Chapter 55: The Sound of the Forge
Kanos sat on a tall wooden stool near the back wall. His right arm was still securely strapped to his chest, but his posture was completely straight. His pale face was illuminated by the terrifying dark violet glow filling the entire room. He was calmly sipping a cup of cold water, watching his automated assembly line work with flawless precision.
There were exactly one hundred and forty Null Hounds currently standing in the workshop. The sheer concentration of their anti magic auras made the air inside the room feel incredibly heavy, almost like breathing underwater. Any normal mage who walked into this room would instantly pass out from having their mana completely vacuumed from their lungs.
Sili was sitting cross legged on the floor, frantically counting a pile of empty glass bottles. The broker looked absolutely exhausted, covered in black soot and dried monster blood from constantly processing the harvested cores into fresh ink.
Kanos nodded slowly. "One hundred and forty hounds and twenty golems. That is more than enough."
"The purge is starting," Papuyu announced flatly. She walked over to Kanos and grabbed a cup of water from the table, drinking it in one gulp. "The red barrier has reached the ceiling of the ninth floor. It is descending fast. The heat radiating from it is completely unnatural. Buildings are not just burning; they are instantly turning into white ash the moment the red light touches them."
"How much time do we have until it reaches this floor?" Belida asked, grabbing his black greatsword and resting it easily on his broad shoulder.
Kanos stood up from his wooden stool. He walked slowly to the center of the room. The moment he stepped forward, all one hundred and forty Null Hounds simultaneously turned their heads toward him. The twenty Black Golems shifted their stances, their heavy stone feet grinding against the concrete. The entire army was waiting for a single command from their creator.
"The Sensor Bureau thinks they have us completely trapped in a cage," Kanos spoke clearly. His voice carried a cold, undeniable authority. "They think they can just hit delete and wash their hands clean of their mistakes."
"They built that red barrier using pure, concentrated system code and raw magical energy," Kanos continued, a ruthless smile slowly forming on his pale face. "They forgot that we literally just built an army designed exclusively to eat magic."
"Running is for prey," Kanos answered flatly. He turned around, facing the broken steel gate that led outside to the ruined underground city. Above the distant cliffs, the terrifying crimson glow of the descending barrier was clearly visible, burning the dark sky like a massive bloody wound.
Papuyu twirled her twin daggers effortlessly, sheathing them at her waist. Sili aggressively pushed his cracked glasses up, grabbing his leather bag tight. Belida let out a deep, booming laugh that echoed alongside the growls of the dark violet beasts.
The giant knight walked forward and kicked the remaining debris of the steel door entirely out of the way. The path was completely clear. Kanos stepped out onto the stone bridge, followed instantly by the deafening, thudding march of twenty stone giants and a massive wave of dark violet smoke hounds.
