Chapter Sixty-Four: Experimental Iron Golem (2)

"Your Majesty, after our measurements, we've discovered many shortcomings of the Iron Golem, but we can confirm its abilities match our expectations," Fang Zhi reported. "Its strengths are high attack power, formidable defense, and a thick health bar. Its weaknesses are equally obvious: it's too bulky, moves slowly, and isn't particularly bright..."

As he spoke, Fang Zhi produced the data recording the Iron Golem's performance and continued, "To observe the Iron Golem's combat abilities in more detail, I respectfully request to take it outside the city at night for field exercises, so that we can gather more comprehensive data..."

"Of course, that's a good idea! I'll arrange it tonight," Mo Fangyuan replied, his curiosity piqued. He was eager to see what effect this iron blockhead—this iron tank—would have on the battlefield between the block people and the monsters.

As night fell, the chickens and duckbeasts in the poultry farm began their raucous chorus once again. In the past, it wasn't so bad; there weren't many chickens and duckbeasts, so their calls weren't particularly disruptive. But as the Kingdom of Blocks grew more established, the scale of animal husbandry expanded. Now, the poultry farm teemed with chickens and duckbeasts, and their nighttime cacophony was deafening—residents living a hundred blocks away could hear it clearly.

"These chickens and duckbeasts are truly annoying. I can't sleep peacefully at night! If you ask me, they're probably suffering from heatstroke and need to be taken to the riverside for treatment!" Zhang Lingyun grumbled, remembering the sleepless nights tormented by the poultry. She was put through her paces by the king during the day, and at night, this flock made sure she got no rest. "It's too much!"

"But it's also a fairly effective way of keeping time," Mo Fangyuan remarked, unwilling to engage with this natural-born girl. In this era without clocks, the calls of the chickens and duckbeasts were the best method for telling time. The block people used their cries to judge when to sleep. If it weren't for the world's peculiar nighttime monster spawning, Mo Fangyuan would have set their crowing as the signal for the end of a workday. Starting work at seven in the morning and ending at midnight—what a fulfilling life!

"Qisi, Yuan Wu, you're responsible for protecting Elder Fang... Elder Fang, please be careful, monsters could spawn at any moment..." The king's arrival with a so-called "giant"—a powerful battle machine, though Ali didn't quite know what a "machine" was—sparked Ali's interest. Having spent years as a night watcher, Ali understood how desperately the kingdom needed block people capable of wielding weapons in battle. If such warriors could be manufactured from supplies, it would be a revolutionary technology, enough to transform the entire Kingdom of Blocks—no, the entire block people race.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Tremors echoed from not far away. The Iron Golem was so heavy that the kingdom had no means to transport it beyond the walls; it had to walk to the city outskirts on its own. This trek took half a day.

"Your Majesty... this... this..." Ali stared at the distant steel colossus, her yellow cowlick standing straight up. "Your Majesty, it's..."

One step, pause two; two steps, pause five.

Amusing? Absurd? Without knowledge of the term "meme," Ali couldn't find the words to describe the Iron Golem's current state.

"Ahem, ahem, this is just the first generation... Miss Ali, please believe that future Iron Golems will be much improved!" Fang Zhi felt a bit embarrassed himself.

"No matter, let's observe its combat performance for now, it'll help us with future designs," Mo Fangyuan said.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Amid the continuous tremors, the iron blockhead pressed on toward its designated spot.

...At last, after the night watchers had dispatched several waves of monsters, the Iron Golem finally arrived.

"Not easy at all! I never imagined anything in this world could move so slowly!" Ali marveled. Had she not seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed such sluggishness possible.

"Night watchers, step back and rest a bit; now it's time for the iron tank to take action..." Ali said, though she wasn't optimistic about this first-generation Iron Golem. Its slow movement meant it could never catch up to monsters, and its lack of intelligence made independent combat difficult. So Ali could only have the night watchers withdraw, transferring the monsters' aggression to the Iron Golem and luring them in.

It was strange, really; this lifeless mechanical creature could somehow attract the monsters' hostility.

"A counterattack Iron Golem?" Mo Fangyuan recalled a game from his previous life, which featured a class meant to be attacked, then retaliate. When attacked, it took little damage, but its counterstrikes were devastating.

"Roar? Roar? Roar?" Sensing the sudden disappearance of block people nearby, the monsters were puzzled at first, then turned their attention to the Iron Golem not far away.

"Well, that's a simple-minded look if I've ever seen one. You're the one!" Thanks to the unique characteristics of winter, there weren't many monsters—only about twenty.

The Iron Golem shuffled forward, inching toward the approaching monsters.

"Roar roar! Roar roar!" The first zombie finally reached the Iron Golem, shouting excitedly, then lunged and scratched at it.

Clang! Clang!

"Roar?" The zombie's attack rang out as it struck the Iron Golem's body, yielding only the sound of metal on metal. Glancing at its greasy green hand, the zombie was bewildered.

"Something's not right here..."

"Huh?" After being scratched several times, the Iron Golem slowly bowed its head, a trace of human-like confusion appearing on its blank iron face.

"What is this enemy doing? Is it tickling me? Never mind, completing my master's mission is more important!"

It reached out and seized the zombie still trying to attack, then lifted it forcefully upward.

"Roar!" The unfortunate zombie was grabbed by the Iron Golem's iron hands and thrown up into the air.

Bang!

After a heavy impact, the zombie was eliminated.

"Wow, merciless iron hands!" The Iron Golem defeated the zombie with a single attack, a testament to its remarkable strength.

"Its attack alone, excluding the monster's fall damage, is at least fifteen points!" Fang Zhi explained.

"Incredible!" Ali's emerald eyes shone with surprise and delight. "If this iron tank could be used in real combat, the night watchers wouldn't have to work so hard!"

"Your Majesty! I want one!" Ali's cheeks flushed, her legs rubbing together—whether from excitement or something else—and she coquettishly pleaded with Mo Fangyuan.

"Stop, stop, don't do that!" Mo Fangyuan was nearly overwhelmed by her advances. "Don't worry, Ali. If the Iron Golem research is successful, you'll be the first to get one!"

Mo Fangyuan spoke with righteous conviction; after all, only the night watcher department in the kingdom could make use of the Iron Golem.

"Roar! Roar roar!" Another zombie, heedless of its fate, launched an attack on the Iron Golem.

Bang!

This time, the outcome was even more tragic—the zombie was turned to pulp by the merciless iron hand before it even struck.

"Torn apart! How terrifying!" The night watchers exclaimed in awe.

"One, two, three..." The monsters rushed at the Iron Golem like moths to a flame, only to be dispatched one after another in the most brutal fashion, sent back to the sun's embrace.

"It's confirmed—its attack and defense are truly formidable!" Gazing at the distant white, towering figure, Mustard's eyes revealed a strange gleam.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is only the experimental Iron Golem! If we can fix its flaws, it will be a fearsome weapon of war!" Fang Zhi explained enthusiastically to those unfamiliar with his development.