Chapter 426: The Stars Are Burning (Patreon)

Chapter 426: The Stars Are Burning

Nightmare Mask, a Rule Magic Gear crafted by Richard using Nightmare rules, retains the effect of Nightmare Erosion.

However, enhanced by the Rune Array, the Nightmare Erosion of the Nightmare Mask is several times more potent than Richard's original innate ability.

In the current situation, Richard felt this Magic Equipment was particularly suitable for use.

After the Star River Mayflies adjusted their formation, their mental and energy links became even tighter.

This was both an advantage and a drawback.

In this formation, the mayfly swarm had strong resistance to mental link severing, but it also made them more tightly interconnected.

Any single Star River Mayfly in this state could serve as a bridge for invading the Mind Network.

Richard donned the mask, and the world before him instantly turned dark red, as if he had returned to the Nightmare World.

Seizing the moment, he targeted a first-level mayfly within the swarm and unleashed Nightmare Erosion.

A faint glow flickered from the crystal on his forehead as an invisible mental shock struck one of the first-level mayflies.

Beside him, Delis also launched a counterattack at that very moment, doing his utmost to divert the swarm's attention.

In an instant, towering shadows surged like tidal waves, crashing against the mayfly swarm. These shadows resembled formless monsters, devouring everything they touched and dragging them into an unknown void.

Under such a terrifying assault, even the Mayfly General had no choice but to focus entirely on defense.

As for the minor actions of Richard, an ordinary Third Circle Wizard, they naturally went unnoticed.

A mere Third Circle Wizard? As long as the swarm remained intact, not just one, but even ten Third Circle Wizards were beneath its notice.

Seeing the Mayfly General's lack of reaction, Richard inwardly sneered.

"No response? Then prepare for destruction."

The mayfly afflicted by Nightmare Erosion plunged into a nightmare, its feeble soul utterly incapable of resisting Richard's assault.

Soon, its mind was completely overwhelmed by the nightmare.

And as it succumbed, the fear spread to the other mayflies linked to it.

The nightmare-stricken mayfly continuously fed terror into the Mind Network, and the nightmare, carried by this fear, began eroding the others.

One infected ten, ten infected a hundred—the nightmare spread like a virus, exploiting the mental connections between the mayflies.

Before long, the Mayfly General noticed a festering "wound" within the swarm.

"Damn it, a Mental Virus!"

Recognizing the nightmare's effects, the Mayfly General immediately recalled the corresponding term from its memory.

Without hesitation, it commanded the swarm to sever all mental links with the corrupted Star River Mayflies.

Instantly, the swarm's target shifted from Delis to Richard.

If it disbanded the formation, the swarm would be whittled away by Delis's attrition tactics. But if it didn't change formations, it would have to eliminate this Wizard capable of wielding a Mental Virus.

Yet, could the Mayfly General simply switch targets at will? By now, the other Wizards, previously incapacitated by mental shocks, had already recovered.

Delis ordered them to hold the swarm back at all costs, buying time for Richard to continue his Nightmare Erosion.

Delis was no rigid Wizard—he was a pragmatist.

If Richard's method proved more efficient, he wouldn't hesitate to abandon his own prepared plans and assist Richard instead.

In an instant, four Third Circle Wizards acted simultaneously. Chain lightning, Energy Devouring Flame, spatial distortion… and other immensely powerful Spells forced the Mayfly General to devote most of its energy to defense.

Meanwhile, Richard occasionally mixed in a Nightmare Erosion amidst these attacks.

It was still a slow, agonizing process.

Soon, realizing that it couldn’t kill Richard under the cover of four Wizards, the Mayfly General swiftly shifted its objective back to its original goal—

To kill Delis and make their deaths more glorious.

Hum! The shadow giant formed by Delis rippled like the surface of water.

The energy beams from the Star River Mayflies rained down on him like a storm.

Mental assaults and psychic illusions constantly disrupted Delis’s mind.

The combat prowess of the Star River Mayflies had already surpassed that of typical third-level creatures. If this were an ordinary Third Circle Wizard, the protective mechanism would have long since triggered and teleported them away.

But Delis remained remarkably composed under this relentless onslaught.

The energy beams were devoured by his shadowy form, while the mental attacks felt like nothing more than mosquito bites.

Had it been before his promotion to Great Wizard, he could have dealt with these mayflies alone.

Suddenly, the swarm ceased its attacks.

The entire swarm hovered silently in the air like a sphere, concealed behind layers of energy and psychic barriers that masked all movement.

Delis’s heart sank—an ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

Years of war had honed his instincts to an acute sharpness. If he sensed danger, it was real.

"Retreat!"

Delis acted decisively, immediately issuing the command through the Mind Network.

The next moment, the entire swarm suddenly shrank, as if compressed by an invisible force.

No gaps remained between the mayflies—they pressed tightly against one another, energy flowing seamlessly from one to another as if they were a single entity.

In Richard’s energy vision, these mayflies formed an incredibly complex Spell-like Model.

And the effect of this model was…

"Run! They’re going to self-destruct!"

Richard shouted in terror, immediately opening a Mystic Realm Rift.

As masters of energy manipulation, though the Star River Mayflies lacked the finesse of Wizards in elemental control, their mastery over raw energy surpassed even that of Shaping Wizards.

And self-destruction—for the Star River Mayflies, who worshipped death—was their signature move.

During the conquest of this world, the self-destruction of the Star River Mayflies had been a constant headache for Wizards. Unless they possessed overwhelming force, even obtaining a single specimen was nearly impossible.

BOOM!

The swarm of mayflies crashed into Delis like a meteor, and in the next instant, a brilliance akin to a supernova erupted from within them.

The air seemed to lose all fluidity, compressed into near-solidity by the extreme heat and pressure—only to be violently blasted apart by the sudden release of energy, forming visible shockwaves that radiated outward in frenzied ripples.

The earth turned to Magma. Giant trees were uprooted.

The massive high-energy radiation and energy impact nearly tore the space apart.

In an instant, a beam of light shot into the sky like a spear piercing the heavens.

Every Wizard in the fourth competition zone noticed this conspicuous pillar of light.

"Did someone provoke those mayflies?" a Wizard speculated.

Not a single word was wrong—all content was available at 69shu!

Every Wizard participating in this selection was at least a Third Circle Wizard. Even the weakest among them were only considered so when compared to their peers of the same rank.

Within the Wizard community, each of them was one in ten thousand.

No matter how well the Star River Mayflies disguised themselves, there would always be some among the Third Circle Wizards capable of seeing through it.

Moreover, the Star River Mayflies' camouflage wasn't particularly sophisticated to begin with.

"Glad I didn't touch those mayflies," one Wizard sighed in relief. "An attack of this magnitude would probably interfere with even the military's life-saving measures."

Battlefield.

An unstable Spatial Rift suddenly appeared, and Richard flew out of it, gazing at the scene before him with lingering fear.

The self-destruction of the Star River Mayfly swarm had vaporized half the lake, and the massive shockwave had flattened everything within five hundred meters.

"If I hadn't hidden in the Secret Realm, even the teleportation mechanism might have failed," Richard muttered, still shaken.

"No, the military's teleportation works just fine. All three of them were safely transported away."

Delis's voice suddenly came from behind Richard. Turning around, Richard saw Delis standing there as if nothing had happened.

The explosion meant for Delis hadn't even singed him! "Check your points. If everything went as expected, we should have split the mayfly swarm's points equally."

Richard froze for a moment at this, then hurriedly summoned his guiding sprite.

"What's my current score?"

"Your current total is 350 points, ranking second in the zone leaderboard and second overall."

Second in the zone, second overall...

Hearing this ranking, Richard couldn't help but glance at Delis.

"I'm first," Delis said calmly.

With that, he took out a Communication Crystal Ball.

"Though the mayfly nest has been cleared and our cooperation in this match has ended, before we part ways completely, I'd like to do something extra.

Chairman Richard, would you honor me by exchanging contact information?"

Hearing Delis's request, Richard paused briefly before quickly retrieving his own Communication Crystal Ball.

"My contact number is y12453781. If you ever need assistance in the future, Master Delis, don't hesitate to reach out."

Delis noted the number and confirmed it could connect before speaking again: "Chairman Richard, there's no need for such formality. Though I have some reputation, my contributions to the Wizard World pale in comparison to yours.

Your status already surpasses mine, and it will only grow higher.

I believe you must have noticed something unusual about these Star River Mayflies.

For natives of a small world, isn't their combat capability excessively overpowered?"

As a legendary Fourth Circle Wizard from the Tower of Truth, Delis possessed keen instincts regarding warfare.

The capabilities displayed by these Star River Mayflies far exceeded what should be possible for natives of a minor world.

This gave Delis a vague premonition—an unprecedented great war was about to arrive.

And in this war, alchemist wizards like Richard would undoubtedly shine brilliantly!

Richard nodded slightly. "I've sensed it. If my assumptions are correct, these Star River Mayflies should originate from another civilization."

Delis was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

Another civilization? Although Delis had already guessed that a civilization war was imminent, he didn't know what exactly this war would entail. "A civilization war..."

Delis pondered these words, his heart suddenly trembling.

He tentatively asked, "Are you suggesting that these mayflies belong to a civilization similar to ours, the Wizards?"

Richard nodded, then shook his head.

"I'm not certain, but after entering that Hanging Garden, this mystery will be solved."

Delis said nothing more. After giving Richard a slight bow, he turned and left.

Yet in his heart, the phrase "civilization war" lingered like an unshakable spell.

He understood the Wizard World's foundations better than Richard did. With control over tens of thousands of worlds and over a thousand Great Wizards, the Wizard civilization could effortlessly crush any single world.

But if two such behemoths were to go to war...

A phrase flashed through Delis's mind.

The stars are burning.