The opaline bracelet around her wrist glowed red. It turned from pink to crimson, the dark energy was corrupting her mind… At the field outside the quarantine base, Wang Ruoxiang raised both of her arms as she chanted the spell from the 5th chapter of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. Her face turned white and then red. The power of earth pooled around her. Another giant shadow burst out from the ground and soared into the sky. It coalesced into a strange flying creature. It had a large bat’s wings, long arms and decaying body. It was dark yellow in color.
If a normal person was in its presence, their mind would be affected; even for a well-trained Phecda member, they would feel oppressed in its presence. The creature’s wails collided with the flying polypus hydroids’ cries. Byakee rose into the sky and opened its wing. It followed its summoner’s order and dove at its target. It moved even faster than the flying polypus hydroids. In fact, Wang Ruoxiang believed that if she could provide it with enough power, this creature could easily break through the ozone layer and travel through space.
She focused her eyes. Since medical knowledge couldn’t save the world, then she would have to resort to spells! ‘Go, tear those disgusting worms into pieces!’
‘Is that so, is that so… So you need to rely on Byakee’s power after all…’ Wang Ruoxiang heard a barely discernible voice. It sounded familiar… It was the voice of Mr. Wang Erde who died a long time ago. ‘Death, only those with souls can die, only death can provide the biggest catharsis, death… So you like death, is that so…’
“Then let death rain on our enemies!” Wang Ruoxiang shouted. She allowed the strange power to pour through her and more shadows burst out from the ground. Cai Zixuan, Si Kouxian and the rest were next to her. They saw cracks forming on the opaline bracelet. Even though the Yith had chosen to bow out from this war, their technology had not failed humanity before. This meant that Wang Ruoxiang was edging towards a very dangerous state.
“Monitor!” Cai Zixuan called after her. Her corruption was at around 30 percent then. The others were nervous. If this continued, unaccountable mental corruption would descend upon Wang Ruoxiang and going crazy was the least worrying result.
“I can’t stop now, I can still continue…” Wang Ruoxiang assured them. She would not allow herself to be turned into the enemy. She could feel that the Yellow Brotherhood also disliked the Locust God and the flying polypus hydroids. They did not wish for the world to be turned into a ruin dominated by these forces. “We have the same enemy, the invasion of the wasteland must be stopped.” Her eyes were bloodshot. “If I show signs of madness, pull a gun to my head…”
Her friends heard the chaos in her voice. After all, she had already summoned five actual Byakees. According to land travelers, 2 Byakees were a maximum for a powerful caster. 5 was an astronomical number. It was true that Wang Ruoxiang was talented but she also had a unique bond with the Yellow Brotherhood. But even so, 5 was quite an extreme for her.
In comparison, the One saw with their own eyes, 500 flying polypus hydroids crawl out from the ground. There should be several thousands now… the actual number couldn’t be accounted for because the signal at the mutated areas was already disconnected and the satellites captured nothing. Furthermore, the borders were now blurred. They were no longer able to keep these abnormal creatures in bay. The hydroids could cross into the Phecda and Mysterium Worlds freely so no one knew their exact number.
However, in terms of Byakee, they could be counted easily. There were 5 from Wang Ruoxiang and then another 12 summoned by people like Peacock and Malachite. There were 17 in total. 17 versus several thousands, the number was not adding up for humanity’s side.
“The monitor is right, we can’t stop now.” Cai Zixuan sighed, “Superior Si, shall we?”
“Okay.” Si Kouxian nodded. There was no need for more words. They surrounded Wang Ruoxiang and channeled their mental power to her. It did not matter whether they had studied the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan or not. Wang Ruoxiang would be the centre of this small ritual so that she could summon out more Byakees. This was a ritual commonly used by Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. The Spell Department had been studying it, specifically on how to channel one’s mental power into another. However, this was not Dreamlands, to reach the level of compatibility similar to the one between Gu Jun and Wu Siyu required plenty of training and natural bond, therefore the Spell Department had failed to replicate it successfully. However, with the flimsy bond that the Yith had formed between them, they managed to accomplish with surprising ease the task that was normally so impossible. However, this bond was also like a whirlpool that would suck everyone down with Wang Ruoxiang.
“Command central, command central, we’re combining our forces to summon more Byakees. We will be corrupted by darkness. If this tragedy can be solved, if we are still alive then… do not trust us, before cleansing ritual is performed on us, do not trust a single word we say.” Si Kouxian made his last report to the command central. Then he closed his eyes to focus just like Cai Zixuan and Zhang Huohuo next to him.
‘Is that so, is that so… you are willing to trade your own deaths for more power? So that is your choice? Is that so…’
Wang Ruoxiang’s determined chanting began again. She turned towards the dark sky and yelled out in rage!
Around the ritualistic ground, more Byakees surged out. They flapped their wings and flew into the battlefield. The opaline stones on their wrists glowed red. Their nose, mouth, ears oozed with blood. Everyone’s eyes opened and they saw about at least 100 Byakees in the sky. So it was useful to send their mental power to Wang Ruoxiang after all…
Their heads pounded but they couldn’t help but smile. Veins popped in their eyes. Cai Zixuan sighed and this reminded him of a quote from Shakespeare’s Tempest, “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
Blood leaked out from Cai Zixuan’s eyes as he watched the shadows that carried their last hope flew into the battlefield.
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”