"Great Killing Array?" Thirteen arched an eyebrow.
"That’s right." Kamrusepa nodded. "It’s the Blackfang Dominion’s trump card—a great magical formation covering the entirety of their domains combined, powered by ley lines.
"It’s created by a Great Shaman Wolfkin who goes by the name Rhovan," Kamrusepa explained. "Although I’ve also etched a magical array in my city, the scale is nothing compared to the one from the Blackfang Dominion."
Thirteen rubbed his chin. "I guess they did that as a safety measure, just in case another Dimensional Gate opens up here in Antares. They can’t exactly let their rivals snatch their home turf, can they?"
"Exactly." Kamrusepa smiled. "It was set up many years before the war in the Cygni Continent, so you can say they’re anticipating a strong opponent to come along someday."
Thirteen smirked in appreciation, fond of those who plan ahead of time. He’d been chucked into difficult battles, and each time, he won them through rigorous strategy and planning.
The battle against Arundel.
The fight against the Artemians in the Arcadia Archipelago.
And the war in the Cygni Continent.
Thirteen had made preparations before those battles started, giving him an edge despite originally having a great disadvantage.
"Are there any other secrets I need to know?" Thirteen inquired.
"I knew you’d say that, so I prepared some documents in advance." Kamrusepa clapped her hands, prompting one of her subordinates to approach them carrying a small wooden box, which the subordinates set down before the teenage boy.
Thirteen opened the box, and inside it were a dozen scrolls, all filled with information about the Blackfang Dominion.
The names of their leaders, the specialties of the different factions, and the names of the most talented individuals, including their abilities, were written properly.
"I’ll go over this first," Thirteen said before picking up one of the scrolls. "Kamrusepa, why don’t you take my brother on a tour here in your domain?"
"I like the sound of that." Kamrusepa smiled faintly. "But I have a better idea. Siri, give Mikhail a tour. But make sure the Royal Guards follow you. I’ll be here with Zion just in case he needs me for something."
"Yes, Mother," Siri replied and happily hugged Mikhail’s arm. "Let’s go. I’ll take you to the best places here in Xantheos."
Mikhail nodded and allowed his lover to lead him outside the room, leaving Thirteen, Sherry, Cranky, Kamrusepa, and two of her attendants inside the room.
Cranky had no intention of leaving the teenage boy’s side, so he simply laid down on the couch to take a nap.
Sherry simply sat beside Thirteen, waiting for him to finish the document in his hand.
A few minutes later, he handed the scroll he finished reading to Sherry so she could read it as well.
Minutes passed in silence until an hour had passed.
Thirteen had memorized all the information that Kamrusepa had given him, but it was still not enough.
"Do you have any maps?" Thirteen inquired. "Especially the map where territories of the Blackfang Dominion are located?"
"Of course," Kamrusepa answered as she shifted to her two attendants. "Bring the map."
"Yes, Mistress." One of the servants bowed respectfully before taking out a map, at least eight feet long and five feet wide.
She spread it across the table, where the map fit perfectly, as if deliberately designed that way.
"You really know what you’re doing, Kamrusepa." Thirteen praised the Majin Princess. "This is exactly what I need."
"Good to know." Kamruspa leaned comfortably on her chair. "This map took a long time to make, but I guarantee its accuracy."
Thirteen carefully observed the entire map, making sure to memorize and record it inside his Soul Core.
"I see... so that’s it," Thirteen muttered. "He used the Oblivion Glyph as a base to create his Great Killing Array."
"Oblivion Glyph?" Kamrusepa asked. "What is that?"
"The Oblivion Glyph," Thirteen began, tracing the air above the map with his finger. "It’s not just a symbol but a complex formation of interconnected runes, each one resonating with a specific type of energy.
"Rhovan didn’t just draw it but engraved it into the land itself. Every line, every curve, every small sigil is aligned with natural ley lines that crisscross the continent."
Kamrusepa tilted her head, listening intently. A part of her wanted to tell Thirteen to simplify it in layman terms so she could understand.
But she was more eager to know the theory behind such magical formation, so she decided to pay close attention to his words.
Sherry, on the other hand, had no idea what Thirteen was saying, but she simply kept silent, not wanting to disrupt the flow of conversation.
"Ley lines are the veins of the world," Thirteen continued. "They carry raw magical energy from the earth, from the core, and sometimes from the stars above.
"When the Oblivion Glyph is etched precisely over these lines, it draws that energy naturally, amplifying it exponentially."
He pointed to several faint markings on the map.
"See these? Those are the nodes—the intersections where multiple ley lines cross," Thirteen explained. "The Oblivion Glyph uses them as power conduits, like a network of arteries feeding the formation."
"When activated, energy flows along the Glyph’s runes, spreading across the entire Blackfang Dominion. It’s a self-sustaining magical lattice, but only if it’s positioned correctly."
Sherry frowned slightly. "So it’s... like the formation itself is alive?"
"In a way," Thirteen replied. "Not conscious, but responsive. The glyph reacts to ambient magical fluctuations, the presence of enemies, and even the intent of those near it. The source of thɪs content is Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"Rhovan must’ve designed it to be adaptive so anyone trying to disrupt it without knowing the exact configuration would fail and likely destroy themselves in the attempt.
"The best part is, the formation can be activated manually. It can be controlled to deliberately annihilate a target as long as it’s within striking range, whether that target is an individual or a large army.
"Of course, the power decreases accordingly with the number of targets, but it doesn’t change the fact that it deserves to be called a Great Killing Array."
Kamrusepa’s eyes widened. "Does that mean that it can even kill a Celestial?"
"Theoretically, yes," Thirteen answered. "And the genius lies in how he combined the Oblivion Glyph with the natural ley lines. With this, he can unleash countless devastating attacks and not worry about running out of energy during long battles."
Thirteen couldn’t help but praise Rhovan. This kind of talent was something that he wished to acquire.
He gazed at the map, nodding a few times as if already doing some calculations of his own. Although the Great Killing Array wasn’t etched on the map, Thirteen figured it out easily due to the positioning of each city belonging to the Blackfang Dominion.
This led him to believe that Rhovan had used the Oblivion Glyph as a base for his Great Killing Array.
"It’s rare to see such mastery," Thirteen sighed. "Aligning a glyph over ley lines of that magnitude requires not just knowledge of magic, but also of the earth itself—currents, nodes, and hidden energies. Rhovan didn’t just draw an array, he turned the continent into one."
Kamrusepa rarely saw Thirteen praising someone, so she decided to capture this Rhovan fellow and make him work for her.
"I know what you’re thinking." Thirteen smirked as if reading the Majin Princess’ mind. "And I don’t mind giving him to you. But I will need him in the war against Artem, so I’ll borrow him until that war is over, okay?"
"Only if you give me a fertile piece of land in Artem," Kamrusepa replied.
Rhovan, who was miles away from the City of Xantheos, was busy tuning up his Great Killing Array when he suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.
Little did he know that somewhere in Antares, two people had already called dibs on him without his permission.
Thirteen continued to observe the map for two more hours before deciding to stop.
The teenage boy had already memorized all points of interest, and the only thing left to do was... tweak the Great Killing Array so he could wrest control over it and make it his own!
When Kamrusepa realized what Thirteen was thinking, she couldn’t help but think she made the right choice in joining his team.
She already pitied the Great Shaman of the Blackfang Dominion, knowing someone was about to use the formation he had spent many years building against him.
And the saddest part about it was that Rhovan wouldn’t even know how it happened.