Chapter : 711

Princess Iris raised her silver rapier high into the air. The holy white light from her purification shard shined brilliantly. She looked at her elite vanguard. She looked at her unified team. They were the underdog faction. Everyone in the capital city thought they were weak. But they were currently dismantling a legendary, toxic nightmare.

"Do not stop!" Princess Iris commanded smoothly. Her voice rang with clear, undeniably strong leadership. "The monster is down! Keep the pressure on! We have the advantage!"

"I am going for the other leg!" Naomi shouted bravely. She tightened her grip on her silver daggers. She prepared to dash forward again.

"I will push it again if it tries to stand!" Luna offered. She gathered more wind magic into her hands.

"I will reinforce the glass!" Zinia yelled. She stomped her boots. She sent more earth magic into the trench walls to keep them solid.

The 13th Unit worked in harmony. They moved together like a flawless, well-oiled machine. They covered each other's blind spots. They communicated perfectly.

Gargantua stumbled again inside the trench. It tried to push itself up with its massive left arm. Its steel hand slipped on the smooth glass. The beast slammed its faceless head against the side of the hole. More toxic green sludge spilled onto the floor, but it could not reach the girls.

For a brief, shining moment, it looked like they were actually winning. They broke the ultimate defense system of the secret laboratory. They brought the giant titan to its knees.

Ken slouched on his concrete rock. He pulled out another piece of candy. He watched his friends coordinate their attacks. He felt relaxed. The 13th Unit was pushing harder. They were striking the exposed joints. The monster was staggering. The fight was turning in their favor, and the lazy slacker did not have to lift a single finger to help them win.

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Three mysterious figures stood in total silence. They stood high above the ruined underground laboratory. They hid inside a secret observation deck. The deck had a massive glass window. A thick layer of toxic grime covered the glass. The grime hid them from the room below.

The figures wore long, dark cloaks. The cloaks absorbed the flashing red emergency lights. They wore smooth, featureless white masks over their faces. They did not have any names. They did not have any visible weapons. They just stood perfectly still. They watched the chaos unfolding on the laboratory floor.

They did not speak out loud. They used a highly secure telepathic network to communicate. They shared their thoughts directly into each other's minds.

The Emperor had issued a mandatory expedition. He ordered the Top 10 Imperial Units to the 5 Wastelands. But the 5 Wastelands was not just a single poison swamp. The disaster area covered a massive portion of the continent. It was divided into five distinct, highly toxic sectors. Each sector contained a hidden underground laboratory. Each laboratory contained its own ultimate defense system.

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The mysterious figures were tasked with a very specific mission. They needed to observe the Royal candidates. They needed to evaluate their combat abilities. They needed to record their tactical choices.

The lead figure raised a gloved hand. He waved his fingers in the cold air.

Five large digital screens materialized in the darkness of the observation deck. The screens floated in mid-air. They glowed with a soft blue light. The screens displayed live video feeds from all five toxic sectors.

The figures looked at the first screen. It showed Sector Alpha.

The 1st Prince, Zeus Belmontia, stood in the center of a frozen laboratory. The temperature was far below zero. A giant mechanical bird circled the ceiling. The bird had razor-sharp steel wings. It fired shards of pure ice. Zeus did not dodge. He did not run for cover. He simply raised his hand. He fired a massive, blinding bolt of yellow lightning. The electricity struck the metal bird. The monster exploded into a shower of sparks and shattered ice. Zeus destroyed the entire room in the process.

The lead figure typed rapidly on a floating magical keyboard. He recorded the data. He noted that Zeus possessed absolute, overwhelming power. But he also noted that Zeus lacked any concern for collateral damage. Zeus was a brute force weapon.

The figures looked at the second screen. It showed Sector Beta.

The 2nd Princess, Hera Belmontia, walked through a laboratory filled with toxic purple gas. A giant, mutated spider dropped from the ceiling. The spider had eight glowing green eyes. It hissed loudly. Hera did not even draw a weapon. She simply raised her delicate hand. She used her Regal Gravity magic. A massive, invisible force slammed onto the spider. The giant bug was crushed flat against the floorboards. Hera smoothed her pristine white silk dress and walked away.

The second figure typed a note. He recorded Hera's supreme spatial control. She was highly efficient. She did not waste a single drop of mana.

The figures checked the third screen. It showed Sector Gamma.

The 9th Prince, Hephaestus, fought inside a massive factory. A pack of mutated, radioactive wolves surrounded his unit. Hephaestus did not use magic. He deployed a swarm of tiny, explosive mechanical drones. The drones beeped loudly. They flew toward the wolves and detonated. The explosions cleared the room . Hephaestus wiped grease from his forehead and kept walking.

The figures checked the fourth screen. It showed Sector Delta.

Princess Hestia stood in the background of a swampy laboratory. She complained very loudly about her expensive shoes getting dirty. Her elite Vanguard unit did all the fighting. They chopped down a giant, acid-spitting plant monster. Hestia did not cast a single spell. She just yelled at her servants to work faster.

The figures recorded her laziness. They marked her as a massive failure.

Finally, the figures turned their full attention to the fifth screen. It showed Sector Omega. It showed the very room located directly beneath their observation deck.

They looked down through the grimy glass window. They watched the 13th Unit.

The 13th Unit was a complete statistical anomaly. They were the underdog faction. They had the least funding. They had the youngest members. They were supposed to die in the toxic mist. But they were currently dismantling the most dangerous monster in the entire region.

The figures watched Gargantua slip and slide inside the deep glass trench. The Solurius Behemoth was trapped.

Princess Iris stood at the front of her team. She raised her silver rapier. The holy white light from her purification shard pushed the toxic green radiation away. She directed her team with flawless leadership. She did not panic. She did not act arrogant. She issued calm, precise commands.

Naomi dashed across the ruined floor tiles. Her green wind magic made her fast. She sliced her twin silver daggers into the monster's exposed metal joints. Bright orange sparks flew into the air. Naomi smiled a confident, brave smile. She loved protecting her team.