Guilt and Punishmen

by Sophia Schmidt

  The five reacted in unison, Blinking out of the quicksand. The tendrils were bisected as they passed through the remnants of the dimensional spells. The detached tendrils turned back into mud as the spell animating them failed.

  "Keep your distance!" Phloria ordered.

  "If we group up before finding the enemy position, we will only offer them an easier target. Get ready to Blink again."

  Lith activated Life Vision, turning his head around, above, and below before finding their answer. While the group was fighting the wave of small Clackers, a few fully developed monsters the size of bulls had burrowed underground their feet and turned the clearing into a death trap.

  The Hatchlings' strength lied only in numbers, but Soldier Clackers were fully developed magical beasts and could use water and earth magic. Not only were they physically much stronger than a Hatchling, but they were also smart enough to not underestimate such dangerous enemies.

  They had forced their underlings to act as cannon fodder while they prepared the field to ensure their victory. Even if reluctant to throw away their lives, the Hatchlings had no choice but to obey.

  The Soldiers had received their authority from the Brood Mother and she was an absolute being to them. Defying her will meant becoming their brethren's dinner along with the intrudersFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

  "It's a trap!" Lith was unaware of the Soldiers' plan, but he could see them moving right below their feet.

  "They are hiding underground. We need to get out of here!" Before Lith could finish warning his companions, new tendrils of earth erupted from the ground and seized him, Yurial, and Phloria. At the same time, Quylla and Friya fell into holes that opened up right below them.

  Quylla screamed in surprise, but Friya had learned her lesson after the failed attempt on Yurial's life. She kept her cool, Blinking to Quylla's rescue and bringing her to safety on a nearby tree.

  'There are four Clackers capable of using magic below the ground' Solus warned Lith that was still struggling to free his hands to Blink away.

  'Their mana cores are only bright green, but their physical strength is on par with Protector when he was still a Ry. They only need one hit to kill a normal human.'

  Lith nodded, using brute strength to break free from the constraints. He used water magic to freeze the tendrils restricting his companions. The spell wasn't powerful enough to completely block them, Lith couldn't risk freezing his allies to death in the process.

  Yet he managed to slow the tendrils enough for Phloria to cut them down, freeing herself and Yurial, allowing them to Blink away. Lith followed their lead, but the trees they had taken cover on started to tilt.

  Two Soldiers were uprooting them with earth magic, while the other two generated a hail of ice shards as thick and long as an arm to prevent their prey from running away.

  The group Blinked again to safety, but their mana was about to run out. They had gone all out during the previous fight and Blink was a very mana expensive spell.

  "Damn! If we try to fly away the shards will skewer us, but if we keep hiding behind the trees, they'll just uproot them again. How the heck can they see us from below the ground and how do you manage to do the same?"

  Quylla was racking her brain to find a solution to their predicament, but there wasn't much they could do while the enemy remained hidden. She used an earth spell, opening a hole in the ground and partially revealing one of the Clackers.

  "On my mark attack my position with everything you have." Lith yelled jumping down the tree, near the now visible Soldier. His companions immediately understood his intentions and would have liked to curse at his madness or at least try to stop him.

  However, their situation was desperate enough to force them to save their breath for chanting their spells.

  "Mark!" Lith used Switch as soon as he touched the ground and was replaced by a stupefied Clacker.

  The Soldier was still trying to make heads or tails of its situation when two lightning bolts struck it. Thanks to his natural affinity with earth magic, the creature had instinctively protected itself by using fusion magic, so it wasn't fatally wounded.

  Yet the shock had been strong enough to debilitate it, leaving the Soldier paralyzed. Phloria and Friya exploited the opening to jump on its back swords first, piercing the Clacker's head and body with their blades until the hilts bounced on its keratinous exoskeleton.

  The Soldier fell on its side, its long legs scratched the air in agony until the creature stilled.

  Meanwhile underground, Lith could see thee nearest Soldier's eyes glow in the dark, all eight of them.

  'It's channeling earth magic, so it must have achieved some kind of Earth Vision. Maybe they can track their prey by following the vibrations produced when they move along the ground.' Solus pondered.

  'I don't know and don't care!' Lith replied. He could finally go all out, making Solus turn into her glove form. Her stone claws boosted by fusion magic allowed him to easily pierce through the Soldiers' magically hardened bodies.

  The Clacker barely had the time to notice its companion's disappearance when it spotted a small figure bolting at it in the darkness. His eyes were glowing with the yellow energy characteristic of air magic, all seven of them.

  Lith's head had become a black slate with seven eyes burning with rage and mana. Two new pairs of eyes had appeared, one above and the other below were humans' eyes were supposed to be.

  The seventh was a vertical slit opened in the middle of his forehead.

  The Clacker was forced to change the target of its spell. It had been conjuring a stone pillar to uproot the tree its prey was hiding behind, but now he used it to try and stop its attacker. Lith sneered in the dark. He could see the spell's mana flow and only needed a side step to avoid it.

  The stone pillar crashed into the ceiling of the cave, filling the air with dust.

  The Clacker was shocked, but it kept the presence of mind to avoid casting another spell, Lith was already too close. It spat acid in front of itself instead. The enemy was too close to dodge it, so the Soldier charged forward infusing itself with earth magic to exploit the opening that was about to be created.

  However, Lith had seen that trick countless times and was ready for it. He froze the acid while it was still in mid air, making it harmless before slapping it aside. Lith shoved his right hand into the Clacker's still opened maw, releasing a fireball.

  The explosion emitted only a muffled sound. The Soldier's exoskeleton buffed by earth magic was strong enough to withstand the hit. Alas, its internal organs were not.

  The creature collapsed without making a sound, leaving the last two Soldiers standing almost scared witless. One decided to run away to alert the rest of the Brood of the impending menace, while the other stood its ground, to buy as much time as it could against the incoming monstrosity.

  It decided to make use of the confined space combined with its superior physical prowess to charge at the enemy with its own body hardened to the extreme, giving him no space to dodge.

  Lith did the same, leaving spells aside and willing to test his body against a magical beast. The two clashed at full speed, Lith's arms against the Soldier's frontal legs. The spider was bigger and heavier, but Lith was empowered by more than one element.

  The Clacker found itself sliding backward, using the remaining six legs to hold on the ground to avoid tumbling while the frontal ones cracked. Its exoskeleton shattered in multiple points.

  Lith was forced to stop and his arms cracked too, but they started to heal the same moment they were damaged. He gritted his teeth and ignored the pain, charging again with renewed fury.

  Lith grabbed the injured frontal legs, ripping them off and driving the creature insane with pain. Its head was now exposed, so the Clacker used earth magic to conjure tendrils of earth to protect itself.

  Before they were fully formed, Lith had already grabbed the Soldier's head
with both hands, flooding it with darkness magic that weakened it until it popped like a balloon. Lith threw the carcass aside, chasing after the last enemy.

  Once outside, he saw that the Soldier hadn't gone far. Even if they were running of fumes, his companions knew that if the magical beast managed to escape it was likely to come back with reinforcements.

  They had surrounded the Clacker and were slowly wearing it down with their teamwork. None of their attacks were strong enough to kill it, but they prevented it from escaping or focusing on a single target.

  Whenever the Soldier attempted to attack, those at its back and sides would strike it with spells or swords, interrupting its spellcasting or making it stumble. The creature was already mad with fury. Its retreat was cut off and all of its attacks were mercilessly foiled one after the other.

  When the Clacker perceived Lith closing in via Earth Vision, desperation forced its hand. The Soldier infused itself with earth magic to the brim and charged forward disregarding its safety.

  Phloria chopped off one of its legs, Friya opened a gaping wound on its back, while Yurial released all the spells left in his rings blowing away two of its legs and making the Clacker lose momentum.

  Only thanks to the combined assault did Quylla manage to avoid being pierced through her heart and instead took a front leg through her shoulder. The Clacker was mortally wounded, but it refused to surrender.

  It threw away Quylla's body and tried to recover its balance to continue escaping. A bestial roar resounded, shaking the forest.

  "Not another one!" Phloria cursed. "Is our bad luck never going to end?"

  She turned towards the source of the sound, discovering that there was no new enemy incoming, only a blur that she managed to identify as Lith thanks to her training.

  The sight of blood, seeing one of his companions apparently mortally injured had brought him back to the night Protector had died. The sun was still high, so the shadows surrounding his body were reduced to a thin fog.

  Lith was surrounded by a red glow, like there was a fire inside him ready to set everything ablaze. Despite his killing intent wasn't aimed at his companions, it was strong enough to make them feel a cold shiver running down their spines.

  Yurial and Friya ignored the feeling, rushing to Quylla's side. The former checked she wasn't poisoned while the latter treated the wound.

  Phloria realized that despite having fought side by side several times, this was her first time witnessing a truly enraged Lith. During the second exam or the ambush, he had always remained calm and collected.

  Between the fog, the red glow and his eyes brimming with unknown power, Lith looked scarier than anything she had ever fought.

  Chapter 235 You Again?

  The Soldier could feel the shadow of death from the moment most of its body had been cut apart or blown away. When Lith reached its back, grabbing it by its legs, the last Clacker could only hope that its dying screech would manage to reach its brood.

  Lith used the Float spell to make his enemy weightless before throwing it up in the air and immediately conjuring another spell. Away from its natural elements, water and earth, the Clacker was a sitting duck.

  Six fireballs appeared at the same time around the Soldier, one above, one below and the others in a square shape. It was Lith's tier four personal spell, Burning Prison. The fireballs exploded simultaneously, each reinforcing the effect of the others

  Their combined shockwaves ripped the Clacker to shreds while the extreme heat turned it into ashes.

  After making sure there were no more threats lurking around them, Lith could allow himself to use Life Vision on Quylla. The wound was already closed. She was a bit pale because of exhaustion, but aside from that, she seemed fine.

  Professor Farg had witnessed the whole fight. Thanks to the artifact Tyris had given to her, she had been able to follow the one that took place above and the one below at the same time.

  'Now I understand why Lady Tyris sent me here. Whatever that thing is, it's no kid. I've seen my share of weird stuff, but nothing like that. His shapeshifting abilities make no sense. His strength didn't improve at all.' She thought.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

  'Damn! I can use Invigoration to restore myself, but if I do that, I could blow my cover. Yet if I don't and another enemy appears, I'm as good as dead. I'll choose the lesser evil.'

  Lith was panting and wheezing like everyone else, but soon his breathing became steady. To avoid making things too weird, he recovered only about half his strength. Enough to defend in case something happened and at the same time leaving himself tired enough to not arouse too much suspicion.

  Maybe.

  Then, he checked Quylla's condition with Invigoration before doing the same with everyone else. Lith had seen enough poisons, toxins, and undead to last three lifetimes.

  'Better safe than sorry.' He thought.

  Aside from small injuries and fatigue, his companions were as healthy as horses.

  "Okay, this road trip ends now." Lith said.

  "Take Quylla and go back to the academy. I'll go on alone, it's much safer that way."

  "Are you insane?" Phloria was still mulling over what she had just seen, refusing to believe her own eyes. Yet when she heard Lith's words all her worries disappeared, replaced by outrage.

  "First of all, we are all exhausted. There are too many dangers lurking in this forest aside from those f*cking Clackers. If they attack us on our way back, we are basically a free meal."

  "Use the academy's emergency button. They'll send someone here in a half an hour tops." Lith suggested.

  "Second, and I speak for myself, I'm not letting you walk into this nightmare alone again!" She ignored his words, as she vented her frustration.

  "Why are you acting like that? Have you already forgotten your father's words? You are no god! You could die out here." Lith's reckless indifference for his own life made Phloria seethe with anger, to the point she wanted to strangle him on the spot.

  Therefore, she followed Raaz's lead and flicked her middle finger against his forehead.

  "Consider yourself slapped, young man."

  Lith didn't find it funny at all.

  'I'm not a god indeed, but compared to you I might as well be. If only I could trust them enough to tell them the whole truth¡' Lith gritted his teeth to hold his tongue.

  'That's just mean!' Solus scolded him. 'Being weaker than you is not a sin. Phloria simply worries about you. Do you remember your big lesson? Do not ask others to do what you wouldn't ?'

  "You don't understand, it's too dangerous!" Lith tried to make her listen to reason.

  "That's my line, you idiot!"

  "Oh, my. You humans sure are funny. Screaming like you are the only ones in the world."

  The unknown voice made Phloria turn around in a split second, her estoc ready in her hand. Lith recognized the intruder and weaved a couple of spells, just to be safe. It was the dryad he had rescued from a Puppeteer Abomination months before, Lyta.

  Yet he had no idea of what a Puppeteer was or how she was called.

  "Yet I can understand why this ugly female is so worked up." She looked at Lith, licking her scarlet lips seductively.

  "I usually don't like humans, especially after one really bad experience, but power is the most powerful aphrodisiac known to both women and dryads alike. Do you want to have some fun, handsome?"

  Phloria hated the dryad for her cruel words and shameful act. Yet she had to admit she was the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. Lyta had big red eyes that sparkled under the sunlight like rubies.

  Her visage was simply stunning, from her delicate features to her full lips.

  She had feet length red hair, the same color of maple leaves during autumn. Everything about her exuded a wild and unrestrained allure that made even Phloria ponder whether to kick her a*s or ask her out.

  The dryad wore what on Earth would have b
een considered a skin tight cocktail dress made of vines and leaves. It exposed her shoulders, her arms, and her long legs up to the thigh.

  The only thing that betrayed her non-human nature was the light green skin.

  "You again?" Was Lith's only reply. After their last encounter, he had read all he could find about dryads. They were a shady bunch that sometimes would mate with humans simply to have some fun.

  Most of the times they would just rob them blind. Dryads loved precious things, especially jewels.

  "So she's the dryad you saved?" Much to everyone surprise, Yurial was looking at her with indifference. Yurial himself was amazed. It was the first time he managed to be aloof in front of such a beauty.

  'Maybe it's because she is green, or maybe I'm finally starting to think with the right head.' He thought.

  Lyta was deeply offended by their reaction. It was only the second time in her life that humans didn't throw themselves at her feet while swearing their eternal love for her. Suddenly, Yurial's word rung some bells.

  "He saved me?" The dryad stopped looking at Lith's mana flow, focusing on his eyes and smell instead. Lith had grown more than five centimeters since their last encounter and his smell had changed after his breakthrough in Kalla's cave.

  Yet Lyta couldn't forget that cold gaze devoid of mercy, nor the inhuman smell he exuded.

  "You!" She suddenly lost all her self confidence. She ran back to the nearest tree, ready to flee in case something went wrong.

  "Yeah, me. Since you have already bothered us, the least you could do is answer a few questions. Why are there Clackers here? This isn't their turf."

  The dryad didn't like being ignored. An ugly short lived human being indifferent to her beauty was unacceptable. She would have never wasted her time if the two males were alone. They seemed to have a few loose screws. The reason why she chose to remain was that the females were just perfect.

  They were staring at her with the perfect mix of envy, self pity, and desire that made Lyta feel alive.

  "The Brood Mother's turf goes as far as she can get. She's exploiting the academy's and the forest's current weakened state to lay as many eggs as she can. Also, the Lord of the forest is absent for a while. It's the perfect opportunity for her."