The experimental subjects with severed life signals tried to squeeze out their remaining strength to cause an explosion.
This bomb used special explosives, so even [Silence of Fire] didn't work.
But Rudger watched it calmly, then ostentatiously swung his sword stick.
-Sha-sha-shak.
The blade of the sword stick swung quickly in a short time, smoothly sliced through the experimental subject's elastic body.
Muscles tougher than rubber and stronger than most metal fibers were easily dismantled like meat being butchered at a slaughterhouse.
The blade of the sword stick, cutting through flesh and muscle, precisely severed the wires of the bomb device attached next to the heart.
The experimental subjects failed even in their final self-destruction attempt.
Those whose necks were cut or hearts pierced floundered in their places for the last few seconds, struggling, then gradually grew still.
Rudger quietly stared at one of these experimental subjects whose head was intact."You're watching, aren't you? Nikolai."
Rudger recognized the alien gaze moving like an aperture deep in the iris of the experimental subject looking up at him.
"I know at least that you're observing me through the experimental subjects. If you're someone who doesn't betray my expectations, you should be hearing this voice too."
Rudger raised his leg toward the head of such an experimental subject.
"Wait. I'll come find you after I finish my business."
-Crunch!
After completely disposing of the experimental subjects, Rudger turned his head toward the War Mages.
The War Mages felt a chill as if their entire bodies had been submerged in ice water.
'That man' not only easily subdued the experimental subjects they were confident in, but also had special magic that nullified explosions, and an appearance that caused psychological pressure just by looking at it.
Everyone gathered there thought the same thing simultaneously.
—That cannot be defeated.
Did anyone fight him thinking he was easy because he was just one person?
That wasn't the case.
Knowing their opponent was a 6th-circle mage, they had made their own thorough preparations.
The War Mages had done their best.
Nevertheless, they were no match for Rudger.
Is that really human?
Or is it a reaper that has appeared to punish them for becoming arrogant?
"Well then."
The reaper opened his mouth.
"Let's finish this fight."
To deliver death to them.
[Wait. I'll come find you after I finish my business.]
-Crunch.
The screen turned black with the sound of something being crushed.
Nikolai, who had been watching it with his chin resting on his hand, turned off the artifact screen with an irritated gesture.
"John Doe."
How dare he? Saying he'll come find me after finishing his business?
Even in this situation, the implication that Nikolai wasn't his first priority wounded his pride considerably.
"He survives as tenaciously as a cockroach."
According to recent information he had obtained, John Doe was an even more excellent powerhouse than he had previously thought.
His rank as a mage was at least 6th-circle.
While he wondered if the guy was this strong, his doubts were resolved with the thought, "So this is why Master Zero Order favors him."
Nikolai focused on that aspect when planning this operation.
No matter how strong the opponent was, he had ensured they would definitely be brought down.
This wasn't a fight.
It was a hunt where a fierce wild beast would be driven in and slowly dried to death.
Opportunely, the beast that had left his territory had come all the way to his front yard.
Nikolai, who couldn't miss this opportunity, adjusted his plan even more meticulously.
'He suddenly committed the crazy act of attacking the New Magic Tower, but because of that, it's become more convenient for us to control the mages of the tower we’re connected with.'
After doing all that, what is this result?
'John Doe is much stronger than I thought.'
Verom was defeated, and this operation has also failed.
The first time could be explained by Rudger having companions, but this time he arranged for them to be faced separately, and it still failed.
That meant Rudger had to be considered a top-tier powerhouse even among 6th-circle mages.
Even within the same circle, there are differences in levels among mages, so his actual combat power must be at a tremendous level.
"Sigh. This really. He wasn't originally this strong, but after going to Theon, I wonder what he went through."
He knew that there were various incidents there, but Rudger had grown even stronger amidst the chaos.
"But this time will be different. I still have many cards left."
Nikolai was confident.
When they were far apart, he couldn't do anything to Rudger, but this was Isla Machina.
There was almost nowhere on this island beyond Nikolai's sight.
Currently, Nikolai has fully taken control of the shadows of Isla Machina.
The black mages are fighting hard to protect their territory?
That's just a part of the surface truth.
Nikolai had already completed his power consolidation.
Those fighting the black mages were just a tiny fraction of the forces he possessed.
If he wanted to, he could sweep them all away with overwhelming power, but he didn't because it was for testing his experimental subjects.
Combat was needed for the process of collecting data on the experimental subjects, modifying and creating them in a better state, and the black mages were perfect for it.
While also destroying and absorbing their school, using their materials and assets as well.
Nikolai rose from his seat and slowly headed toward one side of the room's wall.
The wall, filled with translucent glass on one side, contained only pitch-black darkness and Nikolai's reflection.
"Prepare."
As Nikolai muttered that, lights came on in the space beyond the glass wall.
Red lights illuminated the darkness like emergency lights.
In the places touched by the blood-like flowing light, experimental subjects stood in long rows, perfectly aligned.
Humans with pale skin and red light pouring around them, they exuded a chilling presence like ghouls that had just emerged from a pool of blood.
All the pale-skinned experimental subjects were wearing red gas masks over their mouths.
The dull eyes of the lined-up experimental subjects began to be surrounded by a red aura.
After watching them with satisfaction, Nikolai turned around and approached the opposite wall.
That wall was also made of translucent glass, and as Nikolai approached, it automatically illuminated the interior.
This time, it was blue light.
What was illuminated by the cool blue light reminiscent of the ice of the North Sea was another battalion of experimental subjects.
Blue experimental subjects.
The difference from the red experimental subjects from earlier was that they wore visor helmets over their eyes instead of masks, and had ampoules filled with blue liquid plugged into both shoulders like horns.
"Code Red. Code Blue."
When Nikolai called out the names, the experimental subjects on both walls raised their heads.
The experimental subjects of Code Red with blood-red eye lights.
The experimental subjects of Code Blue with blue pupils inside their visor helmets.
"It's your turn to act."
Nikolai looked at the experimental battalions with a confident face.
The currently lined up Red and Blue were the ones created by synthesizing the data collected while confronting the black mages.
'Of course.'
Experiments with room for further development were still ongoing.
"I'm curious."
Nikolai sat down again with a grin.
The desk where he sat was full of all kinds of experimental reports submitted by his subordinates.
Even after being filtered again and again, the number was enough to pile up on the desk.
But Nikolai was focusing on only three pages.
First,
"The Eye of God, which allowed me to dominate this Isla Machina."
A tool that hacks all surveillance system equipment items and artifacts and makes them his own.
Second,
"The Steel Heart that moves the massive power source called Isla Machina."
The center of Isla Machina, the ultra-high-performance core that supports the island itself while providing its tremendous power, the Steam Heart.
And lastly.
"The supreme being that has all of them mounted."
The god of mechanical devices.
The day of its completion was not far off.
After cleaning up the scene, Rudger quickly left the place.
Because of the commotion during the fight, pursuers were chasing from afar.
Above all, Rudger wasn't the only one in danger now.
Even though he had sent reinforcements to Cravat, if the opponent's forces were at a level that couldn't be ignored, this side would suffer damage too.
Moving quickly with the intention of providing support, Rudger eventually had to stop in a narrow, deserted alley.
'A hole.'
In the middle of the alley was a round hole.
A pitch-black hole as if precisely carved out by something sharp.
Rudger looked at it and jumped down without delay.
Landing slowly using flight magic, what Rudger saw was a huge underground facility.
Inside an underground passage made up of all kinds of pipes and wires.
As if it was an abandoned area, most of it was rusted or corroded, and there were traces of fighting everywhere.
Marks of fists and feet, traces of curses engraved here and there along with corpses.
'Mages of the New Magic Tower and mercenaries they hired, and Nikolai's minions.'
Corpses were lined up in the direction Rudger was moving.
The deeper he went, the stronger the traces of fighting became, and the owners of the corpses changed as well.
At first, there were numerous shattered remains of automatons, then later, the corpses of people.
And finally, War Mages belonging to the New Magic Tower completed the finale.
"You came?"
What greeted Rudger upon reaching his destination was Cravat, wearing a goat horn mask on his face.
It must have been a difficult fight, as there were traces of tears and scorches all over the black robe he was wearing but there were no wounds that could be called fatal.
That was possible thanks to one magician who protected him from the side.
"It's been a while."
The beastman mage wearing an iron mask on his face, Iron Mask Rotheron recognized Rudger and greeted him.
Rudger accepted Rotheron’s greeting while deactivating Aether Nocturnus.
"It has been a while, Lord Rotheron."
“When I first heard the news, I was surprised. Who would have thought such a thing was happening on Isla Machina."
Then, Rotheron continued with a small laugh.
"Openly telling me your plan to raid the New Magic Tower to expose the opposing faction's shame. What would have happened if I had told someone else about this?"
"That's why we're facing each other like this now. Because you didn't tell anyone."
"I needed confirmation. If someone else had said it, I wouldn't have listened even with the back of my ear, but if it's Teacher Rudger Chelici, that's a different story."
Rotheron had a certain trust in Rudger.
No, expressing it as "a certain" might be quite disrespectful to Rudger, a comrade who fought together in the capital and the teacher who taught his half-sister, Iona.
For Rotheron, Rudger was definitely someone he could trust and rely on more than most people.
But he was also a man whose identity became more curious beyond that.
It's like that even now.
A teacher from Theon made plans to raid the New Magic Tower in Isla Machina.
Moreover, the one he joined hands with is Cravat, the leader of the black mages of the Ancient Curse School.
Even for Rotheron, the fact that a mage was working with a black mage was enough to be pointed at by the public.
Even for Rotheron, he needed to hear the circumstances of what this situation was all about.
"So what exactly is going on now?"
"Do you know about the recent situation in Isla Machina?"
"Yes. Vaguely, but yes."
The fight taking place on the first floor of Isla Machina.
Wasn't it a territorial dispute between black mages and a new force?
Because of that, there were rumors that mages from the opposing faction within the New Magic Tower have been making enormous amounts of money recently.
Having come this far, that must be a fact, not a rumor.
Moreover, there was also a truth that was much darker and dirtier than what was known to the public.
"Then the conversation will be easier."
Rudger briefly explained to Rotheron about the situation that was currently happening.
The new force, the experimental corps led by Nikolai, was trying to take control of Isla Machina, and their companion was a huge faction of the New Magic Tower.
"Things have gone this far."
Despite hearing this shocking truth, Rotheron didn't deny reality.
In fact, he also vaguely knew about the opposing faction.
Even for Rotheron, who had no interest in such political strife, unwanted news still reached the ears of a Lexer-grade mage.
Rudger's story was nothing more than the last piece of a puzzle that was already more than 90% complete.
Even so, there was a clear difference between an incomplete and a complete picture.
"If half of the New Magic Tower and the entire underworld of Isla Machina join hands, then a new empire that no one can stop will be born."
"That's why I requested help from Lord Rotheron."
"But will I alone be enough? Although we pride ourselves on not being weak, the scale of the opponent's forces is much larger than that."
"I suppose so."
Rudger nodded in response.
"It would be good to have at least one more person to help."
"...Perhaps there might be a way. As it happens, there is another Lexer-grade mage on this island."
"Another Lexer-grade mage?"
Rotheron’s voice deepened from behind his mask.
"However, it won't be easy to bring that person in as well. Because they're a person who's difficult to meet."