[Master~! The main objective had been completed and the research had been done. Should we proceed with the final step?] Cheerful voice of ATHENA echoed around the control room, as I had turned my attention to the battlefield.

“That’s quick. As expected of the 50 brainwashed cavalry and the cavalry commander or should I call… a cyborg?”

[Host. Since the subject A-01 died with an intact body and brain, I have planted a subordinate A.I. to his brain. Thus, officially making him a cyborg. lots of data have also been gathered by experimenting with the subject.] Suddenly an expressionless bluish-female android hologram emerged and explained in a cold monotone voice.

Hmm? Subject A-01? Experimenting? Why does ATA's monotone voice make it sounds scary?

[Hey ATA, that's cheating! I should be the one to report it to Master!] Interjected ATHENA with a slightly annoyed voice. Wait, wait, wait! Did they interact like ordinary people just now? That's new to me…

“Ahem… Just proceed with the final step according to the plan.” I waved my hand and continued to stare at the hologram.

[Yes, Master~!]

Upon continuing to watch the war, I couldn’t help but be fascinated upon observing the middle of the battlefield. Bursting of fires, raining of icicles, and other myriad kinds of spells ran throughout the area as the five black-robed figures constantly chanting spells. Despite changing their weapon to electromagnetic pulse rifle and activated their shield, the rain of spells was still blasting and even destroying some of them — the robots. So, this is the existence of a Magus? I wonder if someday I would be able to wield magic just like them.

They were working back to back without leaving any blind spot. Over time though, I noticed that the constant chanting of spell became slower and slower. Hmm? What are they currently discussing?

“Houston! Is this what you called an easy target?” One of the black-robed figures shouted in madness.

“My spiritual power was almost depleted. Constructing the ice bridge earlier had exhausted my spiritual power by half!” The most back black-robed figure pounded the ground hard with his magic staff. Spiritual power? What’s that? Is it something that was needed to cast a magic spell?

“Damn it! I shouldn’t have agreed before. If it wasn’t for these golems having strange weapons and shields, it would have been easy to take care of.”

“Shut your mouth! Do you think that I come here unprepared? You know that I always had one or two trump cards under my sleeve.” One gloomy man with a skull staff glared at them.

“Take it out then! Since you’re the one who pulls us into this situation, you must take responsibility!” Demanded the last black-robed figure.

“You… Fine!” The gloomy man named Houston rolled his eyes before taking out some kind of seed from his interspatial ring. A seed? The heck… Is he going to plant a seed now? No… I have a bad feeling about this seed.

When that bad premonition cropped up, I swiftly controlled the nearby robots to shoot at him. However, just as the rains of bullets were about to reach them, a mystic colored shield emerged and deflected the bullets. It was destroyed in less than a second but enough to give them time to escape with spells.

Not a few seconds passed, numerous plant roots emerged from the ground. It grabbed and entangled the robots nearby. Then, spreading around and caught the soldiers in the vicinity, not minding whether they were allies or not. What magic is this?! How come that there was a plant that able to grow that fast? This is absolutely ridiculous!

What met my eyes after this was simply unbelievable. The soldiers that were caught, aged abnormally fast as if their vitality was being absorbed by the plant. Their face wrinkled and their body dried like a dying twig. It was only ten second and the soldiers had turned to dust, completely gone from existence. Even the robots which were a synthetic lifeform got corroded and turned into dust. Pain appeared on my lips, as I bit it and looked at the ever-growing hideous plant.

“This cannot go on; I’d have to stop this! ATHENA, use all the weapons on the wall to destroy the plant! No matter what, I want it to be turned into cinders!" I ordered while gnashing my teeth.

[As you command, Master! Activating the all-out sequence.]

Shortly thereafter, tons of missiles, cannons, and rains of explosive bullets were launched from the wall of the base. It all directed to the ever-growing plant monster in the middle of the battlefield. Bright light then encompassed the area as all of them touched the plant monster.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sounds of thunderous explosions reverberated out to the surrounding, deafening anyone alive that was nearby. As the smoke started to fade out, I could see a big crater caused by the explosion and the trace of ashes of the burned plant monster.

“Did I get it? Fuh… Wait, I couldn’t drop my guard just yet. ATHENA, bring out the plant pesticide!” The plant pesticide was one of the many things that I had prepared beforehand, who would have thought that it would be useful here.

[Yes, Master~!]

“It will be better to prevent something cautiously, as it might avoid me from calamity. I think it’s about time to catch those five black rats… Hehehe….”

Sir Houston’s Perspective

In a secluded area on the battlefield, five black-robed figures were dumbstruck. They had their mouth and eyes opened wide after seeing the catastrophic sight in front of them.

“Shit, shit! Shit!! What the heck with that explosion?” Sir Houston cursed while clenching his hands. The Gluttony Plant that I’ve been secretly keeping for myself was blasted into smithereens. One thing for sure, I should get away from this damn place.

"Houston, you bastard! What kind of place did you just pulled us into?" The other four black-robed figures glared at Houston with a look that could kill.

“Shut up! I’m out of this place!” Just when Sir Houston was about to cast a spell. Hundreds of golems suddenly encircled them from their surroundings, completely cutting their escape route. They aimed their rifles to the five black-robed figures and ready to fire.

"Hmph! Did you think that dozens of simple golems could block me off?" The black-robed figure who was at the back raised his magic staff before chanting a spell, "{Cloud of Shadow}." However, despite waiting for a few seconds, only a spurt of black shadowy smoke came out from the magic staff.

“What the heck are you playing around for?”

“No no no… why is it not working? {Cloud of Shadow} {Cloud of Shadow} {Cloud of Shadow}!” Although he kept repeating the spell, nothing bigger than a spurt of smoke came out from the magic staff.

"Useless! Let me do it instead! {Infernal Burn}. Huh? {Infernal Burn}! Just what’s happening?" The other black-robed figures tried to chant a spell, but no matter what they did or what spell they chanted, only less than a hundredth might of the spell came out.

“Stupid! We had fallen into a mana-less interference area.” Sir Houston commented with a despair expression.

“How could that be? Only someone at the official Magus Stage able to cast that kind of spell!”

“Are you blind? Can't you see the golem over there bringing a box with it? It’s must be a mana interference low-grade Magic Equipment.” Sir Houston pointed to one of the golems with a box in the middle.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Out of the blue, the sounds of clapping appeared as a man wearing a strange suit and a helmet came out from the middle of the golems.

Clapping for their brilliance, I stopped a distance away from them with a smile that wasn't really a smile. "Brilliant! Just as the rumor said, all Magus are quick-witted."

"Who are you? No… you must be the owner of these golems, right?" The gloomy man that seemed to be named Houston inquired with certainty.

“Correct! But sadly, there’s no reward for it.” Without minding my identity exposed, I deeply inhaled. “Now, you have two choices, either submit to me or die!”

“In your dreams! We will never submit to a mere mortal like you!”

Intrigued by that statement, I asked, "Mortal? How do you be certain that I was a mortal?" Well, I had been trying to ‘fake it till you make it’ but it seems that in front of a real Magus, it’s all futile.

“Hmph! In front of our eyes, you wouldn’t be able to trick us with your pesky trick! Your body didn’t react to the mana in the air, and I couldn’t sense any kind of spiritual power in your body.” Houston snorted with an arrogant tone. Mana? Spiritual power? I should check that later.

“It’s a shame… but it seems that I wouldn’t have any choice except to kill all of you here.” Not a second after I said that, all the robots fired their pulse rifles. Rain of bullets aimed at them from all directions.

In response, all the Magus took out all kinds of life-saving treasures from their storage. Though, no matter what they used, they still died in less than 10 seconds. All their bodies became a beehive before falling to the ground, lifeless.