Ka-bo~om! It didn't take long for a massive explosion to devastate the entire gate of the military base, sending shockwaves through the vicinity. As the abrupt explosion shook the base, a loud roar reverberated over a great distance, smashing windows and rousing the sleeping soldiers from their sleep.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The soldiers quickly scrambled to their feet, grabbing their weapons and rushing towards the source of the explosion. Adrenaline surged through their veins as they prepared to defend their base and engage in combat with the unknown assailants.

A gaping hole has opened up in the once-secure entrance as a consequence of the explosion blowing the gates off their hinges. Those who dared approach were enveloped by the smoke issuing from the structure.The ground shook beneath the soldiers' feet as they scrambled to assess the damage and prepare for potential threats.

In the smoke and flames, the soldiers could hear the muffled cries and shouts of their allies, adding to the chaos and confusion. The acrid smell of burning wood and metal filled the air, making it difficult to breathe.

"Hey, did you hear that? "

One soldier shouted to his comrade, straining to hear over the din. The other soldier nodded, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. The sound they heard was footsteps on the debris-strewn ground, echoing through the smoke and growing louder and closer with each passing second. The soldiers strained their ears, preparing themselves for whatever or whoever was approaching through the haze.

From the billowing smoke and roaring flames emerged a woman, her lilac hair gathered in a ponytail and shining in the moonlight. She wore nothing but a sarashi wrapped around her bountiful chest, her shapely legs clad in a purple hakama with a white snake pattern on their sides. Her feet were covered in socks and Waraji slippers.

Instead of being mesmerized by her beauty and acting with chivalry, the soldiers shuddered in fear and hurriedly pointed their aether wands at her while their hands trembled. If you looked closely, you could see that the men were even shaking in their boots and that they were drenched in icy sweat.

“W-w-who are you!?“

One of the troops stammered out of fear, his voice shaking with fright in his throat.

"Reiko."

The woman, Reiko, answered plainly without any hint of emotion. Her voice was calm and steady, contrasting with the trembling soldiers before her. The air around her seemed to grow colder, as if a chilling presence had enveloped the entire area.

That was because she wasn’t a damsel in distress hoping for a knight in shining armor to come to her aid, but Reiko, the perpetrator behind the recent attack. Two odachi, a sizable single-edged greatsword she carried with ease in each of her delicate hands, served as additional confirmation. The goblin mommy's eager gaze and confident stance further solidified the notion that she was not to be underestimated.

Not even the Weapon Research and Development Department’s pride, the Aether Wands, could ease the fear gripping their hearts. The dense Ki emanating from her was just out of this world; it couldn’t even compare to what a human master—those with Level 5 Ki manipulation—could manage. Emphasis on humans.

For all the Principality’s preachings of human supremacy and whatnot, their discrimination of the other races stems from only one thing: fear. They were afraid of the power and potential of beings like her who possessed abilities beyond theirs.

Aether folk, such as elves and dwarves, were obviously naturally attuned to Aether. Their connection to the blessed energy allowed them to tap into it effortlessly, granting them access to the aetheric arts. This innate bond with the aether made them formidable opponents, especially when it came to harnessing its raw power in combat or the arts.

On the other hand, there were the Miasma folk, or just demons for short. Their case was similar to that of the Aether folk, though it was Miasma for them. The Miasma folk had an inherent affinity for Miasma, a dark and corruptive energy. This connection enabled them to manipulate and channel the miasma to their advantage, unleashing devastating spells and curses upon their enemies.

And lastly, the spirit folk were the descendants of elemental spirits who wished to obtain bodies made of flesh and blood. With their ancestry, the spirit folk had bodies capable of using mana. Mana was a vital energy source that allowed them to harness the elements and perform powerful sorcery.

Of the spirit folk, there was one race that had bodies so adaptable to all elements of mana, even aether and miasma. That is goblins.

Goblins were found in various environments, including forests, mountains, volcanoes, and oceans. Wood goblins, mud goblins, poison goblins, cave goblins, rock goblins, vulcan goblins, and Sahuagins were common. Avian goblins also existed in the sky, although they are now extinct on the Western Floating Continent due to the Principality. Imps, on the other hand, a goblin tainted with Miasma and with wings, thrive in the Miasma Continent.

And Reiko was a former "human" reincarnated as a goblin. Earth's advanced knowledge of physiology made it even easier for Reiko to manipulate Ki in her body. To top it off, from animes, mangas, and light novels, Reiko had gotten the idea to reconstruct her internal body structure to be able to circulate and store absurd amounts of ki.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Reiko's overwhelming amount of ki did not make her complacent to the threat of the aether wands wielded by the principality soldiers. Her sharp instincts warned her of the danger those wands posed. And seeing the wands in the soldier’s hands made her realize something.

Wait, I thought ether was supposed to be hard to control and acquire for humans, especially? Like, you need a god's blessing or something to be able to use it?

"Hm... I wonder if that's why they have those wands? Like, are they like remote controls or something?"

As she thought about this problem, Reiko's head cocked in a lovely way. The answer to that was in the report given to her, but Reiko was too preoccupied with the aether artist in this base to notice.

Even though she was standing there like a sitting duck, the troops were too terrified to act.

Oopsies! I can't let myself be distracted, now can I? Although the wielders are weak, the wands on their hands could hurt me. fufufu~

Reiko felt a momentary lapse in concentration, but she quickly refocused, determined not to underestimate the power of the wands. Though the soldiers were weaker than her, she knew they were still capable of inflicting harm with their wands.

Changing her stance to a battle-ready position, Reiko tightened her grip on her weapons, preparing to defend herself or evade any potential attacks. She knew that she couldn't afford to let her guard down, especially with the soldiers' wands in play.

"Blazing Serpent Arts, Snake Fangs!"

She cried out, activating her fire enchantment art. The odachis was immediately enveloped in flames, its appearance changing to that of a humongous, blazing saw in the shape of a sword. Each of its teeth was shaped like a snake's fangs.

The sudden movement made the surrounding soldiers flinch, their eyes widening with a mix of surprise and caution. They knew they were facing a formidable opponent with an absurd amount of ki and, at the same time, understood the potential danger of their wands. The tension in the air grew palpable as both sides braced themselves for what was about to unfold.

"Blazing Serpent Arts: Vengeance of the Deceived!"

She shouted as she swung her odachis with precision and speed. In an aggressive opening move, she attacked them with the two flaming odachis without leaving her spot. The blades sliced through the air, leaving trails of flame in their wake. Initially, they thought that the massive blades would only spew fire, but when the blazing blades extended like snakes pursuing prey, their eyes widened.

"Holy Barrier Arts: Blessed Sanctuary!"

The soldiers hurriedly chanted in unison, their wands creating a complex magic circle with a pale golden light. A shimmering dome materialized around them, protecting them from the flaming bladed onslaught.

The flaming serpent slid across the barrier, constricting it like the victim of a deceitful man who wrapped itself around a bell in the form of a snake. Reiko intended to burn the soldiers inside; however, the barrier held strong, nullifying the flames and preventing any harm from reaching the soldiers.

When Reiko yanked her odachis back, its teeth sawed off the barrier, but to no effect.

Witnessing the outcome of the clash, the soldiers from the principality breathed a collective sigh of relief as they realized their defenses had held against the unexpected attack.

“Witness the might of the Principality’s Aether Wands!"

The soldiers arrogantly exclaimed, raising their aether wands in a display of power. With renewed confidence, they stood tall, acting high and mighty. They believed that their advanced weaponry would easily overpower any further attempts by Reiko to breach their defenses. .

On the other hand, Reiko smiled like a hunter, as a prey worthy of her skills had just presented itself. With a glint of excitement in her eyes, she swiftly assessed the situation, calculating her next move.

Gosh, their barriers are like straight-up impenetrable! I mean, this mommy ain't even using my combat skills other than Ki-manipulation, but that attack I just pulled out was, like, packed with mad Ki, you know?

Deciding on her next move, Reiko changed the form of the Sly Fox from an odachi for manslaughter to a katana with a much thinner blade than normal. The contrast between the two weapons was stark, yet Reiko knew that the katana's precision and agility would be her best bet against their impenetrable barriers.

"Lightning Wolf Arts, Breath of the God-Beast."

She whispered next, converting the Ki circulating inside her body into electricity, increasing her speed and reflexes exponentially. Holding the blade above her eyeline with both of her hands in a straight line, Reiko took a deep breath and focused her energy. The electric blue aura enveloped her, crackling with power as she prepared to strike with the deadly precision of the katana.

"Wind Weasel Arts, Winds of Opportunity."

Chanting another Art softly, she negated air resistance to allow herself to move with incredible agility and swiftness.

"Blazing Serpent Arts, Ascension of the Fire Dragon"

Lastly, Reiko endowed herself with the fiery energy of the Blazing Serpent Arts and channeled it into her back to form flame-like wings.

"Stupid woman," one of the soldiers snickered to themselves, "thinking she can defeat the great principality of Thawanon's prided Aether Wands with her flashy tricks and fancy weapons."

This was the general consensus among the troops, who did little to obstruct her. After Reiko's first attempt was foiled, the troops developed a sense of arrogance. They began to believe that no matter how many buffs she cast on herself, their Holy Barrier Arts: Blessed Sanctuary, which uses aether, would still be able to withstand her attacks, which use only Ki.

Aether and Ki were fundamentally different in nature. Ki, which Reiko had mastered, focused on strengthening the body and could only manipulate the elements to a limited degree. Aether, on the other hand, granted greater control over the elements themselves, though not to the same extent as Mana.

But they were wrong.

"Lightning Wolf Arts, Vanishing Lightning Beast"

As she finally made her move, Reiko's body sped past like a bullet, leaving a trail of flames and crackling electricity in her wake.

"Lightning Wolf Arts, Piercing Thunder Strike"

Before the moment of impact, Reiko murmured another Art to ensure the complete destruction of the soldier's barrier.

RUMBLE-CRACK! As soon as her katana made contact with the barrier, a sound like lightning hitting a metal object reverberated through the air.

CRICK! CRACK-CRACK- CRACK! SHATTER! At first, it seemed as though the barrier had held strong against Reiko's attack, but then a hairline fracture appeared, spreading rapidly across its surface. The soldiers' eyes widened in disbelief as the barrier eventually shattered into countless shards, leaving them defenseless.

"Impossible! How did she manage to break through our strongest defense?"

One soldier exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment. The other soldiers stood in stunned silence, realizing that their only line of protection had been completely destroyed by Reiko's sheer power.

However, Reiko's senses picked up on something. Using her keen senses, she searched for where it was coming from and soon spotted a building in the distance.

According to what she remembered from the bits and pieces she heard in the strategy meeting—Reiko was just physically present, but she was using "Role-Play" to sleep while pretending to be awake—the building was the soldier's power source.

Nah, my sweet little girl can totally handle that on her own! Abyss-chan is already a big girl, so this mommy can just have some fun with a good old fight.

This was the irresponsible thought that crossed Reiko's mind as she shifted her eyes back to the soldiers.