Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Back to the Forest

“Concerning?” Richard repeated, his voice dropping. “Princess, you know how dangerous it was last time. If that array is even partially operational…”

“It’s not,” she interrupted. “The array itself is destroyed. But the energy around the site suggests something, or someone is still trying to reopen the portal. I couldn’t ignore it.”

Richard exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You couldn’t ignore it, so you decided to handle it alone?”

Ahcehera’s silence spoke volumes.

“Listen to me,” he continued, his tone firm. “I’m coming to you. Stay put, don’t engage with anything until I get there. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” she replied, though her voice carried a note of impatience. “But don’t take too long. The longer we wait, the stronger this energy could become.”

“I’ll be there soon. Don’t do anything reckless,” Richard warned before ending the call.

Richard wasted no time, securing a hover vehicle and heading toward the forest at top speed.

The dense trees loomed ahead as he approached the site, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

He finally reached the forest’s edge and spotted Syverian’s towering figure in the distance.

The mecha stood motionless, its glowing blue eyes scanning the area. Nearby, Ahcehera crouched over a charred section of land, her focus entirely on the device in her hands.

“Princess,” Richard called, striding toward her.

She looked up, surprised by how quickly he’d arrived. “That was fast.”

“Because I knew you’d do something reckless,” he retorted, stopping beside her. His gaze shifted to the area she was examining.

The ground was scorched, faint runes etched into the earth glimmering faintly with a sinister red light. “This is worse than I thought,” he muttered, crouching next to her.

She nodded grimly. “The array may be gone, but whoever activated it left behind a tether. It’s feeding on residual energy from the portal, trying to reignite the connection.”

Richard’s brow furrowed. “Can you stop it?”

Ahcehera hesitated. “I’m trying, but it’s complex. Whoever set this up was skilled. Destroying the tether without triggering a reaction is… delicate.”

Richard scanned their surroundings, his senses on high alert. “We need to work fast. If anyone comes back to finish this…”

“They won’t get the chance,” Ahcehera said firmly, her hands moving deftly over the device.

Richard watched her, his worry tempered by admiration. The princess maintained her composure and her resolve in the face of danger.

But he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that they were being watched. Richard’s gaze swept the dense forest, his instincts prickling.

The feeling of being watched grew stronger, making his muscles tense. His hand drifted instinctively toward the weapon at his hip, his eyes scanning every shadow.

“Princess,” he said quietly, not wanting to alarm her, “we might not be alone.”

She glanced up briefly, her expression hardening.

“I noticed it too, but I need just a little more time to dismantle this tether. If I leave it as is, it might amplify the residual energy and force the portal open again.”

Richard nodded, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his weapon. “I’ll cover you. Just stay focused.”

As Ahcehera worked, Richard stepped away slightly, keeping himself between her and the forest.

The faint rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds were the only sounds, but the unnatural stillness beyond those noises set his nerves on edge.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sharp snap of a twig. Richard turned swiftly, his weapon drawn, scanning the shadows. “Come out,” he commanded.

For a moment, there was no response. Then, from the shadows, figures emerged, three individuals cloaked in dark, rune-covered robes.

Their faces were hidden by hoods, but the malevolent energy radiating from them was palpable. They were not dead yet.

“Demonic chanters,” Richard muttered, his grip tightening on his weapon.

Ahcehera looked up, her expression grim. “I was afraid of this. They must have been monitoring the site.”

One of the chanters stepped forward, a deep, guttural voice emanating from beneath their hood. “You shouldn’t have meddled, human. This place doesn’t belong to you.”

Richard leveled his weapon at the speaker. “And you shouldn’t have come here. Leave now, or you’ll regret it.”

The chanter chuckled darkly. “Bold words from a pup.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed, his anger flaring. But before he could respond, the chanter raised a hand, and a wave of dark energy surged toward him.

Richard dodged swiftly, firing a precise shot that disrupted the energy, sending it scattering harmlessly. “Princess, how much longer?” he called, his voice tight with urgency.

“Almost there!” she replied, her hands moving faster over the device. “Just keep them off me!” The chanters began chanting in unison, their voices low and menacing.

The air around them crackled with dark energy as shadowy tendrils began to form, snaking toward Richard and Ahcehera.

Richard launched himself into action, scuttling between the tendrils and launching energy bursts to repel them.

His many months of training were evident in the agility and flawlessness of his movements.

One of the tendrils veered dangerously close to Ahcehera, but Richard was there in an instant, slicing through it with a blade of light energy.

“Focus!” he barked, glancing at her. “I’ve got you.”

Ahcehera didn’t respond, her concentration fully on the tether.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she worked, her mental power straining against the intricate runes and energy patterns.

Finally, with a sharp click, the device in her hands emitted a burst of light, and the tether dissolved into harmless wisps of energy. Ahcehera exhaled deeply, relief washing over her.

“It’s done!” she shouted, rising to her feet.

Richard grinned despite the situation. “Good. Now let’s finish these bastards.”

But the chanters seemed to realize their defeat. One of them snarled, “This isn’t over, human. You’ve only delayed the inevitable.”

Before Richard could stop them, the chanters vanished in a swirl of dark energy, leaving only faint traces of their presence behind.

Richard lowered his weapon, his eyes scanning the area for any lingering threats. “Cowards,” he muttered.

Ahcehera approached him, her expression serious. “They’ll be back, and they’ll be stronger. We need to report this immediately.”

Richard nodded, his instincts still on high alert. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll figure out our next move at the academy.”

With that, the two of them made their way out of the forest, the remnants of dark energy still lingering like a shadow over their victory.