046 Pure Bad Luck, 24 Karat

On the other side of the cold war, Lanth, Lianyin, and Soso finally found themselves dragged together by the magical barrier. Once the shield reformed, it ceased pressing tightly against their bodies, granting them a little breathing space. The newfound room allowed the three unlucky children to catch their breath, albeit only slightly.

“Why won’t this thing ever leave us alone…” Soso’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“This isn’t about not letting go,” Lianyin replied, abandoning her usual cutesy tone for the cool composure she wielded in times of crisis. “The same magical barrier has appeared twice, and each time it’s stronger than before. Don’t you think that—” Before she could finish, a fierce crackling of electricity sounded by her ear.

Could it be?! Lianyin and Soso jolted and slowly, stiffly turned to look at Lanth.

A smile lingered on Lanth’s lips, but it never reached his eyes. The chill emanating from him sent shivers down Soso’s spine.

“Oh no…” Soso shrieked, just as golden currents of electricity surged from Lanth’s hand, striking the top of the magical barrier. The shield, assaulted by the violent bolts, sprouted a menacing, jagged spike, but as expected, it did not shatter. The lightning rebounded off the shield’s walls, scattering in all directions. Though the dispersed currents were still powerful, Lianyin and Soso dared not suppress them with magic; any failed attempt to do so might result in even more wild magic rampaging inside the barrier, turning it into a true inferno.

The dazzling golden light stabbed at everyone’s eyes. On one side, Bude’s smile widened as he subtly gestured to his guards. Meanwhile, across the way, Burton, who had hesitated just moments before, now wore a knowing smile, his doubts vanished under the cover of the golden glare as he listened to the latest intelligence from his scouts.

On Bude’s side, several figures silently appeared atop the roof, while the ordinary soldiers on Burton’s side quietly cleared a path to make room for the archers behind them.

Sensing the time was ripe, Bude’s men leaped from the rooftop, aiming to launch a surprise attack on their counterparts across the way. Unfortunately, before any could get close enough for an assassination, a cold arrow struck, sending one of them plummeting.

Bude was surprised by the turn of events but not thrown into panic. Though a bit of a scoundrel, he was no complete fool, and years of schooling had left him with more than a little knowledge. Staying calm and issuing the next command was still well within his capabilities.

That is, if not for the cold, gleaming dagger now pressed against his throat.

Had Soso been nearby, she might have patted Bude sympathetically on the shoulder, saying, “The wheel of fortune turns, and now it’s your turn,” all the while secretly delighted.

Sadly, Soso was nowhere near; she was still desperately trying to evade Lanth’s lightning.

Burton, still the upright and honorable general he had always been, saw that Bude had fallen into his hands and had been separated from his guards. He did not seek to make things more difficult for him, but instead stated his demands plainly.

“Take your men and return to the capital. Tell those parasites that as long as the Gillord family stands, Eicasia will never bow its head!”

Feeling the cold edge at his throat, Bude’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “You think this is enough to make me yield?” As he finished, the assassin holding him suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, his body going limp as he crumpled to the ground.

Behind the assassin, unnoticed until now, stood one of Bude’s guards. He was utterly unremarkable in stature and dress—save for his twisted visage, bulging, furious eyes, uncontrollable drool, and ashen skin that made him seem less than human. His unnaturally swift movements confirmed he was nothing of the sort.

With victory seemingly in hand, Bude threw Burton a derisive grin as he strolled back to his ranks. He snapped his fingers casually, and below, his enraged guards and the soldiers on the roof surged toward Burton’s forces in a frenzy.

Faced with this strange yet familiar scene, both soldiers and commanders fell into a brief silence, until someone shouted, “Dusk is upon us!”

The cry snapped many out of their stupor. These furious eyes, these ashen faces—weren’t they just like the monsters who went berserk during the Battle of Eicasia? Could it be that this rage had become contagious among humans as well?

A profound sense of dread and terror gripped Burton’s soldiers. The memory of that brutal battle was seared into their minds: the bloodshot eyes, the ashen faces, the monstrous strength, the unnatural speed. The monsters’ power in their berserk state was daunting enough, but now, furious humans seemed even more terrifying.

They possessed overwhelming combat prowess while their minds remained fully receptive to Bude’s commands, executing them with chilling precision.

“Fall back, carefully!” came Andy’s weak but firm voice. “He must have allied himself with the monsters!”

“What did you say?” Burton asked in disbelief.

“I’m certain of what I saw—the familiar magical barrier, the methods, and this modern adaptation of the berserk state after dusk. Everything except the timing matches exactly when I was tricked,” Andy, being pushed in his wheelchair by a maid, slowly approached his father. “Bude must have been deceived the same way.”

Burton longed to tell his son that, wounded as he was, he should have stayed home to rest… (here, a thousand words are omitted), but this was the battlefield. After hesitating, he finally just said to Bude, “Call off your men before you fall into the monsters’ trap!”

Bude sneered. “You expect me to give up my newfound advantage based solely on your son’s words? Old man, you have no idea how tempting your power is. Why would I spit out the meat that’s already in my mouth?”

Andy was anxious, but forced himself to remain calm. “Bude, think carefully. Would I, a dying man, come all this way just to deceive you? You must know the general details of the Battle of Eicasia by now. Let me speak frankly: the disaster only happened because I trusted a mysterious figure, just as you are now. This tragedy must not be repeated. Even if you won’t consider Eicasia’s fate, think of your own—when the monster army truly arrives, you won’t survive either!”

On paper, Andy’s words seemed fluid, but in reality, he shouted them in fits and starts as he was moved behind the lines under the protection of Burton and the other commanders. Bude’s berserk soldiers were already charging forward with unstoppable momentum.

Having said all he could, Andy stared at Bude, hoping his words would get through. But Bude had no time to listen. As Andy began to speak, a violent surge of anger welled up inside Bude, so intense and sudden that he felt as if only destroying everything could bring relief.

He struggled to suppress it, to stay lucid, but the fury only grew, accumulating in his heart until it seemed the whole world had wronged him, that nothing before him was forgivable, that they all deserved to die.

With a thunderous roar, overwhelmed by rage, Bude let out a furious bellow to his soldiers: “Kill!”