NOVEL NEXT Chapter 302 New Plan
One by one, Addison, Maxwell, Levi, and finally Zion emerged. Elric began chanting again, the gap shrinking rapidly under his spell. But before it sealed completely, a sudden red blur shot out, slipping through the narrowing crack and into the open world beyond.
"Ah!" Elric yelped, stumbling back in shock as his heart skipped a beat. The red blur shot past them, and Zion and Maxwell were already lunging forward, claws raised to tear it down. But Addison was quicker; her dagger flashed through the air and struck squarely, cutting down the locust just as it nearly slipped free.
Her chest heaved as her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. She swallowed the lump in her throat and exchanged a shaken glance with the others.
If even one of them hadn't been paying such close attention to the opening, that single locust could have made it out, and one escape was all it would take to spawn another swarm outside the barrier, unleashing disaster all over again.
"T-That was close..." Elric muttered, pressing a hand against his chest as if to steady the heart that nearly leapt out of his ribcage. The scare had left his pulse pounding wildly.
Everything had happened so fast—too fast. He hadn't expected a locust to move with such terrifying speed, especially when he was already racing to close the barrier's opening. If not for Addison's quick hands, that one would have slipped through, and once it took flight, they never would have caught it before it vanished into the distance.
Addison didn't respond right away. She first steadied her breathing, forcing her racing heart to calm, then swept her gaze around to ensure nothing else had slipped past them. Her eyes lingered on Zion and Maxwell, both frozen mid-action, claws poised, before they lowered their hands, realizing Addison had already dealt with the threat.
She strode to the locust's corpse, crouching low to pull her dagger free. As she did, she noticed its belly bulging unnaturally, plump and heavy. Her expression hardened.
Instead of taking chances, she pulled out a flint and the last crumbs of straw from her magic bag, scattering them around the carcass. With a spark, flames licked up, quickly consuming the insect.
Addison stood guard until every trace of the locust was reduced to ash. Only then did she straighten, satisfied, and motion for the others to return with her.
When they returned to where Lance and the others were, Addison—still astride Maxwell in his wolf form—had already scouted the perimeter of the barrier. She confirmed that the locusts were no longer as aggressive as before.
A few clusters still drifted overhead along the inner edges, but unlike earlier, the swarm had stopped battering against the barrier with relentless force.
This lull gave the mages a precious chance to breathe, regroup, and let the exhausted among them rest. Elric, after leaping down from Zion's back, immediately drew on a mana stone to replenish his strength before rejoining the circle of mages to help stabilize the barrier.
Meanwhile, the border patrols returned to their posts, leaving only Lance and the caravan's guards stationed nearby.
"Addie…" As soon as Lance saw Addison dismount from Maxwell's back, he immediately jogged over, though not without shooting Maxwell a sharp, displeased glance. The sight of her riding on someone else unsettled him, a bitter reminder that she belonged to another as a fated mate.
Choosing to ignore Maxwell, Zion, and Levi altogether, he focused only on Addison.
"Addie, you really did it," he said, his tone earnest as if seeking her approval. "Now we've bought more time. I already ordered the farmers to speed up the harvest, the others are preparing to transport the livestock, and the pack members are packing their things. We'll be ready to move at a moment's notice."
Even Addison was taken aback. She had only been planning to discuss these measures with the others, yet Lance had already acted ahead of her. The realization didn't just surprise her, it left her deeply satisfied.
She gave Lance a firm nod, her approving gaze showing that all she needed to do now was follow through with the plan.
Before leaving, she approached Elric and handed him a pouch containing the locust's egg and carcass. She wanted him—or another trusted mage—to teleport the items directly to the Royal Palace.
It struck her as a safer and far more efficient method than sending someone out of the pack's territory to find the nearest outpost before teleporting to the Royal Capital. With moles possibly hidden among them and rogues lurking just beyond the borders, any messenger could be ambushed, which would ruin her plan.
Instead, she proposed teleporting the items like a direct delivery straight into the communication chamber. Once received, she could ask Elric to link the Communication Crystal, allowing her to speak personally with the Royal Alchemists and Researchers about her idea, and to update her parents.
This plan had come to her only after running a full lap around the perimeter and realizing it was possible. Now, before Elric resumed stabilizing the barrier, she needed his confirmation.
"Is it really possible to deliver it directly through item teleportation?" Addison asked.
"Princess, of course it is," Elric replied with a huff, puffing out his chest as if insulted. "Do you think I've gotten old and rusty, that you no longer trust my ability?" His tone carried both mock indignation and confidence.
In truth, direct item teleportation didn't even require him to open a full portal. All he needed was to inscribe a magic circle with the precise coordinates of the destination. The circle's size would adjust to the item's dimensions.
Since Addison only wanted to send something small, he merely had to form one about the size of a ball, place the item at its center, and the spell would be complete.
"Alright then. Once you've sent it over, call me back when the communication crystal is online and the Royal Alchemist, the Researchers, and my parents have been gathered. For now, I'll check on the harvest and the preparations for transporting the animals." Addison let out a relieved sigh.
With this arrangement, she no longer had to worry about every detail or about her people being ambushed or killed on the way.
"Understood, Princess. Give me two hours. I'll stabilize the barrier first, then personally handle the item delivery."
"You don't have to push yourself so hard, Archmage Elric—" Addison began, but Elric cut her off with a wave of his hand and a reassuring smile.
"Princess, I know you have big plans, and I wouldn't feel at ease leaving such an important task to my disciples. Besides, once I'm done, I can retreat to my room and sleep the whole day until tomorrow."
"Surely no one would dare disturb my rest after I've contributed this much, right?" Elric's tone was cheeky, almost mischievous, as though he had already calculated everything. In that moment, he didn't sound like an old archmage at all, more like a young punk, which made Addison chuckle as she nodded.
"Alright, we won't let anyone disturb you later, so you can rest well..." Addison assured him before leaving with Maxwell, Levi, Zion, and Lance.