The Runesmith

Chapter 715 – Battle Golems.

“Oh, look, it’s the Runic Department’s golem!”

“It has a unique look to it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bipedal one like that before. Did they really make it from scratch?”

“But doesn’t it look weaker than that other one? It’s not as well-armored…”

“Maybe it’s agility focused?”

“An agility-focused golem of that size? What’s even the point?”

“...”

Lucienne remained quiet as a few other students from the institute commented around her. They had all gathered around an orb displaying the first golem bout, one in which their institute was competing. Judging by the comments, most favored the bulkier golem to win. At this size, the more robust golem usually came out on top.

“Oh, look. Isn’t that the Deputy Professor?”

The image displayed by the orb wasn’t as clear as the monitors Lucienne had grown accustomed to at the institute. Still, before the battle began, she and the other students could make out the people controlling the golems. Each side had a special booth jutting out from the walls surrounding the battleground.

Sitting inside the designated box for Xandar Institute was Roland. He wasn’t doing anything, merely standing there with his hands folded over one another. The only sign of life was the glow of his red visor.

On the opposite side, closer to the bulkier golem, was the other magical school’s golem control team. It consisted of several people, one of whom was holding something resembling a magical control rod covered in multiple runes.

This was how most golems were operated. The controller would give auditory commands through the rod, and the golem would then carry them out. Some craftsmen used larger consoles with buttons that allowed them to issue commands more quickly, but this group didn’t appear to have one.

“Let the clash of metal and magical might begin!”

The announcer’s voice resounded through the arena, and soon the battle between the golems began.

“Why the serious face?”

“Ack!”

Lucienne recoiled as someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Woah!?”

The person turned out to be Selphie, whose hat flopped over her head when she was startled by Lucienne’s reaction.

“Oh, it was just you, Selphie… Sorry.”

Elian was also there, a skewer of food in one hand as he munched away without saying a word. Oxian and Leron had joined them as well. The group still had around half an hour before their own competition would begin.

“Don’t worry. I’m nervous too. Our competition will begin soon…”

Selphie raised her hat and chuckled.

“I’m sure the Deputy Professor will expect a lot from us after he wins. We can’t let him down!”

Lucienne smiled weakly. In truth, she wasn’t nearly as confident about his victory. She was also aware that her brother was taking part in the competition, and she couldn’t help but worry about him getting hurt. He was currently sitting inside the cockpit of the golem Roland had made.

“After he wins? Are you sure it will be that easy? The other students said that the other golem looks strong…”

“Something that man made can’t be normal. Just watch.”

Selphie replied confidently. Another voice came from the side.

“He will win for sure.”

It was Elian. Oxian and Leron nodded in unison.

Lucienne wasn’t sure where they got their confidence from, but in their minds, there seemed to be no way Roland could lose. Not after all the hellish training they had been through.

*****

“Destroy that inferior golem!”

The man holding the control rod gave the order, and the golem with the huge spiked clubs moved. Its head possessed a single large eye that began to shine red. It focused on the silvery white opponent before it, and once it had its target in sight, it charged forward.

“Here it comes, Robert. Take evasive action.”

While Roland wasn’t inside the Runic Mobile Armor himself, he could see through its eyes. Through them, he watched the metallic behemoth charge forward with long, slow strides, each one causing the ground to shake slightly. The attack was heavily telegraphed, as the golem simply moved in a straight line. However, that didn’t mean the battle would be straightforward. The program their opponent was using had been designed for true warfare.

“There it goes! How will the white golem react?”

The announcer shouted enthusiastically as the crowd focused on the wild charge. Instead of raising its shield to block the incoming wave of pure force, the white golem swiftly stepped to the side. Its movement was unnaturally fluid for a construct of its size. The bulky brown golem brought its massive spiked club down with full force, completely missing its target and shattering the reinforced stone floor into a cloud of dust and gravel.

“Get ready for the follow-up attack…”

The attack didn’t stop there. A secondary attack came immediately afterward. It was a routine Roland had predicted. The moment one mace struck the ground and shattered the floor, the golem swung its second spiked club in a wide horizontal arc, attempting to catch anything trying to circle around it.

“This truly is a marvelous system…”

Robert reacted instantly. Inside his cockpit, multiple indicators appeared, warning him of what was coming. He didn’t need to use his shield or weapon. He simply shuffled his feet and performed a small jump, sending himself out of harm’s way once again.

“Try not to rely on the battle tips too much. Luckily, this golem is running an outdated operating system from fifty years ago, so its fighting routines are predictable.”

Roland spoke as Robert danced around his opponent, displaying a surprising degree of agility. The heavy golem continued to charge and swing its weapons with all its might, but it hit nothing but air. Its techniques were almost flawless, yet none of its attacks were actually landing.

When it came to golems in this world, especially those built by craftsmen, they all shared one major weakness. It was the transition from one command within the system to another. They weren’t the sophisticated machines portrayed in futuristic worlds, as they suffered from significant delays between commands.

Once a golem initiated an attack, it required a certain amount of time before it could perform another action. Compared to the mana phantom system, which could read human movements and respond accordingly, it was severely lacking in reaction speed.

Roland was also continuously monitoring the clash and the opposing golem. His visor continued to glow, feeding him information about the attacks the golem was preparing to execute. With his assistance, Robert received combat predictions that allowed him to prepare his reactions before the golem even acted.

“All right, Robert.” 

Roland said in a calm and steady voice.

“We have verified the integrity of the motion systems. Now it is time to test the offensive output. Target the elbow joint of the right arm. It seems to be slightly out of balance.”

Inside the cockpit, Robert grinned. His arms and legs were locked securely into the harness, his body moving in perfect tandem with the mechanical giant. He took a short breath, centered his focus, and stepped forward just as the opponent raised its mace for another heavy strike.

Instead of stepping back again, the golem that resembled a white knight surged forward. The stadium gasped in unison. The flamboyant announcer shouted with excitement as he leaned over the railing of his hovering platform.

“Unbelievable! The white construct is closing the distance! It’s finally taking the initiative, but can it really withstand that attack with its shield?”

Robert shifted his hips, bringing the large rectangular shield up at a sharp angle. The massive spiked club smashed against it with a deafening clang. A layer of blue mana shimmered across the shield as its defensive enchantment activated. Shockwaves rippled through the dirt floor, throwing up clouds of dust, but the silvery golem stood firm. The impact force was distributed evenly across its heavy frame by the specialized runic dampening circuits Roland had designed.

Before the brown golem’s primitive command system could register the blocked attack and process a new order, Robert executed a swift, humanlike counter. He stepped inside the golem’s reach and swung the heavy broadsword upward in a clean, rising arc. The edge of the blade, coated in a shimmering layer of concentrated flame mana, struck the enemy golem directly beneath its right elbow joint.

The sound of shattering metal echoed across the arena and through the magical orbs. The thick brown arm, which had seemed nearly indestructible, gave way under the precise application of force. The joint broke apart, and the arm holding the massive club collapsed under the weapon’s weight. The additional force magnified the damage, and the ground soon trembled as the spiked club crashed down.

Silence fell over the crowd, followed by a sudden roar of excitement from the spectators in the stands. In another viewing area, Selphie crossed her arms with a triumphant smile.

“See? I told you!”

Lucienne let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. Her eyes remained glued to the crystal orb display as the white knight golem stepped back and raised its broadsword into a high stance. The brown golem struggled to recalculate its next move, made even worse by its panicking controller.

“G-get up, you stupid thing! Defend yourself! Attack that thing!”

The man gripping the control rod was panicking, giving the golem conflicting orders. Roland knew exactly how to take advantage of that. When a golem received conflicting directives, it would revert to its basic programming as a means of self-preservation.

Robert’s display replayed the tactic. After jumping back to avoid a swing from his opponent’s only functional arm, he instantly counterattacked. The runes on his sword surged with power as heated plasma surrounded the blade.

The superheated blade sliced through the air with a high-pitched whistle, leaving a trail of glowing crimson light in its wake. Driven by the fluid motion of Robert’s arm, the broadsword struck the left shoulder joint of the enemy construct. There was no grinding screech of metal meeting metal this time, only a hiss as the plasma-infused edge melted into the heavy armor.

While it could not cleave through the armor with a single swing, once the first cut had been made, it was already too late. The sword was pushed deeper, slowly forcing the reinforced metal plating of the brown golem to give way.

To protect itself, the golem attempted to push back, but one of its arms was already malfunctioning, while the arm holding the remaining spiked club was now being sliced through. Nevertheless, it raised its heavily armored hands and tried to push the smoldering blade away while simultaneously attempting to retreat.

‘The harness feedback seems to be relaying the sensation well enough…’

Roland could see the readings of what was happening, along with a separate camera feed showing the inside of the cockpit. Robert was struggling as he slowly forced the blade through the thick metal.

The harness restricted his movements in a somewhat realistic manner, working against his strength and reproducing the resistance he would feel from the golem. For someone like Robert, a tier three class holder, the harness and exoskeleton had to be made of at least mithril to avoid shattering under the strain. Fortunately, at this point in time, the material was relatively common.

Roland could see his brother gritting his teeth as he twisted his wrist, putting enough force behind the broadsword to slice through the shoulder. The superheated mana edge cleaved straight through the joint, severing the arm completely. The second spiked club crashed onto the stone floor, leaving the bulky construct completely disarmed.

Panic radiated from the opposing control booth. The top-hatted manager looked enraged as he turned toward the person holding the control rod. At this point, the battle should have been over, but the other school was not about to give up and lose in the first round.

“T-tackle that thing down!”

With no arms or weapons left, the only way to attack was with a tackle. The golem charged forward, using its remaining power to leap at the RMA, which was still trying to regain its stance. However, just as it looked like the hit would land, another surprising feat materialized.

Robert raised his shield and used it in such a way that he rode the momentum of the tackle, safely propelling himself to the side. The other golem continued forward, its momentum carrying it into a heavy crash against the ground. Now defenseless, the construct was not built to rise with all its bulk without any arms to help it.

“I don’t think those guys are going to surrender. You’ll have to finish it. But be careful. Once you damage the mana crystals inside, it will create a volatile reaction.”

Roland was fine with ending it there. The golem was an expensive piece of equipment. Its arms had been severed, but the rest of it was still in working order. With some repairs, it could have been restored, but his opponents did not seem to care.

Inside the cockpit, Robert took a deep breath and adjusted his stance within the feedback harness. The inner display illuminated the target zones on the downed brown construct. The golem’s main core was located within its chest cavity, protected by a hefty layer of metal.

"Understood." 

Robert replied while tightening his grip with his right hand and increasing the output of the plasma surrounding his weapon. He brought the broadsword down in a clean, vertical strike. It was a perfectly executed motion, backed by years of swordsmanship training and skill, something that could not be easily reproduced through programming alone.

‘These readings…’

Roland stared at the display as he watched the brown golem’s body being hacked in half. As soon as the heated blade sank into its core, Robert brought his shield forward and leapt backward. An explosion shook the entire arena as the main core, which contained all the mana crystals and mana fluid, detonated in a chain reaction.

“What a marvelous finish! The golem from Xandar’s Institute is victorious!”

The announcer roared into his magical microphone, his voice carrying through the various magical orbs. He leaned over the safety railing of his floating platform once again, watching the fiery explosion unfold before him.

“N-no… how could this be…”

The man holding the control rod dropped to his knees after watching the golem explode before them. The manager standing nearby said nothing. Instead, he simply adjusted his top hat and promptly left the golem control booth.

“S sir, please wait… What about my funding?”

“After this failure? You will be fortunate if you are kept on as a Custodian!”

The manager sneered without turning around. His boots clicked against the polished floor as he abandoned the trembling mages. In the opposing booth, Roland calmly deactivated the scanning subroutines running across his visor. The bright red illumination dimmed to a more reserved glow as he examined the structural integrity of the machine he had built.

The stress readings across the internal harness and exterior were all within safe limits. The thermal dispersion system for the blade was functioning well, but it was also clear that if the battle had lasted much longer, the weapon’s damage output and structural integrity would have begun to deteriorate.

There was also one other interesting detail he had noticed during the fight. His golem had gone through several training phases, but there had not been enough time to properly confirm everything. After this battle, however, one thing had finally become clear. The pilot’s skills mattered.

The strike Robert performed at the end had produced far more power than the golem should have been capable of generating on its own. It was almost as if a skill-based power multiplier had been applied to the attack, making the golem function like a larger version of Robert himself.

‘The boost to power should be more significant. It seems some of the power is still being lost or failing to translate properly…’

Roland continued thinking as Robert took his place on the circular platform he had arrived through. The first battle of his unique golem had concluded, and now that the fight had been broadcast to everyone, he knew people would be asking a lot of questions.

‘Some of them have probably figured out that it’s being controlled from the inside by now as well. I wonder how they’ll react.’

He slowly exited the booth to allow the other participant to enter. The destroyed golem was quickly dealt with by several smaller constructs that acted as both firefighters and cleanup crews.

The first bout was over, but many more remained. He and Robert needed to get through all of them in one piece so that he could win his bet with the Archmagus and finally become a free man.