Zzz.

The sound from the earpiece was unclear, seemingly interfered by some electronic device. Maggie's swift steps halted as she landed on a tree branch.

She paused to listen carefully, yet couldn't make out what the other side was saying.

Very blurry.

This situation is strange!

The first thing that came to Maggie's mind was that it was likely the monsters were up to some tricks in the dark.

The constantly crackling earpiece was the command center's way to signal her of danger.

Although their military satellites easily exploded for unknown reasons, with several tests failing to clarify the results, the command center has not given up on utilizing modern technology for reconnaissance.

They switched to using drones like Global Hawk and Reaper for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance missions.

This was also why Maggie was previously able to know from which direction the monsters were invading the kingdom.

Maggie grasped the sword hilt, her eyes scanning the surroundings, and said coldly, "Since you're here, why are you still hiding?"

"Hehe, you are really sharp."

A slightly hoarse voice rang out.

The once dense canopy suddenly parted, broken branches and leaves falling to the ground together.

The Human-Faced Lion grimaced and said, "But you got one thing wrong; we weren't hiding, we were just staying here, waiting for you to come to us.

If you were running around randomly, it would consume much of our time."

"Why bother with so much chatter, wouldn't it be better to just take her down directly?"

"Though you say that, you still chose to speak. She's a Treasure User. In the past, when we saw her, we would always have to bow our heads and take detours."

"True, now that we have the chance to flaunt a bit, why not do it?"

Sentence after sentence, Maggie's eyes swept over, spotting at least twenty or thirty monsters appearing from all around.

Did she actually notice something was amiss only when they were so close?

Maggie fell into contemplation.

Once she unleashes a Noble Phantasm, all her bodily attributes, including her senses, would be enhanced.

Like the mystical aura of killing intent.

A martial artist can capture it, and as a Treasure User, she certainly wouldn't overlook it like an ordinary person.

Being approached at such a distance by the enemy, either every single one of these monsters is stronger than her, or some ability was used to cause this.

Specifically which kind she couldn't conclude.

Naraku using the Shikon Jewel turns humans into monsters, with strength levels fluctuating.

There were those like Sanjushi Seiji who became extremely formidable as monsters, and those she had slain before, strong but not exceptionally formidable.

In this group of monsters before her, was there one as troublesome as Sanjushi Seiji?

Maggie dared not harbor any optimistic thoughts in her mind.

The situation has progressed to this point; she needs Aozawa to sense something amiss and come to her aid, which will take some time.

In this period, what she needs to do is break through the encroaching circle of monsters and see if she can get closer to Aozawa.

The Will-o'-the-wisp Ability is very suited to dealing with such scenes of being mobbed by monsters.

Of course, this is under the premise that she's able to fight her way out.

...

"Why isn't this guy talking?" "Maybe it's because he's afraid of us, scared to the point of not daring to speak."

"What a pity, if I were still human, I'd be able to enjoy life."

"Heh, if you were human, would you even have the qualifications to stand here?"

The Human-Faced Lion mocked.

If they were human, how could they possibly stand in front of such a stunningly beautiful Treasure User?

In their former status, encountering her would be an event using up all their luck for the rest of their lives in a single day.

"Alright, with all that unnecessary talk out of the way, let's quickly finish her. We still need to take down another one."

The monster shaped like a lizard spoke, its six pairs of compound eyes a pale gold, somewhat resembling the pupils of a Western Dragon, its tail lightly sweeping the ground.

It stared at Maggie as if looking at a lump of walking meat, without a shred of emotion.

...

The atmosphere at the scene grew increasingly tense.

The Human-Faced Lion and Lizard Demon were in no rush to make a move.

A swarm of thirty-six monsters attacking at once wouldn't enhance their power. Instead, it might weaken it.

The narrow space couldn't accommodate so many monsters crammed together; it'd be more suitable to spread out and charge.

Malicious glances were cast from the surroundings. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Maggie felt the heavy psychological pressure, the monsters' gazes like viscous poison clinging to the skin's surface. Just one small flaw, and they could penetrate and cause death!

Ssss, the air she inhaled was cold, her eyes narrowing, her mind not crushed by this sense of hopelessness but spinning faster.

Although they said to act, not a single monster chose to move.

The attack must come from outside their line of sight!

Maggie glanced at the monsters, noticing some of their gazes pointed down the trees, below?

She didn't hesitate much; in such tense moments, decisiveness is necessary.

The Sword of Promised Victory suddenly burst with golden light. As the sword flashed, the connections between branches and trunk were cleaved by the sharp light, slicing even the large tree diagonally.

"Ah!"

A sharp scream echoed as purple blood sprayed from the trunk's opening.

Maggie did not jump off the branch, choosing instead to stay on it.

She knew very well, at this time, leaping into the air would expose herself as a target to the monsters' eyes, making them think she's fearful.

Better to stay motionless than to move.

What Maggie wanted at this moment was to show her strength, instilling caution in the varied-minded monsters, causing them to hesitate over who should strike first.