Chapter 151: At the End of the Rope

The base damage of the Fireball spell ranges from 10 to 20 points, and increasing mental power consumption can add up to 33 points of damage, bringing it to 43 to 53 points. Furthermore, the Fire Element Dominion ability grants an additional 50% boost to fire-attribute potency, elevating the damage to an astonishing 65 to 80 points.

Beyond that, Chu Yun's various attributes provide a base spell attack power bonus of 26 points. Combined, this results in a devastating explosion dealing 91 to 106 points of damage, followed by persistent high-temperature burning damage from the lingering flames.

A Fireball spell with a damage output reaching into the hundreds was already superior to many Tier 3 spells cast by conventional mages!

Even so, the First Prince's magical equipment managed to intercept the Fireball's onslaught with formidable resilience.

Looking at the perilously thin barrier that remained, Chu Yun felt that if his Law of Chaos were still usable, breaching this defense would be an absolute breeze.

Although he failed to instantly obliterate the First Prince, Chu Yun had already accomplished his objective.

The flames from the explosion turned a ten-meter radius around the First Prince into a sea of fire, plunging the scene into utter chaos. In the distance, Leoties, who had been preparing to leave and search the Mage Academy for Chu Yun, hurriedly rushed back toward the First Prince.

Regardless of the circumstances, he was currently the First Prince's bodyguard and was tasked with ensuring his safety. If the First Prince were to perish under his watch, Leoties would bear inescapable responsibility.

The members of the Royal Guard hastily retreated, abandoning the search for Chu Yun. The emergence of a traitor made Leoties take the matter extremely gravely.

He would never tolerate such betrayal within his ranks!

Yet, he also found it deeply puzzling: if the Second Prince truly harbored such an order, why issue it to two inexplicable guards instead of directly commanding him?

He had even considered whether those individuals might have been manipulated by magic, but unfortunately, the explosion of the Fireball had blown them to smithreens. Short of enlisting a Necromancer, investigating the truth was entirely out of the question.

Shaken to the core by the harrowing ordeal, the deeply unnerved First Prince no longer dared to trust Leoties' men, hastily recalling his own personal guard unit instead.

These elite guards had originally been deployed to the Royal Knights to oversee and command them. While Leoties had initially felt some resentment over this arrangement, seeing them recalled now actually brought him a sense of relief.

The problem, however, was that the guard holding the shield earlier was not a member of the Royal Knights, but rather one of the First Prince's own elite guards. It seemed his personal guard unit was not entirely trustworthy either.

The sweeping search ended in a whimper, and news of the First Prince being targeted by an assassin was quickly leaked to the public.

Simultaneously, various rumors spread like wildfire, fueled by the last words uttered by the guard before his demise. The relationship between the Second Prince and the First Prince had always been strained, making the notion of wanting him dead seem logical and plausible.

"Have you heard? Anyone who kills the First Prince receives a hundred thousand in bounty and will be ennobled as a count."

"Really? Why hasn't an official bounty proclamation been posted?"

"Besides, the Second Prince is about to ascend the throne any day now. Eliminating the First Prince shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

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"Such matters are naturally kept out of the public eye. You know how it is—these prominent figures cherish their pride too much to carry out an assassination with grand fanfare."

Although these rumors were wildly unreliable, remarkably, there were still those gullible enough to believe them.

Naturally, these individuals were no match for the First Prince and the Royal Knights, nor did they actually harbor intentions of carrying out an assassination. Yet, as they continued to spread the rumor, it eventually reached the First Prince's ears once more, filling him with boiling rage and a lingering sense of dread.

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By the following day.

Intelligence agents transmitted the events that transpired in Black Stone City back to the royal capital. Upon learning of the assault on the First Prince, the Second Prince utilized the palace's magical communication device to issue a directive to the First Prince via the Black Stone City authorities.

This command severely curtailed the return timeline originally granted to the First Prince. The initial allotment of five days had been established out of consideration for the slow marching pace of the main army.

Now, citing the assassination attempt as justification, the Second Prince directly ordered Leoties to escort the First Prince and the Holy Spear back to the royal capital within two days.

Upon receiving this mandate, Leoties knew the time had come to make his final choice.

The Second Prince was a relatively reasonable person; armed with a "King's" decree, his execution of the order became much more convenient. As for whether he might receive new orders midway through the journey—such as secretly executing the First Prince—that was no longer something he needed to ponder at present.

Meanwhile, the First Prince was consumed by resentment. Should he return, even if he escaped death, he would face lifelong house arrest. Given his social standing and personal connections, no one would come to his rescue, let alone plead on his behalf.

Gazing at the Holy Spear in his grasp, the First Prince sank even deeper into despair.

Before attempting to undo the seal, the Holy Spear would offer subtle responses to his touch, but now, it felt entirely inert, no different from an ordinary weapon.

"Has even the Holy Spear abandoned me?"

"Your Highness, it is time to depart," Leoties announced, approaching the First Prince.

His mount, a black dragon, had already landed on the ground. Once they boarded the dragon, they could return to the royal capital in short order.

"Leoties, hold this and tell me what you feel," the First Prince said, trembling as he handed the Holy Spear over.

"Your Highness, this is a royal sacred artifact; this subordinate dares not touch it," Leoties hastily refused, entirely unsure of what game the First Prince was playing.

"I told you to take it, so take it!" The First Prince shoved the Holy Spear directly into Leoties' hands.

As a Dragon Knight, Leoties had long coveted the Holy Spear. To finally have the opportunity to experience it firsthand—to say he wasn't thrilled would be a blatant lie.

"As expected of the Holy Spear, truly a formidable weapon," Leoties murmured, stroking the spear as tenderly as a lover caressing his beloved.

"Tell me quickly, can you sense the will of the Holy Spear?" the First Prince demanded anxiously.

Leoties shook his head. "The Holy Spear is a royal sacred artifact. Only those of royal blood can perceive its will; naturally, a subordinate like me cannot."

With a tremor in his voice, the First Prince asked, "Y-you speak the truth? Should you dare to deceive me, I shall show you no mercy!"

Leoties grew increasingly bewildered. "Naturally it is the truth. I would not dare conceal anything."

*Does this idiot of a prince think I'm His Majesty's illegitimate son? What on earth goes through this moron's head all day long?* Leoties mentally vented.

The First Prince seemed to age decades in a single instant. In truth, he was correct that the seal on the Holy Spear could only be lifted by royal blood, but the faint resonance present prior to unsealing was something anyone holding the spear could perceive.

Leoties' response did not sound like he was lying, which left only one horrifying possibility: the Holy Spear was genuinely broken!

He could no longer sense the willpower within the Holy Spear, nor could he lift the seal. At this point, even if Chu Yun truly possessed a fragment of divinity, it was entirely meaningless.

*Right, perhaps it is connected to the previous Fall of the Stars and the collective demise of the gods. Ultimately, the will of our ancestors was affected as well, perishing just like those deities?* the First Prince speculated wildly, latching onto a desperate theory.

"None of this matters anymore. I must leave this place and flee to... flee to the Kingdom of Karacia! I'll have them help me restore my nation!" The First Prince concocted yet another disastrous idea.