The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 119

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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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#119. A Madman, Or Rather, Master.

Upon hearing my command, Barden stood motionless for a long while without uttering a word.
Observing him carefully, I realized that Barden had fainted while keeping his eyes open. I sparked electricity from my fingertips and forcibly jolted him awake.
As the mild pain brought him to his senses, Barden saw me standing before him and stumbled backward with an expression of shock.

“Are you calling that an order? Or are you serious?”
“What’s the problem?”
“What’s the problem? You absolute madman! Are you telling me a fortress can just walk around? Even if I get beaten for it, I have to speak my mind! You wicked bastard! Even if I’m a dwarf, there are things I can do and things I can’t! Do you think I’m some god of blacksmiths who can forge whatever you want the moment you ask?”
“First, set aside that insolent attitude and let’s discuss this purely as an idea. When I say I want it to walk, I’m not talking about this massive fortress wall surrounding us. The current fortress wall is far too large to walk around anyway.”
“Then what do you want to walk?”
“Let’s just make it smaller.”
“Let’s try making it a bit smaller.”

It was literally a “walking fortress”—a stone structure that people typically imagine when they think of a castle, with two massive legs attached beneath it.
It was an object in the shape of a literal “castle with legs”—a stone structure that humans commonly think of when they hear the word “castle,” with two massive bridges attached underneath it.

“Exactly what I’m asking for.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Sung-jun’s intention was that if they installed a castle-shaped structure in the place where the upper body would go, using the structure of the steel golem he had directly designed as a base, and enlarged the size to more than 10 times its current size, wouldn’t it look like a walking castle?

“You’re not going to store all the golems here inside it?”
“I can put those in my Subspace instead. But since we’ll have to break through the encirclement without golem fire support, the walking fortress itself needs to have enough firepower to breach it.”
“Then you’d need to install an enormous number of turrets.”
“That’s why it’s fortress-shaped. We’ll cram every weapon we can fit into it and sweep away all enemies as we approach them while walking.”
“If that’s the reason, wouldn’t wheels be better….”
“The absolute majority of enemies are small Corrosion Entities under two meters. If we use wheels or tracks, all those enemies will just jam their bodies into the moving parts. But with legs, no matter how many enemies surround us, we can simply walk over them. And most importantly….”
“Most importantly?”
What do you mean?

With a determined gaze, Sung-jun spoke.

“If it’s a golem, it’s gotta be bipedal.”

The moment Barden heard Sung-jun’s words, he realized he could never persuade the man standing before him.

‘I was wrong. This human won’t give up no matter what I say.’

At that moment, a brilliant idea struck Barden as he desperately tried to make Sung-jun abandon the project.
After all, moving a golem of that size would require a mana reactor with tremendous output, and no mana reactor in existence could withstand that level of power generation.
This meant that no matter how Sung-jun designed it, his efforts would ultimately be in vain, so Barden devised a plan to make a fool of him using that very fact.

‘I’ll pretend to cooperate enthusiastically while keeping him from realizing the mana reactor’s insufficient output, pack in every possible function to maximize the required power, and then finally point out that no mana reactor exists capable of producing that level of output.’

Curious about what expression Sung-jun would wear when he realized all his efforts had been for nothing, Barden did a complete 180 and began actively cooperating with Sung-jun’s ideas.

“I believe I was mistaken. If one claims to be the greatest craftsman among dwarves, then surely they should be capable of realizing any ambitious idea, no matter how unreasonable.”
“So you’re using formal speech again—that means you think this might actually work.”
“It’s still an absurd idea, I must admit, but the concept itself is intriguing. A walking fortress, you say. That would certainly be the last escape method our enemies could imagine.”

With his attitude completely reversed, Barden began systematically solving the numerous technical problems required to construct a massive golem-shaped fortress that could walk.

“For so many people to board simultaneously while the golem is in motion, we’ll need to manage the tremendous impact on the hull. We should completely separate the exterior from the residential quarters, and ensure that even if the main body moves up and down, the living space remains fixed inside.”
“Springs and shock absorbers won’t cut it—we’ll handle that part with magic. I can create the magical formations.”
“For a simple escape, creating space for internal personnel would suffice, but thinking long-term, we should construct interior spaces capable of accommodating sleeping and dining to handle various situations. How many additional personnel might join us beyond those currently here?”
“Roughly ten thousand total.”
“Then let’s set our goal as constructing a fortress capable of housing ten thousand. A thousand per floor, plus hangar space for steel giants to sortie from the main body as needed, and all the machinery required for operation and control—the fortress body itself should be about forty meters tall. Accounting for leg length, the total height would be around sixty meters.”
“Excellent. At that size, we won’t be outmatched even facing a Corrosion Entity.”

The absurd plan between the two men to create a golem as tall as a twenty-story apartment building grew increasingly concrete as their conversation progressed.
The joint structure to support the massive body exceeding forty meters, the method to maintain balance even when one foot lifted from the ground while walking, the way to forcibly correct the aiming point that shifted with each step—every detail was meticulously discussed.
And as Barden, having completely reversed his stance, kept adding functions “in case of emergency,” the mobile fortress originally planned as an escape vehicle gradually transformed into an omnipotent colossus capable of responding to any situation on the battlefield.

“Since we’re building it anyway, why not mount an ultra-massive mana cannon? If a giant monster large enough to push over and topple the fortress appears, we eliminate it with the cannon before it gets close.”
“That level of output would exceed what the cannon’s material can withstand.”
“We adjust the mana flowing internally to a level the material can handle, and condense hundreds of mana circuits into the empty space inside the cannon. I’ve actually constructed similar siege weapons before.”

Having mounted a massive ten-meter mana cannon where the left arm should be, Barden then insisted on attaching a shield to the empty right arm.
Rather than making the entire fortress strong enough to withstand all attacks, it would be far more efficient to create an overwhelmingly durable shield and block only specific attacks with it.
The fifty-meter shield that was added covered most of the main body and part of the legs, designed to withstand all powerful attacks that even Barden’s Fortress Wall could not stop.

“The key to this shield is its fluid responsiveness depending on circumstances. The mana circuits inscribed within control the activation of hundreds of types of defensive magic through supplied mana, and the special metal whose properties change with mana dissipates all impact from attacks. Moreover, the shield’s own weight is considerable—even a Corrosion Entity of the same size charging at full force would be repelled.”

‘Of course, a mana reactor capable of powering that shield doesn’t exist in this world.’

Suppressing the laughter that kept threatening to burst forth, Barden gradually completed the blueprints for the mobile fortress that Sung-jun had proposed.
And finally, once all the designs were finished, the moment arrived for Barden to point out ‘that part’ he had been waiting for.

“I must say, at first I thought it was an absolutely absurd idea, but seeing it completed like this, I’m amazed no one ever attempted to create such a thing before. A fortress of this caliber alone would instill overwhelming terror in the enemy.”
“Indeed. I’m satisfied with it myself. What do you think, Captain Cooper?”

Since others had been actively contributing ideas midway through the meeting, significant portions of the mobile fortress incorporated Captain Cooper’s suggestions.
For instance, a Command Center that continuously activated wide-range detection magic to scan the surroundings, a magical Hangar that automatically repaired damaged steel golems during operations, and ammunition production equipment that manufactured fortress components and collected scrap from the Battlefield to forge shells.
The completed mobile fortress had become a monster capable of single-handedly subjugating the millions of Corrosion Entity Legion we had faced today.

“With bedrooms, kitchens, laundry facilities, and even a Bathhouse added, you shouldn’t have any complaints, should you? The interior of the mobile fortress will be more comfortable than the JBLM Base where we used to live.”
“I’m asking about the combat aspects.”
“It should be sufficient. Each weapon installed is far more powerful than those on the steel golems, and the quantity is considerable. If the massive mana cannon mounted on the left arm is as powerful as Barden mentioned, we should be able to eliminate even a Level 8 Corrosion Entity.”

Then, as if he had been waiting for this moment, Barden pointed to the center of the completed golem’s blueprint and opened his mouth.
All the effort to complete this golem’s blueprint up to now could be said to exist for this very moment.
Barden threw ‘that question’ at Sung-jun with eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“But Master, what about the mana core?”
“The mana core?”
“Didn’t I mention it from the beginning? With the current output, a 10-meter steel golem is the maximum size. While the height is six times greater, the output required—the mana core output necessary to operate the mobile fortress—requires hundreds of times more power. Surely you didn’t propose building such an absurd walking fortress while forgetting such a crucial fact? I’m certain you’re not foolish enough to make such a basic and stupid mistake.”

Barden was waiting for Sung-jun to look at him with an expression of “Oh no!”
However, the expression on Sung-jun’s face seemed to say “I knew you’d say that,” treating Barden like a fool for even asking the question.

“Are you the fool here?”
“A fool? Could a fool design such a perfect mobile fortress? This creation is so flawless that calling it a work of art wouldn’t be an exaggeration—except for the mana core issue!”
“If you’re not a fool, think about it again. What is a golem in the first place?”
“A type of power device that moves through mana… isn’t it?”
“No, I mean the essential nature, not the structural concept. What is a golem?”

Hesitating to answer, sensing a trap in the question, Barden listened as Sung-jun spoke.

“A golem refers to a servant created by a Mage. The mana core itself is something a Mage created in the first place.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“That means golems were created by Mages as beings to work in their stead from the beginning. The mana core exists so they can move independently without the Mage continuously pouring mana into them.”
“…Does that mean…?”
“Exactly. I proposed creating the mobile fortress with this in mind from the start.”

Sung-jun tapped his chest and smiled as he spoke.

“I, humanity’s greatest Mage, shall become a living mana reactor.”

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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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