Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: No Living Being
Ahcehera moved through the desolate corridors of the Agartha base with calculated silence, her footsteps light but purposeful.

The overhead lights flickered, casting erratic shadows on the walls. The metallic scent of abandoned machinery and faint traces of ozone from past battles lingered in the air.

It was unsettling.

When her starship had docked, she’d seen a handful of personnel on duty, mechanics, guards, and officers stationed at the control tower, but now, it was as if an invisible force had swallowed the entire facility.

The hum of the security systems, once constant, had vanished. The faint murmur of human activity had disappeared with it.

She tightened her grip on her plasma pistol, the cold metal grounding her as she advanced toward the armory. Her instincts screamed danger, yet she pushed forward.

Reaching the armory’s entrance, Ahcehera scanned her optical ID.

The steel doors groaned as they slid open, revealing rows of neatly organized weapons and advanced military devices.

Energy rifles, plasma grenades, electromagnetic disruptors, everything designed for planetary defense.

Her gaze swept across the shelves and locked on the mecha equipment stationed in the corner. The exosuits gleamed under the dim lighting, dormant yet powerful.

Without hesitation, she opened her pocket dimension, Cresencia. The swirling silver portal manifested before her, humming softly in resonance with her energy.

With a wave of her hand, she directed the weapons, ammunition, and devices into the dimensional space.

The equipment vanished one by one, rifles, explosives, tactical drones, and even the mecha suits. Minutes passed as she emptied the entire stockpile, leaving the shelves bare.

If the base is compromised, I won’t leave these for the enemy.

Once finished, Ahcehera closed Cresencia with a snap of her fingers. The portal shimmered once more before fading into the air.

She exhaled slowly, tension settling in her chest. This place was too quiet. The silence felt unnatural, as though the base itself was holding its breath.

Her mind raced through possibilities. Agartha wasn’t just any planet, it was classified as a Class-A planet due to its rich resources and technological research facilities.

If it were under attack, alarms would have sounded, and defense protocols would have engaged. But here, there was only stillness.

She left the armory and moved toward the control room. The screens were dark, the communication channels displayed static.

The system logs indicated no breaches, no alerts, just a sudden stop in activity.

Her pulse quickened. Recalling an old mission, she remembered the portal deep within Agartha’s northern forest.

It had been sealed months ago after several missions went wrong, destabilizing the surrounding environment.

But if an enemy were to infiltrate Agartha discreetly, reactivating the portal would be their best option.

Pocketing her pistol, she left the base.

Outside, the sky was perpetually overcast with pale gray clouds. The streets of the base’s perimeter, usually bustling with patrols and vehicles, were deserted.

Ashen leaves drifted from skeletal trees along the road. Not even the wind stirred. Ahcehera summoned her hoverboard and glided across the cracked pavement toward the forest.

The silence weighed heavier the deeper she went. The trees were lifeless, their bark ashen and brittle.

The portal site was marked by a clearing where the ground sloped downward into a shallow crater.

She dismounted and approached the center, kneeling to examine the earth. The once-mossy soil had turned brittle, and faint scorch marks circled the area in irregular patterns.

Something was here.

The portal’s ancient frame remained, a massive, circular arch of obsidian stone etched with faded runes.

It had stood dormant for decades, yet the air here buzzed with residual energy. She extended her hand toward the arch, channeling a small stream of her energy into it.

The runes faintly glowed for an instant before flickering out. The portal wasn’t active, but someone had tried to use it.

The faint traces of dark energy suggested a power source unfamiliar to her. The decay, the emptiness of the base, and the lifeless surroundings, it all connected.

Her optical brain vibrated against her wrist. She tapped it.

“Ahce,” Richard’s voice crackled through the line. His tone was urgent but steady. “I’m on my way to Agartha. ETA fifteen minutes. What’s going on there?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, eyes fixed on the portal.

“The base is empty. Everyone’s gone. I secured the armory and supplies in Cresencia, but there’s no sign of a battle. It’s like they just…disappeared.”

“Any signs of forced entry?”

“No. But I’m at the old portal site in the northern forest. There’s energy residue. Someone’s tampered with it recently.”

“Dark energy?”

“Yes. And the forest’s ecosystem is dead. Nothing moves here, not even insects.”

“I’m switching to maximum shields on my descent,” Richard said. “Stay there. I’ll land at the clearing.”

The line disconnected.

Ahcehera turned her attention back to the portal.

The runes seemed to pulse faintly now, as if sensing Richard’s impending arrival. A low vibration coursed through the ground beneath her feet.

Suddenly, the air chilled.

The temperature dropped so rapidly that frost crackled along the stones. Ahcehera’s breath misted before her.

Her instincts screamed danger. She drew her pistol and aimed at the portal.

The runes ignited with dark crimson light. The arch trembled. The brittle ground split as shadowy tendrils slithered from the portal’s base.

A distorted figure emerged, a tall, humanoid silhouette with elongated limbs and hollow eyes. Its form shifted like smoke, coalescing into a cloaked figure.

Its face was obscured, but its presence radiated malice.

Ahcehera fired without hesitation.

The plasma bolt hit the figure’s chest but passed through as though striking mist. The creature tilted its head, emitting a low, guttural growl. The shadows thickened around it.

“Who are you?” Ahcehera demanded, voice steady despite the fear curling in her gut.

The figure didn’t respond. Instead, it raised a skeletal hand and pointed toward her.

The shadows surged forward.

Ahcehera leaped back, activating her energy shield just as the tendrils lashed against her barrier. Sparks flew.

The impact forced her backward into a tree, cracking the bark. Pain shot through her shoulder.

Before she could retaliate, a beam of white-hot plasma streaked through the air, severing the tendrils. The figure recoiled, screeching.

Ahcehera turned toward the source.

A black battleship hovered above the clearing. Its guns glowed as they fired another round into the shadowed figure.

The canopy opened, and Richard jumped out, landing with a thud beside her.

“You’re late,” she muttered, breathing hard.