691 FAFO 7
The humanoid continued its relentless efforts for over two minutes, pushing against the shield's limits in a desperate bid to exhaust its durability before mana could replenish it.
Eventually, it stopped, sitting down in resignation, mirroring Aron’s earlier decision.
Rina, having defeated her opponent in just a minute, felt a mix of pride and caution. She had managed to showcase her prowess, a result of her dedicated focus on mastering magic, sothing she had selected as her official duty as the emperor's spouse.
“How many minutes have passed since we left the palace?” Rina asked, her gaze fixed on the defeated humanoid.
Despite her apparent victory, Rina remained wary. She knew this was only a fraction of what their enemies might be capable of.
The information from the three tree folks on their side had made her acutely aware of the potential threats, so she stayed on high alert, awaiting confirmation from Aron that the situation was fully under control.
{Nine minutes} Nova responded promptly.
“This should wrap up within twenty minutes before they resort to any desperate asures that might cause lasting damage to the planet and its inhabitants,” Rina said, settling back into her waiting stance and bracing for any potential escalations.
Simultaneously, Nova projected the situation on Aron's side. Seeing his current predicant, she appeared neither surprised nor particularly concerned, maintaining her focus on the unfolding events.
…………….
The humanoid on Aron's side, who had been observing Aron's situation with detached interest, decided it was ti to act.
“Let’s see if you can withstand the sa treatnt you’ve given us,” the humanoid declared, conjuring a shield that was roughly a ter wider compared to Aron's still-active shield.
With a decisive motion, the humanoid ignited a fire inside the shield. The intent was clear: to continuously inflict damage on Aron's shield, draining the minimal mana he had managed to gather within it.
This would force Aron's shield to deactivate, leaving him vulnerable and unable to resist being taken over.
The fire continued to assault Aron's shield for the next minute, with the intense heat and pressure testing its limits. Despite the relentless onslaught, the shield held firm, causing visible irritation on the humanoid's face.
It was growing increasingly frustrated, as the ti for the two tree folks to execute their next plan was rapidly approaching. The delay was unacceptable, and despite deploying their strongest representatives to handle the imperial couple, they had yet to achieve their objective.
“I have access to the entire planet’s mana while you’re limited to just what’s in your shield,” the humanoid said, his voice dripping with disdain. “I can keep this up all day.”
His irritation was evident, however, as he not only wanted but needed to expedite the process and return back to their specific tree folk.
The core root humanoids were crucial for the tree folks' next plan, but the delay caused by dealing with Aron and Rina was becoming a significant issue.
Since only one core root humanoid could be created at a ti, they couldn’t afford to go back and create thousands from outer roots; doing so would risk Aron regaining access to the planet’s mana, undermining their efforts. As for the one sent to Rina, he was still stuck in a shield.
The main consciousness could take over the shield rune and continue the assault, but that would divert their focus from the impending plan, which was critical to execute at this very mont.
…………
“I’m ready. What about you?” Oak inquired, having completed his preparations.
“Just a second, and I’m done,” Mangrove replied, wrapping up his own preparations as he spoke.
Once they confird their readiness, they turned their attention to their humanoids. The sight that greeted them was far from satisfactory.
“It just alters a few aspects of the plan, but nothing that will derail it entirely,” Oak said, his frustration evident but under control. He resisted the urge to take drastic action at ths mont that could damage the planet and provoke the traitors into action.
“We’ll handle them after the plan is executed,” Mangrove agreed, his tone resolute. “Let’s begin, before anything else interferes.”
With that, they set to work, focusing on their preparations.
…………….
**Proimaxa B**
From outside the planet, where the exploration fleet’s mothership was currently docked, now manned only by minimal security personnel and a few remaining scientists and researchers. The bulk of the military forces had been deployed to the surface to carry out the emperor’s orders.
The escort fleet ships, tasked with defending the planet’s four cardinal directions against potential external threats, were still en route back to the planet. They had received the emperor’s orders just ten minutes earlier and would require a few more minutes to return and resu their given imperial orders.
Bianchi, the fleet admiral, was diligently overseeing the fleet's operations, issuing directives and managing updates for various groups.
However, he was montarily stunned as a colossal magic circle thousands of kiloters in radius materialized above the planet. The magic circle began forming a massive shield making it obvious that it intended to surround the planet, clearly designed to isolate it and prevent any interference from his fleet.
Although magic circles activate almost instantly after creation and mana provision, their completion speed varies based on the scale of their intended effect. In essence, the larger and more complex the magic circle, the longer it takes to finalize the process.
However, the shield's creation didn’t continue peacefully, as it was soon t with resistance. It appeared that soone or a group of individuals had moved to disrupt the process, actively attempting to dismantle the magic cycle before it could be completed. To these individuals, the shield's completion threatened to complicate their given responsibilities significantly.
“As expected, they didn’t remain passive and took action,” Oak said, a hint of disappointnt in his tone. However, the disappointnt was short-lived as he continued, “Then don’t bla for what I’m about to do.” His voice carried a tone of conviction, indicating that he was fully prepared to proceed with his next steps despite the interference.
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