At the edge of the Vital Star Domain, atop the highest observation deck of the flagship "Monarch," Cassandra stood as still as a statue.
The distant starry sky had lost the majestic order it once held.
The wizard warships, once lined up neatly like a forest of steel, now drifted haphazardly in the void, resembling dead branches ravaged by a hurricane.
Each shadow of the ship spoke of the pain of failure.
Metal fragments from explosions glimmered under the starlight, reflecting a light of despair like a shattered mirror.
Occasionally, severely damaged guard ships slowly glided past.
The cracks on the hull were shocking, revealing twisted internal structures and congealed bloodstains.
"Melviss’s Great Wizard’s third fleet has already begun to retreat. Their communications officer claims they need to ’re-evaluate the tactical value.’
Cassandra did not turn around, but gently stroked the surface of the viewing window. The layer of living crystal trembled slightly at her touch, seemingly sensing her inner fury.
"Evaluate?"
Her voice was frighteningly calm, but those who knew her knew this calm was often the quiet before the storm:
"They’re evaluating how to flee further before I fully lose my temper."
The lieutenant swallowed hard, his forehead seeped with fine beads of sweat. Even from several meters away, he could feel the terrifying pressure the Tower Master emanated.
"Pass down the order."
Her voice remained calm, but the contained killing intent caused the temperature of the entire observation deck to plummet:
"Any fleet retreating without permission will be considered deserters. Execute the ’Purification’ protocol."
The lieutenant’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.
The ’Purification’ protocol meant the entire warship would be obliterated along with its crew, leaving no trace.
"Tower Master... if you do that, it could trigger an even larger scale..."
"Are you questioning my decision?"
Cassandra’s voice was as sharp as an icy blade, the light in her violet eyes growing more dangerous.
The lieutenant immediately knelt on one knee, his head almost touching the ground: "I dare not! I will execute your orders immediately!"
After the trembling lieutenant left, silence returned to the observation deck.
Cassandra resumed staring out the window at the starry sky, watching the scattering fleets. A self-mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Even allies who have followed me for so many years are starting to betray me..."
She gently caressed the badge of conquest on her chest, feeling the power contained within it.
But now, even this power seemed so insignificant.
......
Inside the private cabin, the blood altar was particularly active today.
Those wriggling blood vessels crawled across the floor like snakes, trying to weave some meaningful pattern.
But each time they were about to take shape, they would bizarrely twist, eventually forming a disturbing crying face.
Cassandra strode towards the altar, each step causing the floor to emit a dull sound.
Her emotions were on the verge of losing control, the Void Power within her began to leak involuntarily, forming a violet energy vortex around her.
"Ancestors!"
She pressed forcefully at the center of the altar, her palm almost embedded into the mass of writhing flesh.
Blood immediately seeped from her fingers, greedily absorbed by the blood vessels.
"Your descendants are about to be buried here by those traitors! I need your strength! I need your guidance!"
But unexpectedly, the altar suddenly convulsed violently, as if experiencing some kind of indigestion.
The next moment, the blood that had just been absorbed was spat back out, forming a puddle of dark red liquid on the floor.
The blood vessels began to writhe on the ground, slowly writing a few crooked words with blood:
"Tastes bad... too bitter..."
Cassandra was stunned, staring incredulously at the blood words on the floor.
"Even your altar starts to disdain me?!"
Anger erupted from her heart like a volcano, purple condensed magic power danced wildly within the cabin.
The decorations on the walls began to melt, the air itself distorted and warped in her fury.
Just as she was about to completely lose control, the blood altar suddenly began to speak.
But the voice was not the bizarre, paradox-filled tone of the King of Absurdity, but a childish voice:
"Granny, Grandpa isn’t home now, he’s gone to play somewhere else."
"What?!"
Cassandra was dumbfounded, her full-blown anger transforming into confusion.
This address left her feeling inexplicably baffled, but what irked her more was the casual and light tone.
"Grandpa said he’s playing a very big game of chess right now and can’t be disturbed. But he left a note for you..."
As the child’s voice explained, a note slowly "grew" from the center of the blood altar, like a sprouting plant.
The texture of the note looked ordinary, but crooked lines of words were scrawled on it:
"Been busy lately, don’t bother me.
Find a way to solve things yourself.
The game’s at a critical point, one wrong move and it’s all over.
——Your loving ancestor left this casually"
At the end, there was a doodle of a stick figure with its tongue out, looking like a casual scribble.
Cassandra stared at the blatantly dismissive note, feeling her sanity rapidly slipping away.
Dignified Witch King, responding to her plea in such a manner?
"When you pushed me onto this path back then, you weren’t like this!"
Her voice began to tremble, uncertain if from anger or despair:
"Now when responsibility needs to be shouldered, you pretend to be deaf and dumb?! Is this the dignity of the Witch King?!"
Purple magic power swept through the cabin like a storm.