Runesmith: Chapter 735 – Rolling And Dangerous. (Patreon)

“Let us give a round of applause to our two final contestants!”

The announcer’s voice boomed through the magical sound amplifiers, echoing off the arena walls as the crowd erupted into a roar. Robert took a deep breath inside the cockpit, his hands gripping the harness tightly. It wasn’t fear that made him tense, but rather his impatience to finish the fight and return to watching his sister’s competition. A small display screen still showed the treasure hunt in which Lucienne was participating, along with her struggle to reach the next location before the approaching mana storm caught up with her.

“Concentrate on the fight, Robert. Your heart rate is going up.”

Roland’s voice resonated throughout the cockpit as he switched off the feed showing Lucienne’s competition.

“Focus on the fight. Once it’s over, you can watch our sister. For now, concentrate on the task before you.”

Robert nodded and closed his eyes, acknowledging that he had allowed himself to become distracted.

“You’re right, brother. Let’s get this over with.”

The metallic platform beneath Robert’s golem shuddered as it began to rise, carrying him toward the next arena. He waited patiently for the new battlefield to come into view.

“Don’t be surprised by what you’re about to see, but this arena is going to be far grander than the others.”

Roland spoke as the Runic Mobile Armor ascended. Almost immediately, intense heat washed over the hull. For a moment, even Robert could feel it through the cockpit, but a small magical barrier soon enveloped the interior, shielding him from the scorching environment of the new arena.

“This is…”

Robert finally caught sight of their surroundings. They were inside a massive, semi-active volcano whose enormous interior had been hollowed out into a circular battleground. Steep rock walls curved upward around them in a crescent shape, enclosing the combatants within a colossal natural amphitheater beneath an open sky.

Numerous volcanic pillars, resembling enormous stalagmites, jutted out of the ground throughout the arena. Much like the obstacles in the previous environments, they provided potential cover for combatants using ranged weapons, allowing them to hide behind the towering formations while planning their next move.

Beneath the golem’s feet, the ground was composed of solid basalt. Despite its dark, unyielding surface, the stone radiated intense heat, causing the air above it to shimmer and distort. Far below, small pools of sluggish, glowing magma bubbled within deep crevices, casting a crimson glow across the surrounding rock.

“That’s quite the arena they’ve come up with for the final round…”

Roland remarked as he examined the surroundings from below. The sheer scale of the place was astonishing. The arena and the spectator stands appeared to float high above the volcano, suspended in the sky. The scenery looked remarkably realistic, but Roland knew that the illusion extended only to the volcanic arena and its immediate surroundings. Everything beyond that was merely a projection.

The entire setup appeared to be some kind of small dimensional space, manipulated to create the illusion. The effect was convincing enough to make it seem as though the spectators were floating above the volcano, but Roland could tell that their actual positions remained relatively stationary. They were simply looking through a spatial opening into the area where Robert was fighting.

It was fascinating magic, far beyond anything he would expect to encounter within the capabilities of tier three magic. Instinctively, he began analyzing the structure with his debugging skill, though the skill was unable to function at its full capacity.

‘It’s just like that black bank card. When it comes to tier four magic, my skill can’t penetrate it.’

His debugging skill had already reached its maximum level, but if it couldn’t reveal the underlying runic structures, then perhaps it needed to evolve further. There was a possibility that a skill could advance alongside a rare tier three class. He had already witnessed something similar with his Runic Blacksmith class, which had granted him a tier two runesmithing skill. 

The Runesmith Overlord was a high prestige class, but it was not purely focused on crafting. It was equally suited to battle and domination. Perhaps if he concentrated on something that granted him a deeper understanding of the true nature of runic magic, his skills would evolve accordingly, allowing him to decipher tier four runes once more, just as he had managed to do before.

The metallic platform gave a final, heavy clunk as it locked securely into place, aligning itself with the scorched floor. How it had managed to connect to this place was anyone's guess, but as soon as Robert stepped off it, the platform vanished, leaving nothing behind but the rocky volcanic stone that covered the entire area.

Heat shimmered in distorting waves, filling the vast circular chamber with scorching mana energy. High above, the steep volcanic walls curved upward toward the stands, where the spectators, Roland, and the others watched from a safe distance, leaving the golems all the space they needed to fight.

“They really didn't account for a human pilot inside, but don't worry. The runes will regulate the heat inside the cockpit, so you'll be fine. Just remember, if things go wrong, eject.”

“I know, brother. Don't worry. I won't need to do any ejecting.”

Inside the Runic Mobile Armor, Robert adjusted his grip on the control interfaces. The sensors fed a constant stream of visual data onto the main monitor. Soon, his opponent came into view, revealing itself as a perfectly round, gleaming metallic sphere.

It had arrived on a similar platform, though it hardly looked like a golem at all. For the moment, it wasn't levitating. It simply sat there, resembling nothing more than a massive metal orb incapable of movement. To the naked eye, its surface appeared to be a single, seamless shell, but Roland could see the runes etched across its exterior, along with the almost invisible seams running through its metallic body. The craftsmanship was of the highest order, and the metal had been hammered and polished to perfection.

“Now then, the Ironspire Collegium's golem has arrived! Its team has blazed through the competition to reach the finals without suffering a single scratch. Can the underdog from Xandar's Institute overcome the odds and claim victory against the undefeated champion from Ironspire Collegium? Or will the Sphere of Doom once again prove why it is considered one of the most formidable golems ever to compete in this tournament?”

The announcer continued, and the audience erupted into cheers once more. The majority of spectators favored the dwarven construct. Ironspire Collegium's reputation in this event was unmatched, and many also wanted to see Xandar knocked off its high horse after the institute had maintained its position at the top of the general rankings since the beginning of the convocation.

To make things even more interesting, the archmagus Thrain the Earthshaker was present, watching from his own floating platform high above the Vulcan Arena. 

Roland was there alone, without any assistance, while the opposing side presented a very different picture. A whole team of dwarves had gathered around their golem. They weren't simply holding a control rod. Instead, they operated an assortment of sensors and panels that reminded Roland of the technology he had seen at the place where he first met Professor Halbrecht the Third. To him, the equipment looked outdated, but to the dwarves, it was probably the finest technology their hands could produce.

The Runic Mobile Armor stood motionless on the scorched ground, its white plating reflecting the crimson glow of the magma far below. Across the arena, the golemic sphare remained perfectly still, its polished surface gleaming even brighter than the white armor of the humanoid golem.

Robert stared at the enormous sphere through his display and spoke.

“So, all we have to do is beat a ball of metal. How difficult can that be?”

“Those are some famous last words. Just focus. It's starting.”

Roland replied immediately, and Robert clicked his tongue just as the battle finally began. The orb started moving, but the Runic Mobile Armor was faster. It had already readied its mana rifle, while its other two weapons remained strapped to the white frames on its back.

Their runic machine stepped aside and ducked behind one of the massive volcanic spires. The metallic sphere did not remain still for long. Without any visible limbs or joints, it simply tilted slightly before shooting forward with terrifying acceleration. The ground beneath it cracked under the sudden application of force, sending dark stone fragments spraying into the air as the sphere closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Robert raised the mana rifle and pulled the trigger. A concentrated beam of spiraling blue magical energy shot through the superheated air, striking the polished curve of the oncoming orb dead center. However, the attack merely glanced off its smooth metal surface, scattering into harmless sparks of light without slowing the sphere by even a fraction.

At least, that was how it appeared to the ordinary observers. Roland, however, could see what had actually happened. The spiraling magical energy had been bent aside by an invisible force, a specialized energy field that did more than simply block incoming attacks. It was as though the beam had been redirected by magic belonging to the school of gravitational manipulation.

The dwarven construct was not merely deflecting the projectile through superior metallurgy or the sheer density of its mana shield. It was warping the space around its hull, forcing the energy beam's trajectory to curve along the outer edge of its protective field.

"Spatial displacement or gravimetric deflection... Direct energy attacks won't connect cleanly, at least not while it's moving and has enough energy to sustain that magic. But what if we strike from multiple vectors simultaneously?"

He spoke while Robert dashed sideways to avoid a direct charge from the sphere hurtling toward him. It crashed into a massive volcanic stalagmite, but the impact did nothing to stop its advance. Instead, the heavy stone shattered into a shower of pulverized gravel as the metallic sphere plowed straight through the obstacle without losing a shred of momentum.

Robert pivoted the Runic Mobile Armor on one heel and deployed the support drones from the compartments beneath its shoulders. The dodecahedral machines floated into the air and moved to flank the orb. With three firing positions established, they began attacking from multiple directions.

Roland watched closely, hoping that the simultaneous attacks would disrupt the gravimetric field, eventually forcing it to collapse or, at the very least, increasing the drain on the spherical golem's mana reserves. The two support drones spread out, firing their blue mana rays from opposite sides, while the main rifle maintained a steady stream of suppressive fire from the front.

Yet the dwarven creation seemed unconcerned. It allowed the attacks to come, relying on its own calculated defenses to deal with them. Roland watched as the smaller mana bolts from the runic drones struck the metallic surface directly, meeting only a thin veil of defensive mana energy. However, whenever a powerful blast from the main rifle approached, the space around the sphere bent once more. The beam veered off at an unnatural angle and flew past the spinning construct, disappearing behind it without causing any damage.

‘Those dwarves are better than I expected…’

Roland had to give it to them. His current opponents were the reigning champions for a reason. They used a more economical defensive method to deal with the less dangerous floating drones, reserving their main defense for threats that could actually hurt them. This tactic saved them a considerable amount of energy and mana. Considering the size of the sphere, draining its internal energy would be rather difficult as well.

For the moment, however, the fight appeared to be at a stalemate. The arena was quite large, allowing Robert to move from side to side and evade the attacks. Their opponent simply moved in straight lines before turning around and repeating the same pattern. Its movements were relatively easy to read, and although it was fast, their golem was fast enough to keep up. Most golems relied on defense and raw power, but theirs was surprisingly nimble, allowing it to avoid the sphere's attacks.

‘At least, that was the case until something strange happened.’

The sphere began spinning faster and faster as a field of red energy enveloped it. Then, without warning, it shot forward as if fired from a cannon, leaving a trail of mana across the ground in its wake.

Its sheer speed was blinding, far exceeding the momentum it had displayed earlier. Robert barely had time to react. He threw the Runic Mobile Armor into a desperate sideways dodge, nearly losing his balance in the process. The kinetic shockwave generated by the passing sphere alone tore a chunk out of the hard volcanic floor, sending heavy fragments of volcanic rock slamming into the golem's reinforced chest plate.

“What was that?”

Robert shouted as his hands frantically adjusted the control interfaces, guiding the golem back into a stable position.

“It doubled its speed in a split second, and... what is it doing now?”

His brother was not the only one caught off guard. Roland nearly gaped in disbelief as the enemy construct continued speeding forward without turning around. Instead of circling back toward them, it headed straight for the arena wall.

“What is it trying to do? If it doesn't stop, it's going to hit that wall!”

Robert exclaimed, regaining his composure as he studied the sphere through his mana rifle's targeting interface. His opponent's movements made little sense. The orb should have turned around and headed back toward him, yet it continued straight toward the wall. Then, just as it seemed about to crash into the stone, it began moving upward.

“Huh?”

Robert stared in surprise, but Roland could already see what was happening. Just as before, a small portion of the sphere was hovering above the ground. Somehow, it was using this ability to travel up the steep wall, which, from their elevated vantage point, resembled a massive ramp.

The sphere shot upward and launched itself into the air, soaring above the arena floor before abruptly changing its trajectory. With a sudden shift in its spin, it reversed its movement and plummeted straight toward the Runic Mobile Armor like a falling meteor.

“Watch out! It's coming from above!”

Roland warned his brother as he spotted the incoming attack. He could see mana gathering around the sphere, its runic enchantments increasing its effective weight as it descended. The construct hurtled downward with tremendous speed, its momentum promising a devastating impact.

Robert reacted instantly, moving the golem away from the spot where the sphere was about to land. A second later, the metallic sphere crashed into the exact spot where the white golem had been standing. The impact was immense. A massive crater split the basalt floor, hurling molten debris into the air and sending a powerful shockwave rippling across the arena.

The white golem skidded backward, its shield absorbing the flying fragments of stone. Robert gritted his teeth, his fingers flying across the harness as he struggled to regain control.

“W-where is it?”

To both their surprise, once the dust settled, all that remained was a large hole in the ground, filled with pooled lava. The sphere was gone, swallowed by the molten rock beneath the arena floor.

“Did it drown itself?”

Robert kept his rifle at the ready as his visual sensors scanned the bubbling red pool.

“No way it just sank, right?”

“Do not drop your guard. It uses gravitational and levitation magic. A shallow pool of magma will not destroy a construct forged by dwarven craftsmen.”

A split second later, the magma erupted in a shower of liquid fire. The gleaming metallic sphere shot out of the fiery geyser, completely unharmed and coated in white-hot residue. Lava rolled off its smooth surface like water. Without losing a fraction of its momentum, the sphere curved through the air, locking onto the white humanoid golem once again.

The drones opened fire, and Robert followed suit with his rifle, but just as before, their attacks proved ineffective. To make matters worse, he could barely use either of his swords. His opponent was simply too fast, constantly darting around before he could land a blow.

Soon, the sphere shot past him and slammed into the ramp like wall, using it to launch itself upward for another attack, just as it had done before.

‘Did they plan this?’

Robert watched as the spherical golem plummeted from the sky once again, crashing into the arena floor and creating yet another crater. Two enormous pools of lava now spread across the battlefield, surrounded by cracked and crumbling ground. The arena was becoming increasingly unstable, leaving him with less and less solid ground to stand on.

Roland glanced toward the dwarves, none of whom seemed particularly concerned by the destruction. Was this merely a lucky turn of events, or had the arena been designed to give the dwarven craftsmen an advantage? Their opponent was a metal sphere that could not sink into the magma, while the arena itself was vulnerable to repeated aerial assaults. Every impact created another crater, and every crater left Robert with less room to maneuver.

Eventually, there would be nowhere left for him to go. Had that been the plan from the beginning?