21st Century Necromancer

Under Chen Yu's mage tower in the Necromantic Space, the long-silent mechanical factory roared back to life.

Massive spider-like robots moved their slender limbs, weaving among the gigantic machines.

On the production line, glowing molten iron was poured into molds, casting into shape with the machines' rumble, rapidly cooled amidst steam and steel.

Each component was assembled, like a symphony of steel celebrating the birth of another great iron creation.

The mechanical mages assembled on the production line were still just shells; they needed a heart to power them and a soul to control the body.

The soul core, blue like a gemstone, was already prepared, serving as the repository for the mechanical mages' souls, and the source of their power and magical energy.

When the blue soul core was placed in the chest of a steel shell, metal plates encased it, and surging magic power drawn from the soul core energized every energy circuit in the mechanical mage, causing their bodies to glow with blue light.

With the lighting of the mechanical mage's eyes, they finally came truly to life.

"Soul core illuminated, receiving commands," echoed the preset mechanical voice within the mechanical mage's head, indicating their manufacture was complete.

The mechanical mages walking off the production line looked like skeletal frames covered in a membrane, tall, thin, and gaunt, but their metallic texture added an unique steel allure, with magic runes shining brightly, adding a touch of mystery.

Of course, the metal material used for casting the mechanical mages was not merely steel but a special alloy infused with magical metals.

This alloy formula was developed after a metal research institute, commissioned by Chen Yu, spent a month conducting detailed research.

Its performance was significantly improved compared to the universal formula Chen Yu provided, and based on different material requirements, they adjusted the alloy mix and provided several different formulas.

Chen Yu conducted his own experiments and adjustments before deciding to apply this concentrated magic alloy to the mechanical mages and dragonized transformed humans.

The final results were satisfactory, and both the mechanical mages and dragonized mages were successfully born.

The assembled mechanical mages were not yet in their final form; they needed to be equipped with specially designed gear to be considered complete mechanical mages.

"103, 104..." In front of the mechanical mage production line, Zuikaku was counting the number of mechanical mages in this batch. Once she reached 120, this batch would be sent to the equipment manufacturing workshop for armament.

"Zuikaku, which batch is this?" Sister Shoukaku watched her sister finish counting a batch of mechanical mages and asked her.

The two sisters were sent by Chen Yu to count the number of mechanical mages produced and ensure quality control. They monitored production to prevent defects or mutations.

Only the mechanical mages counted and confirmed by the sisters Shoukaku and Zuikaku could leave the factory.

Any flawed or mutated products were destroyed by them, with their soul cores extracted for remanufacture.

"This is already the third batch, Sister Shoukaku," Zuikaku replied, glancing at the list she had been keeping.

Hearing her sister's reply, Shoukaku nodded and, while continuing to inspect the mechanical mages before her, said with some relief, "Just two more batches to finish."noveldrama

"A total of 1,200 mechanical mages, the commander's army strength has increased again!" Compared to her sister's anticipation of finishing, Zuikaku was evidently more pleased with the strengthening of Chen Yu's forces.

"Yes, indeed. With 1,200 mechanical mages, we can form four mage corps. With these, the commander's next plans should proceed smoothly," Shoukaku agreed with Zuikaku's assessment.

Having participated in the last ritual at the Sanzu River Bank where Chen Yu plundered world rules, Shoukaku naturally hoped Chen Yu's power would grow stronger. After all, the events of that day had significantly affected all the ship-girls involved, highlighting their lack of strength.

Since that ritual, all the ship-girls had been striving to enhance their capabilities. However, limited by their origins as WWII-era warships and with little time, their efforts hadn't yielded significant results.

It wasn't until Chen Yu equipped each of them with brand new personal gear that their combat power saw noticeable improvements.

This matter lingered in the minds of the ship-girls. Especially after four Kirov-class ship-girls joined Chen Yu, their dissatisfaction with their own inadequacies grew even stronger.

Thus, they took an active interest in tasks that could bolster Chen Yu's forces. It was the ship-girls themselves who volunteered to oversee the mechanical mage production.

"Besides the four mechanical mage corps, the commander also formed four dragon transformation mage corps. Adding the Dragon Lich Mage Corps by the commander's side, there are nine mage corps. Commander is sure to perform better in the upcoming rituals," Zuikaku said confidently about the nine additional mage corps under Chen Yu.

This confidence didn't just stem from the overall increase in Chen Yu's power, but also from the previous matches between ship-girls and mage corps.

Although individually, neither the 300-member dragon transformation mages nor mechanical mages attained the legendary rank like the Dragon Lich, in formations, they could withstand the full onslaught of six demigod-level ship-girls, showcasing their strength.

Of course, the hundred-member Dragon Lich Mage Corps by Chen Yu's side wielded even greater power.

"With these nine mage corps, the commander is bound to successfully complete the deification ritual and become a real deity," Shoukaku echoed Zuikaku's enthusiasm, adding, "So we must also strive hard. Senior Akagi and Senior Kaga are soon to complete their modifications. By then, the commander's strength will gain further enhancement, and we can't afford to be outdone."

"Yes, Sister Shoukaku! Let's practice kendo together tonight!" Zuikaku invited her sister, her gaze keen as she looked at Shoukaku.

Seeing her sister's determination, Shoukaku hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.