The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1296 - 197 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 3 (3)
After the explosion, something inside me suddenly stirred again.
It wasn’t just a random feeling either. The sensation crawled along my skin like a cold breeze slipping through armor. It was danger. Raw, suffocating danger pressing in from all directions at once. The kind that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Are they planning some kind of massive assassination attempt?
The thought flashed through my mind almost instantly. My body moved before the question even finished forming in my head. I dropped down from where I was standing, landing hard while scanning the area at the same time. My senses stretched outward, searching for the locations of anyone attempting to attack the Queen.
And there it was... the murderous intent.
It poured into my senses like smoke filling a room. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
It wasn’t just coming from one direction either. The hostility was scattered everywhere, surrounding the area like a tightening net. One presence here, another there, then another further away. Every single one carried the same killing intent aimed straight at the monarch.
Trying to focus on just one person didn’t work. The moment I locked onto someone, another presence would flare up somewhere else in the distance like a warning signal lighting up in my mind.
Wait a second...
A strange thought crept in.
These... weren’t assassins, were they?
Something about them felt different. Assassins usually hid their intentions carefully, masking their hostility until the exact moment they struck. The killing intent I was sensing now wasn’t subtle at all.
These people were... angry.
People who were dissatisfied with the current administration’s rule.
Their hatred toward the Queen was genuine, and it was boiling hot and completely unrestrained. That was why their murderous intent was so easy for me to feel. They weren’t trying to hide it. If anything, it felt like the anger had already spilled past the point of restraint.
The pressure of it felt like steam escaping from a cracked kettle that had been boiling for far too long.
While scanning the area more carefully, my eyes caught sight of one of them.
A man stood in the distance, holding a rifle. His posture was stiff and focused, the barrel pointed toward the castle as he searched for the perfect moment to fire.
Of course, I wasn’t about to let that happen.
My body moved before the man could even blink.
The distance between us vanished in an instant as I rushed forward. My hand shot out and grabbed him before he could even pull the trigger, locking his arms in place.
"Kukukuh..."
The man laughed.
It wasn’t the nervous laugh of someone who had just been caught. The sound that escaped his throat was twisted, manic, and almost delighted. The kind of laugh that made it obvious something was very wrong.
A faint light suddenly began to glow beneath his skin.
The glow grew brighter.
And then he exploded.
The blast erupted right in my hands.
There wasn’t even enough time to react. Heat and force burst outward in a violent flash before the man’s body disappeared into dust and smoke. My fingers tightened reflexively, but there was nothing left to grab.
So that’s how it was.
They had absolutely no intention of getting caught.
Who the hell were these people?
My mind raced as I landed back on the ground with a heavy thud. Dust rose around my boots as I looked up again.
More figures were already moving.
Several people wearing dark hoods sprinted toward the castle walls. Their movements were fast, desperate, and strangely coordinated.
"Stop!" I shouted while launching forward again.
My speed wasn’t something most people could laugh off. Under normal circumstances I would have caught them instantly.
Right now, though, my mind was struggling to keep up with everything happening at once. There were too many signals and too many threats popping up all over the place.
Still, I managed to catch up to the ones heading directly toward the castle.
The moment my hand grabbed one of them...
"Keke."
Another insane little laugh escaped the hooded figure.
And then he exploded.
The blast went off so quickly it almost felt routine at that point. Flames and force burst outward before the body collapsed into dust.
These people really didn’t want to be captured.
While staring at the spot where the figure had just been standing, my eyes shifted toward the castle again.
More of them were coming.
Dozens of hooded figures were already rushing forward like a dark wave heading straight for the castle gates.
The magic knights stationed near the entrance had already drawn their weapons. Their armor gleamed under the chaotic light of burning debris while they prepared themselves for combat.
They looked ready for a fight.
What they clearly weren’t ready for was suicide bombers.
The moment the hooded attackers reached striking distance, the magic knights cut them down immediately after receiving a warning. Steel flashed through the air as blades slashed cleanly through their targets.
Blood spilled.
Bodies collapsed.
And yet...
The attackers were smiling.
Even while their bodies were falling apart, those twisted grins remained on their faces.
I rushed forward, trying to grab at least a few of them before the explosions happened. My hands moved quickly, dragging some of them away from the knights whenever I could.
There were simply too many.
My movements couldn’t cover everything. By the time I intercepted one attacker, two others had already slipped past. Each one carried the same glowing magic building up inside their bodies.
I wasn’t fast enough to drag all of them away.
The explosions came one after another.
Fire and shockwaves burst across the battlefield.
Some of the magic knights were caught in the blasts.
"Kuh...!"
My teeth clenched as I watched several armored figures collapse under the impact.
"You guys! Don’t kill them or let them get close to you!" I shouted loudly.
My voice cut through the chaos.
"They’re using magic to blow themselves up! They want to die while taking you down with them! Stay sharp and watch your surroundings. Don’t let a single one of them reach the castle!"
The magic knights turned toward me briefly.
Confusion flashed across their faces. None of them had any idea why I was suddenly the one giving orders in the middle of all this.
Still, the urgency in my voice must have been convincing enough.
They obeyed.
Weapons shifted from offensive strikes to defensive spacing as they began keeping their distance from the attackers.
At the same time, I activated the Guardian.
A faint glow spread across the area surrounding the castle as the protective barrier formed around it. The magical shield hummed quietly, layering itself over the structure like armor.
Right now, the castle was the primary target.
Protecting it had to come first.
My senses stretched outward again as I searched for more enemies.
Frustration slowly built in my chest.
Their movements were unpredictable. I had no idea where they were coming from or how many more were hiding out there. Trying to track them felt like chasing shadows.
Maybe gathering all our forces around the castle would be the safest option.
Then again, concentrating everything in one place wasn’t exactly efficient either.
Before I could think further, a familiar voice called out behind me.
"Leon," Myrcella said. "Are you okay?"
I turned slightly toward her.
"Yeah. I’m fine."
"Really? But..."
"You don’t have to worry," I replied, giving a small shrug. "I didn’t even get scratched."
The explosions had been massive. Anyone else would probably have been turned into ash already.
For me, though, they barely felt like more than a strong gust of wind.
If they actually managed to hurt me, that would have been a serious problem.
Right now, the castle was under a concentrated attack from an unknown force, and the situation was only getting worse.
I exhaled slowly.
"Phew."
My hand brushed some dust off my coat while I glanced toward the battlefield again.
"Guess it’s time for me to call them now."
