CHAPTER 137: WAVELENGTH OF MADNESS

[Berserk Mode Upgraded]

[-1000 Fragments]

[Name:] Wavelength of Madness

[Boost:] +10 to Strength, Speed & Vitality.

[Backlash:] -1 Intel every 2 minutes. The user loses consciousness once Intel hits zero.

24 hours are required to reclaim lost Intel. Until completely reclaimed, the user will suffer from dizzy spells, severe headaches, and even temporary amnesia in extreme cases.

[Description:] When unleashed, the user emits an infectious wavelength of madness that affects everyone within 400 meters. They lose all reasoning and go berserk—but without the corresponding buffs granted to the user.

[Door Upgraded]

[-1000 Fragments]

[Name:] Door

[Boost:] Extra room acquired.

[Description:] The host gains an extra room within the spatial domain, secluded from the others.

"Wavelength of Madness... I like the name," I muttered, and a small smile spread across my lips.

Not only was the boost generous, but the effect was quite useful. Forcing people into mindless rage mid-battle would cause them to make countless mistakes and leave themselves wide open.

Also, from the description, it was clear that the usual weakness no longer applied. It wasn’t limited to just three minutes anymore. The higher my Intel stat, the longer the skill would last.

It was a massive win.

If you ask me, this wasn’t a bad upgrade. The only downside was I couldn’t use this around allies anymore. Since the system didn’t specify exclusions, both enemies and allies alike would be affected by the Wavelength of Madness.

Then there was the [Door] skill. It was annoying to think I spent a thousand fragments just to gain an extra room. While it was useful—it meant I could trap people and still safely retreat to another room without fear of being attacked—the price felt a bit much.

"If it cost maybe 500 fragments, I would’ve considered it fair," I mumbled.

Dong! Dong!

Dong! Dong!

The city bell rang loudly, indicating it was midnight. By now, I was certain the coalition troops had set up camp, and their defenses would be lax.

This was the best time to strike.

Skrrrrr!

Rising to my feet, my clothes ripped apart as a pair of black, angelic wings sprouted from my back.

Huff!

I shut my eyes and exhaled deeply, letting the crimson light from the torches bathe my skin for a moment before finally moving.

Swoosh!

In an instant, I was already at the door. Grabbing the knobs, I yanked the towering doors open effortlessly—only to see Serena standing there.

’What the hell is wrong with these girls?’ I wanted to yell those words.

Why do they always pick the worst time to play these silly emotional games?

At this point, I was starting to think it was intentional.

"Hey..." she muttered, but was left with an afterimage as I sped past her and shot toward the castle exit.

Bam!

The castle doors swung open, and I shot into the sky, glancing westward. The wind was strong, causing my hair and clothes to whip violently in the current.

"These girls think I wake up every morning thinking about them?" I sneered.

Swoosh!

With a single flap, I flew west at top speed. Soaring through the sky was fun—especially at night, when the moon had vanished.

It was dark, but I could see clearly.

Solinthar was peaceful, and I intended to keep it that way.

The tragedy of the Nightfall Dominion must never be allowed to repeat itself.

Never.

---

—An Hour Later—

It took only an hour to spot the torchlight outlining the massive camp in the distance.

Whoever Selric’s informant was, they needed to be hanged for treason. Judging by the distance, these troops would reach the empire by afternoon, not in two days as he’d been told.

One might argue it was a mistake. But I knew the scout feeding the empire false information was doing it on purpose.

He must have been promised a good life in those kingdoms—and out of selfishness, he was willing to see the empire burn.

"I’ll deal with that later!" I growled as I soared higher into the sky.

My eyes narrowed as I noticed something odd. The torches around the camp emitted an orange glow that revealed a faint, transparent, glass-like shell surrounding the area.

If not for the torches at the outermost edge, I wouldn’t have noticed the barrier.

"Of course they have mages," I muttered, watching patrols of twenty soldiers march in all directions, leaving no blind spots.

If I couldn’t fly, there’d be no way to approach the camp undetected.

Or at least that’s what I believed... until—

Buzz!

A few hundred meters from the camp, a series of orange lights erupted from the ground, shining so brightly that my figure was revealed to everyone.

"What is this?" I gasped.

[You have entered the range of a Magic Detector Array. It reveals anything capable of using magic caught within its range!]

The system’s voice echoed in my mind, leaving me stunned.

My brows furrowed as I looked down and realized there was a massive array set far beyond the camp itself. With their military might, it made sense—they only feared someone capable of using magic.

Someone who could sneak in undetected.

For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel this spell had been set up specifically for me.

But how was that possible?

Did they cast the magic as soon as I arrived?

"What kind of magic is this?" I blurted out.

Ding!

[Magic Arrays are spells set up beforehand with a specific purpose. They activate automatically when their activation conditions are met. In this case, a magic-wielding being entered its detection zone.]

"Intruder!" someone shouted.

"It’s the Great One! The Great One is here!" another roared.

Thousands of soldiers began pouring out of the camp. The sleeping army I had hoped to sneak up on was now fully awake and mobilizing—while I was still stunned by everything that had happened.

In an instant, all my plans were ruined, and I was left in a very sticky situation.

Ding!

[New Mission Acquired:] Kill the kings and tame the coalition army.

[Reward:] Unknown

"Like I had a choice," I rolled my eyes at the system notification.

While it was good to know I’d receive a reward for completing this mission, it didn’t mean much right now.

I couldn’t retreat—not while dragging a 60,000-man army behind me.

I’d rather die on the battlefield than let the people of Solinthar see me run.