"C-Constantine… w-where are you…?" Zamora panted, she felt as if her life was stripping away from her body, unaware of how long has t been since he last came.
Her new acquaintance had come to visit him, according to him, he said that he was 'looking' for the exit, and hence why he was still here.
The two of them had conversations with her mostly giving him information… she felt irritated that he hadn't yet taken action, but also understood that if he did and failed, their last hope would be compromised.
Hence she never complained, not like her companions? especially the radically bastard Luke whose complaints didn't stop even after the ants slapped him shut, at some point she laughed when they speared one of his hands.
"AHG!! DAMNED ANTS!"
"Shut up and keep giving us lumen, human… once you have done your fill, don't worry, we will delight on your corpse~"
!!!
The ants weren't merciful by any means, their intentions were clear.
'We're going to farm you and then… eat you'
It filled Zamira with apprehension together with her other female companion, the girl with the gloves whose name was Anne.
Both bulky guys were called Andre and Sam respectively, they fought with halberd and hammer, clearly their strong build assisted into wielding such weapons, while in Zamora's case, a broken sword lay beside her at all times, as if to accentuate her weakness.
**
**
[Aren't you going to help them? They look so helpless…]
"Since when do you care?" Constantine was back at his humble shadow, away from the ants, looking at everything, for the last few days he had studied the patterns, he determined the exit to be the one where the bunch of ants were reunited at all times, apparently discussing about their leader, some ant geezer called Forlon, and their apparent rivalry with the green ogres on the other side of the clearing, a few kilometres ahead.
[I don't care about them, I care about karma points you're going to make if you save them~]
"Throw me your best shot…" He rolled his eyes, not even planning to argue with her, he'd just allow her to throw some ridiculous hundred points and them remain silent.
[A hundred thousand points…]
"…" he remained silent for a while as of having heard that wrong.
"You mean minus?"
[Plus a hundred thousand points if you save them… doing so will trigger the ants and hence, it will be like the previous deal.] she explained.
"But wasn't it twenty thousand for that? How come now it is a hundred thousand…?"
'Is that girl a princess or something?' That's what he initially thought, but neither of the two looked pretty enough to be princesses, and as hot as the purple haired girl was, her face wasn't quite there, so why are they so valuable?
'Is it the baldy magus?'
[No particular reason, I'm just feeling generous today, if you help them, I'll give you a hundred thousand cash…]
"What do you mean cash?"
[Doesn't that word entice you further? What if I include you being able to look at my body for once?~]
"…"
She was being so generous that he was convinced something is going on here.
There is a concealed, trap, danger… maybe those bulky men would want his ass later, there must be something!
But a hundred thousand 'cash' was enticing, as for seeing her body, sleeping as much as she does, he's sure she's some fatty, no interest there whatsoever.
[I felt you somehow profaned my sacred body… I'll let this one pass, tell me, will you do it or not, Constantine…? Saving them…] She exclaimed once again with some insistence, as if truly desiring for him to save those people.
"I already made my plans to save them… I could have already squeezed through those tunnels unimpeded, can't you tell?" He rolled his eyes, these people were the only contact he had so far, it would be sad to allow them to die without extracting more information.
[But they're about to die…]
"I have a plan, fret not, just let me do my thing…"
[If you wanted to see my body so much, you should have just asked] She smirked at his switch of mentality, it is OBVIOUSLY due to her latest offer.
'Hell no!'
**
**
Constantine sat in front of a pit, it was the closest channel to where the humans were located.
His magic was empty after finishing his creation.
[What do you intend to do?] Zebellia asked curiously, she had some ideas.
"Nothing too flashy… you see, ground magic is quite useful for a variety of reasons." Chuckling he moved to the next destination and caved yet another pit until his magic ran out.
Then waited for several hours until his mana recovered and grasped his staff with four spiky sharp needles from the previous crab.
It stayed a crab.
"It's time…" He sank deeply into the ground and crawled his way to Zamira's location through the complex underground channels he had dug prior.
This place had nearly become his domain, he made sure to not dig too much, otherwise compromising the foundation of the holes.
"Zamira!"
"…"
"Zamira, is me, Constantine!"
"J-Just leave… I'm about to die anyway, I can feel my life slipping out…" She said with a high-lifeless voice.
He realised that perhaps, his planning did take to long, Zamira was pale and her words contained poison, she was irritated that after several visits, he still didn't help them, or even called for help.
She felt abandoned of the only hole she had.
Constantine looked at the other humans, the bags of lumen were picked up recently.
[They won't last two more nights…]
"I don't have anything to give them… my plans doesn't count with escaping straight away…" He grit his teeth, as always, the only missing consideration of his stratagems was to value human life.
[I can teach you something for a modicum price~] Zebellia's scam mode activated, he could literally smell the pit he was digging for himself just by considering accepting.
[I'll teach you a weak healing spell that works with light magic, it is east enough for you to learn, it will help them survive, but… it will come with a price]
"How many points…" He sighed and braced for impact.
Meanwhile, not hearing Constantine's words, Zamira bit her lips and resigned to her fate.
[It won't cost you points, just a favour… you will owe me a favour which I'll credit when I believe convenient] there was a concealed glint in her voice, this is clearly a scam, one he can't easily detect.
"What kind of favour, at least tell me…"
[That's not your leisure to take, yes or not?] She said dominantly, not specifying.
At this stage he'd rather she says she's taking a few thousand karma points.
"Very well, teach me that spell…" seeing Zamira's resigned expression, he sighed.
[Good~ first go to a secluded place, I have to teach you the principles of vitality… if we use her as a test, she might die, so we're using you as a test]
"May my goddess Aurelianne bless me, for my body is in danger…" he prayed to his goddess, hoping the life embodiment would protect him against Zebellia's wicked means.
Alas, the goddess was powerless to assist without faith.
**
**
[How is it…?]
"I don't feel anything different…" He clenched his hand back and forth, not feeling anything different.
She had taught him how to think of light in the form of vitality, like the 'light' that moves the body.
A strong energy that comes from the core of the body and gives life.
These were Aurelianne's Life Laws.
The speak was called [Sacred Heal] simple… but at the same time, difficult.
A spell was essentially an instruction, engraved in one's magic core to repeat without having to apply the same set of images in one's mind.
[Usually, weak mages need staffs with Minerals that work as catalysts, but you an elf with the blessing of several goddess, would insult all divine beings if you were to use a staff like that Luke fellow, just focus on the engraved spell in your core.] Zebellia said confidently.
He did so and received the same result, nothing.
[Because you have nothing to help dumbo, cut your finger first and then use the spell…] The Valkyrie rolled her eyes if she ever could and he did as she asked, cutting his finger until it bled, he used the spell yet again, focusing all his cores in light.
He slit his finger slightly and then, surprise… it stared to heal.
"It works…"
Zebellia said no more and he also moved into action.
…
"Zamira…"
"Are you still here? Why haven't you left?"
[Sacred Healing]
His hand waved and he cast the spell on her body, Zamira felt the change straight away!
"Constantine!"
"Shhh!! Don't make noise, one of the guards will come in ten minutes, I'll heal your friends and want you to pretend your severely Ill, after he leaves, that will be the best moment to escape." He said his plan, a part of it.
"Y-You came for us…" She smiled, unaware that his spell was healing everything except her lifespan.
And that included her scarred face.
The speed was slow, but a sacred healing is a sacred healing.
"When he leaves, I'm going to break all your shackles and you're going to run in that direction…" He pointed towards a particular channel.
"To the right, there will be a concealed path, once you're in, destroy the entrance!" He uttered and before Zamira could even begin to wonder what his plan was, he cast the spell three more times.
He didn't heal Luke.
The reaction was instant on Anne and the bulky men, they felt refreshed and sane, but it was a progressive feeling.
[You need to rest, casting it so many times in a row is taxing…]
"I know, I have ten minutes…" He said confident in his plan and addressed the girl yet again, all she could see was his dusty face protruding from the ground.
"Zamira, explain everything to them…" He heard the ant coming, it was time.
"What about Luke?" She asked with a frown, all she received was his glare and she smiled in understanding, glee and ultimately… agreement.
"I understand, do what you must and…"
"…?"
"Thank you for saving us… for saving me…" she smiled and it was then that Constantine caught a glimpse of her face… half of it unblemished and the other half healing.
But one half was enough.
"Beautiful… it is nothing." Having had an impression of her countenance, he simply looked aside.
She was far from being able to compare to the most important women in his life.
Aurelianne and Caroline, Isabella… could stop his heart with a mere gaze.
Sadly or not, the conqueror is 'beauty-proof'.
All he hoped was for them to guide him, nothing more.