QT: Against My Will-Chapter 572 - 8.89 - Lily’s Talent - Monster Heist

Elera refused to follow any group, and returned to her house with Bertha and her daughter to pack their things. She had borrowed Nathaniel’s name again and wasn’t sure how she was going to explain to her daughter that they wouldn’t be meeting her godfather any time soon.

Bertha had never met such a cute child before. Lily was barely one and a half years old but could already read and talk. The girl was so considerate and understanding that Bertha would have given the world to her if she could.

They didn’t know what the old clan’s plans were with them, but it was definitely not good, since some of those people had threatened Elera to leave Victor in the past before.

Elera gently asked, "Lily, sweetheart, can you do something amazing for Mama?"

Lily’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Mama!"

With a warm smile, Elera continued, "Could you use your special talent to teleport us to Mama’s office?"

"Yes, mama!" Lily’s face lit up with excitement. She concentrated for a moment, and then, with a burst of magical energy, the three of them vanished from their current location, reappearing in Elera’s office in the blink of an eye.

Bertha hurriedly helped them carry the suitcases to the parked car outside as they needed to leave the city as fast as possible.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

Dai An sat on Ru Quan’s back in a lotus position while she talked with Bing Shi about the entities beyond the second layer, ’~It seems like only the Legendary Sigma had the knowledge about them. He created the barriers and used them to purge the magic from within instead of the outside.’

Shina tapped on a holographic map displayed on the table. "I’ve investigated the incidents and gathered intel to see if there are any patterns or commonalities."

Various locations were marked with blinking icons, representing the incidents that had occurred near the barrier.

"As you can see," Shina began, her finger tracing a line connecting several of the icons, "There is a pattern emerging here. They struck areas with significant natural energy concentrations."

Tia Knight leaned closer to the map, studying the clusters of incidents. "So, they’re drawn to places with high energy levels. That explains why they’ve been targeting towns and cities near the barrier. But why? What do they gain from these energy sources? Are they trying to feed on them or harness them for some purpose?"

A wraith raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that they’re trying to weaken the barrier itself? If they can disrupt the natural energy balance near the barrier, it might become more vulnerable."

Shina nodded, "It’s a possibility we can’t ignore. We should investigate the source of this natural energy. If we can determine what they’re after, we might be able to set a trap or devise a strategy to counter their actions."

Another Wraith pointed to particular locations on the map, including St. Moon Academy and the four military barracks, "There’s a dense energy concentration here and here. These might be their next targets."

Shina’s voice was heavy as she addressed the people inside the room, "I need to be brutally honest with all of you. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t been able to take down a single one of them. Bullets did nothing but pass through, and our magic attacks seemed to strengthen them rather than weaken them."

The room was filled with a heavy silence as they absorbed this grim revelation. The frustration and helplessness that had been building up within them reached a new peak.

The general made a quick decision. "We need to be one step ahead if we want to protect our world. Gather your teams and diffuse the magical concentration in all locations."

The teams set their plans in motion, the mystery surrounding the ’Ethers’ deepened.

The breach of the second layer became evident through the death of all soldiers who had been stationed outside.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

The atmosphere in the grand entrance hall was filled with tension as Victor was ushered inside. The grandeur of the family estate, usually a symbol of their esteemed lineage, felt almost mocking now.

Victor’s eyes narrowed, taking in the serious faces of the elders and even the staff, who hastily avoided eye contact.

His mother, an imposing figure even without uttering a word, stood at the top of the staircase, looking down at him with a mixture of anger and disappointment that he hadn’t seen in years—or decades, considering the actual age of the body he was currently occupying.

"Victor, come," she said, gesturing for him to ascend the staircase. It wasn’t a request; it was a command, and it had been quite some time since anyone had dared to command him.

Victor began to climb the stairs, each step echoing through the hall.

His mother turned and led him into a private drawing room. The door closed behind them with a soft but definitive click, sealing them off from the world outside.

His mother was the first to speak, "It’s been a long time since you’ve been brought home like a child who needs to be disciplined," she took out a whip from inside her drawer.

Victor smirked, "And it’s been even longer since someone dared to discipline me."

His mother took a deep breath, "You forget, Victor, you may be powerful now, but you are still part of this family. Your actions reflect on all of us. We have a reputation, a legacy to consider."

Victor couldn’t help but chuckle. "Legacy? I’ve been building my own legacy. One that doesn’t depend on the frail considerations of others."

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," she warned, "What about that Elera? Have you given up on that girl and her child?"

Victor leaned in the armchair nonchalantly, "Isn’t it funny, Mother, how I had to show interest in Shina to get you to see Elera’s worth? Quite the roundabout way to open your eyes, wouldn’t you agree?"

His mother paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. "Don’t play coy, Victor. You’ve been weaving this web of chaos just to make us realize that Elera was the better choice? How foolish can you get?"

Victor smiled dangerously, "Sometimes a stark contrast is the best way to illuminate the obvious. Maybe now you’ll appreciate what you’ve been so quick to dismiss."

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

As Shina’s team attempted to diffuse the magic concentration in certain areas, they quickly realized they were at a disadvantage compared to other teams.

The reason? Only a handful of them could use magic effectively – well, only Juliet and Liam to be precise.

Alain and Douglas could chant some small spells as deltas, but it was nothing compared to the two Alphas.

Bing Shi watched intently as Juliet and Liam cast their spells and traced intricate sigils in the air. Their movements were graceful, and their control over magic was impressive, making it look so easy!

’~Don’t even attempt to do it.’

’I know, I know,’ Bing Shi let out a sigh and retreated to the corner of a bush to draw circles in the sand.

Spellcasting and magic manipullation was a different art altogether, different from the superpowers Shina and the rest of her team possessed.

A new figure had joined their group, and to the surprise of everyone present, it was Nathaniel Hauxley. His appearance was unexpected, to say the least.

"Looks like your fearless leader has mastered the art of... not mastering magic," said Nathaniel, glancing at Shina growing mushrooms by the bush, knowing full well that her spellcasting abilities left much to be desired.

Shina’s team was quick to come to their leader’s defense and didn’t hesitate to remind Nathaniel of his place.

Henry exchanged a few glances with the rest of the team, "Maybe you could give us a few lessons. Show our Leader how it’s done."

Even Juliet couldn’t help but join in, "I’d love to see him try."

They were all under the impression that Shina was a pro, even though they never saw her cast a spell. They thought that she was still mourning over Leon, and didn’t want to interrupt her alone time by the bush.

"..." Bing Shi wanted to tape everyone’s mouths, ’Dai An, help me. You are my only hope.’

Dai An tried to channel some energy through Ru Quan’s body, who had ended up as her guinea pig instead of her patient, ’~Is your life on the line?’

’No, but my pride is at stake here.’

’~Send me the spell book.’

Bing Shi quickly sent Dai An the spell book.

Dai An flipped a few pages of the book, ’~None of these spells are impressive enough to surprass Nathaniel. Besides, how do you expect me to cast them without any practice?’

’囧...’

’Can’t you just use a spell from your arsenal?’