Chapter 722 - 451: Hand-Crafting a Nuke

Chapter 722: Chapter 451: Hand-Crafting a Nuke

Four years passed in a flash.

With his photographic memory and extraordinary talent, Michelle achieved astonishing success in the Magic Realm at a young age. Shortly after turning eighteen, he officially became a Magic Master, his name renowned throughout Gaia.

He always maintained his thirst for knowledge, pursuing the pinnacle of Magic. He even created an entirely new school of Magic, but since little time had passed, it was only a basic theoretical framework that he had yet to explore in depth.

Even so, he benefited immensely. The improved casting method allowed him to shorten his spell-casting time by 15%.

He was confident he could perfect this new school of Magic and bring it to prominence within three years.

However, the good times didn’t last. On a cold winter day, terrible news arrived.

The Abyssal Army, defeated years ago, had recovered its strength and returned with a vengeance. Not long ago, they launched a surprise attack on a border city late one night. The entire city was wiped out before dawn, and all two hundred ten thousand of its residents were mutated and corrupted.

Now, the vast Abyssal Army was on the march. Villages, towns, and even cities in its path could not escape the fate of falling. The most terrifying aspect of the Abyssal Army was its horrifying Assimilation Ability. Once a place fell, everyone would be corrupted into a Demon. This allowed the Abyssal Army to snowball in size, growing ever more unstoppable.

After destroying just one city and a few towns and villages, the Abyssal Army’s numbers swelled to at least two hundred fifty thousand. Among them were many beasts of war left over from the last Apocalyptic War. Their ranks were formidable enough to trigger a second one.

No, this was already the second Apocalyptic War.

If the Abyssal Army could not be stopped, all of Gaia would suffer a devastating blow, and perhaps even face annihilation.

In a warm room, a fire crackling in the hearth, Michelle stood by the window and gazed out with a heavy heart at the light snow drifting down upon the city.

Asakusa City was not far from the war zone, and panic gripped its people. In just two days, over a third of the population had fled to seek refuge in safer cities. Most who remained were also planning their escape, and the streets were filled with fleeing families. The entire city had descended into chaos.

"War is here."

One of his lovers, his former Magic teacher, came to his side and spoke softly, "We should go too. A report just came from the front lines. Qingkong City has already lost over half its forces. It’s only a matter of time before the city falls. It could be as soon as three days, or as long as a week. After that, they’ll come for Asakusa City..."

"What about the Royal Family’s reinforcements?"

"They’re still on the way, but I’m afraid Qingkong City won’t hold out that long. I’m guessing the reinforcements will come directly to Asakusa City and make this the front line."

Michelle fell into a long silence, gazing out the window, his mind racing.

’My responsibility as a Mage compels me to stay and help defend the front line. A single Magic Master’s combat power is equivalent to a hundred thousand elite soldiers. I’m confident I can take up the mantle of the city’s defender. But I also know that if I stay, my lovers will stay with me. I’m worried something will happen to them, terrified they’ll die in the war. That’s the one thing I absolutely can’t let happen...’

"You want to stay, don’t you?" His teacher saw right through him; it wasn’t hard to do.

"Mmm." Michelle nodded. "I’m a Magic Master. It’s my duty to stay. The strong protecting the weak is the very reason Gaia has survived for so long."

In the face of the Apocalyptic War of the past, the King of Gaia and countless heroes stood tall. They fought through blood and fire, their tragic sacrifices earning Gaia the peace it now enjoyed. Now that the Abyssal Army had returned with a vengeance, it was time for a new generation of the strong to rise and protect the weak.

And so it will be in the future.

"I want to stay, but I don’t want you to." Michelle looked at his lover and pleaded, "Take the others and go, please? Don’t stay. I’m begging you, Teacher."

His teacher opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. It was the first time she had ever seen Michelle look so vulnerable. Her heart softened, and she agreed.

After sending his lovers away, Michelle wasted no time and began further research into his unique school of Magic.

The new theory he proposed was called "Formulaic Magic." To put it simply, it converted the steps of spellcasting into formulas to achieve more precise constructs, thereby strengthening the Magic in every way. For example, a Fireball Technique cast using Formulaic Magic was 60% more powerful than one cast with Classical Magic, yet it only consumed one-third of the Magic Power.

’If this enhancement could be applied to Forbidden Curse Magic...’

That was why Michelle was racing against the clock, trying to research and develop a formula to cast Forbidden Curse Magic.

’Just one. I only need one formula, and I’m confident I can stop the Abyssal Army!’

「Five days later.」

Michelle, immersed in an ocean of knowledge, was roused by an urgent knock at the door. A soldier had come to report that the Abyssal Army was on the verge of reaching the city walls!

The Royal Family’s army had finished assembling in Asakusa City, intending to make it a crucial defensive line against the Abyssal Army. A great battle was about to begin, and they needed Michelle to go and rally the troops.

Michelle went to the city wall and looked into the distance. A black tide surged toward them. The trembling of the earth and the heaven-shaking roars of the Demons merged into a colossal storm, making even the towering city walls seem as if they were about to crumble.

Among the vanguard of the Demon Tide were numerous massive monsters. They were conspicuous within the legion. Their movements were rather slow, and the stampeding Demons automatically swerved around them, making them look like reefs in a river that parted the current.