Sowhere within Orinfeld City, Wang Xu Chen sat comfortably in nothing but a bathrobe, letting a few beauties massage his burly feet. He was indulging himself as if he were on a well-earned vacation, savoring every mont without a care in the world.
"Master Chen," his butler approached him, bowing deeply in a manner akin to a martial artist. "I just received a report from the observer team. All Numbers assigned to the gate have begun engaging with the target, Aster Mistral."
"I see..." Wang Xu Chen muttered, feigning disinterest, though a flicker of curiosity danced in his eyes.
The butler, accustod to his master's antics, pressed on without waiting for acknowledgnt. "Furthermore, Numbers 0 and 1 are actively delaying the Hit Squad's leader. anwhile, the unassigned single digits are neutralizing potential reinforcents."
Wang Xu Chen leaned further into his cushioned chair, his expression one of satisfaction. Everything was proceeding as planned. The primary failure so far had been their inability to uncover traces of the Aracelli Race—the supposed reason for their presence in Orinfeld City.
"Good, good," he finally said, his tone calm yet brimming with confidence. "Ensure the operation continues smoothly. Once we secure the boy, we'll return to the motherland and begin extracting his DNA. Dead or alive makes no difference, but keep him alive if possible." Find your next read on empire
The butler bowed lower, his voice steady as he replied, "There should be no difficulty capturing him alive, Master. Preliminary reports suggest Aster Mistral lacks sufficient strength to pose any threat."
Wang Xu Chen shot him a sharp glance, the intensity in his gaze warning against overconfidence. Then, he closed his eyes again, signaling the conversation's end. "If that's all, stop bothering with trivialities."
The butler hesitated for a mont before offering one last respectful bow. Silently, he exited the room, leaving his master to bask in the company of the won tending to him.
---
"Ugh...!"
Aster struggled to move, his body wracked with pain as if he'd been struck by a runaway truck. His limbs felt heavy, and his head throbbed relentlessly—all from a single, indirect hit.
'The enemy... must be over level 1000!' His thoughts raced, piecing together the grim reality of their predicant.
The attack had bypassed Liz's Guardian's Embrace, letting a fraction of the damage seep through. That re fraction was devastating enough to leave him on the brink of incapacitation.
Surveying the battlefield, Aster noted that only Via and Cassy were still capable of standing. Via's quick reflexes had allowed her to dodge most of the blast, minimizing her—and incidentally Cassy's—injuries. But the others weren't as fortunate.
Kali and Tina lay unconscious, their heads bleeding from brutal impacts. Liz was barely alive, her body riddled with wounds, blood pooling beneath her.
"Cassy, help Liz!" Aster commanded, forcing himself to his feet despite the searing pain in his right arm. His sword, slick with his own blood, trembled in his grip.
The mysterious figures that had ambushed them stood motionless a few ters ahead of him, their hooded forms emanating an overwhelming aura of nace. Aster's resolve hardened, though doubt gnawed at him. He knew he couldn't face them as he was—as such, desperation called for drastic asures.
"Crysta!" he shouted, activating the magic circle etched on the back of his palm. "Use as much of my life as you need—freeze them all!"
From the circle, a voice answered, lodic, cold, yet tinged with urgency. "...I'll take 10% of your life then, Master! ❄"
Crysta erged, her form shifting into that of a human-sized entity. Standing beside Aster, she raised her hands, summoning an imnse wave of frost. The air itself seed to freeze as the landscape before them turned to glistening ice. The hooded figures, along with a few hapless bystanders, were caught in the torrent.
Aster's body glowed faintly—a sign that his level had risen from the kills—but he remained cautious.
"You brat...!"
A figure burst from the frozen terrain, completely unhard. The man moved with unnerving speed, seizing Aster by the hair and slamming his face into the ground despite his vigilance.
*BAM!*
The impact sent shockwaves through Aster's body, his vision dimming from the force.
Confusion clouded his mind. He was certain Crysta's frost wave had engulfed all seven attackers. Yet, this man bore no trace of the icy assault—not even a single frost crystal clung to his robe.
"To think soone like you managed to take down Numbers 14 and 19... We underestimated you," the man said, his voice low and derisive.
One by one, more figures erged from the frozen wasteland. Five of the seven attackers were completely unhard. Only two had fallen, despite Aster sacrificing a tenth of his life force.
"A-Ah... Star...!"
Cassy's voice trembled as she heard the sickening crack of Aster's face hitting the ground. She couldn't see what was happening, but the sound alone painted a harrowing picture.
Though her instincts scread at her to heal him, her hands were tied. Liz's condition was critical, and even after exhausting her strongest healing spells, life was still draining from her. The injuries caused by taking damage in the others' stead weren't a simple, physical one, but deeper and more sinister.
"YOU!"
By the side, Via roared, surging forward in a blur of lightning. Argus followed suit, his body crackling with electricity as he unleashed an attack at the hooded figures.
Via pushed her power to its limit, her body emitting bolts of energy as she charged. Her current surged to a dangerous peak—100,000 amperes—her intent was clear: she would annihilate the enemy, no matter the cost to herself.
"LET GO OF ASTER!" she scread, her voice raw with fury.
But her speed and power were aningless. The man holding Aster simply tilted his head, effortlessly dodging her full-strength attack.
"We have no business with you," he said coldly.
Before Via could react, the man raised his voice—a simple command that carried the weight of a hurricane.
"SCRAM!"
The word alone sent Via hurtling backward as if struck by an invisible force. Her body crashed through fences and walls, finally landing hundreds of ters away. She lay crumpled against a building, her breathing faint.
Even Argus, who tried to attack earlier, mysteriously fell, his body seemingly stiff, as if he was electrocuted.
"No...!" Cassy whispered, her voice shaking with despair.
She knew that danger was approaching beforehand, and everyone believed her and even did their best to handle it... but in the end, it was all for naught. They were powerless.
The man hefted Aster's unconscious body with ease, his companions falling into step behind him. Their footsteps faded rapidly as they left the dungeon's periter, vanishing into the shadows.
Cassy slumped to the ground, her body trembling. "Again…! I'm so powerless…!"
The bitter truth weighed heavily on her. Yet, as despair overtook her, a strange warmth stirred within. It spread through her body, intensifying as it reached her eyes.
"Urk!" she groaned, the heat growing almost unbearable.
But before she could make sense of it, mana exhaustion from consecutive use of heals claid her. Her vision darkened, and the world fell silent.
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