As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 232 Star Archer
A cold laugh rang out again from the corner.

"is this necessary?"

Gao Ce, a veteran of the Spirit Guard Corps, said firmly, "Whether it's the sealing cards or the firearms, they are our lives. Rather than trusting a stranger whose background I don't know, I'd rather keep my life in my own hands."

Upon hearing this, the indoor temperature seemed to drop by three or four degrees.

Clearly, the mechanics and gunners who had been on the front lines for a long time did not know Xu Yan's abilities, nor did they believe that this young card maker was really an expert.

Long Jianhuan frowned slightly, about to speak up for Xu Yan.

Xu Yan grinned.

"Gao Ce, have you been experiencing a dull ache between your eyebrows lately, or have your right hand been twitching involuntarily?"

From the moment he entered the room, he carefully observed this veteran who was accustomed to hiding in the dark.

Furthermore, from the faint killing intent emanating from the other party, they sensed something was amiss.

Gao Ce was slightly taken aback.

A distrustful gaze was cast upon Long Jianhuan.

"Don't worry, Captain Long didn't tell me anything. I knew nothing about you before I walked into this warehouse."

Xu Yan said calmly, "However, your problem has become so serious that you can't control it yourself. You think you can grit your teeth and persevere, but the disordered life magnetic field is like a flame that flickers after being fueled with inferior fuel. It's so glaring that not only can people see through your true nature at a glance, but it could also take your life at a critical moment."

“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been having nightmares more frequently lately than before, I mean since you entered Dawn City.”

Gao Ce snorted again.

His voice, however, concealed a hint of bravado masking underlying weakness.

“You know what’s wrong with me?” he said through gritted teeth.

Xu Yan slowly shook his head.

“I can’t predict the future, so how could I possibly see through your symptoms at a glance? However, for a well-trained spirit master, eight or nine out of ten neurological disorders are related to changes in the guardian spirit. If your guardian spirit has recently encountered any abnormalities, or if you have made any modifications to the sealing card, the problem probably lies here.”

As he spoke, he extended his hand to the other person and smiled, "If you don't mind, could you activate your sealing card and let me see?"

“You are a firearms expert, and the most important thing for you is to maintain a stable nervous system. If this drags on any longer, your nervous system will be completely eroded, and then it will be too late.”

Gao Ce hesitated for a moment.

I felt my brow, the corner of my eye, and my little finger twitching again.

It was as if an invisible bloodline connected all parts of his body, turning him into a puppet beyond his control.

He bit his lip and slowly took out a sealed card that shone with a silvery light from his pocket, then inserted it into the card reader.

As a silver rune array appeared in the void, countless spiritual energy gushed out like a spring, condensing behind him into a majestic guardian spirit. It was an elven archer clad in soft armor, surrounded by dozens of glittering stars. Especially on the longbow and quiver, the stars seemed to gather and scatter like fireflies, dancing gracefully.

【Star Archer】

Originally, they were among the best elven archers of the First Era, the Era of Illusions and Demons.

Living deep within the vast forest, elves are naturally adept at using local materials to create the most powerful bows and arrows of the Illusionary Demon Civilization.

In order to accurately locate their direction, prey, and enemies in complex environments, they have evolved unique eye structures and cone cells, enabling them to distinguish several times more colors than ordinary humans at greater distances. They also possess a unique neural control system that can even pause breathing and heartbeat for more than three minutes when necessary, in exchange for extremely high stability and shooting accuracy.

Throughout the rise and fall of the various dynasties of the Fantasy Demon Civilization, elven archers have always been the most representative ranged unit.

Even so, being crowned with the title of "Star Archer" is still a rare achievement, one in a hundred. It is said that only elven archers who have killed more than one hundred targets on the battlefield are qualified to undergo the tribe's oldest and most sacred "Trial of the Stars".

In the trial, they must shoot down one hundred stars without using a bow and arrow in order to obtain this incomparably glorious title.

According to modern historians, archaeologists, and tribal folklorists, the so-called "stars" should be a special kind of firefly that flies at extremely high speeds, with unpredictable trajectories, and can even use the interplay of light and shadow to create lifelike phantoms.

However, how to shoot down these elusive flying insects without using a bow and arrow remains a mystery.

In any case, "Star Archer" is synonymous with powerful ranged units. The weakest of them is Silver Spirit. Anyone who can establish a long-term mental link with them can become an ace archer with perfect accuracy.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with my guardian spirit."

Gao Ce spread his five fingers, and the stars floating around the guardian spirit immediately flew to his fingertips, gently rotating around the index finger he used to pull the trigger.

Most of the people present were experienced spirit masters.

Everyone felt that the spiritual connection between Gao Ce and his guardian spirit was clear, and the spiritual flame was stable. Both Gao Ce himself and his guardian spirit had very calm expressions.

Although his eyes were somewhat cold, giving off a sense of keeping people at arm's length, this was not a problem for a firearms expert who had been fighting on the front lines for many years and emphasized shooting accuracy.

Only Kelly Gracey was lost in thought.

During her on-the-ground reporting, she encountered many people similar to Gao Ce.

Of course, he may have some kind of mental illness.

However, this is a common occupational hazard in the Spirit Guard Corps.

Many soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and exhibit more irritability and fanaticism than he did.

Where is the problem?

The female war correspondent turned her gaze to Xu Yan.

He also seemed lost in thought.

Half a minute later, he did something unexpected.

It stepped forward and began to sniff around Gao Ce and his guardian spirit like a hunting dog.

Gao Ce frowned deeply, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

The guardian spirit "Star Archer" suddenly opened its eyes, revealing undisguised hostility.

The starlight swirling around the guardian spirit automatically flew towards the guns on Gao Ce's waist and back, causing the guns and cannons to emit a slight but deadly sound of bullets being chambered.

Gao Ce's face instantly turned ashen.

As if he couldn't control himself, he moved his hand inch by inch toward the gun at his waist.

Xu Yan took half a step back and looked at him expressionlessly.

Gao Ce exerted all his strength to control the urge to draw his gun and fire, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

He appeared dazed and was breathing heavily.

This appearance confirmed Xu Yan's suspicions.

"If I'm not mistaken, your guardian spirit is not 'Star Archer'."

(End of this chapter)