Chapter 5 -
(Changing the numbering sequence for chapters as stated in .)
*Whomp* *Whomp* *Whomp*
I just returned to the place where we discovered the sorcery weapon alongside Teto and Baretta, this time using teleportation magic, only to see the said sorcery weapon that was supposed to be isolated in a barrier moving around while making a thump-thump sound.
"Say, Teto. Do you also see that machine moving? It's so strange, I'm sure I even placed a barrier to isolate it."
"Teto also sees it moving. Oh, and there's something like a long cylinder set-up on its shoulder too."
The sorcery weapon's external armor had decayed with the interior coming out, most likely because it had been buried in the ground for such a long time. It was already missing its right arm when we had excavated it and one of its four legs wasn't functioning properly as it was practically dragging it.
Nevertheless, the artillery golem was moving around as if surveying the «Empty Wilderness» with its remaining three legs, left arm, and the turret that had been extending from its right shoulder irrespective of its tattered outlook.
«Master. This type is equipped with a mechanism called Mana Absorber if my records serve me right. My conjecture is that it may have neutralized the Master's barrier and used its mana to boot up.»
"Is such a thing even possible? Wouldn't it be dangerous, then?"
«It's hard to say. After all, it wouldn't be strange for it to malfunction. Besides, even if it went on a rampage...»
The artillery golem spotted us just as I was listening to Baretta who was in my arms and aimed its turret in our direction.
"Hey, it's not planning to shoo一一 dodge quickly!"
I immediately used physical strengthening to the limit and avoided the incoming attack.
A concentrated light beam with high penetrating power escaped from the turret and gouged out the ground of the wilderness.
«Its concentrated beam of light is laced with Mana Canceller. Any normal barrier would be pierced by its beam.»
As she explained, I invoked floating magic and jumped into the sky to escape from the bombardment while carrying Baretta.
Teto, on the other hand, went straight for the bombardment golem.
"I'm going to take it down!ーー huh?"
The artillery golem turned to Teto and fired a beam of light laced with the mana neutralization effect at her whose body was strengthened with magic. However, the beam was easily repulsed when Teto swung her magic sword with her heightened strength through body hardening.
«Impossible...... Teto-sama's strength is on an absurd level. However, situations like the artillery golem being pitted against similar types of sorcery weapons have also been considered so...»
The artillery golem took the repulsed light beam on its armor but it didn't even scratch it. Maybe a defense mechanism like spell scattering was put on its surface.
Also, it had begun absorbing the surrounding mana to prepare for its next beam at the same time the light beam fired by itself scattered.
But the beam fired towards Teto this time divided itself into innumerable smaller beams of which Teto cut through some while evading the others.
"I see. The low mana region is capping its bombardment charging speed but the spell counter is still working fine. It also seems to have the ability to change the nature of its attacks to cope with the changes in battle."
«Master. Teto-sama might get caught up in danger if we don't take action soon.»
"You don't need to worry about Teto. But indeed..."
I wonder, how effective would physical attack spells be against it, then?
"Let's start. ーー«Hard Shoot»!"
I took out a «Mana Crystal», hardened its structure, and fired it at the artillery golem with extreme speed.
This mana crystal has 10 times the mana capacity of the crystal I had made before. Furthermore, the density of the crystal, which was achieved through hardening, could even go toe-to-toe against «Body Hardening».
The hardened crystal approached the artillery golem in no time with supersonic speed.
"Oh, that's quite a violent sound."
«Nonetheless, it didn't take it down.»
The crystallized body landed on its target with an intense sound but the artillery golem undid mana crystal hardening through mana neutralization the moment it collided with its armor, canceling even its extreme speed.
However, it wasn't able to cancel the kinetic energy and the result was that the crystallized projectile formed a huge dent in its armor when it struck the artillery golem with the speed of sound.
"So worked, huh? It should be easy to take down as long as a much sturdier object is used as the projectile. 一一«Creation» Tungsten Shell!"
I created a shell out of tungsten with creation magic. Albeit this lump of metal in the shape of a temple bell similar to a «Mana Crystal» drained 30,000 units of my mana which was on the same level as creating a huge Iron Guillotine.
"This Tungsten Shell is 10 times heavier than a mana crystal. Take it!"
I hugged Baretta with my right hand and launched the shell floating in the air using wind and gravity magic while adding high-speed rotation at the same time.
It would neutralize hardening either way so this time it was a physical force that used magic to pour in all the energy at the moment of its launch.
The tungsten shell pierced the abdomen of the dully moving golem with supersonic speed and broke apart its upper and lower body into two parts.
"Bull's eye, that's the end. Alright, let's search it for usable parts."
«A terrific attack it was, Master. A single attack was enough to take down the artillery golem on the level of an army...!? It's still moving!»
The artillery golem that was still somehow functioning turned its gun barrel towards us with just its upper body when I leisurely landed on the ground to retrieve its parts while carrying Baretta.
And just as it was about to fire its concentrated light beam一一
"Protecting Majou-sama is Teto's duty!"
Teto, who had been dodging the scattered beam attacks of the Golem until now, got closer to the artillery golem that had been split in two from my single attack and cut apart its barrel, left hand, and head.
And thus, the concentrated light beam it was just about to fire dispersed and the artillery golem ceased functioning completely this time.
"Haa, it's over. Let's retrieve it now."
"Roger-nanodesu!"
Teto and I began to scavenge the parts of the broken golem.
«So it still has its control magic tool, the core, left. Its core holds the same value as a mana stone and it can also be installed into the mana management system Master is thinking about as well.»
I retrieved a huge crimson mana stone which appeared to be on the A-rank level from the artillery golem and turned to Teto.
"一一«Analyze»...... Alright, I got its structure pattern, so this time it's Teto's turn. I can remake it as long as I prepare suitable mana and mana stone later."
I had grasped the composition of the artillery golem's control magic tool using the attribute-less analytical spell «Analysis».
This discovery had now paved a path for me to create a large-scale management system bigger than what I was currently using to oversee the mana flow of the huge land, i.e. the earth veins, as long as I could get my hands on a mana stone of an A-rank or higher monster or create one through «Creation Magic».
"That's all there is. Then let's return home. We can now finally devote ourselves to repairing Baretta now that the investigation of the «Empty Wilderness» is over."
«...... Thank you very much.»
I carried Baretta's metallic frame in my arms just as when I carried her here and returned to our base.
