“Prepare to hoist the guns!”
A man with the left half of his face burnt, shouted loudly.
As the training officer of Black Sand Region’s Mystic Gun unit, Hadel watched his subordinates in satisfaction. There were almost thirty strong and elite soldiers. They were wearing heat insulation gloves as well as glass goggles, and were divided into groups of three. They opened the maintenance box and steadily took out ten streamlined Iron Ash Mystic Guns.
Although they were not the best Mystic Gunmen he had ever trained, in a place like Eckstedt, which generally looked down on the usage of Mystic Guns, these men that belonged to the Black Sand Archduke were considered rare professionals.
This reminded Hadel of his first time touching an old-fashioned and depleted Siegel 5 Mystic Gun as a new recruit.
‘But look at these young men.’ Hadel sighed, filled with emotions. ‘Look at those playthings in their hands.’
The Siegel 7 Mystic Gun’s sturdy frame was smelted by skilled dwarves in the Eastern Peninsula’s Iron Ash Hill. Its barrel was forged with carefully selected Crystal Drop Ores from the Snake Belly Mountain Range, which was situated at the intersection of Hanbol Dynasty and Liegdern Union. Its oil storage tank was made of dark copper extracted from Crystal Jade City’s seabed. It was also filled to the brim with high quality Eternal Whale Oil harvested by the Trade Federation from the Southern Sea of Eradication. Not to mention, there was also a sealed-up core of mysterious origins inserted inside.
The body of the gun was sturdy and wearproof. Plus, the barrel could withstand high temperatures. It had a high focal power and was easy to aim with. Even the rate in which the core depleted was only half of its preceding model, the Siegel 6, which came out twenty years ago. Its mystic energy could cover two hundred meters without dispersing. It could also be fired twice within half an hour, and only needed two hours to cool down. Apart from the fact that its net weight was still exasperatingly heavy and that it had a problem with leaking heat, it was virtually perfect in Hadel’s eyes.
Low quality Mystic Guns would be smuggled dubiously into the underground black market from the Kingdom’s Firearm Trade, but they lack maintenance and upkeep. Additionally, their core would deplete after a few months. Compared to this, it was virtually a comparison between wooden sticks and steel swords.
“The target is within our vision. Prepare to aim!”
A well-built hoister kneeled on one knee and lifted the heat insulation base at the front part of the gun with his shoulder, which was clad in special armor.
A sagacious aimer quickly calculated the direction and distance they were working with. He turned the knob on the side of the gun, adjusting the focal point and the degree of energy.
Then, a resolute operator skillfully checked the condition of the gun. After ensuring that the core was stable, he opened the safety latch and grabbed onto the firing handle.
‘One day…’ Hadel thought quietly, ‘it will not be heavy anymore. And two people, or even one person would be able to carry it by hand.
‘It will not be complicated anymore either. One person would be enough to aim accurately and fire.
‘It will also not be dangerous anymore. The core will no longer be a ticking time bomb that could endanger the gunman’s life at any moment.
‘It will not be expensive anymore, and every soldier will be equipped with it in the battlefield, instead of having the need for it to wielded by a unit consisting of dozens of people.
‘It will not be mysterious anymore. The core will no longer be a mysterious item, which can only be replenished through special channels. Every single person will know its origins and the principles behind it.
‘One day…’ Hadel looked gently at the Mystic Gun next to him, which was in firing mode. He subconsciously ran his hand over his severed left arm. Feeling the left side of his face, which was throbbing in slight pain, he thought to himself.
‘It will become the king of battles and take away the glory of the Powers of Eradication. It will completely eliminate metal weapons and hand-to-hand combat from the world.
‘Even in the Northland.
‘It will show people the high price they have to pay for war, and how precious peace is.
‘Unfortunately, I will not be able to see it anymore.’
“Get into attacking position!”
Hadel raised his right hand solemnly and yelled out the penultimate call.
The ten gunmen put forth their strength and pulled the handles, which were attached to internal springs. The mysterious core behind the frame of the gun started to emit unsettling vibrations and noises.
Hadel looked at the Constellatiates in front of him, who just broke out of the light infantry’s encirclement.
‘It is said that their newfound prince is in there.
‘Is he?’
Hadel flashed a smile.
‘Lucy, my daughter.
‘Your mother and I will always be proud of you.
‘No matter how hopeless the situation gets, you must live on with strength.’
This man had gone through the many vicissitudes of life and on top of that, he only had half a face. At the very next moment, he thumped his right arm with force. And with a distorted expression, he roared furiously.
“Fire!”
…
The soldiers formed a dense shield formation and blocked most of Thales’ field of vision. All the remaining people hid behind the shield formation.
“Distribute the arched light shield evenly!” Arracca roared furiously, “Do not leave any area uncovered!”
On the other hand, Thales was pressed onto the ground while he was under Putray. He could not raise his head at all.
“No matter what, hide yourself behind other people,” Putray said with a stiff expression, “Lampard must have gone crazy!”
Gritting his teeth, Thales could not suppress the curiosity inside his heart.
‘Are those… Mystic Guns?’
He remembered that not long ago, Morris from the Brotherhood obtained two of those guns from the army with a high price… However, they were proven as “unrealistic playthings”.
At least, that was what Layork said.
Thales had always assumed that apart from the fact that it used a mysterious source of energy, the Mystic Gun was a weapon similar to that of his past life; one that could be pointed and shot at the enemy.
‘However, seeing them now, they seemed to be more complicated.
‘Gauging from Arracca’s expression and the other’s, at least. They look like they are facing an arch enemy. It probably—’
“They have fired!” At this moment, Arracca shouted in a frenzy.
All the soldiers gritted their teeth and trembled, grasping the metallic arch light shields in their hands even tighter.
A blood-red light shone from the front!
The light pierced through the shield formation.
The weather was very cold. However, at this moment, a gentle warmth enveloped them, as if they were basking in the sun.
“Endure and disperse it—” Before Arracca could finish his words, there was an odd change in their surroundings.
*Sizzle…*
The moment the snow-covered ground beside them touched the red light, the snow melted into water and evaporated into the air!
Thales furrowed his brows… ‘What is this?’
The red light spread to a tiny tree on the snow-covered ground.
Thales’ eyes widened and his jaw dropped as every inch of the tree turned black in the blink of an eye, bursting into flames.
Shortly after, the tiny tree exploded abruptly and countless sparks flew everywhere.
*Boom!*
The spattering sparks hit the crowd and many of the soldiers wailed in pain. The shield formation immediately shook.
“Persist!” Arracca roared, “Ten seconds would roughly be enough!”
Panicking, Thales felt the air around him continuously increasing in temperature.
It was getting hotter and hotter!
To the point where the warmth became a merciless, blazing heat!
His body temperature was also rising along with it.
‘What is happening?’ Thales thought in a panic.
‘What on earth are Mystic Guns? Why do they have such an effect?’
“We can’t… The heat from the shield…” A veteran of the Fury Guards blocked the light with his shield. The clothes on his shoulder where the shield was being held up had started to blacken and crimple, emitting smoke.
He shut his eyes tightly and said as he trembled, “At least five are firing at us at the same time! We do not have enough anti-mystic equipment… the arch light shields!”
“You must persist!” Arracca roared loudly and removed the Motionless Bow from his back. It was a bow without strings. “I will fend off the extra attacks!”
Just then, the hand of one of the soldiers holding an arch light shield suddenly burst into flames!
He started to shout in agony and took a step back under Arracca’s shocked gaze.
His shield swayed, and the red light shone on his body through the gap in the shield formation.
“No—” Before Arracca could finish, the soldier started to wail miserably.
“Arghhh!”
Within a few seconds, the soldier began to tremble tremendously. His clothes were the first to sizzle with smoke.
The red light shone onto the area beneath his legs, and the snow there evaporated into gas in the blink of an eye!
Feeling his skin crawl, Thales watched as the soldier’s skin started to melt. The next moment, the soldier’s entire body burst into flames.
After another second, just like the tiny tree, the soldier’s entire body exploded and released numerous sparks!
*Boom!*
Thales watched in horror as the soldier’s life ended.
Only a dried, dead body was left of the soldier.
However, his death brought about irredeemable consequences.
“Cover the gap—” Before Arracca could finish yelling, the scorching fragments of the dead body splattered around within the shield formation and lit many of the shield-wielding soldiers on fire.
“Argh!”
“No!”
“Endure!”
“It’s so hot…”
Cries of pain rang out one after another!
The shield formation scattered immediately.
Then, the red light shone into the crowd without any barriers.
The temperature increased abruptly and quickly!
And so, the snow began to evaporate inch by inch.
A chill ran down Thales’ spine.
‘No.
‘Sh*t.’
At that moment, Arracca stood up as he roared furiously. He dashed forward and shielded everyone behind him.
With the sound of an explosion, his hair caught fire instantly.
The Kingdom’s Wrath raised his Motionless Bow towards the source of the red light, where a small group of Eckstedt soldiers stood.
The Motionless Bow shook a little.
It then emitted a strong, silver light, which was nothing less than the Mystic Gun’s firing attack!
Meeting with the silver light, the red light from the Mystic Gun weakened and scattered all over its surroundings.
It was as if the silver light had blocked the path of the Mystic Gun’s red light.
Arracca roared. Smoke started to emanate from his right hand, which was holding the Motionless Bow.
Despite that, he still persisted.
However, the surface area of the silver light was not big enough and Arracca could only shield the people who were at the center. There were still many soldiers at his periphery who were being hit by the red light.
*Boom!*
A second soldier turned into a large fireball and exploded.
“No, no, no… !”
*Boom!*
A third one exploded.
“Argh, argh, argh!”
Genard held his right shoulder, which had been hit by the red light. He was dragged towards the silver light’s area of protection by Willow. In the process, the Willow’s short pike abruptly burst into numerous fiery sparks.
“He will not be able to keep going for much longer!” Gritting her teeth, Aida yelled.
“I cannot die here!” Ramon said.
“Take His Highness and get out!” Wya said while drenched in sweat.
“No, there are too many Mystic Guns! We cannot get out!” Putray said with difficulty,
Everyone was caught up in a chaotic mess and no one noticed that the Second Prince of Constellation was in a peculiar state.
The moment the silver light emanated from the Motionless Bow, Thales felt the electric sensation again.
And it was more severe than what he felt when he was on Arracca’s back moments earlier. It was as if the metallic bow repelled every inch of his body.
Lying face down on the snow-covered ground, Thales quivered with a distorted expression.
‘No… Does the legendary anti-mystic equipment… really repel me this much?’
The silver light weakened suddenly.
Arracca’s right hand started combusting.
The Kingdom’s Wrath gritted his teeth, enduring the endless heat and the high temperature.
A few slivers of red light snuck through and shone on Thales’ body.
At that moment, Thales suddenly trembled and his clothes began to smoke.
He could only feel the cells in his body increasing in temperature.
‘It is so hot.
‘As if I am burning from the inside out.’
The familiar fluctuation surged throughout his entire body and it was like time had slowed down again.
Via the field of vision he obtained through the fluctuation, the red light and the silver light looked like two garroting enemies that were swallowing each other up. However, apart from the places where the two lights converged, the silver light obviously had the upper hand. It was just that there was more red light.
But at the same time, Thales could only feel the inside of his body getting hotter and hotter.
‘No.
‘It’s so hot.’
Feeling the heat that was almost burning him up, Thales shut his eyes in despair and screamed with his mouth wide open.
He flailed his arms and wailed miserably.
‘Argh, it’s too hot!’
Just then, his heart suddenly jumped.
*Dubb!*
He felt a very new sensation.
That time, Thales only noticed that his vision had transcended normal distances. He saw the red light’s point of departure—the Mystic Guns those soldiers were holding.
There was a core that emitted yellow light and rotated continuously behind each of one of those guns.
‘That is the essence of the Mystic Gun.
‘But…
‘This d*mned red light… please, disappear quickly.
‘It’s so hot!
‘At least…
‘Stay farther away from me!’
He pondered about it for a moment. Shortly after, with the vision he obtained through the mysterious fluctuation, he suddenly saw something that would shake his world!
In his field of vision, which others could not see, the blood-red light of the Mystic Gun suddenly dispersed as if it had gained consciousness. It avoided the Constellatiates and shone at the area behind their backs.
*Sizzle, Sizzle*
On the ground a few hundred meters behind the Constellatiates, the snow evaporated in the blink of an eye!
Next, the red light fired by the Mystic Guns disappeared from everyone’s vision.
Arracca kneeled on the ground with a thud. However, he still had his right hand raised as it was on fire. He extinguished the flames on the top of his hand and on his hand.
The Constellatiates heaved a sigh of relief and plopped to the ground.
Amid the blazing air, many soldiers had become charred dead bodies while some were burned alive.
Gritting his teeth, Arracca got up from the ground and said, “The first round of attack has ended. It seemed like their aim was not very accurate, but if they are using the Siegel 7—”
At this moment, a shrill trumpet sound rang through the air!
*Toot*
Arracca furrowed his brows.
Putray and the other veterans shivered all of a sudden!
“We have lived!” Putray, who just survived the disaster shut his eyes tightly. His lips were quivering.
“This is… This is Eckstedt’s retreat bugle!”
Rapid sounds of hooves rang from afar.
A knight wearing a grey helmet hurried over.
“Enough! The Kingdom’s Wrath, there has already been enough battles and deaths!” the knight with the grey helmet shouted from afar.
Arracca raised his head and laughed in a mocking tone. “Tolja, the Fire Knight!
“Come!” He raised his almost charred right hand with the Motionless Bow in its grasp. The bow was almost brand new. Clenching his teeth, he said, “Come and get it! Over my dead body!
“Come and get the Motionless Bow I snatched from all of you twelve years ago!”
“The battle between us had ended!” The grim looking Lord Tolja sat on his steed and said with dissatisfaction, “One of Eckstedt’s ten joint rulers, the honorable Archduke of the Black Sand Region, Sir Chapman Lampard has invited the Second Prince of Constellation, Thales Jadestar for a visit!”
Arracca was stunned. “Is this a joke?”
At this moment, Putray screamed in shock, “Your Highness!”
Thales did not know what happened after that.
He only felt one thing.
Pain.
A numbing pain.
It was so painful that he felt numb!
This was an aftereffect of the previous time he ‘lost control’. It had returned.
The intense pain exploded throughout his entire body in waves.
It was more severe than the previous time!
It felt like every single particle in his body was splitting and disintegrating, passing on the pain to every nerve.
“What is happening to him?”
Thales tried his best to open his eyes. He saw a knight wearing a gray helmet a distance away, as well as Arracca, who was in front of him, and had on a vigilant expression.
“Maybe he has run out of strength. After such a journey…” Putray said anxiously.
“Oh God, His Highness is bleeding… No, no, his breathing is getting faint!” Wya panicked.
“Where is that doctor? Ask him to come!”
Before Thales lost consciousness, the last thing he saw was Ralf, who was dashing anxiously towards him and Ramon, who was being dragged over by Aida.
…
‘Those two voices again… It feels like I am dreaming,’ Thales thought in a daze.
‘Perhaps, I will forget this after I wake up?’
“Oh, it’s this one again? How long has it even been? A few minutes? Oh nevermind, it can finally stay here this time, can’t it?”
“Hmm, although the buoyancy of the soul is still strong, I can feel that the human body is almost collapsing… Wait! Someone up there is stimulating the potential within its body and mending its life… And it appears that its vitality is very exuberant, too exuberant.”
“This cannot be. When was the last time we met such a tough fellow? A few thousand years ago? A few hundred years ago? Or was it a couple of dozen years ago? I cannot remember clearly. I think it was that arrogant knight cum wizard? Eh, what does mother think?”
“… Mother is still not willing to take it in.”
“I can only say that it is a good thing to have an exuberant vitality… Even mother allowed it to slip through the net…”
“There is no use in thinking too much. Mother has her own plans.”
“Speaking of vitality, do you still remember the Deep Pool Sovereign? It even had three of its hearts destroyed continuously by that calamity… Ack, that screech, even we could hear it clearly from the bottom most floor. Mother actually wanted to take it in. Turns out it struggled and climbed back up…”
“Silence! Prepare to open the counter-current gate… It is rising back up.”
“Haih, hopefully the next time it comes down, it won’t rise back up again…”
…
In a dingy grove of an unknown location.
A delicate maiden slowly rose from under a tree.
“I thought Hellen would be the one to arrive first.” The Blood Mystic, Giza Streelman flashed a smile. She spoke in a soft voice without turning her head back. “After all, I created such a huge commotion.
“After so many years, it appears that she has become lazy.”
As soon as she finished talking, a man walked out slowly from the grove behind her.
“Do you know who I am?” Giza smiled adorably and stroked her hair.
The man did not say a word.
“If you know, why would you dare to follow me all the way here?”
Giza smiled and turned.
The man was still silent, as if he did not hear her.
He was an extremely plain man, no matter which angle you looked at him from.
He had a plain appearance, plain attire, plain built and a plain aura.
It was very hard for him to leave an impression on anyone.
That is, apart from what was on the left side of his waist.
Two weapons were tied onto his belt.
One of the weapons was wrapped in an old sackcloth and seemed to be cylindrical in shape.
Giza furrowed her brows slightly.
She could feel a detestable vice under the sackcloth.
And the man’s other weapon looked like a sword.
It was just that its shape was quite irregular.
The man was still expressionless.
However, he began to move. He held the uneven sword at his waist in a backhanded manner…
And took it out slowly.
“Are you sure you want to use a sword to fight against me?”
Giza exhaled softly. “You do not look like the civilians around here…”
The man still did not say anything.
He just raised his sword without changing his expression.
It was like he was doing the most insignificant thing ever.
Giza smiled slightly.
The next moment, she saw the sword in the man’s hand clearly.
‘That sword.’
The Blood Mystic’s face became slightly grim.
It was a strange sword.
More importantly…
It was a strange sword that was entirely black…
From its hilt all the way to its blade.
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