Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva-Chapter 686 - 293: Underground Operations in the North

North Fourth District, 23:45:05 at night

In the night sky shrouded by dark clouds, two large black flying crafts slowly descended, piercing the moist, corroding thick clouds below and diving into the chill of the earth's atmosphere, with mist flying swiftly from the edges of their howling wings.

The red indicator lights on the body of the flying crafts, like two barely visible dots, flickered intermittently, then streaked across the sky at high speed.

[Have arrived above the target, beginning deployment of combat units]

The monotonous mechanic voice of the AI resonated in the cockpit, followed by the underbelly of the craft opening slowly, as quadruple-rotor Autonomous Units flew out and scattered close to the ground.

Following these hundreds of Autonomous Units were several large humanoid Mech suits, their surfaces painted in dark grey camouflage, blending into the night seamlessly, their presence only betrayed by the fleeting sweep of scanning lights from their heads, revealing their dangerous nature.

[Sawshark Squad has landed, searching in progress...]

The voice reporting from inside the Mech suit cockpit sounded, and the 3D scanning results of the terrain in the area were projected onto the screen in front of them.

[Locate mission target and eliminate the resistance organization]

[Received]

After the communication was cut off, these Mecha entered a state of silence.

It had been three months since the three Songstresses had performed on stage together, and during that time, there had been many changes within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain. Although the conflict between the Saint Yingo and Edith factions had not ended, its intensity had greatly decreased, or more accurately, neither side was focusing their main efforts there anymore.

After the new year, the Federation Star Domain government launched a new large-scale initiative, the climate restoration and environmental improvement of the Jade Skirt and its old regions. A costly project like this would have struggled to pass initial approval in the past, but this time it garnered the attention of most of the lawmakers and residents of the Star Domain.

Amidst widespread public clamor, this costly plan passed with ease. Furthermore, many large corporations, including those from the Edith and Saint Yingo factions, announced their eagerness to actively participate in and support the initiative.

In the past, corporations were reluctant to invest because such plans often failed prematurely, and the resources and money poured into them rarely saw any return.

But the situation was different this time around. With the overall public opinion and zeitgeist of the Star Domain in favor, many lawmakers stood firmly by the plan for the sake of votes and political achievements, which could bring great economic benefits if the project succeeded in the end.

Due to centuries of stagnation, the price of land and resources in the Jade Skirt had been pushed very low. However, if the climate and environment were to be restored, the value of these lands would soar once again. It was precisely because of this that the major corporations were so eager to throw their support behind the initiative.

The previous absolute discord between Saint Yingo and Edith had temporarily dissolved, but a new competition had begun.

Since both sides were sworn enemies and wanted to secure more benefits for the future, both felt it necessary to crush the other and push them out of the competitive market.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

After setting new targets, the corporations of both factions sent their representatives to the heavily polluted northern regions of the Jade Skirt to stake their claims in advance. The Star Domain government took a stance that was half-permissive and half-promotional of such actions.

Land couldn't just be taken for free. To claim a plot, one had to meet corresponding environmental remediation targets, and there was also a limit on the land usage period. To incentivize a significant number of corporations to participate, the government announced tax exemptions for the first 50–100 years, along with some preferential policies.

With guidance from Federal Officials, various corporations began to employ tactics, heading to the sparsely populated northern areas to persuade local residents and the descendants of those affected by past disasters to sign agreements granting their consent.

While many corporations had an easy time, some faced obstacles in certain areas.

Enterprises belonging to the Saint Yingo faction met with considerable resistance in the North Fourth District. In some towns, even after agreements had been settled, local residents would suddenly renege on the eve of signing the agreement. Sometimes, despite the promise of generous rewards, the locals still refused to consent, defying all business logic. It wasn't until a detailed investigation by the major corporation-run offices that the hidden truths slowly surfaced.

These abnormal circumstances were due to the presence of a covert resistance organization in the area, with many members hailing from the local population. However, they were exceptionally fierce, and under their influence, the local residents refused to cooperate with the enterprises affiliated with Saint Yingo, which led to the previous incidents.

For the sake of profit and to clear obstacles, several major groups from the Saint Yingo faction jointly spearheaded tonight's operation. And these black Mech suits, hired by the Federation's grey sector, were tasked with the dirty work that corporations couldn't directly handle.

In a night heavy with dark clouds, rows of quadruple-rotor Autonomous Units flew over the desolate ground, with accompanying ground-rock scanning devices filtering over the terrain below like a grid, sending numerous pieces of information to the command vehicle advancing in the rear.

[An anomaly has been detected in the North K-1794 region, likely the location of the mission target]

[Sawshark Squad received, beginning to approach]

The four Mecha that had been dispersed and following the Autonomous Units at a slow pace changed direction, then levitated and accelerated forward.

A specially-made drill missile was fired from a distance, burrowed into the ground, followed shortly by a muffled explosion spreading throughout the area.

[Scanning in progress, an anomaly detected 219 meters underground, artificial structure, with special Magic Power residue matching the intended target]