The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 124

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

#124. USS Hornet Hive

“You want to lift an aircraft carrier into the air? And not just any carrier—an antiquated one from World War II?”

General MacFarlane stared at my projection with an expression of utter disbelief upon hearing my audacious proposal.
I remained stationed at the mana reactor core within Atlas, communicating with the passengers through a projection woven from pure mana.

“Of course, if we attempted to lift such a massive vessel using mechanical devices alone, that would be madness. But with magic, it’s entirely feasible. I’ll inscribe gravity-reduction magic across the entire external armor plating, operating on multiple layers simultaneously. Once we’ve minimized the weight, I’ll apply levitation magic to lift it skyward, then use wind magic to control its trajectory.”

My reason for converting the USS Hornet—originally intended as raw materials—into an aerial carrier was straightforward.
The current bipedal Atlas, as formidable as it was, couldn’t efficiently manage the vast numbers of steel golems I envisioned deploying.
An aircraft carrier, by contrast, had been engineered from the ground up to accommodate hundreds of combat aircraft. It would serve equally well for transporting the massive civilian populations we rescued during operations, while allowing me to deploy entire legions of steel golems to any theater of conflict on demand.

“Atlas requires my constant intervention to function—its systems are that intricate. The aerial carrier will be different. If I install multiple large-scale mana reactors in parallel configuration, each with greater output than the current ones, we can secure sufficient power generation. We’ll discuss the specific modifications once the conversion plans are finalized.”

With that settled, I immediately summoned Barden, my reliable craftsman who would oversee the entire conversion project, and transmitted my vision to him.
Upon seeing the decrepit aircraft carrier before him, Barden’s jaw went slack.

“So, last time you had me construct a sixty-meter walking mobile fortress, and now you want me to retrofit this rusted hulk to soar through the heavens?”
“Flying alone isn’t enough. I need it to function as an aerial assault carrier, so we’ll need to bore apertures in the lower hull and install deployment ports for launching steel golems. We’ll also need to mount bombing-class mana cannons for ground support fire and anti-air batteries capable of intercepting airborne Corrosion Entities.”
“Anyone seeing this assignment would think I’d been abandoned to my fate.”
“You don’t want to? It’ll be far more engaging than you’d expect. Sure, it’s antiquated technology, but it’s a rare opportunity for a Dwarf to study Earth’s naval engineering—something your people have never possessed.”

I tempted Barden by projecting an image of the F-14 Tomcat displayed on the USS Hornet’s flight deck, showcasing it as a device capable of flight without any magical assistance whatsoever.
I promoted it relentlessly as a marvel of engineering.
Barden’s unique ability allowed him to comprehend the internal mechanisms and operational principles of any object through mere observation, without disassembly. His eyes began to gleam with genuine interest.

“Flight without magic?”
“Exactly. And as part of my plan, I’m considering dismantling components from that fighter to construct winged aerial golems. Alone, it would be impossible, but with you? I believe it’s entirely within reach. Don’t you wonder what performance we could achieve by merging human science, Dwarf craftsmanship, and magic into a single creation?”

The Tomcat represented technology fundamentally different from the Abrams tanks I’d previously disassembled for golem construction. Barden felt the pull of genuine temptation.
Even before this, when he’d dismantled the M1 tank, he’d marveled countless times at human technological prowess that surpassed even the greatest Dwarf artificers.
Ultimately, seduced by the allure of humanity’s “scientific technology,” Barden agreed to collaborate on my plans.

“But I must make one thing clear: the task you’ve assigned me is, by any reasonable standard, an undertaking that would consume the entire lifetime of any ordinary Dwarf craftsman.”
“I’m already aware. And I know you chose to become an undead with unlimited lifespan precisely for this reason.”

That was where the secret of Barden’s power lay.
A primordial-grade ability that could complete even a colossal Fortress Wall with a single hammer strike.
It was a technique that bypassed tens of trillions of hammer strikes necessary to create the desired result, all at the cost of one’s lifespan.
An absolute power that disregarded not only the time spent processing materials, but also the time needed to learn the skills and knowledge required to handle and create those materials.
Because of that ability, Barden could complete the construction of the mobile fortress Atlas—a task that would require several centuries even with tens of thousands of Dwarf craftsmen working together—in an instant.

“If an ordinary Dwarf craftsman had used it, their lifespan would have expired before completion. But you’re different, being undead. You’re probably the only existence in the world who can wield that power freely without worrying about lifespan.”

Just as I said, for Barden—an undead whose lifespan was effectively infinite—an ability that consumed lifespan as its cost was a technique with no risk whatsoever.
However, if that absolute power had a single weakness, it was that once work began, it couldn’t be modified midway through.
Well aware of this fact, I meticulously conveyed my specific requirements to Barden before he began work.

“To use levitation magic efficiently, it’s good to understand in advance where the load will be applied to the points where the magic circles are inscribed. Since we’ll be using gravity-reduction magic together, let’s calculate beforehand how to balance the weight in the lightened state.”
“I’m not sure what altitude we’ll be flying at, but even if we always fall from the same height, the impact on the airframe varies drastically depending on the ground conditions. Falling onto hard rock is completely different from falling onto soft soil. If you simply drop the golem from the height you mentioned, the Pilot inside would be reduced to a pulp.”
“We’ll solve that problem by adding a new mechanism to the structure of the newly constructed golem, and we’ll attach separate equipment to the existing golem to reduce impact from falls.”
“If ground attacks are the main focus, that strange structure on top seems useless.”
“It was originally a warship floating on the Ocean. But I can’t make the bottom protrude. If a situation arises where we need to directly accommodate a large number of refugees, we have to consider scenarios where it lands on the Surface.”

As the meeting progressed and the aerial carrier’s specifications became increasingly absurd, the commanders of the Western Defense Force who were observing began offering their own ideas.

“Can you change the internal structure completely?”
“The work isn’t done by me but by Barden, so it’s fine. No matter how complex the request, his ability allows him to complete it instantly anyway. Feel free to suggest ideas without hesitation.”
“Then I’d like to have separate spaces for accommodating refugees by family units.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right—if we allow families to stay together even while accommodating refugees, the atmosphere would definitely improve. I’ll reflect that.”
“I’d like personal rooms to have attached shower facilities….”
“Could you possibly create a game room?”

As Seoa and Miyu, who had been silently listening, joined the meeting and requests multiplied in an instant, Barden voiced his complaints, but I instead expanded on the two women’s ideas.
Rather than struggling to allocate space equally to every room, why not operate the living quarters in a sort of performance-based system.

“Let’s adjust it so that the higher the military achievements in the battles to come, the better the room assignment. The best room will be provided in full-option form, complete with a small kitchen, private shower room, and even a washing machine.”

Such compensation would have been worthless before D-day, but in this post-Apocalypse situation, it was different.
Watching the Soldiers ignite with motivation, I smiled and continued planning the facilities that would fill the massive carrier.
And finally, once I had completed a design that satisfied me, the retired aircraft carrier—a hero of the Second World War—was reborn as a flying carrier equipped with all manner of cutting-edge amenities.

“Then I’ll begin the work. Even with the use of my power, this task is so meticulous that it will take some time.”
“How long?”
“Doing it all at once would take far too long, so I’m thinking of first prioritizing the essential flight equipment, assault equipment, and defensive equipment, then working on the remaining facilities slowly. There’s no need to exhaust myself working on rooms in advance when there’s no one to use them yet.”

Barden, hammer in hand, climbed onto the aircraft carrier and asked Sung-jun to clear away the spherical combat aircraft displayed on the flight deck.
As Sung-jun extended Atlas’s colossal hand and stored them in the Subspace, Barden gazed upon the empty deck and raised the hammer he held.
Then, crying out the words he had prepared in his mind, he brought it down with all his might.

“Sovereign of the seas! Awaken from your long slumber and be reborn as the sovereign of the skies! In honor of your deeds, remembered in history by the name Hornet, I bestow upon you a new name!”

The moment Barden’s hammer struck, the impossibly rigid flight deck of the massive carrier began to writhe as though alive.
Watching the colossal vessel transform itself to take the battlefield once more, Barden gazed upon it with the expression of a parent observing their child, and murmured softly.

“Hornet Hive. From this moment forward, your name is Hornet Hive.”

***

The conversion of the Essex-class carrier USS Hornet into the aerial assault-capable flying carrier Hornet Hive did not require an inordinate amount of time.
Many unnecessary internal systems were omitted entirely, but most of the vessel’s functions operated through magic rather than complex machinery.
Moreover, the propulsion runes inscribed upon Hornet Hive were largely those already tested on Atlas, so unlike Atlas—which required Sung-jun’s constant presence for fine adjustments over twenty-four hours—Hornet Hive could operate most essential functions simply by drawing mana from the eight colossal mana reactors installed within its hull.

“For now, it is complete. The mana reactors have been inspected, the steering system for directional changes in flight, the flight system that adjusts altitude by regulating mana supplied to the levitation magic, the wide-range detection magic capable of searching within a radius of one hundred kilometers, and the permanent transmission circle connected to a dedicated Subspace allowing the deployment of golems as needed—all essential functions have been implemented. What remains is the flight test.”

Completely reborn as a new vessel, Hornet Hive had shed its old paint and been painted in a matte black that was not excessively dark.
A matte black finish that did not reflect light excessively.
Originally, it was to have been the iridescent silver characteristic of Dwarf alloys, but General MacFarlane’s desperate persuasion—that a massive floating carrier with a reflective surface would be far too conspicuous—resulted in matte black being adopted as the base color.
With white and yellow accents interspersed throughout.
Where screws had once been installed, propulsion nozzles that expelled air under tremendous pressure were now fitted.
And on either side, rectangular auxiliary nozzles were additionally installed, similarly configured to allow directional changes through wind pressure.
It was a distinctive design that maintained the previous form to such a degree that one could immediately recognize the original USS Hornet, yet perfectly conveyed that this vessel’s purpose was entirely different from before.
Where the previous Hornet had been an aircraft carrier launching carrier-based aircraft from its deck toward the sea, the current Hornet was an assault carrier soaring through the sky to deploy ten-meter-tall steel giants to the surface below.
Reflecting this, the underside of Hornet Hive was fitted with multiple steel gates arranged in synchronized rows that could open and close.

“When I first heard the idea, I thought it was absurd, but seeing it completed like this, I find myself at a loss for words other than magnificent. Truly, I cannot help but be amazed by your abilities, Barden.”

At General MacFarlane’s praise, Barden shrugged his shoulders and gazed at Atlas standing behind him with an expression of satisfaction.
Upon seeing Barden’s expression, the mobile fortress extended its colossal arm and caressed the flight deck of the aerial carrier.
To ignite the eight massive mana reactors installed within Hornet Hive.
Then, an enormous quantity of mana began to flow through Atlas’s arm toward Hornet Hive’s reactors.

“Rise into the sky.”

As the Mage’s incantation resonated through the aircraft carrier, the levitation magic circles within its hull blazed to life in unison, and the colossal vessel—wingless, propellerless—began its graceful ascent into the sky.
It was a sight that seemed utterly impossible to achieve through human technology alone—truly magical in every sense.

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