Floating Island - Triple S Talent-Chapter 578: Justice
The appearance of the mission stations shook the entire realm.
Distance no longer mattered. Status was irrelevant. From the outermost regions to the very core of the realm, the stations emerged without exception, as if the laws of heaven had descended simultaneously upon every corner of the world.
Whether newcomer islands or native lands, all were given the same opportunity. Abundant rewards were laid bare for anyone bold enough to step forward. A generosity bestowed directly by Her Majesty, the current Queen of the Earth Kingdom.
Along one of the palace corridors of the Earth Kingdom, a small garden lay hidden. Quiet. Lush. A modest pavilion stood within, sheltered by the shade of tall trees.
Beneath that canopy, a young woman sat gracefully. A gown of greenish-gold wrapped around her figure, shimmering softly under the sunlight. Her face was calm, nearly expressionless, as her eyes gazed up at the blue sky.
Several birds crossed the heavens, their wings beating high above the capital.
Yet the woman’s gaze did not linger on the sky.
From her perspective, the entire territory of the kingdom lay spread out clearly, as if the city below were a massive chessboard at her feet.
The bustling trade in the market.
The busy flow of city traffic.
A man hurriedly bathing after oversleeping.
A family laughing together while enjoying a holiday in the park.
Every detail was captured clearly in Nita’s eyes.
Then... her gaze stopped.
On one corner of a street, several youths could be seen surrounding another young man.
At a glance, the scene looked ordinary. Too ordinary. A group of youths bullying someone, something that could be found anywhere.
But there was one thing that made Nita watch more closely.
The one being bullied was not a human of the Earth race.
He was a Kapasyl, a race known for its deep affinity with the wood element. Their bodies were strong in vitality and regeneration, yet they possessed one fatal weakness: fire.
Several youths around him ignited small flames in their palms. The flames were not large, yet they were enough to drain the color from the Kapasyl youth’s face. His body trembled as he slowly stepped backward.
To other beings, such small flames might mean nothing.
To a Kapasyl... they were a nightmare.
As a Queen, Nita heard their conversation clearly, despite the distance between them.
"Hahaha... he’s really scared of fire," mocked a youth with a mohawk.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, his steps relaxed as he slowly approached the Kapasyl youth. The flames in his companions’ hands flickered, casting light onto the victim’s increasingly pale face.
Nita observed everything without moving.
Her gaze remained calm.
Yet behind that calm, something began to tremble.
When the distance between them shrank to just a few steps, the mohawk-haired youth raised his right hand. The gesture was enough to stop his companions, who were still playing with their flames, as if the performance had already reached its climax.
"I’ve already told you," he said loudly, his voice echoing through the corner of the street,
"never go near Mia again. Do you understand?"
He stood directly in front of the Kapasyl youth, who had collapsed onto the ground. His posture was arrogant, as though he were truly a king passing judgment on a lowly subject.
"You’re a lowly race," he continued with a sneer. "Even your true form is disgusting."
The contempt in his eyes was unmistakable.
The Kapasyl youth remained silent. His jaw clenched, his breathing heavy. Rage surged in his chest, mixed with a sharp pain that made his eyes sting. Yet reason held him back from acting recklessly. He was not afraid, his gaze proved that, but he knew that a single mistake could lead to a fatal end.
That gaze.
A gaze that refused to submit.
"What’s wrong with your eyes?" the mohawk-haired youth barked, clearly provoked.
His patience had run out.
He extended his right hand. In an instant, a gleaming glove wrapped around his clenched fist, radiating a cold metallic sheen.
Before the Kapasyl youth could react, the arm had already shot forward, grabbing his collar and lifting him into the air.
The Kapasyl youth choked. His hands instinctively clutched at his opponent’s wrist, desperately trying to relieve the pressure. Rage boiled within him, pressing hard against the limits of the rationality he had been holding onto.
He glanced around, people had begun to notice, yet not a single one dared to step closer.
Enough.
"What is it?" the mohawk-haired youth sneered. "You dare resist?"
He stared at the Kapasyl youth, suspended helplessly in the air by a single hand.
A wide grin spread across his face.
"Magma Grip," he murmured softly.
The glove changed color, burning orange, like molten metal. Heat burst forth as thin streams of lava seeped out from between his clenched fingers.
"Argh!"
The Kapasyl youth convulsed violently. Searing heat surged from his throat, scorching both his skin and his breath.
"Let go...!" he screamed, his voice breaking.
At the same moment as his cry, something inside him shattered.
His body began to transform.
His skin hardened, turning into coarse wooden fibers. Patterns like tree rings spread rapidly from his neck to his chest, then down his arms and legs. A faint green aura pulsed from his body, struggling against the magma’s burning grip.
With the transformation occurring in a blink, the Kapasyl youth slammed his palm into his opponent’s wrist and wrenched himself free. His body landed several steps back, breath ragged.
A charred burn mark was clearly visible on his neck, blackened wooden skin still radiating heat. Pain flared through him, yet he remained standing.
"Attack him! Don’t let him escape!" the mohawk-haired youth shouted to his companions.
The equipment on his body activated instantly. Light armor enveloped his chest and arms, his boots surged with enhanced energy flow, and a fire magic staff appeared in his hand, a small flame flickering at its tip.
"Yes, Boss!"
"Reine, set up the illusion!"
Three figures moved at once.
They spread out, forming an encirclement that trapped the Kapasyl youth at its center. The air trembled, saturated with magical pressure and killing intent.
The Kapasyl youth’s body shook violently. In his wooden humanoid form, the fibrous veins along his arms tightened. The lush leaves atop his head fell one by one, shaken loose by the rage overflowing within him.
Fear vanished.
Only anger remained.
With a low roar, he charged forward.
His wooden feet slammed into the ground. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of them. Thick branches surged out from his arms, whipping wildly like crashing waves as they struck all three without mercy.
But one of them stepped forward.
In an instant, his body was clad in gleaming white armor. A silver shield appeared before him, planted firmly into the ground.
"Aegis."
Boom!
A barrier of energy formed, blocking the barrage of branches with a heavy impact.
Before the Kapasyl youth could retract his arms, another figure moved. The spear in his hands spun rapidly, releasing a cold flash before slashing down
Crack! Crack!
Every branch extending from the Kapasyl youth’s arms was cleanly severed, falling to the ground.
And before he could retreat
The mohawk-haired youth advanced.
He raised his staff. Flames erupted, forming a long whip that writhed as if alive. In an instant, the fiery whip lashed out, coiling around the Kapasyl youth’s wooden arm, then binding his entire body tightly.
Drururu
Scorching heat engulfed him. Flames spread rapidly, burning through the wooden fibers and draining his life energy. The leaves on his head fell in greater numbers, turning to ash before they could reach the ground.
The Kapasyl youth howled in agony, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Hahaha..."
The mohawk-haired youth laughed in satisfaction.
"You can’t run anymore."
He walked closer at a leisurely pace, savoring the sight of burn marks spreading across his opponent’s body, as if admiring a work of art.
In the distance, unnoticed by anyone...
the gaze of a queen continued to watch.
