Chapter : 651

"I really hate locked-room mysteries," Ken thought to himself casually. He let out a loud yawn. "The villain always locks the doors. Then they make a very long, very boring speech. I wish they would just skip to the end."

Suddenly, the soft music stopped.

The string quartet in the corner abruptly stopped playing their instruments. The musicians looked confused. The polite laughter across the room faded away. The nobles turned their heads. They looked around in surprise.

The bright magical lights in the chandeliers flickered violently. The golden light sputtered and died. The entire ballroom plunged into dim, eerie shadows.

"What is going on?" Laxmi asked. Her golden eyes widened. She crossed her arms. "Did the power go out?"

Sayma pushed her glasses up her nose. She reached into her pocket and grabbed her notebook. "This is not a simple power failure. I detect a massive spike in ambient mana. Someone is casting a very large spell."

Before anyone could react, a terrifying sound echoed through the venue.

It sounded like grinding stone and shattering glass.

A massive, blinding flash of blood-red light erupted from the walls. The red light washed over the entire ballroom. It painted the faces of the nobles in a sickly, crimson glow. The air turned cold. The temperature plummeted instantly.

Ken watched the walls. He did not look scared. He just sighed.

The large glass windows of the ballroom vanished. The tall, wooden exit doors dissolved into thin air. The marble archways disappeared .

They were replaced by a solid, impenetrable wall of dark, blood-red magic. The red barrier stretched across every single wall, the ceiling, and the floor. It sealed the room flawlessly. There was no way in. There was no way out. The entire grand Gala was locked down.

The wealthy nobles stared at the solid red walls.

For a single second, there was total silence.

Then, pure, unfiltered panic erupted.

"We are trapped!" a wealthy merchant screamed at the top of his lungs. He dropped his crystal glass. The glass shattered on the marble floor.

"The doors are gone!" a noblewoman shrieked. She grabbed her expensive dress and ran blindly. "Help us! Someone help us!"

The crowd lost their minds. Hundreds of aristocrats scrambled in every direction. They pushed each other. They shoved people out of the way. They ran toward the red walls and beat their fists against the dark magic. The barrier did not budge a single millimeter. The magic sparked and burned their hands. They cried in terror.

It was an scene of chaotic madness.

Stolen story; please report.

Ken crouched down instantly. He did not crouch in fear. He crouched to avoid the stampeding crowd. He quickly slipped under a nearby serving table.

"This is why I hate parties," Ken complained loudly from under the table. He grabbed a small plate of cheese cubes that had fallen on the floor. He popped a cheese cube into his mouth. "People always panic and drop their drinks. Now my shoes are going to get sticky. This is a massive inconvenience."

While the civilians ran around screaming, the Royal factions reacted instantly.

The elite vanguard units of every Prince and Princess recognized the extreme danger. They did not panic. They did not run. They fell back on their rigorous military training. They moved with blistering, flawless speed.

"Form up!" Naomi roared fiercely. Her voice cut through the screaming crowd.

Naomi drew her twin silver daggers. The sharp blades clicked loudly. Her green eyes burned with intense, protective fury. She planted her combat boots firmly on the marble floor. She stood directly in front of Princess Iris.

Laxmi slammed her fists together. Bright orange flames erupted around her hands. The fire roared to life, casting a warm glow against the terrifying red magic. She bared her teeth in a wild, excited grin. "Finally! A real fight! Let them come!"

Zinia stomped her foot on the ground. She cracked her muscular knuckles. She stood tall and imposing. "Nobody touches the Princess. We hold this line."

Sayma pushed her glasses up. She raised her hands. She prepared to cast her golden honeycomb barriers. Ira stepped forward, her pale face emotionless. She summoned two long, high-pressure water whips. Luna woke up . Yellow electricity sparked across her fingers.

The 13th Unit formed a perfect, unbreakable defensive circle around Princess Iris. They stood back-to-back. They covered every single blind spot. They were ready for battle.

Across the massive ballroom, the other Royal units did the exact same thing.

The 1st Prince, Zeus Belmontia, stood tall. His platinum-blonde hair shined in the red light. Yellow lightning cracked violently around his polished boots. His elite guards formed a strict, flawless military wall around him. They raised their glowing magical rifles. They aimed at the dark red barriers.

Princess Hestia stood perfectly still. Her pristine white silk dress fluttered slightly. Zaima and Elma drew their weapons instantly. Elma spun her twin silver swords. Her blue eyes searched the shadows for any sign of an attacker. They formed a pristine, spotless shield wall to protect their master.

The 4th Prince, Ares Belmontia, laughed a deep, bloodthirsty laugh. He cracked his neck. His muscular vanguard raised their massive broadswords and giant axes. They looked eager to smash whoever created the red dome.

Every single Prince and Princess was surrounded by their elite, highly lethal bodyguards. The Royal vanguards stood in defensive stances. They held their weapons tight. They breathed slowly. They focused their mana.

They waited for the imminent threat to reveal itself. They knew the Black Magician was hiding somewhere in the room. They knew a deadly attack was coming.

Ken Eliot sat comfortably under the serving table. He chewed another piece of cheese. He watched the fierce warriors stand their ground. He slouched his shoulders and let out a long, lazy yawn.

"The boss fight is about to start," Ken analyzed casually in his mind. He wiped a crumb off his navy blue suit. "The doors are locked. The minions are panicked. The heroes are in position. Now we just have to wait for the villain to step out of the shadows and give a really long, really boring speech. I hope he talks fast. I am going to run out of cheese very soon."

The red magical barrier pulsed with a dark, sinister light. The music was gone. The screaming slowly turned into terrified whimpers. The entire grand Gala held its breath, waiting for the monster to step into the light.

---

The solid red magical barrier covered the entire ballroom. It blocked the large glass windows. It sealed the main exit doors. The wealthy nobles ran around in panic. They screamed loudly. They dropped their expensive crystal glasses. The glasses shattered into tiny pieces on the marble floor.

Ken Eliot sat comfortably under a large serving table. He wore his navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in wild, messy spikes. He held a small plate of cheese cubes. He tossed a piece of cheese into his mouth. He chewed it slowly.