14: Jinan on the day of liberation

The twilight dyed the waters of the Riquan River dark gold. The Sentry Bridge over the river was like a silent iron chain, connecting the sole path leading to the Harsh Forest. Spy Charlie wore a black cloak embroidered with silver patterns, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Magic Crystal at his waist. His gaze sharply swept over the vast army slowly moving across the bridge—200,000 soldiers clad in mottled iron armor, holding long spears and short swords. The sound of their heavy footsteps shook the bridge slightly, startling the fish in the river into scattering.

“Hurry up! Without Commander Aaron, the bandits in the Harsh Forest are just lambs waiting to be slaughtered!” Charlie’s voice echoed throughout the army. He deliberately lifted his chin, revealing the ruby badge near his collar that symbolized an “Intermediate Magician.” “After exterminating the bandits, everyone will be granted land, and officers will be promoted!”

The soldiers’ cheers drifted far along the river valley, but Henry, at the end of the line, frowned. He had just wiped the dust off his helmet with the corner of his uniform when he overheard the whispers of three soldiers beside him.

“Why are we suddenly attacking? Just a few days ago, they said we had to wait for the Magician Legion to converge,” said Soldier A, scratching the back of his head, causing the spear in his hand to wobble.

“Didn’t you hear Lord Charlie? Aaron has been captured!” Soldier B lowered his voice, but his eyes held anxiety. “Even so, those bandits aren’t easy to deal with—the vanguard that attacked last time, besides the magicians, none came back alive.”

“More than that! I heard Old Wu from the mess hall say that they couldn’t even find the bodies, only a pool of green blood, saying they were melted by some kind of ‘radiation’!” Soldier C’s voice trembled, and his short sword nearly fell to the ground.

“Silence!” Henry spun around abruptly, his armor clanging. “If anyone dares to spread rumors and disrupt morale again, they will face military law!” He stared at the three soldiers hastily lowering their heads, but he felt uneasy—as the highest-ranking ordinary officer in this unit, he knew better than anyone that Charlie had never disclosed the specifics of Aaron’s capture, nor had he explained why the Red Alert Troops originally stationed along the route had been suddenly transferred away.

Just as the last batch of soldiers stepped onto the far side of the bridge, a metallic grinding “creak” suddenly came from behind Charlie. Out of the corner of his eye, Henry glimpsed two figures—they were clad in entirely green anti-radiation armor, their helmets obscuring their faces, and the cannons resting on their shoulders gleamed coldly, faint green energy halos still lingering at the muzzle. “Radiation Engineers...” Henry’s heart sank. He was about to speak but was forced back by the cold stare Charlie gave him.

“Boom!” A massive explosion suddenly erupted from Sentry Mountain ahead. On the previously empty mountaintop, the firing ports of dozens of bunkers simultaneously lit up red, and the barrels of the Sentry Guns spun rapidly. The “thump! thump! thump!” of gunfire instantly shattered the tranquility of the river valley. The soldiers in the front row hadn't even reacted before they were pierced through their iron armor by the dense bullets. Blood flowed down the hillside, converging into winding streams on the broken stone ground.

“Charge! Take Sentry Mountain!” Charlie drew the magic staff from his waist, the burst of fire from its tip cutting through the twilight. “Those who retreat will face military law!”

Under the magical pressure, the soldiers were forced to charge forward, but batch after batch fell under the Sentry Guns’ barrage, their corpses piling up into small hills. A few deserters ran back, clutching their heads, but just as they reached the middle of the Sentry Bridge, the Radiation Engineers on the far bank pulled their triggers—a pale green radiation wave spread at a visible speed. The screams of the deserters abruptly ceased, their bodies rapidly dissolving in the green ripples, eventually leaving only bubbling pools of green blood, their armor turning to powder.

Henry’s palms were slick with cold sweat. He watched the soldiers around him fall one by one, his long sword already stained red with blood. The bunkers on the mountain continued to spit fire, and these soldiers armed with cold weapons were utterly defenseless against modern technology. What made him even more panicked was that when he tried to send someone to contact Charlie, Charlie was already nowhere to be seen.

“If only Lord Charlie were here... he’s an Intermediate Magician, he could surely tear through the barrage.” Henry muttered to himself. Just as he was about to wipe his sweat, he heard a “clack clack” of machinery turning from the mountain.

He looked up and saw a massive metallic sphere rolling down the hillside. The four mechanical legs beneath the sphere had sharp cutting blades flashing with cold light. Before the soldiers could disperse, the mechanical legs violently plunged into the crowd— “Pfft!” The cutting blades easily tore through the iron armor. Mutilated limbs flew into the air as the mechanical legs rotated, and screams rose and fell.

“It’s a Terror Robot!” A soldier shrieked and turned to run, only to be paralyzed on the ground by the ensuing roar. Henry’s pupils contracted—three square apocalypse tanks were driving down the mountain. Their black armor plates were covered in bullet marks, their two massive cannons pointed straight at the crowd. The treads crushed the bodies of the soldiers, mixing flesh and soil together, the bloodstains on the treads glowing dark red in the twilight.

An apocalypse tank stopped in front of Henry. The hatch opened with a “clank,” and a Conscript in a red military uniform jumped out. His face was devoid of expression as he said coldly, “Surrender unconditionally, or die.” As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and returned to the tank. The moment the hatch closed, the tank sped toward the camp at the foot of the mountain.

Henry froze in place, cold sweat running down his cheeks and into his collar. He had bought his commission as an officer and had no real fighting strength, nor did he want to die for the “Magic Empire” Charlie spoke of. “Drop your weapons! Surrender!” Henry yelled, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor. Soon, a white flag was raised in the camp, and the remaining soldiers threw down their weapons and squatted on the ground, afraid to look up.

At this moment, in the Generals Mansion in Riquan City, Charlie slowly sat up in bed. Outside the window, it was already evening. The setting sun cast long shadows on the carpet through the carved window lattices. He rubbed his throbbing temples—he had drunk too much red wine last night and had slept for an entire day. “Someone!” Charlie shouted, but heard no response. Frowning, he got up and pushed open the door. The vast Generals Mansion was empty, without even a maid.

“What’s going on?” Charlie quickly walked out of the Generals Mansion, but froze the moment he stepped onto the street—squads of soldiers in dark green military uniforms were marching into the city. The rifles on their shoulders gleamed coldly, and grenades hung from the belts at their waists. What made him even more furious was that the citizens on the roadside were not afraid; instead, they were holding flowers and fruits, cheering around the soldiers. Riquan City’s original garrison had even put down their weapons and were linking arms with these unfamiliar soldiers, as if they had known each other for a long time.

“Did you hear? Our city’s troops surrendered and joined Lord Wei He’s army!” an old woman said, smiling to the person next to her, holding a basket of freshly baked bread.

“That’s great! We won’t have to pay heavy taxes anymore!” A young man raised his wine flask and shouted at the soldiers entering the city, “Long live Lord Wei He!”

“Wei He…” Charlie’s teeth ground together. He abruptly drew his magic staff, the ruby at the tip instantly glowing red. “Great Fire Lord God, please lend me your divine power and light the flames that tear apart the darkness—Fire-Igniting Technique!”

A scarlet Magic Array two meters in diameter unfolded before him. Blazing flames erupted from the array, forming a massive pillar of fire that swept toward the soldiers and citizens on the street. “Ah! Fire!” Screams rose and fell. People ignited by the flames rolled on the ground, their clothes crackling as they burned. The air was filled with the smell of scorching.

“Open fire!” The Red Alert Officer leading the squad commanded. The soldiers raised their rifles, and bullets rained down on Charlie. Charlie quickly chanted a spell, and a pale blue Magic Shield unfolded in front of him. The bullets hitting the shield only left shallow indentations. “You want to catch me? It won’t be that easy!” Charlie sneered, turning and speeding toward the city gate, the Magic Shield leaving a pale blue afterimage behind him.

Meanwhile, Wei He was walking hand-in-hand with Linlin on the main street of Riquan City. Linlin held a candied hawthorn skewer, her eyes curved into crescent moons from smiling. “I didn’t expect the citizens to welcome us so much.” Wei He looked at the cheering crowd around him, filled with emotion—he had learned through the red alert system that Charlie had been exploiting Riquan City, and the people had long been resentful. Recovering Riquan City this time was simply following the will of the people.

“Brother Wei He, look! That’s the Generals Mansion!” Linlin pointed to the magnificent building not far away, shouting excitedly. Wei He looked in the direction she pointed and saw the large gate of the Generals Mansion wide open. Tom was running out, his arms full of gold, his face still smudged with dust.

“Boss! Come and see! That bastard Charlie hid so many treasures!” Tom pulled Wei He into the warehouse, where shelves were stacked with gold, diamonds, and various precious Magic Crystals. Sunlight streamed through the window, making the entire warehouse sparkle golden. “This is all wealth he extorted from the people!” Tom cursed, stuffing gold bars into his pockets. “It’s not too much if I take some as a bonus, right?”

Wei He smiled and shook his head, then spoke to the red alert system: “Have all mining vehicles immediately head to the Generals Mansion. Once the Chronoshift Mining Vehicles are full, teleport them directly back. The armored mining vehicles are responsible for transport and security.” Seeing Tom’s excitement, he added, “Don’t take too much. Leave a portion to improve the lives of the citizens.”

After arranging the warehouse matters, Wei He ascended Riquan City’s gate tower. A dense crowd of citizens had already gathered below, holding lanterns, their eyes filled with expectation. Wei He cleared his throat and used the Magic Amplification Technique to speak: “Fellow citizens, from today on, I am the new City Lord of Riquan City. There will be no more oppression or exploitation here—all labor will be paid, and for the next three years, Riquan City will not need to pay any taxes!”

“Long live! Long live Lord Wei He!” The cheers of the citizens nearly lifted the roof off the gate tower. Some threw their hats into the air excitedly, and old people knelt and kowtowed toward the gate tower, tears glistening in their eyes. Watching this scene, Wei He secretly vowed that he would ensure the people here lived good lives.

Meanwhile, Charlie was staggering toward Wick Village. His Magic Shield had been shattered by the previous gunfire, his armor was riddled with bullet holes, and blood still stained the corner of his mouth—even an Intermediate Magician had limited stamina, and continuously casting spells left him dizzy.

As he passed a bamboo forest, a rustling sound suddenly came from deep within the woods. Charlie abruptly stopped and tightened his grip on his magic staff. “Who’s there? Come out!” His voice was breathless, and his eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly.

“Roar!” A low growl suddenly sounded, and a massive figure rushed out of the bamboo forest. It was a completely scarlet magical beast, with two golden antennae on its head, round eyes flashing with fierce light, and a gaping maw revealing sharp fangs. Its four limbs were short but powerful, and the ground shook as it ran—it was the Golden Rainbow Flame Divine Beast, the pet of Demon General Jack, who served under the Demon King.

The Golden Rainbow Flame Divine Beast lunged at Charlie, its fangs aimed straight for his throat. Charlie hastily dodged while chanting a spell: “Wall of Fire!” A Wall of Fire instantly blocked his path, but the Golden Rainbow Flame Divine Beast did not slow down at all, crashing straight through the fire wall. The flames on its body not only failed to harm it but seemed to make it even faster.

“Damn it!” Charlie gritted his teeth, raising his hand to unleash a sword beam of fire toward the Golden Rainbow Flame Divine Beast. Just then, a black shadow descended from the sky and struck the fiery sword beam with a palm— “Bang!” The fiery sword beam instantly dissipated, and the black shadow’s palm effortlessly passed through Charlie’s Magic Barrier, striking heavily against his chest.

Charlie felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out. His body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a bamboo stalk. He struggled to raise his head and saw the face of the black shadow—it was a man wearing a Black Magic Robe, with the Demon King’s Skull Badge embroidered on his collar. It was Demon General Jack.

“Lord Charlie, long time no see.” Jack looked down at him, a cold smile playing on his lips. “Did you really think you could escape?”

Charlie’s consciousness gradually blurred. He watched Jack approach step by step, hearing only the low growl of the Golden Rainbow Flame Divine Beast and the rustling of bamboo leaves. Until his death, he never understood how his carefully planned offensive had turned into a complete trap, or why Riquan City’s betrayal had come so swiftly.