The entire squad was stunned into silence by the commander's actions.
The commander stared at the barely conscious squad leader on the ground with clenched fists, then turned to address the group behind him with a bright smile on his face.
"I am Zale, Division Commander of the First Sword Division," Zale introduced himself. "I haven't yet thanked you properly for saving my life. If you have any issues, I'd be happy to help; you do not need to take action by yourself."
Zale was relieved that he had taken the initiative to intervene after hearing about the appearance of a tainted in the orchard. Thanks to the mysterious woman healing their injuries on the battlefield, he didn't need to visit a healer for a check-up.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just any ordinary taint that had appeared; it was one that easily eliminated the taint that nearly led their forces to their deaths.
Even though Zale didn't understand how they had arrived here from the castle, he didn't overthink it. This seemed almost tame compared to the other feats he had witnessed from them.
Zale maintained his smile, awaiting their response.
"Alright, since you've offered to help, I think it's best to leave this to a Division commander of the Tidal Depths Kingdom to handle," Aurora nodded.
Zale exhaled inwardly, relieved that the woman was someone reasonable.
But Aurora's following words left him dumbfounded."Sever their legs and bring me a whip for each of them," Aurora added.
Zale stood rooted in place, his eyes widening in shock, unsure how to respond. Finally, he opened his mouth and spoke with a trembling voice, "Kind travel-" but before he could finish, Aurora narrowed her eyes at him and said, "If you're unwilling to comply and help me take action, then step aside."
Zale tried to shake his head and speak, but to his surprise, he could not move or utter a word. It felt as though an invisible force had sealed his body and mouth.
'Why can't I move? What's going on?!' he thought, his eyes widening in shock and confusion. Then, something unbelievable happened.
Zale's body moved on its own toward the sizeable wooden warehouse. He arrived and turned around, his back just inches from the wall. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead as he realized he was entirely under the woman's control.
Meanwhile, the thirty-man squad observing the scene was stunned and dumbfounded.
"What's going on? Why did the commander listen to the woman's words and move out of the way?!" asked a crab-bodied armoured man wielding a spear, his voice filled with astonishment.
"If he's not going to intervene, does that mean we're going to fight?" asked an armoured octopus-bodied man, his tendrils submerged in a floating stream of water beneath him. His expression shifted to one of hesitation and fear.
"Captain..."
They all voiced their thoughts to one another, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded before them. From Zale's actions, they were sure that the two individuals before them were powerful and not to be trifled with.
However, looking at the tainted, they remained unsure of how to react and sought guidance from their squad leader.
The squad leader, who had been punched to the ground by Zale, slowly regained his bearings and got to his feet, guiding the floating water beneath him to stabilize his stance.
He glanced at the frozen Zale, clenching his teeth in anger, and then turned to look at the two women with a glint in his eyes.
A sudden thought crossed his mind-the rewards he might receive for stopping them. No matter who these people were, they would surely be punished for their actions. If he were the one to bring them in, he would undoubtedly be heavily rewarded, along with a promotion, pushing him closer to achieving his dream of becoming a Knight.
"EVERYONE, BLOCK YOUR EARS AND GET INTO ATTACK FORMATION! WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL!" the squad leader commanded loudly.
The thirty-man squad pulled pieces of cloth from their pockets and stuffed them into their ears, quickly forming an attack formation, once again surrounding Aurora and the others.
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind him.
"Help me! I can't move my body!" one of the armoured men screamed as he walked out of formation toward Aurora, unable to control or stop his steps. His eyes widened in horror, filled with disbelief.
He stopped before her, his lips sealed, his words buried in his throat.
Aurora's expression remained expressionless as she stretched her hand forward and tapped his forehead, delving into his memories.
After a few minutes, the armoured man squirmed in pain, his eyes unfocused, darting from side to side, before collapsing onto the ground.
Aurora withdrew her hand, a frown crossing her face as she sifted through the memories she had just assimilated.
All of this transpired within seconds.
Zale's heart shivered at the unfolding scene.
The squad leader swallowed hard, his body trembling with fear. He took several steps back, followed by the entire squad. They couldn't understand how one of their own had been controlled despite blocking their ears.
Iris observed the scene, slightly trembling at Aurora's indifferent look as the events unfolded. She recognized this side of Aurora-the Princess of the Garden-the woman who had lived long enough to witness countless generations of kings and queens in the former Prismerion kingdom.
Despite seeing her softer side after the Supreme Leader mysteriously stole her heart, Iris had never questioned Aurora's orders or gone against her wishes. Doing so felt like stepping on a
live landmine.
"Iris..." Aurora called softly, "...sever their limbs and ensure no one escapes."
Iris's body stiffened upon hearing her words, but she nodded firmly. She drew a blade from her waist and walked toward the thirty-man squad.
[Energy Level - 323 BEM]
[Energy Level - 295 BEM]
[Energy Level - 231 BEM]
[Energy Level - 155 BEM]
...
They all possessed energy levels at 323 BEM and below, indicating they were all two-star warriors. Such a number was impressive, but it was nothing noteworthy compared to the gods' chosens, with their formidable equipment, and warriors with their gifts.
The squad leader ground his teeth and raised his right hand, signalling his men before dropping it. "ATTACK!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, charging forward.
Surprisingly, as the group advanced, fifteen of them broke away from the thirty-man squad
and charged toward Aurora, the tainted, and the tree nymph.
Seeing this, Iris frowned, swung her sword, and vanished from her position.
"!!"
"AHH!!"
"AHH!!"
Each time Iris reappeared, tails and legs were severed, and the armoured men fell to the ground, screaming in agony. Sometimes, two limbs dropped at once. Within seconds, the thirty-man squad was reduced to nine.
It was hardly a battle, more of an absolute massacre.
Realizing they were facing a monster and stood no chance, the remaining soldiers dropped
their weapons and tried to flee. But they couldn't outrun Iris's blade. She intercepted them, and within moments, the entire thirty-man squad had been defeated with a single swing
each.
The ground was covered in pools of crimson blood.
Iris swung the blood from her blade and returned to her previous position.
Aurora nodded approvingly at the scene before facing the tree nymph behind her. "Take this
whip and punish him as you see fit," Aurora said, producing a black whip out of thin air, startling the tree nymph, whose eyes widened in shock.
After hearing Aurora's words, the tree nymph was stunned and in disbelief, unsure if she had
heard correctly.
"If you don't want it, then I-" Aurora began, but before she could finish, the tree nymph immediately took the whip and bowed gratefully, "Thank you."
Aurora nodded in response.
The tree nymph straightened her posture and turned to face the armoured man who had previously whipped her continuously. She swung the whip against the ground, creating a sharp crackle that echoed in the air.
The armoured man, held by the headless winged spawn, wore a pleading expression. Having witnessed everything that had transpired, he knew there was no escape. His only hope now was to beg the tree nymph for mercy.
"Please, spare me! I was only following orders from the higher-ups!..." he pleaded, his voice breaking as a scream tore from his lips when the whip lashed down on his body, easily tearing through his armour and opening a gash on his flesh.
The tree nymph paused, glancing at the injury she had inflicted with just one swing and then at the whip in her hand in surprise. Tightening her grip, she lashed the man again.
"AHHH!!"
Aurora turned her gaze away from the scene and focused on the crippled squad. She activated her divine skill, 'Eternal Chaos Legion.' Instantly, headless, winged spawns began to emerge
from thin air, one by one, until a hundred filled the area.
Zale and the others watched in horror at the sight.
So many tainted! The Tidal Depths Kingdom was under attack!
They wanted to scream and report it to their superiors, but none had the courage to speak.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter