Free Web NovelChapter 153: A Way Out
Lucian limped out of the castle, looking battered and bruised, but very much alive.
His golden sword was still in his hand as he walked towards the gate where he was certain the others were.
The moment he was far enough, the castle suddenly crumbled to the ground, burying the corrupted corpse of the king within.
The prince paused, looking up as glowing orbs of light appeared in the sky and he couldn’t help but smile,
"I guess they did it."
Lucian was only halfway to the gate when a voice called out to him, "Lucian."
He looked ahead and noticed Noelle standing there, eyes filled with tears.
Without waiting for him to say anything, she rushed toward him.
Lucian barely had enough time to react before she slammed into him and wrapped both arms tightly around him.
The impact almost made him lose his balance.
"Idiot," Noelle muttered, her voice trembling slightly as she buried her face against his chest, "you absolute idiot."
"It’s over," Lucian answered softly, patting her head, "and I’m fine."
The moment those words left his mouth, the tension in Noelle’s body finally disappeared but she continued hugging him.
Behind her, the others soon approached as well, Darius was the first to arrive and immediately burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! You look terrible!"
Lucian glanced at him tiredly, "You don’t look much better." freewēbnoveℓ.com
That immediately caused Darius to stop laughing, because half his body was covered in burns and blood, though most of it wasn’t his anyway
"Fair point," he muttered, "Bob and I had to use a bit of black flames, hence the burns on me."
The dragon above his head said nothing, tired of the fact that it had to correct its contractor all the time.
Caius also glanced at both the prince and Saintess before glancing up at the previously blank skies that now had stars,
He muttered, his bored expression gone completely, "I guess they found a way out of here."
"What’d you expect?" Darius asked with a grin, "Of course, Adrian was able to find a way out."
Aqua also let a smile surface on her face, after all, staying in this hellhole hasn’t been the greatest of experiences.
Cassian, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit annoyed.
If a way out had been discovered, that meant he had failed to deal with the damn butler within the month and the obstacle would remain.
No, he couldn’t allow that.
He had to find a way to get rid of the butler before they returned to the Frontier, with that, he silently continued thinking of a way.
At the same time, the thick corrupted mana that had covered the skies for years was gradually fading away.
The people standing atop the walls noticed it immediately.
The suffocating pressure that had haunted this place for five years was disappearing.
One of the older spirit mages slowly fell to his knees.
"It’s really ending," he muttered in disbelief.
Others soon followed, some laughing, some crying, while others simply stared at the clearing skies with hollow expressions as though they still couldn’t believe it.
For them, this dungeon had become their entire world, a cursed one.
And now, suddenly, there was a chance to leave it?
Lucian silently watched the reactions around him before taking in a deep breath and then he raised his voice.
"Everyone."
The noise around the walls slowly quieted and hundreds of eyes turned toward the battered prince.
"As we promised, when you put your faith in us," he started, "we have discovered a way out of this hell."
Cheering immediately began as they heard his words.
"Together, we shall march towards the exit and step back into our beloved Avera," the prince continued after the cheering died down, "and finally, you all will be reunited with the family you left behind." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Lucian truly had the charisma of a prince, as the group behind him could see the emotions light up in the eyes of the people here.
People who had previously lost all hope of ever leaving.
Their Saviors had rekindled that hope and they had delivered on their promises.
The cheering started again and only grew louder after Lucian’s words.
Some people hugged each other tightly while others openly cried without caring who saw them.
Even many of the spirit mages who had spent years fighting just to survive looked overwhelmed by emotion.
Hope.
Something most of them had long since abandoned and yet now, it stood right in front of them, in the form of another Lightbringer.
Lucian quietly watched the reactions before raising his hand again.
"We leave immediately," he announced.
The people immediately became restless again.
After years trapped in this nightmare, nobody wanted to waste another second staying here.
Preparations began almost instantly.
The wounded were supported by others while supplies were gathered as quickly as possible.
Some people even rushed back into their homes one last time, desperately grabbing the few belongings they still had left after all these years.
Meanwhile, Lucian remained standing near the gates while quietly observing everyone.
Noelle stayed beside him the entire time, occasionally glancing toward his injuries with worry.
"You should rest," she muttered softly.
Lucian shook his head, "Later."
She wanted to argue, but decided otherwise, after all, she understood his line of thinking.
As the prince of Avera and next in line to the throne, he had to look the strongest at this moment.
So she chose to say nothing, instead, she wrapped her hand around his.
A few minutes passed and eventually, the gates of the ruined kingdom opened fully.
Lucian stepped forward first.
The others followed behind him while hundreds of survivors slowly poured out after them.
It was finally time to go home.
***
The group walked for a while until they came across what they could only describe as a grave.
Multiple sea monsters, lay dead all around.
With the black sea completely gone, the corpses of the creatures that once lurked beneath it were now fully visible.
Massive serpent-like beasts, creatures with dozens of limbs, and even things that no longer resembled anything natural lay scattered across the dried abyss.
At the center of it all, was a massive temple made completely of stone, and from its position, it seemed to have also been under the black sea.
At the stairs of said temple were two familiar people.
Adrian and Renelle.
