Release That Succubus



So, they not only called him out for being a weakling but also for being an absolute fool who couldn't endure his weakness for a little while longer in return for the massive rewards that awaited him at the end, owing to his contribution throughout the journey. 

Yet, his lack of endurance turned those contributions into naught, casting a shadow of futility over the efforts he had invested throughout the raid because due to his cowardly actions the leader's recollection whenever he thought of the sensory mage would be singular now. He would only remember how the sensory mage had to retreat just as the battle was on the cusp of its climax.

As events unfolded, it became evident that the fervent followers of Hogan were indeed correct in their assessment as the battle was truly rapidly nearing its culmination. 

In a surprising turn of events, not even half an hour had elapsed before the grand mansion belonging to the Smith family emerged into view from a distance.

Even though not a single person was in sight, the defenses of the mansion were not to be trifled with. The automatic weapons installed around the perimeter were given eyes by the smart surveillance system that acted as the processing system for all the footage being captured by the cameras. The weapons attacked anything and anyone that didn't have permission to access the Smith family residence.

The Smith family estate was fortified with concentric layers of intricate defense mechanisms, a complex arrangement that posed a formidable challenge for anyone lacking the necessary access. Interestingly, the closer the Hunter family forces believed they were to securing victory, the more perilous their situation became.

Considering the sophistication of the defense system, finding a way to bypass it wasn't a viable choice. Consequently, Hogan had no alternative but to resort to a strategy of total annihilation, aiming to dismantle the intricate defenses in a bid to breach the mansion where the remaining members of the Smith family were believed to be concealed.

Through a consistent struggle that drew upon the concerted efforts of every mage accompanying him, Hogan ultimately managed to penetrate the intricate defenses encircling the mansion. Like a conqueror of olden times, he walked into the now defenseless mansion as he looked around in anticipation; a new king surveying his nascent kingdom with excitement and pride.

As Hogan basked in the glow of pride for his remarkable achievement and the seamless execution of his strategy, an unsettling realization abruptly disrupted his triumphant reverie. Amidst his satisfaction, he discerned something glaringly out of place, a detail he couldn't miss out on even if he pretended to ignore it.

The exhilaration that had illuminated his expression dissipated in an instant, replaced by a perplexed demeanor. Despite his accomplishment, Hogan's countenance darkened as he remained unable to uncover any sign of the Smith family members within the mansion's confines. 

A sense of frustration gnawed at Hogan, tainting his tone with irritation that reverberated through his assembled forces, compelling their attention to snap to alertness. 

With a voice that rumbled like distant thunder, he issued his orders in a commanding manner, his words piercing the air with a commanding urgency. 

"Search every crevice of this damn place. Employ whatever means necessary, even if it means that you have to dismantle this place brick by brick. I want the Smith family members found, regardless of whether they are concealed, deceased, or invisible. Leave no stone unturned, even if you have to bring them back from the underworld itself...do it. In the next half hour, I expect them to be in front of me, captured and accounted for...NOW, GO!"

A sense of unease gnawed at Hogan, a stark contrast to the satisfaction he had anticipated. The mansion stood void of life, devoid of the anticipated signs of panic or turmoil. Every corner exuded an eerie tranquility, as if the occupants had departed in haste, leaving behind their possessions as an afterthought. The scene before him defied his expectations, unraveling his carefully constructed assumptions. 

Furthermore, a departure of this magnitude would have undoubtedly set off reverberations within his intelligence network, yet not a single whisper had reached his ears.

The trail of evidence painted a perplexing picture: it seemed that the inhabitants of the island had ceased to exist at a precise juncture. They had forsaken their possessions, dissolving into thin air as if they were mere specters, leaving no trace of their presence behind. Hogan's forces, despite their combined efforts, scoured the mansion to no avail, unable to locate a single soul within its walls. It was as if the very fabric of their existence had been erased, casting a bewildering aura over the deserted mansion that had once teemed with life.

A surge of intense fear gripped Hogan's senses, a cold realization dawning upon him like a creeping shadow. The implications of this enigmatic occurrence bore weight not only for himself but also for the entire Hunter family. As it usually is in such times, Hogan began to anticipate the worst.

He wondered if the mansion was empty because Zach had figured out his scheme from the get-go. It seemed implausible for Zach to have orchestrated the evacuation of so many people from the island in such a clandestine manner provided that he found out about the threat to his people not very long ago. 

But if that was the case, hadn't Hogan unknowingly pushed the Hunter family into the fiery abyss with his own two hands condemning the future generations to Zach's vengeance? 

Based on Zach's actions so far, Hogan knew that Zach wouldn't let go of them for attacking his home in his absence. It would be a significant blow to the Hunter family's power in Byzantium city. 

A slender thread of hope still lingered, offering a potential lifeline for the Hunter family. It revolved around the notion that Zach might have been oblivious to Hogan's clandestine raid on Greenland when he ordered the evacuation of his people. The mass evacuation of the island's inhabitants could then be interpreted as a preemptive action, taken in anticipation of an imminent threat to their safety instead of a calculated measure against Hogan's imminent attack. 

This alternative possibility cast a glimmer of optimism amidst the uncertainty, painting a picture where the decisions made were not driven by the awareness of Hogan's covert maneuvers, but rather by a sense of precaution rooted in the preservation of their own security.

While the likelihood of this scenario being accurate appeared remote, Hogan clung to a fervent hope that it held true because the alternative was a grim reality where the Hunter family stood poised to face the ominous retribution of the dark mage. 

In the balance between these two potential outcomes, Hogan held out for the sliver of a chance that the evacuation stemmed from a precautionary instinct rather than a response to his secret raid. 

The Hunter family's fate rested precariously on the precipice, teetering between an uncertain hope and the dark mage's vengeful wrath.

Just as Hogan was about to recall all his people to escape the island, hoping that Zach hadn't found out anything about the raid; his hopes shattered like a mirror struck by a sledgehammer.

Driven by the glimmer of hope that Zach remained unaware of his covert maneuver, Hogan was about to recall all his forces when a swift blow of reality shattered his aspirations to bits like a mirror struck by a giant sledgehammer.

A drone, unlike the murderous ones armed with ranged weapons he had encountered before, appeared out of nowhere. Instead of going on a killing spree, it dropped a projection screen instead.

Hogan and his forces were on edge as they began to take precautionary measures to save themselves. Some even planned to take the drone down if possible but Hogan shook his head to keep them from being impulsive.

As if reaffirming all the fears Hogan had hidden in his heart, Zach's face began to reflect on the screen projected by this drone. Not only was the image very life like, but it also appeared as if Zach was somehow looking straight at them.

Hogan felt like he had been caught in a frivolous act and his shamelessness had been revealed to the whole world. It would have been better if he had in fact been caught doing something shameless. It would still have been countless times better than being caught infiltrating Zach's home like this.

A heavy sigh escaped Hogan's lips, carrying the weight of a bitter understanding. He recognized that, from this point onward, the animosity between the Smith family and the Hunter family had reached an irreparable juncture.

…

Unknown to the Hunter family's forces, Zach had been monitoring them on the map. The hostile intent behind their invasion of the island had already caused an alarm to ring out through the system. Ever since then, Zach had been keeping an eye on the progress of the Hunter family forces enthusiastically as he had a plan of his own to execute in response to their gift.

"How much time is left until the meteor shower?" Zach asked the system without paying it much attention as he was still focused on monitoring the tiny blips on the map that indicated his enemies crawling across the place, he had called home for the past few months.

[Five minutes until impact]

Zach looked at his watch unconsciously as if to mark the time when the meteorites from space would decimate his home in a brilliant cloud of flames and destruction.