Returning to the Mysterious Era

Cassius had lived through the era fifty years ago, making him the most qualified to speak on the matter. Although the magician and Haisha had each refined their techniques, their overall powers had significantly decreased. They were overcompensating for a lack of strength with skill. It was a necessary, though unfortunate, solution.

Having experienced the Hongli Federation both seventy and fifty years ago, Cassius could feel the dwindling of supernatural powers. This change was not only due to the advancement of human technology; there were deeper reasons behind it.

Dusting himself off, Cassius looked toward the two figures disappearing at the end of the road and began to follow them.

Half a minute later, three figures cautiously emerged from behind the rock.

"Anna, Ro, we should head back to the manor… Uncle Soro was right, the Anta Mountains are too dangerous," the red-haired boy, Ali, said. Face pale, he was clearly shaken.

"Whew… Thank goodness that golem didn't notice us, or we'd be done for," the girl in the white dress said, patting her chest, which swayed slightly with the motion.

"You're wrong," the green-eyed boy, Ro, said suddenly, his expression darkening. “The golem did notice us. It was just drawn to a prey that had more value. Then it severely underestimated that prey's strength and the hunter became the hunted…"

Ro's observational skills were sharp, certainly more so than his companions. He rubbed his temples in frustration, his bright green eyes staring at the crater nearby, where Cassius had destroyed the steam golem. It was about half a meter in diameter, pitch-black, and surrounded by shattered stones and glimmering metal fragments reflecting the moonlight.

"Let's move! Staying here could be dangerous!"

Ro pulled his gaze away and together, the three companions began retracing their steps to the Blue Star Manor.

Elsewhere, in the dense forests of the Anta Mountains, a clearing was filled with craters and piles of fallen leaves. White moonlight filtered through the trees, casting an eerie, cold stillness on the ground.

Tap, tap, tap…

A series of hurried footsteps echoed through the forest. A slender figure darted through the dense trees, moving with agility and speed. Using her claws to counterbalance her momentum, she raced forward.

Another figure was quickly closing in behind her. The once dapper magician no longer looked like a gentleman. His clothes were covered in scratches, and his top hat was gone, likely lost during the chase.

Whoosh.

A cold current swept across the clearing. From the dim, grayish-black mist emerged a figure made of metal and stone—another steam golem!

Its glowing red eyes locked onto the magician, emanating a cold, merciless intent different from that of an animal.

"Another one?!" The magician groaned. "How can there be so many of these damn things? This is the fourth one I've encountered!"

Even with his abilities, the magician could barely handle one steam golem, let alone four. To make matters worse, his current condition was far from ideal. Most of his tools had been used up during his earlier fight with Haisha, severely weakening his combat abilities.

Faced with this situation, there was only one option: run!

In theory, neither the magician nor Haisha should have been able to outrun a steam golem, which was why the magician had originally suggested teaming up.

But Haisha chose a different strategy—since she could outrun the magician, the golem would inevitably catch him first. While Haisha couldn't do much to the golem herself, the magician would be trapped in a precarious position, and she would be free. Haisha had a strong survival instinct indeed, but she was also vengeful.

Surprisingly, the magician hadn't been caught since they first encountered the steam golem. Whenever he looked back, his view was obscured by the grayish-black mist.

Boom!

A fist, like a sledgehammer, smashed into the golem ahead, shattering its tough, metallic chest, and sending stone fragments flying. The pieces struck the surrounding trees with the force of bullets, sinking deep into the bark, which exploded outward to reveal the pale wood beneath.

Cassius glanced at the surrounding dust and mist, and a white stream of air appeared around his right hand, swirling rapidly and gathering like a small tornado. He clapped his hands together, and with a snap, a gust of air blasted outward, clearing the mist that had been obscuring his vision.

Looking ahead, he spotted the hurried figure of the magician and the steam golem charging toward him.

"These pests just keep coming one after another. Are they randomly appearing around here? And it looks like they're getting stronger too," Cassius muttered as he dusted his hands off.

Cassius had already taken down five steam golems, and their numbers only seemed to be increasing. The golems appeared to target the strongest life force in the area, which meant Cassius was like a shining beacon to them. Like moths drawn to a flame, the golems kept coming, only to be destroyed one by one.

Meanwhile, the catwoman and the magician had fled from most of the danger, having only briefly engaged the golems before making their escape.

Throughout the process, Cassius grew increasingly impressed with the resourcefulness of the disheveled magician. The guy was talented and could figure out unexpected ways to turn the tide in his favor.

For example, when they encountered the third steam golem, the magician pretended to flee but discreetly set up nearly invisible steel wires along his escape route. With his psychokinesis, he anchored the wires deep into the trees. When the golem charged through, sparks flew as the steel wire sliced through the golem's metal helmet-like head until it rolled off. It had essentially decapitated itself using its own momentum.

Unfortunately, the golem possessed remarkable regenerative abilities. While it wasn't exactly immortal, killing one was difficult. To destroy a golem, you had to dismantle or obliterate most of its body. That golem had reassembled itself, only to be promptly blown apart by a punch from Cassius.

In the moonlight, Cassius strode forward, while about a dozen meters ahead, another steam golem stumbled toward him.

"Why is this golem running so strangely?" Cassius frowned, growing cautious as he observed the creature.

He instinctively took a few steps back, using the surrounding trees to test the golem's reactions. He circled it for a few moments, taking advantage of his superior speed.

After a few seconds, he realized it was the magician's doing again. Using psychokinesis, the magician had wrapped a steel wire around the golem's ankles, effectively slowing it down.

Unlike a human, the golem lacked self-awareness and didn't stop to untangle itself from the wire. The steel wire would snap under repeated strain, or the golem's legs would break first. Either way, the magician had bought himself time.

A few meters away, the golem hobbled awkwardly, its ankles still bound by the thin, gleaming steel wire.

"Interesting," Cassius remarked. Before the words fully left his lips, a blur darted past the golem. A hand as strong as iron effortlessly lifted the heavy rock golem into the air, holding it aloft.

Whoosh!

Like a white spear, Cassius's arm sliced through the air, piercing through the golem's chest. A large cloud of stone dust exploded behind it, mingling with the golem's cold, dark mist to form a swirling vortex. Cassius tore the golem apart in one swift motion. As he pulled his hand back, a thin, hair-like steel wire gleamed in his palm, cold and razor-sharp.

Cassius examined the wire in the moonlight, squeezing it before casually snapping it between his fingers.

"This magician is quite the interesting fellow. He's a bit more clever than your typical superhuman," Cassius mused.

During the time-travel of the bronze ring, Cassius had witnessed the overwhelming power of numbers. Together, they had defeated the Black Rain Manor. If it had only been him in that final battle, there was no way he could have fulfilled Twilight's mission. That feeling of rallying everyone to fight as one remained, and it was incredibly fulfilling.

Returning to the real world, Cassius was still the fourth leader in Ace of Spades' assassination division. Really, he should have his own assassination squad, along with a multitude of subordinates. If he wanted to form such a team, Ace of Spades would gladly fund it. Most of those under his command would likely be professional assassins brought in from various sources.

Cassius wasn't particularly interested in them. He preferred to build his team slowly from the ground up, but he still needed a few competent individuals to get things started.

The magician, with his psychokinesis, was not weak. His combat style was smooth and cunning with unique techniques, and coupled with his caution and adaptability, he could make a valuable ally.

Cassius, intrigued by the idea, started pursuing the magician again with renewed determination.

Five minutes later, in a clearing in the forest, the sound of heavy breathing filled the air. The magician was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His suit's inner lining was soaked through with sweat. After all, unlike Haisha's more athletic build, a psychokinesis master relied on mental strength rather than physical endurance. His energy had drained quickly after fleeing so intently for so long.

"Huff…" He took a deep breath, struggling to regain composure. When he looked back, a cloud of mist was closing in fast.

"Damn it! The golem is still chasing me!" The magician quickly spun around, flinging two steel marbles from his right hand. They shot through the air with a sharp hiss, accelerated by his psychokinesis.

Without even checking what happened, the magician's face resumed fleeing, his face growing paler. His psychokinetic powers were nearly depleted.

The gray-black mist hovered in place for a few seconds before a tall figure emerged from it, holding a twisted and deformed steel helmet in his left hand and two steel marbles in his right.

Cassius looked at the magician's exhausted form and muttered softly, "Too weak… Is this already his limit?"

Cassius had been trailing behind the magician the entire time, staying just far enough to remain unseen but close enough to intervene if necessary. Whenever the magician seemed about to collapse, Cassius would approach, distracting the steam golem to keep the magician alive.

Cassius wanted to test the magician. It was a trial of sorts to test his character under prolonged pressure. If the magician succeeded, he would earn his place under Cassius's command.

The magician thought, thank you for thinking so highly of me and torturing me like this. And while we're at it, thank you to my 18th-generation ancestors too.

***

Meanwhile, closer to the Blue Star Manor, Anna, Ro, and Ali finally made it back to the paved road. They were drenched in sweat, their faces flushed and burning hot. They ran back, driven mostly by fear. Their thrilling night would have been too much for anyone, let alone kids.

"Huff… We finally made it back. I'm exhausted." Anna gasped, pounding her thin, pale legs. Her long hair stuck to her sweaty cheeks.

"Huh? Why is it so foggy?" The red-haired boy, Ali, looked around, noticing that gray mist was rising on both sides of the road, drifting like waves flowing in all directions. The moonlight filtered through the fog, giving it a hazy glow.

Ro, the green-eyed boy, also looked up to where the distant Blue Star Manor lay. At the moment, the entire manor was shrouded in mist, appearing like a giant creature looming in the clouds.

The thick layers of fog swirled within the unseen parts of the manor. The gray mist seemed to caress the ground like a delicate piece of silk—softly, with barely a whisper as it draped the buildings.

The manor was eerily quiet, with no noise or commotion. In every room and at every post, the staff had fallen into a deep slumber—some lying in bed, others slumped over toilets, or leaning against the ground, unconscious.

Click!

A pair of black boots broke the silence.

Out of the mist, a group of black-clad figures emerged. Each wore a silver skull-shaped watch on their right wrist. Their shoulders were marked with a white clock emblem.

At the front of the group, a man wearing three silver rings on his hand came to a stop and looked up. His pale complexion, prominent hooked nose, and curly brown hair made him stand out, while his cold, indifferent eyes gave off an oppressive, menacing aura.

He slowly lowered his gaze to the ground, where a security guard lay unconscious.

"These pigs are all asleep… Hehe…" the man sneered. The man let out a cold laugh before stomping his foot on the ground with a heavy thud. Dust flew up, and his subordinates behind him felt a shiver run through their feet.

"How many people are in the Blue Star Manor?" he asked.

"Reporting to the captain, 219 people."

"That should be enough, right? If it isn't, we can always go down the mountain and grab a few more. They're all just ordinary pigs anyway, perfect for consumption." The curly-haired man's face twisted into a cruel smile.

The group continued marching toward the center of the manor, purpose clear. Behind them was a headless corpse, and a trail of bloody footprints that looked like the creeping path of a demon.

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