" Gore! You're insane!"
"Are you kidding me? Do you know what you're doing?"
" Dorok Monk Soldier! How dare you collude with the Dorok!"
Gore's actions undoubtedly shocked everyone, including Haideng, whose face turned ashen.
He had a fairly good personal relationship with this senior member of the International Confederation of Wizards. In his impression, Gore was a shrewd businessman and a local tyrant who knew how to scheme.
Even though Nausicaä had warned him, he still couldn't believe that Gore harbored such enormous ambitions that he dared to openly oppose Pejite and even the representatives of the various countries present!
Gore completely dropped his gentle facade. Faced with Haideng's shocked and angry gaze, he not only didn't explain, but instead shouted at him first.
" Haideng, stop making that face! Do you think you got to where you are today purely through hard work and talent? Without the favor and exceptional promotion of old King Pejite, you, a commoner, are nothing!"
The old man's face was contorted with rage; he longed to unleash all the resentment he had accumulated over the years.
"Just like me! No matter how much effort I put into Pejite, no matter how many connections I pull, or how many gifts I give, that old Deus —and those Pejite nobles—just won't let me be transferred back to the capital!"
They just want me to stay in this mine forever, to be their watchdog and cash cow!
You don't understand anything at all!
Nearby, Asbel was enraged by Gore's remarks.
The young prince, his blood boiling, stood up despite Haideng's attempts to pull him back and retorted, "Shut up! How can scum like you compare to Haideng? Even if you arrest us, the Pejite people won't listen to you!"
"Hehehe----Naive."
Gore turned to Asbel and chuckled.
" The Pejite are nothing but a herd of cattle accustomed to burying their heads in work. When did they ever agree to be ruled? Muhadi, Luke, Baza, Seyid —do I need to continue reading?"
With each name Gore called out, Haideng's face grew paler.
These names encompass a number of the most powerful senior members of the Commercial Federation, controlling key industries such as grain, smelting, and transportation imports.
If these merchants were to collectively turn against us, it wouldn't just be a matter of cutting off Pejite's resource supply; they also have a large number of private soldiers and weapons, the exact number of which is unknown even to the royal family!
In addition, Gore mentioned powerful figures within the Pejite Explorers' Association.
Things were developing much more seriously and much faster than he had anticipated. He had only agreed to Nausicaä's cooperation proposal yesterday, but it was already too late.
Seeing that Gore was clearly no joke, and that he had even colluded with the Dorok, some of the representatives from various countries began to waver.
"Representatives Go and Gore —is there some misunderstanding? We've always had a good relationship with the Mining Town— "
"Yes, Lord Gore, we will not interfere in this matter. Could you please allow us to leave first?"
"I swear on the name of my family that I will never reveal a single word of what happened today!"
Most of the representatives were just elders or envoys, and there was no need for them to risk their lives here.
Gore reveled in the thrill of controlling the lives and deaths of others; he no longer had to pretend to be a "successful businessman" or a "diligent mayor."
"Alright." He raised his hand, interrupting the noise, and pointed at Nausicaä and Asbel.
"Leave these two alive. As for the rest—those who know things they shouldn't know—I'm sorry, you will all die."
He casually issued the order to massacre.
The monk soldiers moved at the command, their fingers tightening on the triggers, raising their patterned bayonets, and the meeting room instantly filled with murderous intent.
Nausicaä and Asbel will become his puppets in controlling the Valley of the Wind and Pejite.
As long as the news doesn't leak out, he can easily make up a story—for example, that the Dorok suddenly attacked the venue, and that he, Gore, "risked his life" to save two important figures, while the other unfortunate victims would naturally be blamed on the Dorok.
He wasn't afraid the two would disobey him; he had plenty of ways to control the two young people, whether it was through drugs, threats, or binding them with interests.
If the plan succeeds, and he absorbs the legacies of Pejite and Pejite, and acquires the technology of the Valley of the Wind, then Gore will become the uncrowned king of the Sea of Corruption nations in the darkness, and may even have the strength to directly challenge the Tolmekia and the Dorok Principalities!
He had practically planned everything.
But one thing was overlooked.
Are all the representatives and their entourage present here truly powerless civil servants?
Obviously, Nausicaä is not.
She reached out and grabbed the wrist of the monk behind her, then leaned forward and executed a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw. The monk screamed and flew through the air, slamming into several of his unsuspecting companions!
Bang!
With a dull thud from the clash of armor, the three warrior monks slammed uncontrollably against the wall, collapsing amidst a shower of wood chips.
Meanwhile, Elphias Doge and Trudeau, who had been holding back their energy for a long time, pounced on the nearest enemy at the same moment Nausicaä made her move.
As an elite Blessed Warrior, Elphias Doge needs no introduction, while Trudeau, though older, remains as agile as ever after becoming Blessed, snatching the rifle from the monk's hand and delivering a single blow.
The battle erupted in the blink of an eye, and the representatives from various countries were so frightened that they ducked and hid under the table.
The well-trained Dorok monks reacted quickly, roaring and swinging their weapons, their bayonets slashing at the blue figure from different angles.
Facing the several flashes of cold light, Nausicaä did not retreat but advanced, crossing her fists in front of her chest before suddenly swinging them forward.
Golden ripples, visible to the naked eye, emanated from his fists, representing highly concentrated shockwaves.
Golden Power Hammer!
The steel blades, which should have easily sliced through a human body, shattered completely in the shockwave, with broken metal fragments flying everywhere. The monks wielding the blades also suffered, their hands split open, their eyes filled with horror.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Only then did the other monks realize that they weren't holding fire pokers, and gunfire suddenly rang out.
However, Nausicaä was no longer in the same spot. She had moved to the side the instant before the shot was fired, and the bullet only shattered her afterimage and a few pieces of her clothing.
This ability has nothing to do with the Golden Order; it is a precognitive ability brought about by her own powerful mental strength.
Dodging the barrage of bullets, she moved like the wind, instantly cutting into the group of monks. Using the fighting techniques taught by Master Yupa, she evaded the blades, threw punches, palm strikes, and elbow strikes—her movements were fluid and graceful.
Don't be fooled by these soldiers' armor; they're facing Nausicaä, a being far beyond human comprehension!
A light punch can easily dent a thick breastplate and injure its internal organs; a casual palm strike can cause the head inside the helmet to vibrate and instantly lose consciousness.
The most terrifying thing is that no one can see Nausicaä's movements clearly; they can only see a blue afterimage moving around the conference room, only pausing at the moment she makes a move.
Wherever the blue light passed, the Dorok monks and soldiers were sent flying backwards like leaves swept up by a whirlwind, collapsing to the ground.
After a few breaths, Nausicaä stopped moving, the hem of her robe slowly drooping down, and she returned to calm.
Elphias Doge and Trudeau also finished off their respective targets, leaving more than a dozen incapacitated monks lying scattered on the ground. Of course, most of them were instantly defeated by Nausicaä.
Unable to accept the sudden reversal of events, Gore stumbled back several steps, his back slamming into the closed doors of the conference hall.
The old man's smugness, arrogance, and confidence froze, then were replaced by incomprehensible horror.
"You—you! You monster!"
" Gore, Gore, surrender now. Your schemes end here," Haideng said, shaking his head as he stood up from behind the table, his tone mocking, as if he hadn't been the one who had frantically pulled Asbel down to avoid stray bullets.
He knew Nausicaä was a formidable fighter, but he hadn't expected her to be this strong.
Fortunately, after meeting her that day, I didn't listen to the advisor's advice and have any ulterior motives.
Haideng felt a surge of relief.
Gore leaned against the cold door, his face pale, but he quickly broke into a mocking smile.
"Hmph—surrender? Do you think this is all I've prepared?"
Realizing something was wrong, Nausicaä moved swiftly, about to step forward and completely subdue Gore.
" Master Kabo! Why aren't you making a move?!"
The moment Gore finished speaking, the whole world seemed to "slow down" in Nausicaä's perception. It wasn't that time slowed down, but rather that her thoughts began to accelerate under the stimulation of the sense of danger.
At the same time, something heavy and viscous, like mercury, flowed out from the side hall.
The thing was invisible and intangible, yet it caused the wallpaper along the way to slightly curl and peel off, and tiny fragments on the ground to rise silently.
Nausicaä quickly realized that it was a mental force attack, almost tangible, powerful enough to kill everyone else present!