Chapter 87 The Willow Eradication 3



Wrath looked at Maria with a meaningful smile, her voice and expression devoid of envy or jealousy. Instead, there was a hint of amusement and curiosity in her demeanor.

"Are you his new lover?" Wrath asked, her smile retaining its amusement. 

For Wrath, who had once been a regular person but had spent ten years in the Curtained World, it was inevitable that her mindset would be influenced by the attitudes prevalent among mages in their societies. This was especially true since she had transformed into one of the Seven Deadly Sins Witches, which had completely altered her body.

Though the Witches maintained a human appearance, their genetic makeup could be considered an entirely different species, more distinct from humans than Elves, Dwarves, or Vampires. While the latter three species were still capable of producing offspring with humans, there was no known instance of a Witch giving birth.

This further solidified the impact of the polygamous mindset prevalent in mage societies on Wrath. It was common for powerful mages to have multiple wives, as it ensured the continuity of their lineage. The strength of a mage's lineage directly influenced the power of future generations, with children born to strong mages often possessing additional sets of magic veins and a higher likelihood of developing even more as they grew.

Upon hearing Wrath's remark, Maria was taken aback and blushed slightly. She had never considered herself in such a light, but when the lady of her lord mentioned it, did that mean she had a chance?

Observing a slight blush on Maria's face, Wrath's smile widened, finding amusement in the potential future. She promptly lifted Maria from her kneeling position and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you for coming to get me. We'll discuss this later, but for now, we need to escape from here," Wrath said.

"Yes, Miss Wrath. I'll inform the team outside to prepare for extraction," Maria began to report her successful mission but was interrupted by Wrath.

"Wait... Can you delay that? I want to find my sword," Wrath stated.

"Your sword?" Maria questioned.

"Yes, the sword Daniel made for me. I know it might sound foolish because it's soulbound and unusable by others, but that doesn't mean they can't attempt to reverse-engineer it. The Path of Knowledge faction has skilled artificers among them, no matter how slim the chances are," Wrath explained.

Upon hearing this, Maria nodded swiftly and relayed Wrath's request to the command center.

While awaiting confirmation from Maria, Wrath checked herself after exiting her cell. The cell had been designed to suppress her magic power, allowing her to only utilize her Witch power to enhance her overall strength through anger.

Attempting to cast a basic light spell to illuminate the area, Wrath discovered that her magic veins were unresponsive. Though she could still sense her mana and magic power, her magic veins seemed inactive, as if her recently restored magical essence had once again been drained.

"Huh?" Wrath exclaimed, sensing that something was amiss.

She then decided to test her physical capabilities, executing her punching routine without utilizing her Witch power to enhance her body. However, she suddenly felt lightheaded and collapsed to the ground.

Thud!

The sound of Wrath's fall coincided with Maria in the midst of reporting to Penthesilea, and the noise traveled through the communication channel.

"Miss Wrath!" Maria exclaimed in alarm. Hurriedly, she rushed over to Wrath, propping her up on a nearby chair, and swiftly began examining her using a peculiar device from her tool pocket. The device resembled a miniature medical kit but possessed advanced features, allowing it to scan the patient's body for injuries or hidden ailments.

"Miss Wrath! Miss Wrath! What happened!?" Maria called out, attempting to wake Wrath up. However, Wrath remained unresponsive, her face turning pale, resembling someone with symptoms of anemia.

After a few moments, the scan results appeared, revealing that she was suffering from a severe case of anemia and an unknown condition that the device couldn't identify. This condition was causing her inability to use magic.

These symptoms were indicative of the loss of both magical and blood essence. However, in Wrath's case, her blood and magic essence had already been extracted when she was with Greed in America, fulfilling her contract with the Willow family.

Typically, the consequences of having one's blood and magic essence extracted were not as severe. After extraction, individuals needed to rest for a few weeks until their bodies returned to normal.

However, if their bodies were subjected to another extraction before a year had passed, the consequences could be unpredictable. There was a wide range of symptoms and side effects, ranging from severe anemia and temporary inability to use magic to complete magical incapacitation, or even death and soul injury.

And in Wrath's current case, the field medical device scan was unable to pinpoint her precise symptoms due to the lack of specialized medical equipment.

"Shit... Bat to nest! The golden egg life sign is still present, but it's unresponsive! Request a change to Plan B and immediate evacuation!" Maria quickly reported to the command center.

In the command center, Penthesilea sat in the high command seat within the command room of the battleship. Glancing at the screen displaying the estate's perimeter, she observed five black luxurious cars approaching the Willow estate. The scan indicated that they were non-human, as their body temperatures were too low to belong to humans.

"Negative. We will proceed with Plan C instead. We have a lot of foxes entering the scene," Penthesilea ordered, her eyes narrowing before severing the connection.

"Everyone, to battle stations! Deploy three assault pods and prepare for an air lift evacuation!" Penthesilea decisively commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," the Atlantean sailors and their commander acknowledged the order and swiftly made their way to their respective battle stations.

The assault pod on the rear deck was swiftly launched towards the designated area. Each assault pod had the capacity to carry up to three fully armed individuals, along with one ton of equipment for each person.

The assault pods deployed by both Daniel and the reinforcements led by Penthesilea were designed for one-time use. Their purpose was to utilize their charged magical energy to create a protective shield around the pod, ensuring a safe landing on the ground. The control and piloting of the assault pod were managed from the command room, with remote pilots operating the pod. These pilots would utilize the pod's ordnance and stored magical energy to clear any obstacles present in the landing zone.

The concept for these assault pods originated from an RTS (real-time strategy) game that Daniel had played. In the game, marines donning red power armor would drop from outer space and proudly shout "For the Emperor!" as they annihilated their enemies, often crushing orc skulls in the process. Daniel sought to replicate this equipment in his own way.

With a deafening roar, the three assault pods launched from the battleship, streaking across the night sky like swift bolts of thunder. Their powerful thrusters propelled them towards the Willow estate with unyielding determination.

Guided by expert pilots stationed in the command room, the pods unleashed a relentless barrage of concentrated magical energy. Similar to the ferocious firepower of a GAU from an A-10 aircraft, their onslaught pierced through anything unfortunate enough to be within the landing zone and target area.

Brrrrrrtttttttt!!!!

With a thunderous eruption, arcane projectiles burst forth from the pods, slicing through the air with astonishing speed and unwavering precision. Like an unstoppable tempest of annihilation, they tore apart spells, shattered structures, and reduced any obstacles in their path to mere fragments. The raw power unleashed by the assault pods painted a trail of devastation, obliterating everything that dared to stand in their way.

"What are those things? Stop them!" shouted one of the mages guarding the vast courtyard, rallying his comrades to halt the pod's landing or destroy it.

Countless spells were hurled at the pod, but its shield stood firm, resembling the impenetrable walls of a fortress. Despite the onslaught of potent magic and fiery explosions, the pod's trajectory remained unaltered.

As the pods descended upon the estate, their robust frames made forceful contact with the ground, crushing and pulverizing anything foolish enough to oppose them. The relentless assault unleashed by the pods was akin to a relentless hailstorm of enchanted projectiles, annihilating mages and rendering their defensive efforts futile gestures.

The once serene landing zone transformed into a chaotic battlefield of destruction, offering no sanctuary for those who dared to challenge the pods' might. The unwavering barrage, evoking memories of the fearsome GAU from an A-10, ensured that all resistance crumbled beneath its overwhelming force, leaving behind only remnants of what had once stood defiantly in its path.

The pod's doors were blasted open, revealing seven Atlantean vanguards clad in imposing heavy power armor. With unparalleled precision and efficiency, they swiftly surged forth from the pod, eliminating any opposition in their path. Bullets and spells whizzed past their heads, some striking the pod, but its residual shield energy held strong.

The vanguards, armed with heavy machine guns, unleashed a relentless barrage of fire that tore through anything in its trajectory. Trees, bushes, and vehicles alike were reduced to shreds, while mages and estate security forces attempting to impede their advance met a similar fate, their bodies torn apart. The sheer force and firepower of the Atlantean vanguards left a trail of destruction in their wake, obliterating all resistance with ruthless efficiency.

Daniel emerged from the final pod, accompanied by Michaela adorned in her majestic holy suit of armor. In her current form, she retained her human appearance, reserving her awe-inspiring angelic power for more dire circumstances that lay beyond the present danger they faced.