BOOM!
A colossal explosion ripped through the tent, startling the three individuals inside.
The leader, with swift precision, snapped the Box shut, tucking it away into his spatial storage. He rose and strode out, the other three scrambling to follow.
"....?!!"
The four froze before their settlement, eyes wide as a 20-meter-tall tiger materialized seemingly from thin air. Perched atop its massive head was a lone figure encased in crimson armor, their face obscured by a helm.
"Fuck! When Grand-class equipment is maxed out, it turns completely red... That's definitely the Empress," Xin uttered, a tremor of horror in his voice.
"That tiger?! It wasn't that big in the vault!" Jinx exclaimed, her eyes still fixed on the beast.
The leader stepped forward, activating his Cosmic Brain, and began scanning the armored figure.
{Name: Matilda Fearless.}
{Race: Elf.}
{Rank: Heavenly Rank. Stage 1.}
{Strength: 350 (+5,000).}
{Agility: 350 (+7,000).}
{Stamina: 350 (+5,000).}
{Defense: 350 (+5,000).}
{Attack: 300 (+10,000).}
'Shit! I can't even see her celestial energy limit! With these stats alone, we are fucked... And I thought she was just a half-Heavenly Rank three days ago!! When did she enter the Heavenly Rank?!' the leader cursed internally, glancing over his shoulder at Jinx.
"Fast! Change your appearance!" he hissed.
Jinx nodded, her form rippling. In moments, she was an elf, her silver hair now brown, her eyes a vibrant green.
"What are you planning, Leader?" Xin asked, his gaze still on the colossal tiger.
"What else? There's no way we can defeat her with those equipments on... If she fights without them, we'll have a chance, but with them... And the tiger? We are simply sheep before her," Bethany interjected, her voice laced with despair.
"I... I caused this," Jinx stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"No... Just keep shut, don't say anything!" The leader snapped at her, then shifted his gaze to Xin and Bethany.
"We can talk this out... As far as we all know, the Empress isn't a bad person," he stated, trying to project a calm he didn't feel.
"Yes, but the tracker is on our settlement! How are you going to talk that out?" Xin countered, his eyes glued to the massive tiger, which had begun its slow, deliberate advance towards their home.
"We will find a way," he asserted, his eyes sweeping over their 100 soldiers, who now stood arrayed behind them, every one of them primed for battle.
"Calm down, everyone, we can handle this!" he bellowed at his troops, then started walking towards the entrance of their settlement.
"Come with me, and remember... If this goes south, you all must use your emergency direct teleporter and escape."
The three nodded in grim understanding and fell in behind him.
The four stepped out of the settlement and halted before the colossal tiger, which now loomed directly in front of them.
Matilda dismounted the tiger, landing smoothly and silently on the ground, seemingly unfazed by the descent.
'Her 10,000 attack stat!! And she wasn't armed! How strong is this woman?!' the leader thought, a deep frown etched on his face.
"I don't feel good," Xin murmured, pressing a hand to his temple.
"Same," Jinx added, vigorously shaking her head as if to dislodge an unseen burden.
"This... Why do I have the urge to drop to my knees?" Bethany muttered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't look directly at the helmet, it has a mind-attacking skill," the leader quickly warned, and the three instantly averted their gazes, refusing to meet the red helm's direct view.
"I won't ask twice."
Matilda removed her helmet, revealing a cascade of long silver hair and piercing eyes.
"Empress? Why are you here? And battle-ready," the leader quickly asked, plastering a flattering smile on his face.
Matilda snapped her fingers. The tiger responded instantly, unleashing a wave of pure energy that slammed into the leader, propelling him five feet backward. He dropped to his knees, retching a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
"Leader!"
The three exclaimed in shock, their faces twisting with killing intent as they turned towards Matilda. Yet, they could only watch, frozen in place, none daring to attack... not yet.
"I ask, you answer," Matilda stated, lowering her hand.
"Now... Where is the Box?" she demanded coldly, her gaze sweeping over each of them.
"What Box?!" the leader gasped, pushing himself to his feet and wiping the blood from his lips.
"We haven't seen any Box, Empress," he added, his voice regaining a semblance of composure.
Matilda raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" A smirk played on her lips.
"You won't mind if I kill everyone in there, right?" she asked, her tone chillingly casual.
"You?!" The leader was stunned into silence for a moment, then exhaled slowly.
"We are bandits, I understand you'll think we stole it... But we didn't. Besides, are we that stupid to go against you?" he challenged, meeting her gaze squarely.
'He has a point, these weaklings won't dare go against me, but the location is exactly on this settlement,' Matilda mused, then spoke aloud:
"I don't mind destroying this planet... I will give you another chance."
BOOM!!
The four, and every single soul within the settlement, instinctively craned their necks skyward. Their eyes widened in pure horror as vortexes began to tear open in the fabric of space. Before their very eyes, ten colossal Warships and more than 100 Battleships roared forth.
"Where is the Box?" Matilda asked coldly, as her troops, clad in formidable armor, began to leap down from the Warships, landing heavily on the ground with resounding thuds.
The soldiers, their weapons drawn and aimed with precision, began to advance on the four. In less than a minute, the entire settlement was surrounded, a ring of steely determination.
The leader's gaze darted around the overwhelming display of force. These were elite troops, every one of them, their equipment gleaming. He exhaled slowly.
'That Box must really be valuable to her... The soldiers are the elites of the Star Empire... More than 100 soldiers, any one of them is stronger than five of my soldiers.' he thought, then looked at the three behind him, giving them a subtle signal. He then spoke aloud:
"Empress, we already said it, we don't know anything about a box... Maybe it's in this planet."
"Maybe."
Matilda replied, her gaze sweeping over their surroundings, taking in every detail. "Go on, Baby," she added softly, a command directed at the towering tiger.
The tiger lowered its massive head, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. Its gaze then fixed, with unerring accuracy, on Jinx, specifically on the cloak she was still wearing.
'SHIT!'
That single, desperate thought consumed Jinx's mind as Matilda's lips curved into a dangerous smirk.
"So cunning..." she murmured, her troops simultaneously placing their fingers on their triggers, awaiting her command.
"I see we can't negotiate."
The leader sighed, then tapped the air, activating his spatial storage. At his action, the troops and battleships instantly swiveled their weapons, aiming directly at him.
"Now!!"
He roared, simultaneously pulling out a direct teleporter. The three behind him mirrored his action, and in a synchronized movement, they all destroyed their crystals.
"....?!!!"