The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 132

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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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#132. Take Flight, Carrier

‘The condition is dire.’

The moment I caught sight of the Hive Hornet appearing in the distance, I lost consciousness. Now my awareness drifted through the interior of a colossal library, its shelves stacked impossibly high with documents and tomes that seemed to reach toward infinity.
A tranquil space where neither the brutal clash unfolding outside nor the sight of insectoid monsters desperately burrowing toward the heart of Atlas in real-time could penetrate.
Yet despite the serene silence of this realm, the great library as perceived through my eyes presented a scene of utter devastation.

“Sigh… when will I ever finish repairing all of this…”

The space where my consciousness resided was an imagined manifestation of the circle inscribed upon my body.
A repository of arcane knowledge—countless grimoires and parchments containing magical theories transmitted from my Teacher and those I had independently discovered, scattered haphazardly throughout.
What should have been meticulously organized lay in chaos, with acrid smoke rising from burning parchments and collapsed bookshelves, as though the space had endured a bombing.

“First, I need to extinguish the flames…”

I raised both arms to cast a spell, then immediately realized magic was impossible in this space.
Since my magic itself manifested through this space, my current form—a mere consciousness—could not wield magic within it.
Upon recognizing this truth, I sighed and approached the burning parchments, beginning to beat out the flames with my bare hands.

-Tap, tap-tap! Tap-tap!-

I brushed away the charred sections and salvaged what remained of the parchment, then immediately began reading its contents.
I searched through the collapsed shelves for a quill and ink, then started copying the text onto fresh parchment.
For the portions already consumed by flame, I reconstructed the missing information by synthesizing what remained, redesigning it anew.
This was my unique process for repairing the mana circuits of my circle, damaged by my excessive mana consumption.

“This one…”

I picked up a parchment with only a palm-sized section remaining, the rest reduced to ash, and fell into contemplation.
Since what vanished from this space was completely erased from my memory as well, I could not simply recall what was written—I had to reconstruct it anew based on what remained.
The problem was that the magical circle before me was not drawn based on my current abilities, but rather one my Teacher had taught me.
Deliberating whether to draw an entirely new spell formula using the theories and knowledge I had independently mastered, or to restore it according to my Teacher’s original magical theory, I ultimately drew the mana formula based on my Teacher’s instruction, then retrieved fresh parchment and inscribed my own improved spell formula as well.
There was no need for lengthy deliberation—I could simply add both versions.
As I methodically organized the countless burned and collapsed grimoires, I gazed upon the mountain of magical texts still remaining and exhaled deeply.
Then I picked up another parchment and murmured softly to myself.

“If I had my way, I’d wrap this up quickly and return as fast as possible….”

The problem was that Sung-jun had pushed himself far too hard while defeating Yejigwi and the Dungeon Master and operating Atlas.
In particular, the magical formula for forcibly converting a modern tank into a steel golem was cast almost by sheer force, based on an independent mana manipulation method that diverged from the magical theory taught by my Teacher by roughly two million light-years.
Sung-jun resolved to risk danger and properly maintain the now-ruined mana circuits now for the sake of the future.
He would place his faith in his disciple Seoa and the valiant U.S. Military soldiers who were fighting outside to protect him even now.
As Sung-jun organized his mana circuits in an unconscious state, outside the sleeping Atlas, a fierce battle for survival raged between the forces seeking to protect Sung-jun and those seeking to eliminate him.

“Die! Die, you cursed insect bastards!!”

A colossal steel golem standing ten meters tall fired massive mana cannons held in both hands in all directions.
Countless monsters struck by the mana cannons—which were better described as cannons than guns, given their enormous barrels—collapsed to the ground with gaping holes torn through their bodies, yet even more monsters closed the distance and charged toward where the golem stood.

“Get out! Get out of here! Aaaahhhhh!!”

In a situation where the number of charging enemies exceeded the barrage of cannon fire, the steel golems, completely surrounded by enemies, began to be destroyed one by one, their mana reactors torn to shreds by razor-sharp claws and exploding in thunderous detonations from all sides.
Fear and courage, death and resolve.
On a battlefield where countless contradictory emotions swirled like a tempest, the soldiers riding the golems, half-delirious, swung their blades in a frenzy at the countless enemies advancing toward them.

“Current altitude 250 meters! Estimated time until enemy penetration into Hive Hornet: 2 minutes remaining!”
“Redirect the golems providing artillery support inward. By any means necessary, we must protect the civilian containment sector.”

As the aerial carrier, having lost 6 of its 8 mana reactors, descended toward the ground at an accelerating pace, the two remaining mana reactors emitted a bone-chilling high-frequency sound, holding the aerial carrier aloft in a state just before runaway.
One shot, one kill.
Having deployed 6 mana reactors against the enemy, only 4 of the 10 Level 8 Corrosion Entities remained.
General MacFarlane, the captain and commander of Hive Hornet, issued orders to fire the remaining two mana reactors at the enemy while gripping the desk beside him firmly.

“Launch Nemesis Units 7 and 8!”
“Command acknowledged! Nemesis Unit 7 launched! Nemesis Unit 8 launch complete!”

With two additional Level 8 Corrosion Entities eliminated in an instant, Hive Hornet no longer possessed mana reactors sufficient to keep its massive hull airborne, yet for General MacFarlane, this was hardly a critical problem.
His Hive Hornet’s colossal body was already positioned to execute a vertical descent directly onto the head of one of the two remaining Corrosion Entities.
All crew members aboard Hive Hornet braced themselves for impact, knowing that an aerial carrier weighing hundreds of thousands of tons falling from above would be unbearable even for a Level 8 Corrosion Entity.

“SCREEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

Witnessing the enormous shadow approaching—vast enough to eclipse its entire forty-meter frame—the colossal Corrosion Entity remaining on the ground shrieked in terror.
It then trampled the countless Corrosion Entities beneath its feet and began fleeing outward to escape the impact zone.
As the general’s calculation that it couldn’t easily escape, surrounded as it was by subordinates, instantly proved wrong, he shouted in panic at his subordinates.

“Chase them down!”
“With what? We’ve already exhausted all our mana cannons! The only thing we can do now is drop the carrier itself!”

The Adjutants shared the same bewilderment.
Their reasoning was simple—surely the enemy hadn’t anticipated that we would sacrifice the carrier itself as a weapon to strike them down.
Yet just before the Level 8 Corrosion Entity could escape beyond the drop zone, hundreds of colossal chains erupted from the ground, ensnaring the fleeing ultra-massive Corrosion Entity’s legs with iron grip.

“What is that?!”
“My magic! Drop now!”

Remarkably, it wasn’t Sung-jun but his student Yeonse-a who wielded such formidable magic—magic powerful enough to momentarily bind a Level 8 Corrosion Entity’s ankles.
The instant she succeeded in pouring every ounce of her mana into restraining the colossal Corrosion Entity’s legs, hundreds of thousands of tons of steel crashed down upon its head, drowning out its anguished roar.

-CRASH!!!-

The Hive Hornet plummeted with such devastating force that the ten-meter steel golem standing on deck was hurled skyward by the recoil, flattening the Level 8 Corrosion Entity’s massive body like an insect beneath the carrier’s weight.
And in that same moment, only one of the ten ultra-massive Corrosion Entities remained, letting out a furious shriek as it leaped toward the Hive Hornet’s deck.

“Hold the line!”
“If we bring down this one, we win!”
“We don’t even need to kill it! Just hold it back until Sung-jun wakes up!”

What they had to defend against wasn’t merely the ultra-massive Corrosion Entity.
Thousands of Monsters, sent flying hundreds of meters away by the shockwave from the Hive Hornet’s impact, were now charging toward the carrier with frenzied abandon, their claws and fangs gnashing with hunger.
What had begun as a barrage from thousands of steel golems had transformed into a desperate defensive battle—a siege where swarms of creatures clawed their way up the battered carrier, now serving as a makeshift fortress.

-Boom! Boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom!!!-

The Level 8 Corrosion Entity that had climbed onto the Hive Hornet’s deck remained unscathed despite the overwhelming barrage from the steel golems.
Meanwhile, the steel golems desperately attacking the massive creature crumbled pathetically the moment its claws touched them.
Yet the Soldiers defending the deck didn’t retreat a single step.
If they abandoned this position, the next target would be the Civilians cowering in terror below deck.

“SCREEEECH!!”

As if mocking the desperate resolve of these Soldiers, the Level 8 Corrosion Entity raised its massive foreleg.
Then it brought that scythe-like claw crashing down with all its might toward the deck of the colossal airship.

-CRASH!-

In that instant, with tremendous recoil, the colossal monster’s descending foreleg bounced back in the opposite direction.
And there, a Dwarf gripping an enormous hammer in one hand glared up at the creature with fury blazing across his face.

“You damned insect—who the hell do you think you are, destroying my work like this?”

Enraged that a creature barely reaching one meter fifty had deflected its foreleg, the monster shrieked and drove its claw downward once more.
At a speed incomparably faster than when it had struck the deck moments before.
Just as the lightning-swift attack descended toward Barden’s head—so fast the eye could scarcely follow—the monster’s foreleg bounced back again.

-CRASH!!!-

This counterattack had not come from Barden.
The Dwarf still stood motionless on the deck, his hands gripping the hammer exactly where they had been, without the slightest movement.
Then, the being who had blocked the incoming assault in Barden’s stead revealed itself—mounted upon a steed.

“Don’t go alone. I can’t protect you that way.”
“Who said anything about protecting whom?”
“Then fight alone if you’re unhappy.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Seeing Karcerion actually pulling back on the reins as if to retreat, Barden waved both hands frantically in protest.
Then, turning his attention back toward Karcerion, who was now harassing the enemy, he asked:

“What about that noble bastard?”
“Argen’s strength lies not in one-on-one combat, but in melee against multiple foes. He’s already moving.”

Following Karcerion’s gesture toward a distant point, Barden saw the limbs of countless insectoid monsters being sliced apart with brutal precision, scattering in all directions.
Watching the scene for a moment, Barden lowered his stance and extended his hammer forward.

“Well, defeating it outright will be impossible, but…”

At that, Karcerion—having already adjusted his posture and fixed his gaze on the colossal Corrosion Entity before him—leveled his lance and spoke:

“We can buy time until our lord awakens.”

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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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