NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103: Guilt
Lucius floated high above the battlefield. He bent space around himself so no one could see him.
To the others, he was gone, as if he had never been there and he wanted to keep it that way. He promised Villy that he would only watch and not intervene when she was bringing him here.
His eyes stayed on the group below.
He didn't care about most of them.
They were weak and nameless.
If they died, it would mean nothing. The only person who mattered to him here was Elara.
The beetles crawled across the floor.
Their bodies scraped against stone, filling the cave with an ugly sound. Their numbers seemed endless.
Lucius frowned.
He still did not know why these monsters were rated as D-rank.
It made no sense.
Their speed, their numbers, the toughness of their shells—all of it was far stronger than what a D-rank monster should have.
One alone might be weak, but together? They were deadly.
Lucius knew that well.
He and his own team had faced these creatures before. That time, he had bent space for his party.
He blocked every charge, shifted every leap, and trapped the beetles so they could not swarm.
It had looked easy because of him.
But these people down there had no such advantage. They had to face the swarm directly.
Lucius's eyes narrowed.
He was not worried about Elara or that fire user, Marco.
They would live.
The rest? They could easily die here.
He was more worried about Elara in this regard though, she had a soft heart… she wasn't used to things like these and someone had just died in front of her, he could only wish he didn't overrreact.
Down below, Elara knelt on the ground.
She was holding what was left of the rookie who had just died.
There was nothing but bones and shredded armor remaining.
The skull rested in her arms, empty eyes staring at nothing.
Her own eyes glowed faint gold.
'If I had used it… would she have lived?' The thought stabbed into her heart.
Her chest grew heavy.
Her throat suddenly ached.
She had held back her power, afraid of hurting others. And because of that choice, this girl was dead.
Her hands tightened around the bones.
"Elara… calm down…"
Marco's voice came from nearby.
His body burned with flames as he hovered in the air.
He saw what was happening to her.
The glow around her was growing brighter, spreading like cracks in the air. However even if he tried to speak, she wouldn't listen and the energy only grew more chaotic.
Marco's face hardened.
He turned to the squad.
"Get back!!!" he shouted.
The squad obeyed at once. They stumbled away from her, weapons shaking in their hands.
The beetles roared and charged, slamming against them again. The Captain swung his weapon, his body crackling with electricity.
Marco swept his fire outward, burning a path clear. Together they bought just enough time.
"Retreat! Head for the stairs!" the Captain barked.
The survivors scrambled toward the stairway.
Their boots slammed against stone. They pushed and shoved each other, fear thick in their throats.
Who wouldn't be afraid when man eating beetles were after you?
"Any beetles still on you?" the Captain asked once they reached the bottom of the stairs.
He zapped three of the bugs off his chest with his baton.
The others shook their heads, brushing bits of shell off their armor.
For a moment, it seemed like they were safe.
Then came the sound.
The swarm was coming for them… there was buzzing as they were coming for the rookies.
The rookies froze, eyes wide in horror.
Elara's arms were still wrapped around the skeleton. Her eyes were burning gold.
Energy poured out of her body like steam.
Her element always reacted to her emotions. That was why she worked so hard to stay calm.
All she felt was rage and guilt and plasma answered.
Marco cursed. "No—"
He shot into the air, flames burning hotter around him.
He knew what was about to happen.
Elara screamed.
A wave of plasma exploded from her body.
The cave turned into fire.
The nearest beetles melted instantly, their shells cracking and popping like overcooked meat.
The heat was so strong that stone itself split and glowed red. The wave spread wider, faster, scorching everything in its path.
The squad stumbled back.
They covered their faces with their arms, choking on the heat.
"Climb! Go!" Marco shouted, herding them up the stairs.
The Captain grabbed two rookies and pushed them ahead. Their boots slammed on the stone steps.
The staircase shook as plasma struck its base. The stone blackened and cracked, sparks leaping across its surface.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the glow died.
The golden light faded and the roar ended.
Silence filled the cave.
"I'll be right back," Marco muttered.
He spun in the air and flew down, flames pushing against the waves of heat still lingering.
The chamber looked like hell.
The walls glowed.
Pools of beetle flesh bubbled and hissed and the air was so hot it was hard to breathe.
Marco forced himself forward.
At the center of the destruction, he found her.
Elara floated a few inches above the ground.
Her body was limp. Her eyes were closed. Her clothes were untouched, shielded by her own power, but she was unconscious.
Marco let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
He cooled the fire around his arms and reached out. Carefully, he pulled her into his embrace.
"Idiot," he muttered softly. "Don't ever do that again."
Up above, Lucius remained hidden.
He had watched every second of it, he wanted to go down and hold her but he stopped himself… The situation wasn't that dire.
So he rested his hand on his chin and his eyes turned thoughtful.
'Plasma is too dangerous,' he thought. 'If I hadn't bent space and knocked her out just now, she could have killed everyone here.'
He let out a slow sigh, eyes following Marco as he carried her away from the ruined chamber.
He really needed to watch over her.