The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 306: Chapter 301 — Useless

”Fire!”

”Oh, fuck me!”

Nedra hurriedly threw up another Magnetic Field around the wall, barely stopping the incoming barrage in time.

As the haze cleared, the northern army became fully visible.

Again, their barrier had held. There wasn’t even a single crack on its surface.

Nedra’s face twisted.

”Prime!”

”Not yet.”

Nedra gritted her teeth, then whirled towards the defense cadets.

”Keep firing, you fucking pussies! I don’t care if your arms fall off!”

More attacks rained down on the northern army, with several coming from Nedra herself, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Every attack crashed uselessly against the golden barrier as the northerners continued closing the distance, completely unscathed.

Soon, they crossed the hundred-and-fifty-meter mark.

Gordon’s voice rang out across the plains.

”PREPARE TO SIEGE!”

”ROAR!”

The northern army answered with such a thunderous roar that several southern cadets nearly stumbled from the sheer force of it.

This time, even the head cadets, Kaelion, Kaelith, Fiona, Tobias, Horus, Lumi, Lucien, even Draven, turned towards Zephyrion with increasingly intense looks.

Still, none came close to Nedra.

Her hair was scattered and disheveled from repeatedly blasting away the dust, and the corner of her lips had begun to twitch. Looking as though she had just gone through hell and back, she slowly turned towards Zephyrion.

”Prime... I’m asking very fucking nicely now.”

Zephyrion met her gaze, his expression somehow still calm despite everything happening around them.

”Not yet.”

Grind!

Nedra ground her teeth so hard it almost seemed like sparks would fly from them.

”Um, Prime...” Tobias swallowed, glancing between Zephyrion and the rapidly approaching army. ”Just to be clear... does this brilliant plan of yours involve any of us dying?”

”You’ll see.”

Several of the head cadets swallowed. Before anyone could say anything else, another deafening roar erupted from below.

”WHO ARE WE!?”

”FERRANS!”

”AND WHAT DO WE DO TO THOSE WHO SHED NORTHERN BLOOD!?”

”MAKE THEM PAY!”

The northern army had now crossed the hundred-meter mark, barely an arrow’s throw away from the fortress.

Even if the ballistas recharged, the enemy was already too close to safely use them. At this distance, there was practically nothing more they could do to stop their advance.

Nedra stared at the approaching army, her eyes widening as the last remnants of her restraint finally disappeared.

”PRIMEEEEE!”

Her scream pierced through the air, somehow managing to dwarf even the deafening roars of the northern army.

However, as though her scream had been the cue he was waiting for, Zephyrion’s calm voice finally echoed.

”Now.”

Nedra and the other head cadets immediately snapped towards him just as he raised both arms.

There was no hum. No violent surge of power. Yet they all felt it. A faint tremor traveled through the air, sweeping past the fortress walls and towards the northern army.

No. Not towards the army itself. Towards the ground beneath their feet.

Completely unaware, the northern cadets brandished their weapons and continued roaring at the top of their lungs.

Then, without warning, a blinding light erupted beneath their feet.

Horrified, Gordon snapped his gaze towards the southern wall, only to meet Zephyrion’s ice-cold eyes across the distance.

A chill ran down his spine. Then, Zephyrion spoke.

”Detonate.”

”Wha—”

Gordon barely had time to react before a violent explosion erupted beneath them, swallowing the entire northern army.

...

”WHAT THE FUCK!?”

Malach shot out of his seat, staring at the screen before him in disbelief.

This... how was this possible? That bastard had planted a trap in front of his own fortress? But there was no fucking way Malach shouldn’t have known about it!

”Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!”

Gritting his teeth, Malach activated the relic that prevented anyone from watching him, then furiously tapped on his rune tab.

A moment later, a familiar voice echoed from it.

”Young Lord, I told you not to contact me unless—”

”Shut the fuck up, Rhydan!” Malach’s voice dripped with venom. ”What the hell is happening!? You and that other useless bastard are supposed to report everything he does to me! So how the fuck did an entire trap appear outside his fortress without either of you knowing!?”

”...Trap?” Rhydan sounded completely lost.

Malach’s expression twisted.

”You don’t even know what I’m talking about!? What the fuck are you people actually doing over there!? Look!”

There was a brief silence as Rhydan apparently did just that. Then he cursed.

”Shit...”

”Yes, shit! Now tell me what the fuck that other fool has been doing! Does he not understand what happens if he fails me!?”

”He’s been complaining to me lately. Their commander keeps sending him on useless errands, so he hasn’t been able to keep a constant watch on the lightning Prince.”

”Of fucking course! Of course no one can do their damn job when I actually need them to!” Malach slammed his fist against the table. ”You know what? Fuck it. Forget it! You’re useless, he’s useless, everyone is fucking useless! Like always, I’ll deal with it my damn self!”

”Young Lord, wait—”

Malach cut off the connection.

’He knew I would attack... That bastard fucking knew.’

The realization only made his expression darken further. He’d been outmaneuvered. Again.

”FUCK!”

His fist slammed down, shattering the table beneath it. Killing intent bled into the air as his eyes burned with fury.

”Lightning Prince... enjoy this while you fucking can. I’ll make you regret every second of it.”

...

The head cadets, Kaelion, Tobias, Kaelith, Draven, Lucien, Horus, Nedra, and even the rest of the southern cadets stared at Zephyrion’s back with wide eyes.

The mushroom cloud from the explosion still filled the sky, blanketing most of the plains in thick smoke. Yet despite how close the explosion had been, none of them had felt so much as a tremble.

They could still feel the barrier surrounding the fortress, sturdier than anything any of them could hope to create. Zephyrion had blocked the entirety of that explosion, and he had done it with such ease.

But even that wasn’t what shocked them the most. It was the explosion itself.

Just when the hell had Zephyrion set up such a trap?

Nedra seemed the most stunned of them all, her earlier composure completely gone. She stared at Zephyrion for several seconds before swallowing.

”When... when the fuck did you even do this?”