Published at 17th of May 2026 6:42 am

Chapter 1739 Just One Man

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With so many Mana Core Magi assassinated, the Union's defences had been weakened at their core.

Those Magi were the anchors of the army. They were leaders, shields, and the ones who could turn the tide of the battle. Without them, formations would falter, coordination would break, and the lower-ranked Magi would be left exposed.

And that was exactly what was happening at the moment. When the deaths of the Mana Core Magi swept across the eastern and western camps, the soldiers flew into fear and panic, losing their will to fight.

Forget about getting them to stand in formation, some were even beginning to desert the camp.

With the Empire's army ready to attack any moment now, the Union army would inevitably suffer massive losses before it could even stabilize.

Just a handful of assassins had slipped into the army camp in the dark of the night and caused such intense chaos. It was simply unthinkable. This spoke volumes about the prowess of the shadowkins.

"Adam, this is looking bad."

Anna had a grim look on her face as she heard the battle cries all the way across the battlefield. Under the pale glow of the twin moons, she could see that the enemy was quickly getting into formation.

"It is," Adam muttered softly.

This was a highly coordinated attack. For so long, there had been an unwritten agreement between the two armies that nighttime was meant for rest and recuperation.

But when the shadowkins suddenly struck, that agreement was quickly discarded. Of course, if the places were switched, Adam would do the same thing. This was the perfect opportunity to deal with the enemy.

The Union army was swept away in chaos. At a time like this, if the Empire attacked, the result would be utterly devastating.

With the deaths of the Mana Core Magi, morale had dropped to an all-time low.

"What's the plan then?" Edward appeared beside him, his gaze dark and solemn.

Adam remained silent for a few moments. He then said with a thoughtful look on his face:

"Sometimes fear can be as valuable as strength."

Both Anna and Edward turned toward him, perplexed.

Adam lowered his head, recalling the time he had spent behind enemy lines in the past year and a half. Then he murmured, "If I could plant fear in the enemy… even for a moment. I think it might be enough."

Doubt could slow decisions. It could make commanders hesitate, question their timing of the attack, and reconsider what they might be walking into.

"Anna. Eddie."

The Dark King's solemn voice rang in their ears.

"Get the central army ready for battle. Just in case."

"No!" Anna subconsciously refused and grabbed her little brother's arm. "I know that look. No! You are not going in alone!"

Adam was slightly taken aback. But then, he couldn't help but softly smile. He turned toward her and gently clasped her shoulders.

"Trust me, sister," he said gently.

Anna was about to argue back, but Adam calmly interrupted her.

"If the enemy attacks now, we will lose a lot of good men. I have to take this chance. If I succeed, I could buy our armies enough time to regroup and restore order. Besides, I'm the only one among all of us with the greatest ability to escape should things turn south."

Anna gritted her teeth, her ruby eyes flickering with resignation. "Damn you!"

"Don't worry," Adam said gently. "Your brother's super strong."

With that said, he turned and slowly walked toward the enemy.

Anna glanced at his departing back, her hands clenching and unclenching several times.

"We need to go," Edward's voice snapped her back to her senses.

A moment later, the two turned back toward the central camp and began making preparations.

***

The Dark King calmly walked across the battlefield.

He was dressed in his usual black attire, his cape fluttering lightly in the wind. He retrieved his trademark pointed hat and set it on his head.

He breathed in. He breathed out.

Then…

His pupils constricted, and the tyrannical mana came flooding out of his core.

Boom!

The sheer aura radiating from him caused the ground underneath to crack. But the Dark King wasn't done yet. He channelled the mana through his inner pathways, his aura exploding skyward.

Rank 4 Spell: Dread!

He cast an advanced version of the Rank 3 Spell, his aura quickly turning ominous and terrifying. The air around him distorted, and strong wind whipped up around him.

Far into the distance, in the Empire's army camps, the soldiers who were standing at the forefront were the first to face the brunt of Adam's spell. This was a sophisticated enchantment magic that dealt a blow directly to their psyches.

These men found themselves trembling in fear, the weapons in their hands clattering to the ground. Their faces were drained of color, and many of them collapsed to their knees.

Adam knew that he was facing a vast army, and that his spell wouldn't affect all of them. But he didn't need it to. He only needed it to affect a small portion, and from there, the fear would spread. If he succeeded, that was.

He inhaled a big mouthful of air, and then his voice magically boomed across the enemy ranks.

"You all know who I am! You know what I have done! And you damn well know what I am capable of!"

Everyone in the Empire's camps heard his voice. They all knew who he was. They all knew what he had done behind enemy lines and the number of Mana Core Magi he had butchered in the last year alone. And they also knew what he was capable of.

Adam swiped his hand and a Wind Blade carved a deep line into the ground before him.

Then he spread his arms wide, his aura flaring even brighter, and roared:

"And if you still want to attack… then come! I dare you!"

The Mana Core Magi in the enemy camps found their heart gripped by terror. And for the briefest of moments, they wavered.

That was until Rekan materialized from the shadows in front of the central army's command tent. His dark eyes gleamed with a cunning light, and he shouted in the local tongue, his voice carrying across all three camps.

"He's just one man! We are three hundred thousand strong! Overwhelm him! Kill him!"

Upon hearing the devil's words, the Empire's army stirred. They had the numbers.

No matter how strong a single Mana Core Magus was, could he still withstand such a force?

One by one, the soldiers let out battle cries. The front ranks still felt the Dark King's heavy, suffocating aura, but the roar from those behind pushed them forward, drowning out their hesitation.

The Dark King let out a quiet sigh and lowered his hands. His lips parted, and his cold words carried across the battlefield:

"So you have chosen death."

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