The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 125

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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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#125. Drop the Golem

Since D-day, the most intensely attacked locations had been sprawling metropolises where countless humans congregated.
Among these, cities with populations exceeding one million suffered catastrophic casualties—the vast majority of their inhabitants perished—and the survivors who barely escaped that hellish nightmare were forced to scatter and fend for themselves to endure.
The U.S. Government had constructed massive underground shelters across the nation in preparation for such catastrophe, yet even these proved an imperfect solution.
Several shelters of considerable size had already been completely obliterated by high-level Corrosion Entity assaults, their reinforced concrete—thick as whiskers and eyebrows—shattered effortlessly, leaving not a single survivor in their wake.
Paradoxically, those best positioned to survive were those belonging to small-scale Survival Communities, sized just large enough to evade the Corrosion Entities’ targeting.
Survival Camps constructed in remote locations by three to seven households pooling their resources could, barring extraordinary misfortune, navigate existence while avoiding the Corrosion Entities’ notice.
The critical factor was not repelling the Corrosion Entities, but minimizing the probability of encountering them altogether.
When possible, they sustained themselves through stockpiled provisions or self-cultivated crops, avoiding ventures beyond their sanctuaries whenever feasible.
The Western Defense Force’s paramount objective in protecting the surviving Civilians across the American Continent was to consolidate these survivors into a single secure location.
From refugees sheltering in precisely mapped underground bunkers to small groups of survivors concealed deep within forests.
To rescue both groups of survivors, positioned in fundamentally opposing circumstances, General Seth Macfarlane—Commander of the Western Defense Force and Captain of the aerial assault carrier Hornet Hive—divided his deployed Soldiers into three operational groups.

“Group One comprises a reconnaissance unit designated ‘Seeker,’ consisting of 150 Awakened and 1,500 regular Soldiers. Group Two is an assault division of 400 single-pilot steel golems with the call sign ‘Stinger.’ Captain Ryan Cooper will provide detailed organizational specifics afterward.”

General MacFarlane organized 300 of the remaining 500 two-pilot, ten-meter-class steel golems into Group Three, assigning the call sign ‘Needle,’ while designating the remaining 200 units as Group Four.
In preparation for contingencies, Group Four would remain on standby aboard the Hornet Hive, deploying only during critical situations, their call sign ‘Vespa’—the scientific nomenclature for wasps.
Finally, the command headquarters’ call sign was determined as ‘Hive,’ derived from the aerial carrier’s name and the term for a wasp nest.
With the call sign assignments complete, the formal operational briefing for civilian extraction and Western Region reclamation commenced.

“Once active reconnaissance begins, centered on Hive, Seeker units One through Five will sweep the eastern territories, while units Six through Ten cover the west. Movement will utilize mountain bikes and reconnaissance Humvees, accounting for the mountainous terrain where Survival Communities typically establish themselves. Upon locating a Survival Community, persuade its representative and guide them to the predetermined rendezvous point.”
“What should we do if we encounter hostiles or must engage during transit?”
“All personnel will wear this device during the operation—it resembles a wristwatch. It functions as a summons apparatus. Press the red button here, and depending on your distance from Hive Hornet, steel golems from the Stinger and Needle units will execute aerial assault within thirty seconds to one minute.”

Captain Cooper then stepped forward to continue the briefing.

“From my experience, persuading Survival Community representatives is far from simple. Most remaining Survival Communities possess well-established self-sufficient systems capable of sustaining prolonged survival, and they harbor considerable reluctance to abandon the survival infrastructure they’ve painstakingly built over years. Even if you convince them that joining the Defense Force is far safer, they won’t listen. In their minds, the U.S. Military has already suffered defeat at the hands of these enemies, and they won’t believe the situation has fundamentally changed.”
“Even if you persuade them that joining the defense forces would be much safer, they won’t listen. Because in their minds, the U.S. Military has already been defeated by the enemy once, and they won’t think the situation has changed now.”
“Then what should we do if persuasion fails?”
“Use the summons button.”

Captain Cooper struck the leg armor of the four-meter-class steel golem standing behind him with his fist as he spoke.

“Show them this magnificent steel warrior and mention that over 900 such units exist, and nine times out of ten, they’ll become convinced that this option is far safer.”

***

When General MacFarlane, who commanded the Hornet Hive, launched the full-scale Western Reclamation Operation, I shifted into a diversionary campaign utilizing the mobile fortress Atlas.
My objective was to concentrate the enemy’s attention on myself, creating an environment where our forces could safely extract as many civilians remaining in the Western Region as possible.
It also served the purpose of collecting materials to secure new steel golems by scavenging through the Ruined Cities.
To support General MacFarlane, who had begun the reclamation operation in California, I selected Nevada—the state adjacent to California—as my operation area.
While drawing the enemy’s focus there and advancing northeast, General MacFarlane’s rescue force would traverse through Utah and New Mexico in the south, meeting at Kansas as the midpoint. Thus, I was moving the colossal mobile fortress Atlas northwestward alongside two thousand regular soldiers necessary for operating the defensive installations mounted on it.
Throughout this process, the mobile fortress Atlas cast wide-range detection magic and unleashed relentless bombardment wherever enemy responses appeared, demonstrating with its entire being what aggro truly meant.

“Large-scale enemy response confirmed at three o’clock. Distance: twenty kilometers! Estimated contact in ten minutes!”
“All artillery batteries standing by. Automated barrage will commence once the enemy enters firing range.”
“No matter how many we kill, they just keep crawling out like insects.”

Despite the relentless combat, the expressions of the soldiers aboard Atlas appeared incomparably brighter than before.
Since Barden, who needed to prepare the accommodation spaces within Atlas for civilians, had decided to move with the Hornet Hive, the interior spaces of Atlas remained in an inconvenient state for the soldiers, with remodeling still incomplete.
However, unleashing devastating firepower upon the horrific insects that had occupied their homeland provided such cathartic satisfaction that the soldiers gladly endured such discomfort.
Apart from Level 8 Corrosion Entities that could only be eliminated by deploying the ultra-massive mana cannon mounted on Atlas’s left arm, the Level 7 and below Corrosion Entities that comprised the majority of enemies could be sufficiently eliminated by the defensive turrets installed on Atlas alone.
The only problem was that despite thoroughly annihilating every enemy discovered during movement, their numbers continued to increase as time passed.

“How many of them are left anyway?”

As a soldier guarding the turret in rotating three-shift rotations unconsciously muttered this, my phantom pierced through the wall beside the cockpit and emerged like a specter.
However, the soldier, as if witnessing a familiar sight, showed little surprise and spoke toward my phantom.

“I wasn’t complaining. I was simply curious.”
“I understand. I hear everything you say—not just the content of your words, but the nuances behind them as well.”

Since my body had become completely unified with Atlas, I could perceive everything happening within Atlas as clearly as if it were occurring within my own body.
And I was using this ability to care for the mental state of soldiers scattered throughout Atlas by manifesting phantoms made of mana.
Not because the soldiers had any significant psychological issues requiring such care, but simply because I had nothing else to do.

“I’d like a dinner recommendation. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

At my sudden appearance through the wall and request for menu preferences, the soldier gripping the control stick burst into laughter.
Then he spoke toward my phantom.

“Not everything you mention actually appears, does it? Besides, we only have a fixed supply of provisions available.”
“You’d be amazed at how many varieties of canned goods I brought back from Japan. That place has literally every type of canned food imaginable.”

My phantom retrieved a can from the Subspace and handed it to the soldier, who grinned widely and accepted the can my phantom offered.

***

Despite Atlas, piloted by Sung-jun, drawing massive aggro while moving northeast through Nevada, the Hornet Hive’s reclamation operation of the US Western Region was not proceeding smoothly.
As enemies from Utah, Idaho, and Oregon near Nevada moved toward Atlas, Corrosion Entities from the southern Arizona region began attacking the area where Hornet Hive was stationed.
Thanks to this, deep strikes using steel golems were occurring several times a day within 100 kilometers near Hornet Hive, but the morale of soldiers in the operation was not particularly dark, just like those aboard Atlas.
Soldiers pressing call buttons while anticipating the steel giant falling from the sky, and pilots landing on the ground at tremendous speed to engage in fierce combat with enemies—all could completely dispel the stress that had accumulated through battles utilizing steel golems.
Occasionally, enemies appeared that 4-meter-class steel golems could not handle, but in such cases, deploying five or more 10-meter-class steel golems allowed them to deal with the situation without problems, so friendly casualties remained minimal.
The only problem was the emergence of Level 8 Corrosion Entities that could only be eliminated by Atlas’s ultra-massive mana cannon, and Barden, Sung-jun’s summon overseeing the maintenance and modification work of Hornet Hive, was contemplating a solution to that problem.

“Um… couldn’t we just install something like a main cannon? The ship is large anyway, so if we install a large main cannon on the level of the mana cannon on Atlas’s left arm…”
“Who’s going to extract the mana needed to fire that mana cannon for you? In the first place, Atlas couldn’t even exist without that monster. Being able to operate that much mana with a mortal body is nothing short of a miracle.”
“Is it that remarkable?”
“You wouldn’t understand since you don’t know much about magic, but to explain it simply: what that human is doing is like putting a miniature sun inside his body and manipulating it. Even the slightest mistake in the direction and sequence of guiding mana would cause his entire body to decompose without a trace. If I were him, I wouldn’t even attempt it even if I had a million lives.”

Once Sung-jun was gone, Barden’s arrogant tone had reverted to one of looking down on others.
However, General MacFarlane and the soldiers, knowing how significant the role Barden played in the modification and maintenance work of the aerial carrier was, did not particularly restrain Barden’s attitude.
After all, Barden was overwhelmingly stronger than all the personnel combined on the aerial carrier, and his actual age meant he had lived for a span of time that humans could not even imagine.
While remodeling the residential areas to accommodate refugees, Barden, contemplating how to deal with Level 8 Corrosion Entities, swung his hammer while muttering like a person who had lost his mind: “This isn’t it either.” “This won’t work either?”
And finally, Barden, who had thought of the only method currently available, came to find General MacFarlane.

“There is one method. I tried to come up with as many other ideas as possible because I hate using this method myself, but without that monster Sung-jun, this is the only way available.”

When Barden conveyed his idea to MacFarlane, he looked at Barden with an expression questioning whether he was in his right mind.

“Can the undead even experience mental confusion or something like that?”
“Damn it. I know this is insane too. But there’s no other way. So this is strictly a last resort. If something goes wrong, not only us but even the Civilians who trusted us and boarded this ship could be completely annihilated.”

Turning to leave for the modification work to implement the idea he had mentioned, Barden spoke.

“Just in case, I’ll go ahead and do the modifications, but don’t think about using it. Just keep in mind that such a method exists.”

And shortly after, a dazzling light burst forth from the bow of Hornet Hive where Barden was headed.

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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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