Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

— 3 Hours Later - Qing Empire Southern Coast —

The war and slaughter continued unabated. While the killer robot troops sent by Nexus Prime proved highly efficient at thinning the ranks of the Qing Empire troops, the sheer number of soldiers fighting back with complete disregard for their lives or self-preservation slowed the machines' progress, making it far less smooth than anticipated.

After a few hours of battle, the troops realized that none of their small arms fire was effective against the machines. The only weapon capable of penetrating the Atlantean synthetic steel endoskeletons was anti-tank missiles—typically used against heavy tanks.

The soldiers tried various tactics. They attempted to use heavy machinery, such as tanks, to crush the machines, but the drivers were swiftly shot dead, and the engines were reduced to scrap by a barrage of plasma bolts.

Explosives were also tried but proved equally ineffective. Whenever the machines detected anyone carrying a large amount of explosives, they shot the explosives preemptively, causing the blast to kill both the would-be suicide bomber and the troops around them.

The machines exchanged fire with the soldiers for hours. A strange stalemate began to form as the Qing Empire troops, under the maximum effect of the mind suggestion spell, became as fearless and relentless as machines themselves. Despite their fragility, the continuous reinforcements pouring into the front lines prevented the machines from making significant advances.

Observing this, Nexus Prime recalculated its strategy for maximum efficiency in eliminating the troops. It deployed additional SD-700 series robots to the battlefield and introduced advanced models like the SD-850. These newer units were faster, stronger, and more accurate than the SD-700s. Nexus Prime also sent heavy weaponry in the form of bipedal mechs to break the stalemate.

The mechs stood six meters tall, each armed with twin rotary autocannons mounted on their arms. They were equipped with mortars on their backs and twin missile pods on their shoulders. Two Atlantean carryalls transported one mech each and dropped them directly into the battlefield.

Boom!

The mechs landed with a thunderous impact, immediately spreading death across the battlefield.

With a long, deafening "Brrrrttttttttt", the twin chain autocannons on each mech began tearing through the ranks of troops like scythes cutting through fields of wheat.

Both the cover and the men behind it were obliterated in the unrelenting hail of bullets, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The mechs' coolant systems worked at maximum capacity, employing freezing magic to manage the immense heat generated by the barrels.

Yet, despite the advanced cooling mechanisms, the high fire rate of the twin rotary autocannons still caused the barrels to glow red-hot, creating an eerie scene as ice mist radiated from the overheated weapons.

The bipedal mechs steadily advanced, pushing the front line deeper and deeper into the Qing Empire territory. They were followed closely by the SD-700 series robots, which systematically eliminated any stragglers or survivors they detected.

This scene was broadcasted to the people of the Qing Empire, causing their morale to drop.

They never imagined witnessing such destruction. Fear gripped their hearts as this is the first time they felt utterly powerless.

The merciless slaughter of the machine brought them a sense of dread. Experience more on empire

The government quickly cut the broadcast, but it was already too late. The damage had been done, and the people now knew the truth about what had happened. Confidence in the government reached an all-time low.

Meanwhile, individuals and content creators within the Qing Empire, including tech-savvy U-Tubers, used their skills to bypass the government's blockade and access as much information about the battlefield as possible.

These people then relayed the news to the rest of the population through the channels commonly used within the country.

At this moment, the sky darkened as ominous black clouds gathered, with red lightning flashing across the sky, creating an otherworldly spectacle.

The howling wind grew increasingly intense, and insects and animals… rats, birds, and others, suddenly burst out from ditches, manholes, and all sorts of channels, fleeing their nests in frantic retreat.

This unsettling phenomenon had no effect on the soldiers under the influence of the mind-affecting spell. Both sides continued their relentless combat, fighting and killing each other. Missiles streaked through the sky, and trails of bullets crisscrossed the battlefield.

Suddenly, the earth trembled as fire erupted from the ground, and massive cracks formed, creating a large fissure. From this fissure, a base began to take shape. Bones were violently extracted from the bodies of nearby humans, both troops and civilians alike… killing them in the process.

Tons upon tons of bones were pulled from the living breathing humans bodies, as well as from the corpses littering the battlefield. The scream of agony reverberated the scene. These bones then coalesced, gathering into the form of a colossal gate.

The massive bone gate began forming from the base upward, gradually taking shape. Even before the structure was fully complete, something began to materialize.

A liquid-like surface appeared between the two doorways of the gate, revealing a fiery hellscape on the other side, where a demonic army awaited, their eyes gleam in murderous intent and insatiable hunger.

Then, the horde emerged. All of them were small demons, roughly the size of large wolves. They rushed through the gate, immediately attacking the nearest soldiers.

The red lightning intensified, flashing more violently across the darkened sky. Then… the souls of millions of fallen troops were pulled into the gate, their cries of agony echoing across the battlefield… the cries for help haunting the ears of those who witnessed.

The speed of the gate's formation increased rapidly as more and more souls were pulled into it.

As the gate neared completion, larger demons began rushing out, launching brutal attacks on the Qing Empire's troops. However, the Qing Empire soldiers ignored the presence of the demons entirely and continued their assault on the machines.

This unsettling scene made all who witnessed it realize that something was gravely wrong with the Qing Empire's troops.

— Qing Empire Imperial Palace —

"What… What the hell is this!?" The Crown Prince shouted in horror as he witnessed the demons savagely attacking his troops. He didn't have the luxury to sit idly by.

The Crown Prince immediately summoned his royal guards and General Wang Dahui, his trusted right-hand man, and rushed with them to the palace basement.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

There, he saw the man in the owl mask, accompanied by his men and his disciple, Garret Vance, overseeing the ritual site.

"What are you doing!? You promised me you would summon the demons to attack the New Atlantis robots! Why are they attacking my troops instead!?" the Crown Prince roared in fury, pointing an accusatory finger at the man in the owl mask.

All of his royal guards raised their guns, aiming at the mages and surrounding them. Yet, the mages ignore the crown prince. They continued their ritual and treated the crown prince group as if they were air.

"I have kept my promise, Your Highness, the Crown Prince," the man in the owl mask said, deliberately emphasizing the title, "the Crown Prince," before continuing.

"You should understand that I never promised to control the demons for you. By their very nature, demons are ferocious and view all mortals as nothing more than prey, especially the low-ranking demons with beast-like instincts."

"Since your troops happened to be the closest to them, of course, they were the first to be attacked. But don't worry. Once your troops are dead, the demons will inevitably turn their attention to the machines," the man in the owl mask added with a chuckle.

The Crown Prince didn't care about the lives of his dying troops. What enraged him to the point of wanting to tear the man in the owl mask to pieces was the man's repeated use of the title "Crown Prince."

This was because he already considered himself the Emperor of the Qing Empire. Being addressed as the Crown Prince was the greatest insult he could receive.

"You! You insolent cur! What did you just say to me!?" the Crown Prince roared in fury, his voice echoing through the basement.

"Crown Prince… I called you Crown Prince, as that is what you are… you are still the Crown Prince and not yet the Emperor," the man in the owl mask replied with deliberate sarcasm, his tone laced with mockery.

"I don't believe I've made any mistake, Your Highness," he added, emphasizing the title with disdain.

Bang!

The Crown Prince fired a shot at the man in the owl mask, but instead of the bullet being stopped by the mana shield, it struck the man directly. The man immediately tilted his head to the side, avoiding the bullet before it killed him.

The bullet had grazed the side of his temple, blood spilling out and staining the man's clothing.

At first, the Crown Prince was startled; why didn't the bullet stick the man's mana shield!? But then he let out a satisfied smirk. He ignored the feeling of something breaking.

"Hmph! Let that be a lesson…" The Crown Prince began to speak, but suddenly, he was gripped by a pain as if every part of his body was slowly tearing apart.