Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Golem Army
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"You all been well?"
*Fssshh-.*
*Click-.*
"Captain, I'm here."
Kang Young-chan lit a cigarette the moment he entered the barracks.
Then, he sat in an empty seat and crossed his legs.
He acted as if the presence of the captain and vice-captain didn't matter at all.
"Hmm, what's this! You're..."
As Kang Young-chan's gaze swept across the barracks, it landed on Shim Young-jin.
Shim Young-jin flinched, turning his head to avoid eye contact.
"Well, well, nice to see you. You remember me, right?"
"..."
"Huh? You already forgot?"
Kang Young-chan scrutinized Shim Young-jin's face.
He looked a bit rougher than during the test, but his pale, boyish face was still recognizable.
"It is you!"
"..."
"But this little shit? Attention."
"..."
"Attention!"
"Atten-tion!"
*Scrape-!*
Shim Young-jin shot to his feet, standing ramrod straight at attention.
His movements were swift and precise.
"Just as I thought. The guy who broke the ogre's chains. Hehehe. Captain, what's this guy doing here?"
"Hmm. Did I not mention it? I brought him."
"Aigoo, my dear Captain. You've brought in a real handful. This one's a headache. A real stubborn bastard."
Shim Young-jin, keeping his body still, turned only his head slightly to look at Kang Young-chan.
He opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.
But when he met Kang Young-chan's sharp gaze, his voice trailed off into a mumble.
"I've changed a lot... since coming here... I'm working hard..."
Kang Young-chan scoffed in response.
His expression was one of ridicule.
"Heheh. Damn it! You think I haven't seen guys like you a hundred times? Who do you think you're trying to fool?"
"Well... bad things happened... and I've learned some things..."
"Huh? What was that? Can't hear you."
Kang Young-chan cupped his ear toward Shim Young-jin.
Sweat trickled from Shim Young-jin's temples down to his jaw, a pitiful sight.
*Tap, tap-.*
"Enough. Save the chat for after the battle."
"Yessir. Hey, test-taker. Let's talk again later."
"Squad Leader Kang, stay behind to hear the current situation and operational plan. The rest of you, dismiss!"
At Kim Hwan-soo's command, Shim Young-jin was the first to flee the barracks.
The other squad leaders also filed out one by one, their faces resolute.
And leaving last was Do-jae.
Kang Young-chan watched him go with a peculiar gaze.
***
*Thud-.*
Do-jae and Vice-Captain Song Hoon got out of the car.
The two had returned to the base quickly for the mana stones.
At the base were three severely injured members of Squad 2 unable to fight, one person in charge of administration and supplies, and Lee Ji-woong with a broken leg. They looked at them with expressions that asked why they were back, but there was no time to answer.
*Clank-.*
Song Hoon opened the door to the supply warehouse, one of the most important places on base.
It was about the size of a shipping container, but it was packed full, a testament to the long period of suppression operations in Kaesong.
*Clank-.*
Song Hoon unlocked another lock.
This time, it was the lock on the cabinet where the mana stones were stored.
"Here they are."
Opening the cabinet revealed mana stones resting on soft cloth.
Their shapes and sizes varied, but the faint glow they emitted made it clear to anyone that they were mana stones.
"Thank you."
Do-jae opened his subspace and neatly placed the mana stones inside.
Song Hoon's eyes widened in surprise when the subspace appeared, but he quickly reverted to his usual stoic expression.
"Squad Leader 3, is it possible to turn the golems back into mana stones?"
Song Hoon was curious if the mana stones could be restored after the battle.
Captain Kim Hwan-soo had readily agreed to provide the mana stones, but for Song Hoon, who handled the practical matters, it was naturally a point of concern.
There were no financial issues for now, but a large expenditure would be incurred after the battle.
If the mana stones could be returned to their original state, it would be manageable.
"Hmm... I've never tried that before, but I'll give it a shot now."
Do-jae had never considered turning a golem back into a mana stone.
The golems had always been helpful, and he had never even thought of getting rid of a golem he had leveled up.
"Let's go outside for a moment."
The two left the warehouse and stood on the dirt ground.
Do-jae took out the lowest-grade mana stone from his subspace, an E-grade, and placed it on the ground.
'Golem Summon.'
*Sizzle-.*
Small stones began to gather around the mana stone.
They rubbed and collided, making a sound like boiling water.
The stones piled up, forming legs and then arms.
And soon after.
[Stone Golem has been created.]
"A golem... a real golem..."
Song Hoon said in a tone mixed with awe.
Do-jae, however, had a slightly puzzled expression.
'Hmm? Something's a little...'
The Stone Golem's form was much more humanoid than before.
If his previous three golems had the feel of two- or three-head-tall chibi characters, the one created now was much closer to a human form.
Its arms and legs were longer, and its torso was slimmer.
However, it couldn't be called complete yet; it was more like a transforming, combining robot.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, sir."
Do-jae decided to investigate the reason for the change later and focused on reverting the golem first.
'First, I'll sever the connection with the golem.'
The link of mana and mind connecting the summoner and the summoned.
By breaking that link, the golem could no longer receive mana from Do-jae.
It would maintain its form using the mana held within its core as fuel.
'To revert it... Dismiss Summon!'
As he shouted in his mind, a notification message appeared.
[The Stone Golem will return to nothingness.]
*Thud-.*
*Thud, thud-.*
*Crumble-.*
"Ohh! It worked! It worked!"
Song Hoon immediately approached the pile of dirt that had been the golem and started digging through it.
"It's just as it was. Good."
"I didn't know it was possible either."
"Then I'm counting on you."
"Yes, sir. Then, just a moment."
Do-jae moved to a wide, open space.
And he began to place the mana stones from his subspace one by one at regular intervals.
First, nine E-grade mana stones.
The nine that Do-jae originally had.
'This alone is quite a lot.'
But Do-jae didn't stop.
Two D-grade mana stones, five C-grade mana stones.
There were three B-grade stones in total, and finally, he placed his highest-grade mana stone, an A-grade, on the ground.
'How much is all this worth...'
A total of 20 mana stones.
He hadn't realized it when they were stored in his subspace, but seeing them all lined up, Do-jae finally grasped how much money he had.
The A-grade mana stone, with its brilliant glow, was a monster of an item, worth more than all the other stones combined.
'Now, shall I take out the mana stones from the supply warehouse?'
Without pausing, Do-jae began to lay out the remaining mana stones.
23 E-grade stones, 7 D-grade stones from the supply warehouse, and one B-grade stone that Song Hoon had handed over with a reluctant look.
A total of 31 additional mana stones were laid out.
"Squad Leader 3... you were richer than you look."
Song Hoon said in a dazed voice as he looked at the mana stones.
Ignoring him, Do-jae stood before the mana stones and activated his skill.
"Golem Summon."
*Rumble-.*
The ground shook and dust billowed up.
A surprised unit member ran outside and shouted something, but his words were drowned out by the noise of the golems being created.
[Stone Golem has been created.]
[Stone Golem has been created.]
[Stone Golem has been created.]
[Stone Golem has been created.]
[Stone Golem has been created.]
…….
The messages popped up ceaselessly.
It meant that within that dust storm, Do-jae's faithful golems were being formed.
*Ding-.*
[The level of skill 'Golem Summon' has increased.]
[Golem Summon Lv. 2 → Golem Summon Lv. 3]
[The level of skill 'Golem Summon' has increased.]
[Golem Summon Lv. 3 → Golem Summon Lv. 4]
Along with them, the skill's level also rose by two.
If summoning golems raised the skill's level, Do-jae thought, he would have to keep repeating the summoning and dismissal process in the future.
*Pshhhhh-.*
The dust slowly began to settle.
Revealing the Stone Golems arrayed in a deep pit.
"Aargh! Monsters!"
The unit member who had run out screamed and stumbled backward.
Song Hoon grabbed him by the collar and said.
"Calm down. They're on our side."
"Th... They are?"
"They're the golems made by Squad Leader 3. Incredible..."
The sight of 51 Stone Golems, sculpted from earth and stone, standing in neat rows and columns inside a large pit was truly a spectacle.
It was reminiscent of the Terracotta Army in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
"It's almost time to assemble. Shouldn't we head back quickly?"
Do-jae said to the awestruck Song Hoon.
Then, he opened his subspace and put the Stone Golems inside.
Now, only a large pit remained.
"Right. Let's leave immediately."
Song Hoon snapped out of it and replied.
The war between the Red Orcs and the Death Ents was nearly over.
The suppression operation was already delayed because they had to retrieve the mana stones; they couldn't afford to be any later.
"Uh, Vice-Captain! But who's going to fill this in...?"
Just as Do-jae and Song Hoon were about to leave in the car.
The unit member rushed over, panting, and asked.
Song Hoon gave him a bitter reply before stepping on the accelerator.
"What a question. Have it restored to its original state before the unit returns."
*Vrooom-.*
***
Immediately after arriving in Area 5, Do-jae and Song Hoon headed straight for the south of Area 3, where the forces had set up camp and were gathering.
The number of personnel was just under 50.
It might seem like a small number, but for Do-jae, who had lived as a Hunter, seeing so many Awakened gathered in one place was an unfamiliar sight.
"Everyone, listen up. From now on, I am in command. Vice-leaders of each squad, step forward."
At Song Hoon's words, the vice-leaders gathered.
Son Jeong-gyu, as a vice-leader, also stepped before Song Hoon.
"Radio channel is 036. Move in squad units and hunt the Red Orcs coming down. Don't worry about a few slipping by. We will defend this area at all costs."
"Yes, sir!"
"Squad Leader 3, bring out the golems."
"Yes, sir."
Do-jae took the golems out of his subspace.
Led by the largest golem, they lined up in a row, their sizes varying slightly.
"Whoa..."
"To think all of those are golems..."
"It's like a small fortress wall, isn't it?"
"So this is Squad Leader 3's ability?"
The vice-leaders of the other squads stared in awe, their mouths agape.
Son Jeong-gyu had seen them several times before, but even he couldn't hide his surprise at the sheer number of golems.
*Murmur, murmur-.*
The reaction of the remaining unit members was the same.
There were no magic-type Awakened in the Chilgok Unit.
In fact, magic-type Awakened were rare throughout the entire Suppression Corps.
So it was unlikely they had ever witnessed such a spectacle in person.
At best, they had seen pixelated videos on Hunter-specialized streaming sites or low-resolution clips of foreign Hunters using magic.
"I've set the golems to obey the vice-captain's orders. However, please note that they cannot execute complex commands."
"Hoo. Thank you. Just looking at them is reassuring."
Song Hoon felt much more at ease just by seeing the golems.
After all, their combat strength had instantly doubled thanks to one person's ability.
He could even feel an extraordinary aura from the golem standing at the front.
"Then I'll be on my way."
It was time for Do-jae to move as well.
He had to move to his assigned position and fight countless Red Orcs alone.
Before that.
"Son Jeong-gyu. Take this."
After handing something to Son Jeong-gyu.
He turned and left.