The Master of the Corrupted Throne Eats Popcorn

A mere Silver-rank promotion match. It was hardly a stage worthy of drawing this much interest from the constellations.

I can feel the radiance of countless stars.

“You can say that again.”

I chuckled lightly. The sensation of being watched. If I wanted to stand at the pinnacle, I would have to overcome pressures like this without breaking a sweat.

While waiting for the War Golem to finish construction, Alexis glared at me, his eyes swirling with anxiety and suspicion.

“This kid really loves doubting me.”

Contractor, does this one’s aid not seem necessary?

“I’m fine. I’ll speak up if it gets tough.”

The factory, dyed gray, stood with the newly produced War Golem deactivated. The ground split apart left and right, and a steel giant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rose from the fissure.

For a crude weapon crafted by mortals, it emanates quite formidable magical power.

“It’s a golem modeled after the Titan gods.”

Are you speaking of Uranus and his children?

Come to think of it, since Uranus was Gaia’s son, he ranked lower than Nyx in the divine hierarchy. I once again indirectly felt the weight of Nyx’s greatness.

“Something like that.”

I answered while doing my best to hide my surprise.

Titans. Magical weapons born from mortals’ longing for the power of giants. Powerful combat golems that amplified the pilot’s mana and granted strength beyond normal limits.

The factory on Erdel Island was supposedly where the first version of the Titan had been developed. Or perhaps, like the Ancient Canyon, it had been modeled after a real location.

That is quite the grandiose name to attach to a mere doll.

“Compared to a real Titan, that thing is nothing.”

The War Golem was the Titan’s prototype. Its operation time and amplification rate were far inferior, yet it remained a troublesome opponent all the same.

The moment the War Golem revealed itself, Alexis activated Thunder God’s Stride. The Greek players stepped forward with resolute expressions, blocking my path.

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Shing—!

What answered me was the sharp edge of their weapons. These people really can’t take a hint.

A mechanical voice rang out. Blue light flowed from the War Golem’s eyes. Fifteen meters tall, its structure mimicked a human since it had been designed to carry a pilot. Bipedal. Broad shoulders and a solid frame.

Thud. Thud. The War Golem began moving, powered by Alexis’s mana.

Power is overflowing! With this strength, it feels like I could accomplish anything!

Alexis’s voice boomed, amplified. The mana waves rolling off him were so intense that even watching through my Heavenly Eye made me feel exhausted.

“I’ve seen everything I needed to see.”

What?

“I made some preparations while I was waiting.”

I manifested a small sun using the mana I had secretly gathered and hurled it straight forward while Alexis was still drunk on his new power. The thermal energy stored within the orb erupted all at once. The Greek players standing nearby were caught in the blast radius as well.

“Aaaaagh!”

“M-my body…”

Most died instantly. Even those outside the direct range suffered heavy damage from the spreading heat.

Hmph. Did you truly believe such cheap tricks would work on me?

The War Golem emerged through the acrid smoke. It had been standing at the center of the explosion, yet aside from a slight dent in its chest plating, it showed almost no damage.

To maintain its outer form after taking that attack. Impressive indeed.

“Its magic resistance is outstanding.”

For a mortal weapon, it is rather impressive.

“Still, it’s ultimately a tool that depends on the pilot’s skill level.”

Ignoring Alexis, I explained the War Golem’s strengths and weaknesses to Nyx.

You wretch. Was that last remark implying this pilot lacks skill?

“I tried to phrase it nicely, but you caught on quick.”

Insolent fooool!!!

The War Golem charged forward. The ground trembled with every step.

“I-is this going to be okay?”

“Move exactly as I instructed earlier.”

“Understood. I wish you good fortune, Yu Jinho!”

The Korean players scattered the moment the War Golem moved. Why would anyone think I’d waste an area attack that couldn’t even land a proper hit on it?

You were aiming for this from the very beginning!

“There’s no point dragging things out.”

Coward. The great Zeus is watching, yet you would sully a sacred duel by avoiding it like this?

“Idiot. I already told you I was saving time.”

With most of the Greek players wiped out in a single strike, the situation was perfect for racking up points.

“Besides, it seems you’re misunderstanding something.”

The shockwave that burst from my foot shook the ground beneath the War Golem. It lost its balance for a split second. I closed the distance instantly and slammed my Dragon Emperor Fist into its shin.

Boom! A clear fist imprint was left on the magically reinforced steel body.

“The golem will be scrap before every base falls.”

The War Golem staggered backward, then swept the ground with its undamaged left leg.

I slipped away from the spot I had just struck.

Where are you!

“Look carefully. I’m right here.”

After slipping into its blind spot, I hammered the same place again.

This insolent fooool!!

A massive surge of mana erupted from the War Golem’s core. This was getting dangerous. I used Shrink immediately and left the battlefield.

A huge lightning bolt crashed down where I had been standing. Even from this distance the sparks were fierce.

As I felt earlier, you seem quite familiar with fighting that one.

“It’s too obvious.”

I gave a vague answer since I couldn’t mention my memories from before the regression. Thunder God’s Judgment. A technique that called down massive lightning for both offense and defense while absorbing residual energy as a buff. He had been saving his trump card even while getting pummeled.

“Time for the victory chant.”

Bow your head before this one.

I finally used the buffs I had been holding back. I hadn’t been fighting seriously until now.

“Let’s wrap this up.”

Obtaining the War Golem’s essence and squeezing compensation out of Zeus made me feel positively giddy.

The Titan prototype was undeniably powerful. It possessed strong magic resistance by default and could amplify the user’s mana. If I were the one piloting that War Golem, I could probably defeat even America’s ranker Ellen.

Of course—

Uwaaaaah!!

—that was only if the amplified mana was perfectly controlled.

Lightning sprayed in every direction, strengthened several times over by the War Golem’s amplification effect, yet not a single bolt touched me.

Why! Why won’t any of them hit!

“Because your skill is lacking.”

I, who was chosen by Zeus! There is no way I would lose to someone like you who doesn’t even have a background constellation!

“It’s not that I don’t have one. I just didn’t choose any, you idiot.”

A lightning bolt shot straight forward. The swirling electricity tore apart the ground and trees. Even I would have been in danger taking that head-on.

“Still, all I have to do is dodge.”

I used Shrink to leap through space and slipped inside the War Golem’s guard. Small bolts of lightning surged from its iron body, but I endured them with Metal Reflection Gloves and Polar Night.

I poured qi into the black blade crafted from Polar Night and sliced through the golem’s joint. The massive frame staggered. The right leg I had targeted relentlessly from the start finally gave out.

Thud. The War Golem dropped to one knee.

How dare you… to the contractor of the God King…

“You use the phrase ‘how dare’ a lot, don’t you?”

My body shot backward. I opened more distance without turning around. Lightning chased after me a beat too late. Since I had already destroyed its leg, it couldn’t even pursue.

All it could do was flail helplessly in place.

You avoided injury entirely. Impressive.

“If I had taken even one solid hit, injury would have been the least of my worries.”

I meant it. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lightning strengthened by the War Golem’s mana core had transformed the surrounding terrain beyond recognition.

“In the end, the winner is still me.”

Arrogance is a poison that devours the heart.

“This is exactly when I should show off a little.”

Heh heh, I suppose this much is required to match the dignity of this one’s contractor, is it not?

Who was it that just warned me against arrogance? As usual, she couldn’t be honest.

I smirked as I looked up at the War Golem.

“You must have burned through most of your mana by now.”

The amount of mana I saw through my Heavenly Eye had weakened considerably. At this level it could only barely keep the golem running.

Then that doll can no longer move?

“It can still flail a bit.”

The War Golem was slow. Despite its overwhelming power and reach, its movements were easy to read and dodge. Its massive size also created blind spots.

“Who told you to get excited and waste all that mana?”

You worm!

“Oh, finally a new insult.”

If Alexis had stayed calm and pressed me properly, things wouldn’t have been this easy. Lightning was the fastest and most destructive element in nature.

“If he had used his head even a little, it would have been much harder.”

So that was why you provoked him.

“Good thing he fell for it so cleanly.”

I chatted leisurely with Nyx while the War Golem stood before me. Most ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of its mana was already gone. It was moving on its own internal power at best, and even that was limited now that I had destroyed the right leg’s joint.

“It’s literally a tin can now.”

Since the thing was ridiculously sturdy, I took my time dismantling it slowly. Alexis occasionally flailed his arms in resistance, but it posed no threat whatsoever.

After nearly two hours of continuous strikes, the War Golem finally stopped moving completely. I had also perfectly subdued Alexis inside the cockpit.

Considering the effort, the reward feels rather lacking.

“Even the goddess has sharpened her eye for value.”

Heh heh, do not underestimate this one’s insight.

It was a disappointing ability for an ancient-grade skill. However, the true value of Indomitable Body lay elsewhere.

If I could devour the essence of the Titan—the weapon mortals had created in imitation of the Titan gods…

“Heh heh heh.”

There you go laughing like that again.

“No, it’s just that I’m about to win our bet.”

I deliberately changed the subject. I couldn’t exactly say I had remembered information from my previous life.

One hour after the War Golem was destroyed, the Korean team achieved victory in the promotion match.