CHAPTER 303: RETREAT UNDER WATCH

The four heroes stood in formation. Their eyes locked onto Nyxa.

"She’s not moving," said the one in silver-blue armor.

"Doesn’t matter," said the wind user. "We still don’t know what she’s planning."

"Be ready," the leader said calmly.

"She’s one of the Brood’s top officers. If she attacks, we fall back."

The one with the scanner device rechecked his feed. "Her threads are active. They’re moving."

The bulky armored hero stepped forward slightly and raised his arms.

A faint glow formed around him.

[Fortress Pulse] activated, and a soft energy shield spread over the squad.

Nyxa stayed still, watching them. Her violet eyes flicked from one to the next.

Thin threads slid across her fingers, twitching like small webs.

"They’re elite," she thought, "but not true upper-class."

She moved her hand slightly, and several of her threads floated into the air.

"If they were true enforcers, I’d leave. But these... I can handle."

The leader gave a hand signal.

"We’re retreating," she said.

"What?" asked the scout. "Now?"

"She’s too calm," the leader said.

"This was never a fight we needed to win. We’re here to scout, not die."

The wind user nodded. "Fine. Cover me."

He stepped back, readying [Silent Current] to move without sound.

Nyxa’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"They’re going to try to run."

Her fingers twitched again.

The threads around her wrist glowed red for a moment.

The tech hero opened a comm link. "Requesting extraction point. Sending coordinates."

The leader looked to the armored one. "Hold position."

"Locked in," he said, activating [Anchor Lock].

His feet slammed into the ground, glowing runes locking him in place.

The scanner activated [Signal Scramble], sending a pulse that distorted Nyxa’s tracking for a few seconds.

"Go," the leader said.

The wind user vanished in a small gust with [Blink Shear], leaving behind a trail of slicing air to cut Nyxa’s view.

Nyxa tilted her head. "They think I’ll let them go?"

She stepped forward slightly, and from under her coat, four long needle-arms slowly extended.

Thin, sharp, and twitching.

The leader raised her hand and activated [Frozen Directive].

A large, slowing field spread across the area, trying to hold back Nyxa’s threads.

But the threads danced just outside the edge.

Nyxa stopped moving.

"They want to escape. That’s fine."

She raised her left hand.

The threads curved up like claws.

"I’ll kill at least one before they go."

The scanner hero turned and shouted, "She’s targeting us!"

"Eyes forward!" the leader shouted. "Don’t break focus!"

They kept running.

Nyxa aimed one thread forward.

But just before it launched, something subtle tugged at her sensors.

A new signal.

A presence.

Her head turned slightly.

"...Someone else?"

She paused.

The heroes kept running.

And Nyxa, instead of chasing, retracted her threads slowly.

"Change of plans," she whispered. "Let’s wait and see who joins next."

She stayed still, hidden among the rocks and shadows.

Minutes passed.

Nothing.

Nyxa frowned.

"...Strange."

She lowered her head slightly, one hand touching the ground.

A few thin threads sank into the stone as she searched for ether signatures.

Nothing.

"Maybe... someone survived but died after."

She stood up again and looked over the smoking ruins.

"A place with this much heat... if they didn’t escape early, they’re gone now."

She turned away from the ruined base.

"It’s enough," she said quietly. "I’ve gathered plenty."

As she walked, her threads connected to one of her drones, downloading stored images and scans from the base.

"Conclusion: The Hero Association did this," she whispered. "Fast. Clean. Loud."

She looked up at the dark sky above.

"This was more than just a cleanup."

"It’s a message."

"They’re saying... they can erase anyone. Even full cults. Without warning."

She stopped near the edge of the cliff and stared into the distance.

"A move like this..."

She closed her eyes for a moment.

"...means war is coming."

Her drones faded into stealth mode.

And with no more words, the Web Mistress vanished into the black.

---

The four heroes kept moving through the rocky trail until far from the ruined base.

The wind user slowed down first. "I think... we’re clear."

The leader turned and checked behind them.

No signs of pursuit. No threads in the air.

"Good. She didn’t follow."

The armored one stopped and dropped into a resting stance. "That was too close."

The scanner pulled out a device and tapped a few times.

"No signs of the Web Mistress behind us. Drones show clear zone."

They all took a moment to breathe.

"We escaped," the leader said. "That’s what matters."

The wind user let out a breath. "Yeah. Barely."

Then the scanner spoke again. "We need to report. Right now."

The leader nodded and opened a comm line.

Hextor’s face appeared on the screen, hard and sharp as always.

"This is Recon Unit 4," she said. "We’ve finished the scan."

Hextor looked at them. "What did you find?"

"The base is completely destroyed," she said.

"No signs of survivors. Structure was self-detonated."

Hextor raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"We saw someone there," the scanner said. "A top-level Beastkin."

The wind user stepped forward. "It was her. The Web Mistress. Nyxa Valmire."

Hextor didn’t speak right away. He waited for them to continue.

"She didn’t attack us," the leader said. "But she saw us. Watched everything."

"She was collecting data too," the scanner added.

"We believe the Beastkin Brood was responsible for the destruction," the leader continued.

"At least, that’s what they want us to think."

"Why?" Hextor asked.

"Because she let us go," the leader said.

"As if she wanted us to report it. Like she was saying, ’Yes, we destroyed it.’"

The armored one crossed his arms.

"They want us to know they’re strong enough to erase an entire cult. Just like that."

Hextor’s eyes narrowed.

"They’re sending a message," the leader said.

"That they can stand against the Hero Association."

There was silence for a moment.

Then Hextor finally spoke.

"Understood. Send me all the data. Scans, images, heat maps, all of it."

"Uploading now," the scanner said, tapping his wrist device.

Hextor looked off-screen for a moment as the files were transferred, then back at them.

"If this is true... if the Brood is making moves this bold..."

The wind user said what they were all thinking. "Then war’s coming."

Hextor nodded slowly. "Prepare yourselves. This isn’t over."

He ended the call.

The four heroes stood in silence for a moment.

"Do you really think the Beastkin destroyed the base?" the armored one asked.

The leader looked back toward the smoke in the distance.

"I don’t know," she said. "But whatever happened there... it changed something."

She turned and walked forward.

"Let’s go. We need to be ready for what comes next."