The silver circlet was placed upon the King's head.
From that moment on, the circlet became a crown, and the statue became a king.
Emerald-green patterns began spreading across the crown's surface. As the glowing runes lit up one after another, the four thousand nine hundred Golden Warriors within the great underground hall awakened in waves, beginning from the central chamber and spreading outward like a tide.
Crimson steam erupted.
Scarlet lights flickered to life.
The King's army had awakened.
All foreign races that trespassed upon this sacred place would be punished with a sentence called death.
At that very moment, Mozo felt his heart skip a beat.
Frowning, he looked down beneath his feet.
It felt as though something significant had just happened.
Inside the enormous circular chamber, one of the black-robed figures stared at the crown radiating emerald light and asked:
"Honored Master Craftsman Daedalus, has it succeeded?"
The elven master craftsman did not answer immediately.
Instead, he gazed excitedly at the king he had personally crowned.
Though it was only a statue.
Though it wore only a counterfeit crown.
Even so, the elven craftsman was utterly enthralled.
Ah...
This was the King.
The King who had guarded the Twin Sacred Trees.
Almost unconsciously, the craftsman slowly knelt before the statue and passionately kissed the earth at the King's feet.
"Oh, my King! Do you see it? Your army has awakened! Those who have defiled your treasury shall be annihilated by your glorious legion!"
"What an honor! What a blessing! That a mere descendant of the final generation should be allowed to witness such a sacred moment!"
"My King, all glory belongs to you!"
Seeing this, the black-robed leader could only sigh and wait patiently.
Only after the craftsman calmed down somewhat did he ask again:
"So... it worked, correct?"
Only then did the elven craftsman turn his head and answer proudly:
"Naturally, human. My King's army has awakened. They shall destroy every foreign race before them."
He paused before looking upward with naked disgust.
"And this city that has insulted my King's glory."
The black-robed leader carefully asked:
"Are you truly certain? Count Hahn is a Sequence Three Demigod. Are you sure the army below can kill him?"
"Of course."
The craftsman's eyes shone with fanatical confidence.
"That army was forged after my King slew the Undying Dragon. It was created using the Mysticism of an Angel and the finest elven mithril. They are immortal and magnificent! And, like us, eternally loyal!"
The black-robed leader immediately nodded.
"Then I am relieved."
The death of a Sequence Three Demigod and the destruction of the Empire's Special Zone would yield tremendous benefits for them.
Then he continued:
"In that case, allow my subordinates to leave first. Afterward, you and your King's statue will be safely relocated under my protection."
The elven craftsman casually nodded.
The remaining black-robed figures immediately departed in silence.
Once they had all left, the black-robed leader casually clasped his hands behind his back.
A faint scent began spreading through the room.
It was slightly pungent.
Yet strangely pleasant.
This attack was never meant to be merely a conflict between two human empires.
---
Meanwhile, before the bronze gate of the great underground hall, the group remained completely unaware of what had just occurred.
They continued examining the enormous gate with a mixture of caution and admiration.
After observing it for some time, Count Hahn waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to begin preparing directional explosive charges.
The explosives were a newly developed formula mixed with mystical reagents.
Their power was immense.
In theory, they should easily breach a gate that was likely symbolic rather than truly defensive.
Several Beyonders immediately stepped forward and began placing the charges.
The others spread out and established a defensive perimeter.
Count Hahn himself carefully watched the massive bronze gate.
If his assumptions were correct, a sleeping Elven High Lord awaited beyond it.
His mission was to prevent that individual from threatening the foundations of the Special Zone.
If possible, he wanted to avoid direct conflict with a High Lord.
Not because he lacked confidence in defeating a half-dead ancient being.
Rather, because a battle between Demigods could cause catastrophic damage to the Special Zone itself.
Then suddenly
His spiritual intuition began screaming warnings.
Immediately, Count Hahn shouted:
"Everyone! Get away from the bronze gate!"
But he was already too late.
The instant the words left his mouth, the enormous bronze gate melted.
The metal liquefied in an instant.
Scalding, lethal bronze poured outward like a flood, engulfing the Beyonders who failed to retreat in time.
They didn't even have time to scream.
They died instantly.
Then the pile of powerful explosives stacked before the gate detonated in a chain reaction.
A tremendous explosion erupted.
The shockwave and molten bronze swept through the entire formation.
Fortunately, the Empire's Beyonders were not amateurs.
Defensive abilities activated almost immediately.
One Beyonder erected an energy shield to protect himself and those behind him.
Another transformed into a man of iron and endured the blast head-on.
Yet another dissolved into smoke, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly through him.
Their methods varied wildly.
But they worked.
Aside from the unfortunate group that died before they could react, everyone else survived unharmed.
Then, from beyond the bronze gate...
Within the enormous cloud of smoke created by the explosion...
The Beyonders heard it.
Heavy footsteps.
Countless footsteps.
And the grinding sound of metal gears turning.
At the same time, crimson light began filling the smoke.
As though the other side of the haze was hell itself.
A moment later, the first Golden Warrior emerged.
A massive runic greatsword extended from each of its arms as it charged forward.
Despite its bulky, rounded metallic body, its speed was astonishing.
It slammed directly toward the Beyonder formation.
More Golden Warriors followed.
Crimson steam erupted from their bodies as they advanced in great strides.
Like an avalanche, they surged forward.
Count Hahn immediately waved his hand.
Countless hawks materialized from thin air.
The next instant, they shot toward the Golden Warriors.
Flesh against metal.
Tiny against gigantic.
The hawks should have shattered on impact.
Instead, they sliced through the Golden Warriors as effortlessly as blades cutting through tofu.
After a single exchange, countless Golden Warriors collapsed.
Only a handful managed to reach the Beyonder lines.
But even those were swiftly destroyed.
The iron-bodied Beyonder smashed one warrior's metal skull apart with a punch.
The smoke-form Beyonder slipped inside another's body.
Moments later, the crimson glow powering it vanished, and the construct collapsed lifelessly.
Others were blasted to pieces by explosive runes.
Within mere seconds, every Golden Warrior that had charged forward lay broken upon the ground.
Seeing this, the iron-bodied Beyonder couldn't help but scoff.
"That's it?"
The next moment
A metallic hand, its golden surface shifting into silver-white, crushed his head.
The Golden Warrior whose skull he had shattered stood back up.
The crimson glow reignited within its chest.
Its destroyed head had already regenerated.
And from that single warrior outward, all the fallen Golden Warriors began reconstructing themselves one after another.
Reviving.
Reassembling.
Returning.
The King's army...
was immortal.