Chapter 690: High-Tier - Arcane Golem
Rumble!
Explosions erupted across the land, leveling large swaths of brush in the distance.
Billowing smoke shot skyward, and shattered corpses littered the ground.
Orc warriors, who had never feared war, panicked at the magical shells flying in relentlessly from afar.
They simply couldn't believe that their prized courage, combat skills, and strong bodies were utterly useless in the face of overwhelming magical bombardment.
And so, the orc warriors broke down.
Driven by fear, they fled in chaos.
Shouting words like "divine punishment" and "annihilation."
Other orc warriors who saw them fleeing in such a state were filled with confusion and disbelief.
Until the storm of magical artillery rolled in and blew apart the dazed orc soldiers.
The mounting panic and dread gradually shattered the will to fight of the entire orc army.
The Wyvern Riders who noticed this immediately reported it back to the artillery units in the rear.
Delighted, Alice requested immediate combat assistance without hesitation.
And so, the now Super-tier Wyverns, exuding refined draconic might, roared as they herded the orcs.
When encountering tightly formed orc units, they ignored them, instead hunting down the fleeing orcs.
They deepened the orcs' fear and panic, using them to spread terror.
Orc soldiers in formation nervously watched the massive wyverns streaking across the sky.
The orc commander frowned, loudly berating the panicked orcs nearby.
But it had little effect. The fleeing orcs only glanced back.
Before they could say anything more, a distant dull whoosh echoed—and they took off running.
The orc soldiers in formation had no time to react as the torrent of shells rained down.
Rumble!
The violent blasts consumed them all.
Destructive fire engulfed everything.
The clustered orc soldiers were swallowed by raging flames under the horrified gazes of their comrades.
That single strike completely shattered the orcs' confidence.
The orcs fled wildly, spreading fear even farther.
The nonstop shelling from behind chased them, driving them to flee further.
The rapidly advancing adventurers showed no mercy to any orcs they encountered.
At this stage of swift advancement, there could be no room for hesitation.
A routed army collapses like a landslide.
The scenes of adventurers chasing down orcs were captured by recording crystals.
Bay Territory staff sent this footage—along with scenes of the weapons and equipment—back home.
Butler Ralph skimmed through the footage, confirmed everything was in order, and handed it to the composed Lola, saying:
"60,000 adventurers equipped with Bay Territory gear easily crushed an enemy force twice their size."
"Moreover, casualties on our side were minimal, and their combat effectiveness was remarkable."
Watching the footage of magical artillery effortlessly sweeping through the orcs, Lola was filled with a strange sense of awe.
Just these clips alone highlighted a crucial point.
In future battles against Bay Territory, traditional combat tactics would no longer suffice.
No matter how large the numbers, they'd be swept away like leaves in a storm.
Realizing this, Lola finally understood where Bay Territory's confidence came from.
With such powerful weapons and a well-disciplined army—
Ordinary troops stood no chance against them, including those from the Cole Elf Kingdom.
The only real threat would be specialized squads of High- and Super-tier Professionals.
And that ties directly to Bay Territory's tech in Dragon Warrior modifications, Mech Battle Armor, and Thunder Magic Armor.
That was the real reason behind Lord Matthew's price hike!
Given the rivalry and proximity between Bay Territory and the Cole Elf Kingdom, direct competition was inevitable.
In truth, Lola found Bay Territory's approach quite strange.
Their tech was exceptional. The fact that many territories and factions wanted it proved that.
But why didn't Bay Territory keep it hidden, develop in secret, and grow stronger first?
At this stage, revealing the tech without being willing to trade it—
Would only attract greed from other factions and kingdoms, lowering its value...
What Lola didn't know—
Bay Territory had everything, except time!
And so, even as she sent the tech back to the Cole Elf Kingdom, Lola couldn't help but worry.
She feared the tech might be flawed, and her deal might cause heavy losses for her kingdom.
After all, Butler Ralph had just pointed out something that made her feel deeply "ashamed."
The Cole Elf Kingdom's tech had "problems."
Bay Territory demanded three extra Legendary Fire Elemental Crystals as compensation.
Lola had been so embarrassed she wished the floor would swallow her up.
She could tell Butler Ralph wasn't lying—and didn't even have the will to argue, since her kingdom had pulled this stunt more than once.
Thankfully, Lola had anticipated this, and the compensation price was reasonable. She agreed decisively.
Now she truly feared something might be wrong with Bay Territory's tech.
So when Butler Ralph mentioned the issue, Lola immediately replied:
"No problem. I've already agreed."
Ralph gave her a calm smile and confidently added:
"Don't worry. In Bay Territory, our goods are always genuine and fairly priced."
"Please complete the deal quickly. We hope to see you again."
Taking a deep breath, Lola nodded and rushed out.
She returned to her residence at top speed and bluntly voiced her displeasure:
"Bay Territory raised the price by 3 more Legendary Fire Elemental Crystals!"
"All because of your foolish testing!"
"Agree to the deal within half an hour and deliver the goods exactly."
"Or keep sending people to their deaths. Your choice."
Lola didn't care how the other Cole Elves reacted.
Their actions had already shown they didn't care about her or Princess Misha's safety.
If she weren't stationed in Bay Territory with a vital mission, she'd have made those idiots pay in blood.
Still, her reaction wouldn't amount to much.
But she immediately reported everything to the Phoenix Guard commander.
"I need those idiots to investigate Bay Territory's moves in other regions and organizations."
The commander quickly replied:
"Which locations?"
Exhaling softly, Lola named several parties she suspected were involved in trades.
If they could learn Bay Territory's secrets this way—
It would be far easier and safer than probing within Bay Territory itself.
"Understood. I've sent word to the Shadow Council. They admit their mistake."
"Next time there's a major trade, send it to me for review first."
Lola clearly understood the deeper meaning behind those words.
But she didn't care what benefits or power the commander gained—only that she and Princess Misha stayed safe.
Half an hour later—
Lola returned to the lord's manor with verified documents and resources.
Entering Butler Ralph's office, she saw Lord Matthew's departing figure.
Her heart tensed. Forcing herself not to overthink, she grit her teeth and quickly finalized the deal.
Watching Lola leave, Butler Ralph squinted and muttered calmly:
"Heh, the more you interact, the more you realize Elves are just like any other intelligent race."
Matthew confirmed the materials were "accurate" and "safe," rubbed his fingertips together, and said thoughtfully:
"Interesting. The Cole Elf Kingdom still isn't making a move on us."
Butler Ralph flipped through recent intel on the Cole Elves and murmured:
"Knowing their style, if they're not committing troops to the battlefield, they must have another plan."
Both of them remained highly wary of the Cole Elf Kingdom, convinced they wouldn't back down.
Their agreement to Bay Territory's raised price alone was a massive red flag.
Matthew shook his head. Without enough intel, he couldn't determine their next move.
But he didn't need to guess blindly. He simply told Butler Ralph:
"Spread rumors that the Cole Elves are targeting the underground factions."
"Didn't they want to capture and hunt more Cole Elves? Here's their chance."
Given the current losses suffered by the drow against mind flayers—
If they didn't want to anger the Spider Goddess Lolth, they'd have to sacrifice elves to win her favor.
Ordinary drow might not be needed, but the drow city lords and matriarchs definitely had demand.
Now, Matthew had handed them new weapons, gear, and intel.
The other side would surely respond in force!
"Once the underground forces attract attention, let Second Prince Kreiser continue attacking the Cole Elf factories in the Kantelu Mountains."
"Prioritize long-range assaults. Once their forces shift, go all-in to capture a city."
"They need to free the half-elf slaves quickly, then retreat to the underdark."
"Future strikes can be disguised as city raids but should focus on wrecking their factories."
"Once the enemy lowers their guard, we strike decisively."
Matthew's plan was to cripple the Cole Elf Kingdom's production power.
The weapons and gear produced by Bay Territory weren't easy to replicate.
Even if the enemy knew some techniques, the reverse-engineering process wouldn't be simple.
Harassing their factories in the Kantelu Mountains would drain their focus and power.
Then Matthew turned to Annie, who was reading the documents, and said:
"Once these two fronts are in motion, we can strike the Rocky Mountains."
Annie's eyes flashed with arcane blue light. She nodded silently:
"I'll get them ready."
"Don't worry—Yaya will act."
With that, Matthew continued toward the underground lab.
The surgical modifications had reached their most critical stage.
He had to finish the lung modifications before the end of August.
With the trade completed—
Bay Territory's research institutes immediately began analyzing the technology—and quickly mastered it.
The factories already built were outfitted with modified production lines.
In just three days—
The Elemental Golem and Arcane Crystal manufacturing plants were fully operational.
But those were the above-ground factories.
The true breakthroughs from the tech were housed in the underground lab.
Arcane Golem Production Facility.
Gleaming sub-energy cores steadily powered the automated production lines.
Huge robotic arms processed a piece of glowing blue metal.
The arms engraved pre-designed enchantment patterns with perfect stability.
A nimble arm moved in, applying a thin layer of pale blue liquid into the engraved grooves.
The liquid quickly solidified, emitting a deep metallic luster.
Layers of enchanted materials were laid over the area based on the liquid coating.
The process was stable, as if refined over countless trials.
In truth, the upgrades to techniques and accumulated data far exceeded mere trial and error.
One by one, the parts were completed.
They were transported to the assembly zone.
Matthew calmly inspected six pieces of metal armor. Once satisfied with the workmanship and performance, he nodded at Mountain.
Mountain tapped the scanner over his eye, placed his hand on the energy valve, and slowly pushed it up.
Surging energy beams enveloped the six metal armor pieces.
Complex arcane structures formed between them, gradually shaping a massive frame.
Arcane energy formed its bones, muscles, meridians, and skin.
Within mere seconds, a massive energy golem appeared before Matthew.
It glowed with deep blue light, then slowly stabilized into a tangible arcane energy entity.
Its crystalline structure resembled pale-gold Arcane Crystals—
And also like energy crystal entities in composition.
Multiple layered forcefields enveloped its body.
As it completed its final generation phase, the high-tier Arcane Golem now stood before Matthew.
Name: Arcane Golem (Matthew-crafted)
Race: High-tier Arcane Construct (Max HP +50, Control-type spell effects -70%)
Class: Level 6 Warlock
Challenge Rating: 16+ (Elite)
Personality: Docile, Calm
Size: 4.5 meters, Giant-sized
Weight: 530 kg
Talent: Extraordinary Arcane Construct LV2, Max HP +150, Auto-elemental absorption, Spell Resistance +15
Feats:
Extraordinary Feat - Arcane Control LV2
Extraordinary Feat - Enhanced Shield LV2
Advanced Feat - Melee Specialization LV2
Advanced Feat - Weapon Specialization LV2
Advanced Feat - Spell Specialization LV2
Attributes:
Strength: 15
Agility: 13
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 17
Perception: 18
Charisma: 18
HP: 330
Spell Slots: Tier 3 ×3, Tier 2 ×4, Tier 1 ×5, Cantrips ×6
Attack: 8
Defense: 7
Mobility: Normal
Luck: +2
Evaluation: A construct with tremendous upgrade potential!