Free Web NovelChapter 54: _Always Seem To Attract Trouble
On the battlefield, the Espers were gaining the upper hand against the bipedal beasts. Devon especially was on a roll, raining literal hell on any beast that came too close. He moved faster than they could react.
Only a few beasts managed to slip past his barrage but even they got brought down almost instantly.
"Good job, Devon." Alisha praised, giving him a thumbs up from his far left. "At this rate, we should be able to take back the city before reinforcements show up."
Devon couldn’t even smile at that.
Something was wrong and the longer he fought the tighter the knot in his chest grew. Turning his head away from Alisha, his eyes pinned on one of the beasts leaping through the air. Heading for him like a bullet.
He was about to use the same tactic he’s been using since the beginning. Aim a fire attack at its weak spot.
However, the second his fist ignited with yellow flames—a sharp tug hit his chest. He gasped, his mind echoing with what sounded like a pained cry.
One that was terrifyingly familiar.
"A–Ambrose?"
"Devon watch out!" Alisha yelled when she saw him suddenly freeze.
The moment of distraction was the opening the beast needed. Even when Devon came back to reality, he was only able to avoid his head being sliced off.
The creature’s claws, however, still cut through his shoulder blade. He gnashed his teeth through the pain, stumbling backwards a bit to regain his footing.
He didn’t know how it happened.
Maybe it was from the searing pain. Or the pulsing feeling of danger through the link. But his control snapped like a shaken soda bottle finally having its cap popped.
He roared, fingers catching the beast’s throat before it could make another move. A pillar of yellow flames erupted, consuming the beast completely until there was nothing but ash and cracked shards of its exoskeletons fading into the wind.
Silence.
All he could hear in both ears was a deafening silence. The yells, explosions and beastly roars became muffled. Another beast tried sneaking up from his right but a single swat of his hand created a flaming disc that sliced its head clean off.
’Ambrose...’ the tug of the link hit him again.
He didn’t understand what it meant yet, but one thing rang in the back of his head like an alarm.
The Guide had gotten himself into some kind of trouble. And with his fate uncertain, Devon doubted his ability to stay focused for the rest of this battle.
★★★★★
Footsteps echoed softly from the shed’s doorway. Slow. Unhurried.
As if the chaos outside didn’t exist.
A tall figure stepped into the dim room, hands tucked lazily into the pockets of a long black coat. His eyes were shielded with sunglasses which he slowly took off.
Revealing cold, glowing red eyes now locked on the beast.
In contrast, the beast stood petrified, staring at the existence before it as if it were faced with death itself. Which would be somewhat accurate.
Valentine scrutinised the place calmly.
Just like his senses had picked up, someone had been about to die here. He’d been in the city since last night, watching how the local Guilds struggled against the beasts of the Echo Rift.
Of course, when the top Guilds arrived this morning, he knew play time was over and was already prepared to leave. The last thing he needed was the Federation finding a way to drag him into this.
That’s when he was drawn to this exact spot. Only to realise it hadn’t just been anyone about to die.
"Well, well, well," he drawled, head tilting as he assessed Ambrose’s pitiful state. "For a C-Rank Guide, you always seem to attract trouble. What could you possibly be doing here?"
Ambrose almost couldn’t believe his own eyes at first but his ears told no lies.
Valentine Lockwood!
The SS Rank Necromancy Esper who’d shown a weird interest in him during last night’s gala and had probably been watching him since the clearing of the Aurelia Airport S-Rank dungeon.
’What’s he doing here?’ he thought, pressing his lips together.
He couldn’t even muster enough strength to make any coherent words. That didn’t seem necessary though.
Suddenly, the A-rank beast roared in Valentine’s face, its eyes gleaming with that same predatory light. Perhaps driven by the will to live, it bolted toward the Esper.
Its final mistake.
Ambrose watched with a mix of awe and terror as Valentine’s shadow elongated in front of him unnaturally. The darkness swallowed the shed completely as ghostly howls resounded through the air.
In the next second, just when the beast was inches away from Valentine, two large phantom hands rose from the darkness. They grabbed the beast, slamming it on the ground with enough force to shake the building.
Valentine stood untouched, expression plain as more hands rose from the depths of the darkness. The beast fought for freedom. It even cried out but that ended when one of the hands sealed its mouth.
Within a few seconds, the beast’s body decayed, flesh and exoskeletons falling off. Blisters appeared across every inch of its body.
When it stopped moving, the darkness retreated, the phantom hands disappearing as if they’d never been there. What remained was a shrivelled husk that had once been a mighty A-Rank beast.
Silence stretched in the room for what felt like an eternity.
Ambrose blinked erratically, torn between being grateful, threatened or shitting himself. The last option seemed really plausible right now.
’Death manipulation and Necromancy...’ he swallowed as Valentine took measured steps toward him.
"The fact that you’re still alive is truly remarkable." The Esper smirked, lowering himself to the floor when he got beside him. "I’m sure there’s a... secret behind that."
Fear gripped Ambrose’s chest again.
What if the guy decided to use his powers to make him confess his secrets?
Fortunately, Valentine didn’t say anything else about the matter, merely shoving a hand into his coat. "Take this." He pulled out a small bottle with a black liquid, placing it on his chest. "It’s really bitter but it’s a special potion brewed by a dear friend of mine. It should heal you up instantaneously."
He was about to get on his feet when Ambrose stuttered:
"Did... did you follow me here?"
Valentine paused. His brows lifted, amusement flickering in his red eyes. "Oh, my," he chuckled. "Trust me... if I truly wanted to follow you, you wouldn’t be aware. I just happened to be in the neighbourhood."
As the SS-Rank rose up, a system notification dinged in his head.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[EMERGENCY MISSION COMPLETED.]
[Host survived encounter with A-Rank beast.]
[You’ve now acquired +500 points added to your total EP and +5 strength boost.]
"By the way," Valentine looked over his shoulder when he got to the doorway. "I’m just as new to Echo Rifts as the rest of the world—but if you can, let the Federation know there’s a good chance the Leviathan is the least of their worries."
He didn’t explain further, drifting back outside and leaving Ambrose there. The latter hurriedly gulped the potion the Esper gave him, which, plus the system’s rewards, healed him up and strengthened his bones almost instantly.
"Dear lord..." he groaned, sitting up with a hand on the back of his head. "I don’t know what the heck he was talking about... but I have a feeling things in this city are about to get much worse."
He paused, gritting his teeth. "Which means I need to warn the others."
