The Women Guard members nervously watched the Soaring Crystal, realizing at this moment that perhaps fate rested on where this crystal would land.
Their "fate" landed on the fourth Bright Star.
All members of the Women Guard let out a sigh of relief, followed by deep resignation.
The fourth star belonged to the Women Guard themselves. They didnât need to pay any price for staying there.
This was crucial for them because if they had advanced even one more star, they would have faced the powerful mage team, the Cannibal Chainâa scenario far from ideal.
Of course, starting on the fourth star meant that in the next round, they could still land on the seventh starâthe one with the terrifying guardian beastâa hurdle that now loomed over them. Having just witnessed the financial and combat prowess of the other factions, the Women Guard couldnât help but feel helpless.
Yet, despite everything, hope still flickered in their hearts.
They prayed for countless mishaps to befall the other factions, for them to tear each other apart.
Next, it was the Mechanical Geniusâs turn.
The mist dissipated completely, its purpose fulfilled. From now on, all factions would be visible to each other on their respective Bright Stars.
The Mechanical Genius, manipulating his metallic war puppet, struck the Soaring Crystal.
"First star?"
Many were surprised by where the crystal landed. Even if the stone hammer was difficult to control, hitting just one starâs distance was too deliberateâproof that the Mechanical Genius had done it on purpose.
The first Bright Star belonged to Cloud Peak.
Recalling the earlier friction between the two factions, everyone now understood: the Mechanical Genius had chosen this deliberately.
He immediately opted for a challenge.
The battle unfolded on the giant screens above each factionâs Bright Star, giving everyone their first clear look at the Mechanical Geniusâs forces.
The sight defied all expectations.
When the Mechanical Genius abandoned his mechanical soldiers and instead deployed his varied, grotesque war puppets, his true strength was revealed in full.
In terms of sheer numbers, his metallic constructs werenât overwhelmingâbut each one was a nightmare. Their earlier skirmish with Cloud Peak had already left an impression, but now, fighting at full power, they radiated an unstoppable, razor-sharp menace.
A kaleidoscope of mechanical abilities unfolded, most of which no one had ever seen before. In terms of mechanical warfare, calling them a "kaleidoscope of destruction" was no exaggeration.
The guardian beast left by Cloud Peak on this star wasnât particularly strongâonly a fifth-row tier. Even upgraded, it fell within two minutes under the Mechanical Geniusâs assault.
Of course, the Mechanical Genius didnât escape unscathed. His remaining mechanical soldiers were completely destroyed, and two of his war puppetsâalready bearing old injuriesâwere rendered inoperable.
"Surprisingly calm at a time like this."
Ye Zhongming murmured in appraisal. He had expected the Mechanical Genius to remain erratic, but at this critical juncture, the man had displayed the qualities that had carried him this far in the apocalypse:
Calmness. Strength. Keen judgment. Sharp insight.
The Mechanical Genius hadnât charged recklessly as before.
Instead, he had taken just one stepâseizing one of Ye Zhongmingâs stars to weaken his strongest competitorâwhile positioning himself last in the turn order.
This way, he could:
Watch the other factions fight to the death from a safe distance.
Save moneyâsince all teams would now move forward, none would circle back to challenge his star, eliminating the need to spend on guardian beasts.
With a single decision, he had neutralized the disadvantage of going last and even gained a slight edge.
First Round Results: Bright Star Count
Cloud Peak (on Star No. 8) â 49 stars
Mechanical Genius (on Star No. 1) â 49 stars
Great America (on Star No. 5) â 31 stars
Women Guard (on Star No. 4) â 21 stars
Cannibal Chain (on Star No. 3) â 16 stars
Gyanendra (on Star No. 7) â 8 stars
Cloud Peak gained one star.
Mechanical Genius held steady.
Great America and Cannibal Chain each gained one.
Women Guard lost one.
Gyanendra suffered the heaviest lossâtwo stars gone.
Cards Used This Round
Cannibal Chain: Head Start Card
Gyanendra: Bad Neighbor Card
Great America: Angel Card
Cloud Peak: Minor King Card + Immunity Card
The competition had grown fiercer.
The wheel space didnât give them much time to strategize. The announcement for the second round arrived swiftly.
First up: Cannibal Chain.
Now, they faced two choices:
Advance one star (from Star No. 3 to Star No. 4)âlanding on the Women Guardâs territory.
Advance two stars (maximum due to team battles)âreaching Star No. 5, now held by Great America.
In terms of faction strength, the Women Guard were the easier target. Governor Spade of Great America was a one-man terror, making the latter option unwise.
But this wasnât a direct faction clash. It was a battle against guardian beasts. What mattered wasnât the factionâs strength but their wealth:
Which guardian beast had they bought? How many upgrades?
"Leader Ye⊠who should we choose?"
Wu Xiuâs voice echoed across the starry expanse, drawing scowls from Great America and the Women Guard.
"This is cheating! They shouldnât be allowed to collude!"
Many shouted, but their leaders remained silent.
Cheating?
The opportunity was equally available to all. The real question was: Did you have an ally you could trust?
After a brief pause, Ye Zhongming gave an unexpected answer.