Chương 229

Shielded by Pauline's shadows, Orion sat perfectly still on a moss-covered branch, watching the elite forces of the Arcane Collegium prepare the battlefield, and what a sight it was. Unlike the witches of the Sanctum, who favored the esoteric and saw the world as a direct gift from the Moon Mother, with all the implications that entailed, the mages of the Collegium appeared much more focused on studying the mana pool than on treating it as a natural feature.

Some of the mages had even split off to register various recordings, murmuring about the density and purity of the Weave. It's not exactly the scientific method, but it's far better than simply praying. Below, Hames Ollen moved around the edge of the pool, using his magic to reshape the large roots of the Ironwood trees into slightly different configurations, creating a natural funnel that would direct any approaching force into the center of the basin.

Samael Isoa, meanwhile, was channeling magic directly into the ground, whispering phrases in an ancient language to create specific runes, sinking them into the mud, perfectly hiding their mana signatures by tuning into the pool's ambient frequency.

"The sympathetic minefield is one of the most dangerous of warmagics," Jonatan murmured softly from a neighboring branch, catching the direction of Orion's gaze. He had cast his own subtle spell to let them whisper without being overheard by others, and Orion made a mental note of its composition, interested in replicating and possibly improving his own privacy magic.

"This variation is meant to trigger only when they detect the specific vibration of the Silence, developed thanks to the samples we were sent. Anything else can walk over them freely."

"It's an elegant solution," Orion admitted, genuinely impressed by the spells' efficiency.

"Is Archmage Valentia measuring the depth of the pool?" He pointed toward Yunius, who was standing near the water's edge with a floating astrolabe made of polished silver rings. They spun independently, glowing with a soft blue light as Yunius adjusted several small dials along their axes.

"He's reading the pressure gradients of the Weave," Jonatan explained.

"The astrolabe calculates the structural integrity of the dimensional barrier. We need to know exactly how much force the area can withstand before a spell accidentally triggers the pool's natural volatility, and since we expect company soon, that will let him know how much power he can unleash." As far as Orion knew, that wouldn't be a problem for him.

This pool had not yet been corrupted by the Silence, and [Hypotheticism] told him it was very stable, but he supposed that for someone at the fourth tier, that was a much more urgent concern. In fact, it was essentially the same calculation Orion had done with fluid dynamics and stagnation-pressure equations back in the crevice, only achieved through centuries of refined arcane tradition rather than pure mathematics.

It served as a reminder that while his methods were unique and sometimes superior, the Collegium was the most powerful faction for a reason. They were highly capable. A sudden vibration ran through the trunk, which was notable given how thick it was, cutting their conversation short. The ambient noises of the deep canopy—the chittering of insects and the rustling of leaves—fell silent, replaced by an expectant quiet as the mages scrambled into position.

Yunius tucked the astrolabe into his robes and disappeared, seamlessly teleporting to reappear on a high branch right across the basin. The other mages melted into their hiding spots, and without knowing where they were, Orion would have had trouble spotting them, especially because the ambient mana was so thick that detecting their signatures was nearly impossible. A minute later, something big pushed into the clearing.

Orion focused [Hypotheticism] on that direction, parsing the influx of data as best as he could. As expected, there was a squad of twelve engineers, wearing the same brass armor he'd taken from the unit on the Beaked Peak, but they were hauling a reinforced cart carrying a large tank that he was certain contained Silence, given how fuzzy the data stream became around it. More importantly, four large figures guarded the cart, causing an involuntary shiver to run down his spine.

They stood over nine feet tall, entirely encased in heavy armor, and moved with a fluid grace that belied their size, their hydraulic joints hissing softly as they scanned the treeline with glowing red optical sensors. Heavy alchemical cannons were mounted on their broad shoulders, and thick, armored cables ran directly from their backs into their weapons. Fortunately, this time, there was no fog of Silence blocking his view, so Orion could inspect them without any trouble.

Magitek Centurion - Vanguard Model Class: Alchemical Construct [B-rank] Level: 110 Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Mind: 200 Attunement: 450 Body: 800 Traits: Reactive Adaptation [B-rank]; Silence Emitter [B-rank]; Biological Core Integration [C-rank] So they do count as monsters. I was curious about that. I suppose having a brain somewhere inside makes that possible.

Though his mind wanted to wonder exactly how perfect the integration between mind and machine needed to be for the System to recognize it, especially since the anti-air weapon didn't have such an interface, Orion forcibly pushed all that aside. The engineering team moved toward the edge of the mana pool, pulling the heavy cart into the center of the basin, while the Centurions took up defensive positions at the four corners of the clearing, their optical sensors sweeping the upper canopy for approaching witches.

From his vantage point, Orion could see Archmage Yunius raise his hand and then drop it, signaling to trigger the trap. Once again demonstrating their adaptability, Samael, Hames, and the rest of the Collegium warmages deployed the "Barrage" doctrine Orion had proposed. Instead of casting massive, single-target spells as they might have preferred, the forest erupted with hundreds of rapid-fire, low-tier projectiles.

Needles of compressed ice, sparks of searing fire, and razor-sharp shards of stone rained down on the engineering squad like an avalanche, catching them completely off guard. Satisfyingly, the reactive powder hidden within the engineers' brass armor worked exactly as Orion had predicted. The continuous, low-level impacts overwhelmed the mechanical sensors, preventing the armor from detecting any single threat. Sometimes its compound was released prematurely, and other times it didn't react at all.

The distributed damage quickly shredded the armors' integrity, causing the micro-pockets of Silence to sputter and fail to ignite properly, and leaving the engineers completely exposed. Within ten seconds, the entire engineering squad was torn apart by the overwhelming number of secondary strikes. The tank sat untouched in the center of the clearing, as everyone had been careful not to damage it, lest they turn the already dangerous environment into a hell on earth. The four Centurions, however, did not fall.

Their optical sensors flashed from red to blinding white as they registered the threat, and the spells that struck them dealt little damage, lacking the power to pierce their armor. A moment later, they lifted their arms, and something under their chassis started to hum. That was the signal for Archmage Yunius to step out, his aura flaring with immense power to focus the centurions on himself.

He didn't bother with the Barrage doctrine, knowing it would be pointless, and instead raised his staff, warping the space above the Centurions. Hundreds of times more mana than Orion could summon on such short notice was gathered, and a gravitational singularity was summoned in the center of the formation. The Centurions, however, were not as restricted as their fleshy allies and responded together, creating their individual Silence fields, which overlapped perfectly to form a grey dome.

The Archmage's spell sputtered as it tried to take effect, struggling to become solid. Seeing it wasn't working, Yunius detonated it early, creating a shockwave that pushed the Centurions back a few feet but failed to do much damage. Orion frowned as he saw the golems adapting, sharing data through some kind of network, and aiming at where Yunius was hiding, somehow tracing the disturbance. But the man was not easily discouraged, nor did he stop to marvel at the failure of his first strike.

He immediately changed tactics, directing his mana through the natural environment instead of attacking the Silence directly, and ordered the roots beneath the Centurions to violently surge upward. As expected, they tore through the soil and rammed into the constructs from below, and because the roots were moved by sheer force rather than direct mana projection, the Silence offered no protection.

Two of the Centurions managed to shield in time, while the other two were thrown off balance, buckling under the sudden upheaval. Samael and Hames seized the opening, executing a dual-cast and sending a spear of pure kinetic energy straight into the exposed joint of a falling Centurion. Its power was so great that the armor cracked, and the construct toppled heavily into the slush, its optical sensors flickering in distress.

That was when the hidden runes activated, unleashing a barrage of continuous electrical bolts that overwhelmed the golem until its chassis shattered completely, allowing the magic to flow through its internal circuits. Much of the exerted power was nullified by the Silence inside, but this matched the effect of several tier-three spells at once, all focused on its most vulnerable spot. So, it was no surprise when the Centurion finally fell.

The second damaged one experienced much of the same, and it was clear that the Collegium's preparations were working as intended, allowing every mage to turn their fire upon the remaining two. Another tremor, far more violent than the first, shook leaves from the tallest branches. The smaller trees on the northern edge of the clearing groaned and splintered, pushed aside by a shape that dwarfed the Centurions, and a moment later, a mobile fortress broke through the tree line.

Despite knowing how dangerous the situation had suddenly become, Orion couldn't help but admire it. It was an astonishing feat of industrial engineering, resembling a heavily armored land-ship rolling forward on spiked iron treads. Thick smokestacks belched dark fumes into the canopy, and heavy plating covered every inch of its hull. Along its sides, large rotating turrets housed cannons that glowed with gray light, and Orion had to push almost too much mana into his glasses to get any readings.

Iron State Mobile Fortress - Dreadnought Class Class: Siege Engine [A-rank] Level: 155 Mind:??? Attunement:??? Body:??? Traits:??? [A-rank];??? [A-rank];??? [A-rank];??? [A-rank];??? [A-rank] Ah, that's how they managed to win so fast against the Druids. Maybe he should have realized it sooner, but Orion hadn't truly taken the words of the Sentinel he saved at face value.

He believed the man when he said the Iron State had larger war machines, but seeing just one now made the true significance of those warnings clear. They can create constructs at tier four. That alone would put them above any faction in terms of powerhouses. The moment the Dreadnought emerged from behind the trees, its main smokestack released a huge cloud of Silence that covered the entire lower part of the basin.

The thick grey fog immediately began eating away at the ambient mana, neutralizing Samael's sympathetic minefield and disrupting many of the runes. Then, the side turrets tracked upward, locking onto the canopy.

"Defensive positions!" Yunius roared, raising his voice high enough to be heard over the loud grinding of the treads. The Dreadnought opened fire. Heavy alchemical shells tore through the ancient Ironwood branches, detonating in concussive anti-magic blasts that pulverized the wood and sent massive splinters raining down into the basin. Yunius dropped to the lower branches, projecting a multi-layered shield over his warmages.

The golden barriers flared brightly as the Silence shells slammed into them, hissing and cracking under the continuous artillery barrage. While the Archmage managed to hold the line, it was clear that the offensive momentum was completely broken. Worse, they were stuck in place.

The surviving Centurions gathered around the Dreadnought, their internal systems connecting directly to the fortress's command hub, and when they began advancing toward the pool to secure the tank of Silence, Orion knew that something different needed to be done.