QT: Against My Will-Chapter 563 - 8.80 - Cocky Decision - Monster Heist

Shina’s team huddled in a circle, the light force in the middle casting dancing shadows on their gear masks.

Henry looked at the corner of their hideout, "How did the hallucinogenic gas get in here?"

Juliet pulled out a device, designed to dispel impurities in a limited radius. Upon activating it, a wave of fresh air enveloped both her team and the other group, granting them a brief respite.

The gas, previously only found in areas beyond the second layer, was not lethal. It was thick and would tend to settle closer to the ground. But it was also unpredictable. Gusts of wind could suddenly bring pockets of it to higher locations.

Another group of LADs suddenly attacked them near the second barrier, affected by this particular gas.

Now, the LADs was laying tied up, their hands bound behind their backs and their mouths gagged.

Aria pondered, "If there’s a breach in the barrier, it’s not just the gas we have to worry about. The beasts must have exploited it too."

Shina approached the tied-up LADs. "Once they’ve fully recovered from the gas’s effects, we’ll begin the interrogation," she announced, "Then, will we make our move to seal the breach."

Orion furrowed his brow, "They know as well as we do that we’re prohibited from crossing beyond the second layer," he reminded everyone, "The higher-ups made it clear. It’s not just about our safety, but the stability of the entire barrier. Venturing there could put everything at risk."

Shina located the other team’s leader and took out the mouthgag.

The LAD leader, a man with a scar running diagonally across his left cheek, coughed weakly before finally speaking, "You think we don’t know? But sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures."

Orion shot him a skeptical look, "What desperate measures are you talking about? Breaching the barrier? Letting the gas and potentially beasts in?"

The leader responded back, "We had our reasons. Magic is not just dying, it’s being taken by something far more sinister than we imagined. We sought a solution beyond the second layer."

Laura raised an eyebrow, "And what did you find? More danger and a weakening barrier?"

"An abundance of magic energy," he said, "The Legendary Sigma’s intent was more corrupt than we thought. While we initially believed the barriers to be a shield, they seem to have a dual purpose. We’ve been fighting to protect and sustain a barrier that’s leeching our world dry this whole time."

Henry tried to process the revelation no matter how absurd it might sound, "But who would benefit from such a scheme? Who would want our realm devoid of magic?"

The LAD leader paused, searching for words. "We’ve theorized a few possibilities, one of which is that the Legendary Sigma might still be among us."

He looked around before speaking up, "If the Sigma is still alive, could they be harnessing the drained magic for personal gain? Or perhaps to sustain their own life beyond the natural lifespan?"

Shina nodded, "Sounds like a logical assumption. Infinite power and longevity does seem like every ruler’s dream."

Laura’s gaze hardened, "So, we’ve been pawns in Sigma’s game all along, thinking we’re safeguarding our world when we’re actually aiding its decline?"

According to this world’s history lessons, magic was sacrificed to fend off dangerous

beasts. The Legendary Sigma had built a protective barrier when the beast’s attack was getting out of control. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The barrier, however, couldn’t sustain itself forever. Over time, creatures inside the barrier began to lose their magical touch, enchanting plants turned mundane, and casting spells became a challenge.

No longer being able to depend on magic only, the people had to adapt. They leaned into science and technology for survival.

In this evolving world, not all were affected uniformly by the diminishing magic. The hunters that constantly exposed themselves to the raw magic beyond the barriers evolved into the Alphas some knew today — individuals born with an ancient and potent lineage.

The origin of the Omegas was shrouded in mystery, but a prevailing belief was that they emerged as nature’s conduit for pure, undiluted magic. Their dual nature allowed them to tap into ancient energies in a unique way.

Bing Shi raised the drawing with the claw before the other team’s leader, "Do you know who this belongs to?"

The other leader gave the drawing some pondering before shaking his head as if never seeing such marks before.

"Then it’s settled," Shina ordered Laura to give the other group of LADs some rations, "Let’s see what’s at the edge of this world tomorrow."

"..." As Shina’s words settled, a hushed silence fell over the groups. The gravity of her declaration caught everyone off guard.

Eyes widened, some exchanged glances while others simply stared at the ground, lost in contemplation.

Laura paused momentarily, the ration bag half-open in her hand.

Henry, who had been fiddling with a spoon, thought whether it was a good idea, "Are we truly prepared for what lies ahead? Crossing beyond known territory is not a mere exploration; it’s diving into the abyss."

The new teammate, Orion, didn’t like the idea in the slightest, "We have no idea of the terrain or challenges that await." Cocky LADs were the worst to work with, and Shina’s decision was more than cocky.

Arias’s fingers trembled slightly as she held onto the rations, "The gas, the beasts... what if there’s worse? What if we encounter things that even our tech and magic can’t combat?" she asked, the excitement in her eyes betraying the fear in her voice.

Shina chuckled lightly, thinking how there wasn’t much tension in the air, "You know, for a bunch of soldiers trained to obey orders, you all sure ask a lot of questions."

Henry began to eat his meal, "Who can blame us? You do have a habit of making surprising decisions."

Shina readjusted her mask before walking outside to take over the watch, "What’s the worst that could happen? We either die as heroes or as clowns. Either way, we’ll be memorable, right?"

Leon gave a sardonic smile, "Or as villains, who caused the collapse of the world. Let’s not forget that possibility," he reminded them of the weight of their mission.

Shina gestured with her head at the tied-up LADs, "Those positions are already filled."

Leon laughed, his eyes reflecting an amused gleam.

Bing Shi dragged her poor hubby into this escapade on purpose, ’I mean, if he’s got excess power to burn, why not dive headfirst into the super sketchy areas, right?’

Dai An enthusiastically bobbed her head in agreement, ’Right. Who knows when we’ll score another ticket to the dangerous places and actually enjoy it?’

· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·

This was meant to be a carefree honeymoon world for Bing Shi, where her husband would handle all the concerns, allowing her to simply relax and enjoy.

Now, if one just subtracted Victor, Riley, and Silvia from the equation, it might genuinely resemble a vacation. They were there for her husband to deal with at the beginning. She just felt bad for not giving him a hand.

Except for doing experiments with Silvia (for Stinky Bun’s sake) Bing Shi had no mission, no objective, no targets to track down. She could skip magic and other classes she was terrible at, as long as she stayed in S rank.

To be honest, she never truly regarded her LAD adventures as a bona fide job either. Because of Dai An’s numbness, it was like controling a game character where she had to check on her life and mana bar.

For her, even the streams of income she created along the way were more about seizing a laughably good opportunity than a real grind-for-paycheck hustle.

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

Bing Shi found a comfortable hiding spot with a clear view of the surroundings, her senses attuned to the night. The soft rustling of leaves and the occasional distant animal calls kept her company as she kept a vigilant eye out for any signs of danger.

"I never thought I would see you training on your own," Leon’s voice was a hushed murmur, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

Bing Shi’s lips curled into a small smile, "I’ve been feeling a bit rusty lately. How about accepting me as your apprentice again, just for a little while?"

She found herself reminiscing about the intense sessions she used to share with Ru Quan─the challenging drills, the painful exercises, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

He no longer pushed her through the special trainings, but it was some of these instances that made her love and hate him all at the same moment.

With her silent gun in hand, she attempted to shoot a few crying birds from the trees under the cover of night.

After she missed every single target, Ru Quan gently placed his hand over hers. His fingertips would nudge hers ever so slightly, guiding her aim, as if transferring his mastery directly into her grip, "See? Progress."

Bing Shi grinned, "Do you think I should go through some of your intense training again?"

He chuckled softly. "Maybe just a touch."