The chanical Genius truly wished he could kill Gyanendra ten thousand tis over right now.
He knew his own strengths and weaknesses well.
He was eccentric, but not insane.
The power of his chanical war puppets lay in the fact that they weren't true living beings. While possessing non-living advantages—like no fear of death, upgradability, and repairability—they also exhibited so traits of living creatures.
For example, their powerful and practical skills, their precise controllability, and so on.
These characteristics combined made these chanical war puppets incredibly formidable. Even without clear level distinctions, they could contend with the highest-level evolved and their elite teams.
Just like in that previous battle with Cloud Peak.
Honestly, in a head-on fight, the chanical Genius feared no one. He loved this straightforward style of combat.
But as Ye Zhongming and Gyanendra had lanted, the Mountain King Wheel's key challenges weren't direct confrontations—they were tests of luck and financial strength.
Fine, the chanical Genius wasn't afraid of those either.
Despite his manic laughter, sudden curses, and unpredictable mood swings, he was acutely aware these were minor issues. He was confident he could compete with Cloud Peak until the final round.
But this one strike of lightning had genuinely halved his confidence.
The chanical war puppets were powerful, but they had a flaw—they were weak against lightning-based attacks.
It wasn't that they collapsed at the slightest touch, but compared to other attacks, their resistance to lightning was the lowest.
According to the space's earlier announcent, if a Bright Star had no Guardian Beast or faction, it would be instantly destroyed.
This didn't an the Annihilation Thunderstrike was overwhelmingly powerful—it was just a relative "parater." At its core, this wheel trial was a ga, and gas didn't require absolute realism.
Even so, having it land on one's head was utterly terrifying.
Earlier, the chanical Genius had moved from Bright Star No. 10 to No. 13, which belonged to Greater Arica. Before he could choose whether to purchase or pay the toll, the thunder descended.
And it ca with misfortune.
Bright Star No. 12 belonged to Cloud Peak, while No. 14 was the chanical Genius's own.
The thunder struck these two stars first. To onlookers, it wasn't lightning—it was two massive, twisting pillars of light that seed capable of piercing heaven and earth.
"Annihilation Thunderstrike has struck Bright Star No. 12. Guardian Beast severely injured."
"Annihilation Thunderstrike has struck Bright Star No. 14. Guardian Beast destroyed. Bright Star annihilated."
These two stars were under various effects—Difficulty Surge, Commission, etc.—but those only applied to factions landing on them, not the thunder.
The destruction of the stars was vividly displayed on the light screen, sending chills down everyone's spines.
This was the fate of those who couldn't withstand the strike—utter obliteration.
The two attacked stars had different outcos: No. 12 survived, while No. 14 was obliterated. After the initial shock, this made sense.
Cloud Peak's Guardian Beasts were all max-level, naturally formidable. Surviving the Annihilation Thunderstrike was understandable. As for No. 14, the chanical Genius knew his own situation—the Guardian Beast he'd left there was weak and unupgraded, so it fell with the star.
But he had no ti to dwell on that now. The thunder above him was about to strike.
The space hadn't specified how to resist, leaving the chanical Genius little ti to think.
Instinctively, he dispersed his team and sent a massive chanical war puppet charging toward the descending lightning.
His logic was simple: if sothing had to be destroyed, let it be just one.
This puppet was enormous, one of the few giants in his squad, with solid defenses. The chanical Genius had so confidence in it—its abilities leaned toward defense, evident from the massive shields on its arms.
The thunder struck the giant dead-on.
Light erupted, blinding all who watched.
The chanical Genius let out a bloodcurdling scream.
As the glare faded slightly, another figure was seen leaping into the air, followed by yet another.
The first puppet was struck, and for a brief, almost imperceptible mont, the lightning seed to pause.
That split second was enough for the chanical Genius to react—and for everyone to see clearly.
The chanical war puppet shattered into fragnts under the thunder. The weakened lightning continued downward, t by a second puppet that had vaulted skyward in the interim.
The second collision played out like the first—another flash, another pause—before the third impact arrived.
The chanical Genius's screams continued, and the light screen flickered violently with each strike.
When calm finally returned and the Annihilation Thunderstrike vanished without a trace, the surviving evolved glimpsed one last panoramic "shot" before the screen closed.
The chanical Genius's puppet numbers had plumted by at least one-fifth.
"Terrifying" was the only word anyone could muster.
One strike of thunder had crippled the mighty chanical Genius's forces.
And such strikes would co every round from now on.
True, the thunder was random—it could hit any point on the Star Path. But what if luck turned against you? Could anyone replicate the chanical Genius's desperate sacrifice to weather the storm?
Recalling what they'd just witnessed, a bitter taste filled everyone's mouths—and their hatred for Gyanendra deepened.
This bastard had screwed them all!
Creating sothing like this was practically a death sentence.
Life went on, and the stars had to keep moving. The chanical Genius's turn ended, marking the start of a new round.
Wu Xiu hadn't felt this tense in a long ti. She'd intended to coast, only to be caught in this disaster.
With cautious precision, she struck the crystal, landing on a Bright Star—Greater Arica's. They paid to pass, neither fighting nor drawing the thunder.
This was the result of her earlier discussion with Ye Zhongming. Under the current circumstances, apart from targeting the chanical Genius's stars, Cloud Peak no longer needed the Cannibal Chain to clash with other factions.
As for toll fees? Aside from Ye Zhongming, the Cannibal Chain was the richest here.
When Greater Arica's turn ca, Spade's face was dark. Their desire to compete for first place had faded drastically. They'd realized sothing: rely surviving to the end was no longer guaranteed.
This mindset stemd from the thunder, the misfortune, and the fact that every one of Cloud Peak's Guardian Beasts was max-level.
Greater Arica had money now, but what good was it? Paying tolls while passing wouldn't increase their star count—and without more stars, how could they compete with Cloud Peak and the chanical Genius? Keep fighting? Don't joke—even if Spade wanted to, his subordinates wouldn't comply.
The downside of Greater Arica's alliance-based structure—lack of control—was now glaringly apparent.
They struck the Soaring Crystal, aiming as far as possible.
But as the crystal landed, the space's announcent rang out. Hearing its contents, Spade felt like he wanted to die.
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