Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Agartha’s Wilderness

The night seemed colder today. Her mech, Syverian, stood nearby, its dazzling frame gleaming under the bright overhead lights.

The mecha’s voice broke the silence. “Mistress, are we embarking on another mission?”

“Yes, Syverian. We’re heading into the wild forest to rescue the missing students and investigate a potential portal,” she replied. But I don’t know what dangers await us.

“Understood. All systems are operational and ready for deployment,” Syverian confirmed.

Athena, a fellow teacher and trusted friend, approached her with a determined expression. She used to be Ahcehera’s classmate in the academy when they were younger.

“I heard you’re joining the rescue mission,” Athena said. “I’ve signed up too. We’ll make a good team.”

Ahcehera offered a faint smile. “Thank you, Athena. We’ll need every bit of strength and skill for what lies ahead.”

The group assembled at the academy’s gates, a mix of experienced fighters and brave volunteers. Some of the top students also joined.

As they ventured into the forest, the air grew dense with an eerie stillness. Shadows danced among the towering trees, and the faint rustle of leaves hinted at unseen dangers.

Ahcehera’s compass remained in her hand, scanning for any traces of demonic energy or anomalies.

Her instincts told her that this mission was more than just a rescue operation, it was the beginning of something far greater.

As they pressed deeper into the forest, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. But by what, or who, she couldn’t yet say.

–

This place is… The dense canopy of Agartha’s wild forest cast long shadows over the uneven terrain, making it a challenge to navigate.

Ahcehera frowned as she tried to maneuver Syverian through the thick underbrush, but the towering trees and tightly packed foliage proved too constrictive for the mech’s bulk.

With a sigh of frustration, she touched her bracelet, activating the spatial compartment. “Syverian, return to Cresencia for now,” she commanded.

“As you wish, Mistress,” Syverian responded, its frame dissolving into a beam of light and vanishing into her pocket dimension.

Ahcehera summoned her hoverboard, its metallic surface humming softly as it came to life. I can only make do with this… I hope I won’t get into trouble early.

She stepped onto it, the board’s energy stabilizers adapting to the uneven terrain below. It was faster and quieter this way, ideal for the stealth she needed in these uncertain woods.

The air around her was heavy with tension. Instructors and fighters from the academy had dispersed into the forest. I also hope everyone can safely return.

But Ahcehera had deliberately veered off from the main group. She had a dual mission, rescue the missing students and locate the active portal her brother had warned about.

As she hovered through the dense undergrowth, her senses sharpened. The compass in her hand flickered faintly, detecting residual traces of energy.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed silently across her peripheral vision. She halted, narrowing her eyes. Was that an early greeting?

“Their auras… they look familiar,” she murmured, gripping the hilt of her energy sword tightly. The shadows moved again, darting between the trees like whispers of smoke.

They were fast, almost too fast for her eyes to follow. Her golden irises glowed faintly as she activated her heightened vision, a gift of her light affinity.

Her heart quickened. The dark energy emanating from the shadows wasn’t entirely foreign.

It bore a resemblance to the beings she had encountered in Cazumi 0071, beings that thrived on negative energy and had no true form.

Ahcehera took a deep breath, steadying herself. She dismounted from the hoverboard, allowing it to float silently beside her.

She needed to tread carefully, these entities were dangerous, but she couldn’t afford to engage them recklessly.

The portal had to be close by… The compass flickered again, its needle spinning wildly. But with the dark entities lurking nearby, reaching it wouldn’t be simple.

A chilling whisper echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down her spine. She instinctively stepped back, her eyes darting around for the source.

“Come out,” she called, her voice firm but low. “I know you’re there.”

The shadows paused as if they had heard her. For a moment, the forest fell silent, the only sound being the faint hum of her hoverboard.

It will be tough when I fight alone, as I have been using power suppressors. Then, one of the shadows began to solidify, its form taking on a vaguely humanoid shape.

Ahcehera’s grip tightened on her sword. Whatever this was, it wasn’t going to let her pass without a fight.

Ahcehera’s golden eyes locked on the humanoid shadow as it materialized fully before her. That’s massive…

Its body was a mass of swirling darkness, faint tendrils of energy seeping from its form like smoke. Its glowing crimson eyes fixed on her, radiating malice.

The creature lunged without warning, its claws slicing through the air. Ahcehera reacted instantly, her energy sword igniting in a burst of radiant light.

She sidestepped the attack, spinning on her heel as the sword arced through the air, leaving a trail of golden sparks in its wake.

The shadow recoiled, its form flickering momentarily before it reassembled itself. More shadows emerged from the trees, surrounding her in an ominous semicircle.

“You all want a piece of me?” Ahcehera muttered, her voice laced with determination.

She raised her free hand, summoning a glowing orb of light energy. With a flick of her wrist, the orb split into smaller shards that darted toward the shadows like homing missiles.

The forest lit up as the shards struck their targets, dispersing some of the smaller entities into plumes of smoke.

But the humanoid shadow was unrelenting. It charged again, this time more aggressively, its claws radiating dark energy.

Ahcehera blocked its attack with her sword, the clash of light and darkness sending shockwaves through the clearing.

The ground beneath her trembled as another wave of shadows converged on her position.

Her movements were lightning-fast and accurate, and her blade shone brightly in the encroaching darkness as she spun and slashed.

Just as the humanoid shadow prepared for another strike, a sudden burst of dark energy erupted from behind her. The force was strong enough to send the shadow staggering backward.

Ahcehera turned sharply, her sword at the ready, only to find herself face-to-face with Richard. His dark eyes glowed faintly, and his aura was thick with power.

“Richard…” she murmured, her tone filled with surprise and relief.