I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1186 The Enemy Behind the Scenes Arrives
You said you wanted to correct him?

Albanus pondered the word, a storm raging within him, but he maintained a calm expression: "How to correct it? With those gunpowders you've improved?"

"That was merely a small gift, to convince you of our capabilities." The black-robed figure in the center slowly raised his hand, holding a diamond-shaped crystal the size of an egg, entirely black, in his palm. "True 'correction'... requires the power of the rules themselves."

The crystal gleamed eerily in the dim light, its interior seemingly filled with a viscous, inky substance that flowed slowly. Albinus and Lucius were involuntarily drawn to it, a strange, inexplicable unease and...fear rising within them.

"What is this?" Albanus asked involuntarily, lowering his voice.

“An ‘anchor point’,” the black-robed man’s voice carried an almost fanatical devotion, “and is also the cornerstone of the cage. When its power is activated, it can rectify the rules of an entire surrounding area and suppress all ‘anomalies’ that do not belong to this world.”

He stepped forward and handed the black crystal to Albanus: "That fire thief, Su Yao, his greatest reliance is not his army, nor his weapons, but his own power that transcends the rules of this world. Without that power, he is just a stronger mortal, and his army will lose that invincible aura."

Albanus didn't immediately take it. He stared at the crystal, which seemed to devour light, his mind torn. The temptation was immense; if he could truly strip Su Yao of his unpredictable abilities, Rome might have a glimmer of hope. But the risks were equally enormous. These men in black robes were of unknown origin and had mysterious motives; he couldn't fully trust them.

"Why are you helping Rome?" Albanus asked the most crucial question. "What do you want in return?"

The three men in black robes fell silent for a moment, as if communicating without words. Finally, the one in the center spoke: "We are not helping Rome, Augustus. We are upholding the 'order' of this world. Su Yao's very existence is a trampling on that order. As for the reward..."

His voice grew even lower: “When the ‘correction’ is complete, we need to take him away…and all the knowledge and creations he brought that are ‘not of this world.’ This will not be a loss for you; on the contrary, it will eliminate potential future problems.”

This condition sounded extremely favorable to Rome, almost a selfless act. But Albanus's doubts didn't disappear; in fact, they deepened. Maintaining world order? This vague reason seemed more like a cover-up.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't believe them!" Lucius exclaimed urgently. "These people are secretive and their words are utterly absurd! Who knows if this strange thing might be some kind of curse?"

Albanus raised his hand to stop Lucius. He took a deep breath of the damp, cold air in the underground corridor and looked sharply at the man in black: "One last question, how can I believe that this thing is really effective, and not a trap set by you and the Easterners?"

The black-robed figure in the center seemed to have anticipated this question. He withdrew his hand, gently holding the black crystal in his palm. The next moment, something chilling happened to Albinus and Lucius—the light around the black-robed figure seemed to be distorted by an invisible force; the torchlight dimmed, flickered, and even briefly went out before returning to normal. In that moment of darkness, they seemed to see some kind of… indescribable, tentacle-like phantom formed of shadows spreading out behind the black-robed figure.

“If we wanted to harm you, we wouldn’t need to go to such lengths, Augustus.” The black-robed man’s voice remained calm, but beneath that calm lay a power that sent chills down one’s spine. “The choice is yours. Will you seize this one and only opportunity, gamble the future of Rome, and join us in ‘correcting’ our mistakes? Or will you stand idly by and wait for the ‘Scourge of God’ to flatten the Capitoline Hills and turn the Eternal City into dust of history?”

A heavy silence enveloped the crossroads, with only the persistent dripping of water breaking the stillness.

A fine layer of cold sweat beaded on Albanus's forehead. He sensed a power far beyond human capabilities. These men in black robes likely truly possessed some kind of knowledge or power beyond the mortal realm. To negotiate with a tiger was extremely risky; but refusing to cooperate seemed to mean certain death for Rome. Ultimately, his desire to save Rome, coupled with his fear of Su Yao's overwhelming power, overwhelmed his doubts.

He slowly extended his hand, his voice trembling slightly: "Tell me... exactly what to do."

The black-robed figure in the center gently placed the black crystal in Albanus's outstretched palm. A bone-chilling, soul-freezing sensation instantly washed over Albanus, making him almost want to shake it off, but he forcibly restrained himself.

"What you need to do is no different from usual—let your army fight to the death. This 'anchor' will 'record' your courage. Regardless of friend or foe, the blood of every warrior will become its 'fuel' to suppress the fire thief's ability in the future."

“Once the ‘anchor’ is filled with energy, take it to the heart of Rome, the place that carries the fate of the Roman nation—the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill.”

The man in black paused, his gaze from behind the mask seemingly piercing through Albanus's eyes, staring directly into his soul:
"At that time, you will need to be there in person and use your blood—the blood of Augustus of Rome—to smear the six facets of this 'Anchor of Rules.' When the last facet is stained red, the ritual will begin. Within a radius of ten Roman miles centered on the 'anchor point,' all 'abnormal' rules will be suppressed and stripped away."

"At that time, the fire thief will no longer be able to summon thunder, will no longer have superhuman strength, and even his griffin will lose its divine power and become a slightly larger bird of prey."

"And that will be the time for you, Augustus of Rome, and your loyal legions to display true courage and strength. On a fair battlefield, will the sword and shield of Rome fear a mortal who has lost his divine powers?"

Albanus clutched the black crystal as if it held Rome's final destiny in his hands. The black-robed man's words slithered into his mind like venomous snakes: "A fair battlefield"—these five words ignited the almost extinguished fighting spirit within him. Yes, if it weren't for those damned thunderbolts and sorcery, how could the Roman legions have feared direct combat?

However, the only problem is
"Are you sure this will really make that demon's power disappear completely?"

Faced with Augustus's questioning, the man in black robes did not answer immediately. Instead, he took out a yellowed parchment scroll from his pocket. When he unfolded it, he saw that it was covered with complex runes that subtly echoed the facets of the crystal.

“Suppress, not disappear.” The man in black robes traced the runes with his fingertips. “The ‘abnormalities’ within him that do not belong to this world will be temporarily stripped away, turning him back into an ordinary mortal. But you must remember, the duration of the ritual depends on the total amount of blood absorbed by the ‘anchor’—the more life you invest, the longer you can trap him.”

Lucius, who was listening nearby, turned pale and couldn't help but interject, "What if... what if we fail to kill him within the ritual time?"

The man in black robes turned around, a hint of coldness flashing in the shadows behind his mask: "Then Rome will have no chance left. Augustus, what you need to do now is not hesitate, but go back and gather your last strength—those soldiers and priests who are still willing to die for Rome, and the barbarian allies along the Danube. Turn their blood into fuel for the 'anchor point'."

(End of this chapter)