Free Web NovelChapter 161: Chapter 160 - In The Heart of Eden(Part 7)
Point-of-View: Anarchy/???
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"Okay, that takes care of the south. Let’s head east next," I suggested, after wiping out another group of fleeing Eden members, before blasting the exit to cave in the rocks around it and block it, in order to prevent any more of them from escaping.
"Alright," Responded Glenn, as he opened up a portal.
As we walked through it and emerged by the eastern exit, I looked around, but there was no one around. Well, the guy I interrogated did say that this one was the most isolated, so I guess it makes sense that any Eden members looking to flee would’ve opted to use the other exits.
Hm? What’s this? There’s a set of two different footprints here, looks like a man and a woman. I walked over to the exit and glanced at the dirt around it...yeah, no doubt about it, it’s been opened recently.
There’s a stiff breeze blowing across the sweltering heat, and it’s pretty sandy here too...it won’t be too long before these tracks are covered over by the breeze. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes since whoever used this exit left through it.
Should I try to go after them? No, it’s not very likely that I’ll be able to catch up, the tracks disappear after a few meters, leading onto a rockier area without much sand there to leave any footprints. I’m better off heading to the western exit and cutting off anyone trying to escape through there.
"Alright, we’re done here. Time to head west," I remarked, before Glenn nodded and opened up a portal.
I walked through it and quickly scanned the area...the ground is clear, no one in sight. But up in the sky, on the other hand...there was a figure, zipping away at a rapid pace. I know her, she’s the one who fought Aurora.
"Want me to portal you up there?" Inquired Glenn, as he spotted her too.
"Yup, do it."
A portal opened up beneath me and I fell through, emerging up in the air, several meters above my target...as I began to plummet, I swiftly fired out a Chaos Blast down at her.
She suddenly halted as it closed in on her, spun around as her eyes widened in alarm and fired out wind blasts straight up to shoot herself down, right as the blast exploded.
She was just barely out of its range, but the shockwave as it exploded sent her plummeting down towards the ground at a breakneck speed.
As she began to close in on the ground, she pointed her hands back and fired out several powerful wind blasts behind her, rapidly canceling out the downward momentum of her fall and hitting the ground with a thud, wincing as she likely fractured something, but it could’ve been a lot worse.
A portal opened up beneath me as I fell, before I emerged a few meters above the ground. I swiftly formed a pool of water beneath myself to break my fall, splashing through it and landing on the ground comfortably.
"Nicely dodged...that should’ve killed you. But you’re out of luck," I remarked, as I walked over to Arisu while forming another Chaos Blast.
"Tch, who are y-...wait, you were with Anarchy from that UN conference," She responded as she noticed Glenn, before turning to me, "Then, you must be with Chaos too...why help Harmony, are you on their side?"
"It’s not that I’m helping them, I just happen to want Eden out of the picture too, that’s all," I replied, as I took aim.
"Oh, I get it, you’re making sure any figures that could rally the remnants of Eden are eliminated...fine, in that case, what if I join Chaos?" She suggested, as she stood up with a grimace.
Hm? Well, now, that’s a pretty tempting offer, she is quite powerful, after all.
"You’d be willing to defect from Eden so easily? Why?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Whether I kill her or not will depend on her answer...
"Well, yeah. My goal was always to rise up the ranks in order to live comfortably and safely while giving others commands, but Eden’s clearly finished now, so I’d be a fool to not cut my losses. I sincerely doubt Harmony will accept me, and I don’t like the idea of living on the run," She answered without hesitation.
So, in other words, she’s selfish...perfect, she’ll fit in nicely with us.
"In that case, very well...I accept your request to join us. Glenn, portal her to the hideout," I instructed him.
"Okay, got it," He nodded, before opening a portal beneath her and dropping her in.
"Now, then...drop me back inside, in the area where you picked me up. Hang around for a couple of seconds though...if someone else from Harmony has shown up there, my cover will be blown, and I’ll have to make a quick retreat," I remarked, as I walked towards the portal he opened.
I entered it and stepped out back into the room where they maintained their barriers, looking around warily. Alright, the coast appears to be clear.
I nodded at Glenn, who then shut the portal and left, before I walked back over towards the corpses of Maya and Francesca. Hm, I should make it look like I just barely came out of this alive.
I fired out water slashes at the ends of each half of Maya’s body, in order to draw out some blood...my Chaos Blasts vaporizes whatever gets directly caught up in it, and any injuries inflicted don’t bleed, though it’s different to burns from fire or lightning.
I then moved the corpses around, making it look like Francesca had managed to tear Maya in half while simultaneously getting her heart crushed.
Okay, so what do I do about myself? I’m completely unscathed right now. I let out a hesitant sigh...I guess I need to injure myself, huh?
This is gonna hurt...I activated Alleviate as I formed a water drill around my right hand, before gritting my teeth as I drove it into myself a few inches below my heart, letting out a gasp of pain as I collapsed onto the ground, my vision blurring as blood poured out.
Ow...that was sorta maybe kinda a bit way too deep. I can keep myself from dying for a while using my Light Skill, but I can’t fully heal this...I should’ve gone for a shallower hit. Damn, this hurts!
I’d have probably passed out without Alleviate, this is agonizingly painful...I then glanced to my left as I heard footsteps approaching this way from that direction.
Is it an enemy? If so, I’m in trouble...I’m in absolutely no shape to fight right now. I winced as I coughed out blood, biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from passing out.
My shoulders then relaxed, before I let out a quiet sigh of relief as the approaching figures came into view...it’s Inoka and Elise. Perfect, I could really use some healing right now...
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Point-of-View: Inoka Fonseka
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"It’s been pretty quiet for a while, huh?" I remarked, as Elise and I headed down a corridor.
"Indeed, perhaps the others have mostly eliminated the enemies in here...I think a battle took place up ahead, I am getting the smell of blood," Replied Elise with a frown.
Yeah, now that she mentions it, I can smell it too. I don’t hear anything though, so any fighting that took place here is over already.
It wasn’t long before we came across the results of the battle that occurred here, to see two corpses laying in the corridor.
One of them was one of Harmony’s Category 0s, the muscular one, I forgot her name. The other one must be an Eden Meta, it looks like she’d been torn in half.
My eyes then widened as my gaze shifted towards the wall by the corridor, that’s-...! She’s still alive, but barely!
"Hey, you okay!?" I exclaimed, as I ran over and knelt by her, quickly healing her injury.
"O-oh, glad to see you, Inoka...I thought I was a goner," She responded with a weak smile.
"Take it easy, you’re gonna be fine now, but you’ve lost a lot of blood, so try not to move much," I remarked calmly, not letting myself panic, as I stopped the bleeding and closed up her wound.
"Is she alright?" Inquired Elise with a worried look on her face. freewebnσvel.cøm
"Yeah, it’s a good thing we got here when we did. Ordinary Healing wouldn’t have been enough to deal with this," I replied with a sigh of relief.
"That’s a lot better...that really hurt a lot," She sighed with a wry smile.
Probably not the best time to notice this, but the spot where her top had been torn through was kinda exposing a bit of her underboob.
"Glad I could help," I responded, as I averted my gaze.
"Heh, don’t think I didn’t notice you staring right here," She smirked as she lightly flicked my forehead, "But since you just saved my life, I’ll allow it."
"I, uh...have no idea what you’re talking about," I grinned wryly, before adding, "Well, anyway, I’m relieved that you seem to be all better now...Liling."
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