created the additional golems to support the soldiers defending the Gate on the Surface.
However, Sung-jun, the creator of the steel golems, harbored an entirely different intention.

“Even accounting for the 20 steel golems sent earlier, our forces remain at a disadvantage topside! To minimize any further losses, we must send every operational golem we have up there immediately!”

I couldn’t entirely dismiss the Guard’s passionate plea.
After all, each person fighting for their lives above was undoubtedly a cherished comrade to him.
Yet I possessed an objective that demanded the swiftest possible completion—even if it meant accepting the sacrifice of those battling on the Surface.

“What is your name?”
“Marcus Hale. I hold the rank of Sergeant.”
“Excellent. Sergeant Hale. To prevent confusion among the soldiers, the operation details were kept classified, but we prepared two types of signal flares for today’s operation—red and blue. Do you happen to remember the color of the flare you confirmed before departure?”
“It was red.”
“Yes, red. The signal system is straightforward. If a near-Apocalypse-class Corrosion Entity appears on each side—one for the 1st Assault Team and one for the 2nd Assault Team—we fire a blue flare. If only a single near-Apocalypse-class Corrosion Entity appears, we fire a red flare. The fact that a red signal flare went up means….”
“Only one confirmed near-Apocalypse-class Corrosion Entity has appeared?”
“Correct. Command confirmed from the start that there were two Level 8 Corrosion Entities dormant in this region. The original plan was for the 1st and 2nd Assault Teams to simultaneously awaken both Level 8 Corrosion Entities and drive them far from this location. However, contrary to expectations, only one Level 8 Corrosion Entity revealed itself. That means, interpreted differently, there exists a powerful Corrosion Entity equivalent to Level 8 somewhere close to us.”
“Then shouldn’t we reinforce our forces even more to withstand an attack from a Level 8 Corrosion Entity?”
“My golems cannot stop it. No matter how many I create, they cannot inflict even a scratch on a Corrosion Entity of that caliber. Magically-enhanced armor would prove utterly useless against a Level 8 Corrosion Entity’s assault.”
“Then if you faced it directly….”
“I cannot handle it alone. Depending on matchups, I might fight evenly or overwhelm it, but against an unfavorable opponent, I could be pushed back. Therefore, I must mobilize a powerful ally capable of withstanding a Level 8 near-Apocalypse-class Corrosion Entity.”
“Are you saying the golems here are necessary to mobilize that ally?”

I nodded and spoke.

“Yes. I anticipate needing not just the golems here, but approximately 20 additional golems. Truth be told, I suspect even that will fall slightly short, but time is our limiting factor.”

With no way to predict when the dormant Level 8 Corrosion Entity might awaken and strike, I diligently cast spells to complete 20 additional steel golems.
Afterward, I recovered all remaining equipment from the Underground Hangar into the Subspace, then addressed the waiting soldiers.

“I need to select 50 people to fight alongside me from this point forward. Those willing to volunteer, please raise your hands.”

As everyone moved simultaneously to raise their hands once more, I added a final remark.

“For your information, you may very well die. The enemy we must face is so formidable that even I struggle to contend with it. This is not a battle we can win while preserving ourselves. Only those prepared to sacrifice their lives to inflict even the smallest wound should raise their hands.”

To overturn the atmosphere of hesitation that suddenly descended, I offered additional compensation.
If they survived this battle, I would grant them permanent personal ownership of the steel golem they had piloted.

“Of course, I will repair all damage sustained during combat and present it to you in perfect, brand-new condition. I will also grant it a binding state that prevents operation by anyone except the Operator themselves, safeguarding against any potential government confiscation.”

Additionally, Sung-jun promised to add a summoning function that would allow him to store the golems in the Subspace and freely summon them whenever desired, along with an automatic repair function that would naturally restore them over time even if they sustained severe damage while stored in the Subspace.
At that, the Soldiers who had hesitated to raise their hands moments before began competing to volunteer, shouting that they would fight.
When all remaining personnel ultimately decided on fighters through rock-paper-scissors, Sung-jun sent everyone except the 50 selected as Operators back to the Surface.

“All units combat-ready.”

As the 50 Soldiers remaining in the Underground Hangar boarded their respective steel golems, Sung-jun took his position in the center.
Then, closing his eyes, he slowly drew a necklace from his breast.

“Eternal Lord who has endured even the assault of time itself, which topples the mightiest Fortress Walls—final constellation that has never fallen. Barden, the Fortress Specter. Answer your master’s call.”

The card Sung-jun had prepared to face a Level 8 quasi-apocalyptic Corrosion Entity.
It was the third piece sleeping within the Lion’s Key and another demigod resting in the Palace of the Deathless King.
It was Barden, the Fortress Specter—a hero of the dwarven race who had become undead.

***

“I’ve been waiting for you to call. So you were waiting until the preparations for battle were complete.”

A massive dwarf with a colossal hammer in one hand surveyed his surroundings before speaking to Sung-jun.

“Since you’re the one who summoned me, introductions aren’t necessary. We both seem pressed for time—shall we begin at once?”

As Sung-jun nodded, the dwarf wielding the hammer immediately brought it down against the ground.
Dozens of massive cannons erupted through the steel floor where nothing had existed moments before.

-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH!-

As the cannons simultaneously trained on the scattered steel golems and unleashed their fire, the golems—which had been waiting in tense readiness—all began evasive maneuvers at once.
However, those that failed to react in time took direct hits from the cannon fire, and the fifty steel golems were instantly reduced to forty-seven.

“What the hell!? What kind of firepower is that!?”

Watching the special armor—magically reinforced to withstand even Level 7 Corrosion Entity attacks—pierced through in an instant, Marcus Hale, piloting one of the golems, swallowed hard.
Then, seeking to avenge his fallen comrades, he immediately launched a counterattack.

-CRASH! BOOM CRASH! WHOOOOSH! BOOM CRASH!!-

-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!-

—Whoooooosh! Boom!—

Magical railguns, rapid-fire mana cannons, and multi-stage rocket launchers unleashed a torrent of firepower capable of obliterating the entire Military Base in a single volley, yet the dwarf standing in the center of the Underground Hangar showed no sign of tension.
He merely wore an expression of curiosity as he brought his hammer down upon the ground once more.
Each time the dwarf struck the earth with his hammer, metallic walls that shimmered with an inexplicable luminescence erupted from the barren ground with a thunderous roar.

‘Battlefield Shaping. So this is the ability of Rook—the third piece after Knight and Bishop.’

Sung-jun was not merely observing passively either.
Fifty steel golems alone were insufficient against an opponent wielding such overwhelming power.
Sung-jun concentrated his mana through his eyes, analyzing the properties of the structures his opponent created, while simultaneously unleashing multiple devastating offensive spells to bombard the dwarf before him.
Yet when he witnessed his test cast of Void Spear being intercepted by the steel barrier Barden had conjured, a low whistle escaped Sung-jun’s lips.

“You… blocked that?”

If Karcerion, the Knight, had demonstrated the remarkable feat of evading the hypersonic Void Spear through his characteristic mobility, then Barden, the Rook, was now displaying a defensive prowess that met the Void Spear head-on with unbreakable fortitude.
Either way, both had neutralized his most powerful offensive incantation, and Sung-jun was beginning to recognize the necessity of employing new magic.

‘After the spear of ultimate speed comes the shield of ultimate strength. If Rook is this formidable, I cannot even fathom how powerful Queen and King must be.’

Had time been abundant, I would have created distance and engaged in reconnaissance combat, but unfortunately, time was a luxury I did not possess.
Even as I fought Barden in this very moment, countless Soldiers who had followed me to this place were sacrificing their lives in battle on the Surface.

“Forgive me, but I’m pressed for time.”

Sung-jun blocked an incoming shell with a magical barrier, spreading both arms wide as he spoke.

“I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a bit rough.”

In that instant, intricate silver magical circles inscribed upon Sung-jun’s body and the forty-eight steel golems remaining in the Underground Hangar began to radiate brilliantly in unison.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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