Gaia's home was more than just a lake surrounded by a thick fog...
In truth, this same lake was the very first lake that was naturally formed with Spiritual Energy way back then. It is this very lake that springs forth astonishing life energy within this little valley, creating this tiny yet peaceful place where anyone could relax and feel their souls cleansed from all troubles.
Gaia chose to stay here because she likes it here, at the same time, she's also guarding this place since raw Spiritual Energy is abundant in here that many would covet.
This little lake is one of the few remaining natural treasure bowls left of this world, and being the collective consciousness of this world and nature itself, Gaia felt responsible for keeping this place safe.
And today, there's even more reason for her to guard this place closely...
At the bottom of the lake, there is a circular disk that spun in an erratic manner. It released a gentle and ancient golden light that pulsed every now and then...
This is the Beyonder's Astrolabe, active and serving its purpose.
After signing the NDA, both Gaia and Felicia bore a seal on their tongue which prevents them from revealing information about this without Ashton's permission. In exchange for their silence, however, was a great opportunity for Humanity to rise up.
The activation of the Beyonder's Astrolabe didn't cause too much fuss. There were no over-the-top flashing lights or any violent reaction that alarmed the entire metropolis.
Instead, it was gentle and subtle. A soft fluctuation covered the entire metropolis silently, protecting them from prying eyes now and in the foreseeable future.
Both Gaia and Felicia doubted if it was working as intended since they too were expecting something big to happen but there was none. Yet after a few tests, they both found out that the obstruction was there.
As long as Ashton wants it, he can even suppress Felicia's ability to see the future of someone. Her being an Oracle meant nothing in front of this Transcendent Artifact.
Knowing this, both Gaia and Felicia were relieved from the bottom of their hearts. With this artifact in effect, they will no longer have to worry about the unwanted attention of the invaders.
From now on, things will change. Ashton says so too. He hadn't explained anything to them yet but both of them knew that Ashton has ideas to improve the situation himself.
At this point, neither Gaia nor Felicia doubted Ashton's allegiance. Just letting them use this kind of artifact alone was enough for them to thank him for generations.
Due to the NDA's effect, they can't disclose any information about him without his permission, which meant that they can't tell anyone that an artifact like this was present and is taking effect.
Even so, it's fine. They have time for now.
After installing the Beyonder's Astrolabe and handing it to Gaia for safekeeping, Ashton left and was planning to return home. He had other matters to attend to so he can't stay.
Unfortunately, his return trip didn't go smoothly.
"I'm very sorry, Sir! It's been reported that there were a bunch of Skydemons sighted not too far from here. All transportation connected to that area is suspended to ensure everyone's safety."
"We're very sorry for this inconvenience, please accept this stub. This will give you accommodations in hotels near this place. As we're not aware of how long the delay would be, this is the best we can do for now. Once again, we're sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding."
His trip was delayed because of Skydemons. It was mildly annoying since he told Aria that he'll return as fast as he could but this happened.
Don't get him wrong though, this inconvenience wasn't enough to stop him at all.
Skydemons? So what? Those little pests are not enough to bar his way at all. He had slain real demons before, there was no way fake ones could faze him.
Ashton went into a corner and used all of his spells that minimized his presence. At this point, this is no different from him vanishing from the face of the earth.
He tested it for a bit and noticed that nobody could see him. Even when he's breathing down someone's neck, no one noticed him.
After confirming that he was good, he easily went past the barricade and walked back home.
On the way there, he could see some zones of corruption which displeased him but nothing he couldn't deal with though. He would cast Purify on each one he encounters along the way to help with the cleanup.
Boom!
Ashton's head sharply turned towards the sound of the explosion. Just in time to see a whole skyscraper being blown out into smithereens. His eyes narrowed as he flew straight there.
When he arrived, he saw a couple of injured people lying on the cold pavement unconscious. He also saw several groups fighting the Skydemons that raided this place.
Ashton looked around to see the devastation of his surroundings and his mood instantly dropped.
Bridges were broken, several buildings were destroyed, and demonic corruption ran rampant everywhere. There were people injured and crying for help, civilians and cultivators alike.
The Skydemons were like rabid dogs, they wantonly attacked and destroyed as they pleased. They didn't care, nor they were aware of what they were doing. They just did what felt natural to them and Ashton hated it.
But what really brought his mood down was the fact that the responders to this attack were weak. Awfully weak!
They needed an entire squad consisting of four to five people to deal with a Skydemon. Their cultivation ranks weren't that far from his too!
Well, using himself as a standard might not be fair since he's just built differently but still, this was awful.
Not only were they failing to contain the damage, but they were also failing in their duty to protect the citizens. He could even see some deliberately using civilians to save themselves from harm which infuriated him.
It was such a disappointing sight. It was clear from his perspective that these people were waiting for reinforcements too, which doesn't make sense to him. There were enough people here! They can totally take all Skydemons here on their own! Why wait for reinforcements?
The longer he watched, the more disappointed he became. It then came to a point where he can no longer watch, he has to do something.
Ashton dropped some of his obscuring spells, allowing himself to be visible enough but not outright revealing his identity.
Everyone saw him dropping down from the sky, startling them greatly.
Some people were about to warn him to be careful but his next move stunned all of them to speechlessness.
"Smite!" He uttered.
From beyond the clouds, thin golden bolts flashed down to smite every single Skydemons there was in the area.
Smite is one of the advanced offensive spells available to White Mages. Anyone who at least had some knowledge about magic could easily recognize this.
This single spell alone was enough to kill all ten Skydemons in here. They didn't even manage to touch the hem of his robes at all. They were killed before they knew what killed them.
Everyone was speechless as they stared at the mystery man with a face obscured by a layer of fog.
After killing the Skydemons, Ashton raised his hand to cast a wide-ranged Purify which cleansed everything within 5 kilometers around him off of corruption and he still wasn't done.
While he's at it, he also used a healing spell for everyone that was injured here. Everyone who had at least a single breath remaining in them was healed to their peak state in a matter of mere seconds.
All cultivators stared wide-eyed at this man. They couldn't believe that a White Mage was the one who rescued them! A very powerful White Mage that eliminated all of their enemies with just a single spell!
Moreover, that potent healing power was something unheard of! At that range too! He did all by himself things that many of them were unable to do!
This man, could he be a legendary saint?
Said man though turned around to look at them. Nobody needs to see his face in order to tell his mood. For some reason, all cultivators here understood his body language.
Their guesses were confirmed when Ashton suddenly said this:
"If it were me, I'll have all of your licenses revoked." His voice was cold and strict. "You all were sent here to minimize the damage, not spread it. Yet you guys are so useless to even do such a simple thing. The money the Federation spends to pay you all is wasted."
"Go home and be better."
As soon as he said his piece, Ashton disappeared from their vision, leaving everyone shocked and unable to refute him at all.
Unbeknownst to Ashton nor all of the cultivators around, someone from the civilians managed to catch all of that and recorded it using his smartwatch.
This person would then upload this anonymously on the internet and it will become the hottest topic of tomorrow and the rest of the week even...
