Chapter 20 - Sweet Traces Part 20: The Scent of Sweet Wine Mixed with Roses

"Athena? This is out of the question!" Cole vehemently disagreed."Enough with the chatter. There's no time; I'm leaving. If I'm not back in five hours, don't wait for me." With that decisive statement, Filia dashed into the dense thicket."Athena, you..."Cole called after her, but his voice fell upon deaf ears. Within mere seconds, her slender figure vanished into the intertwining foliage before him."Damn it."Grinding his teeth, Cole could only adhere to the commands from headquarters and proceed in the designated direction. Despite his concerns for Filia's safety, he had to follow orders. Reporting her disobedience was no longer necessary.Meanwhile, Filia, having entered the forest, surveyed the trees and plants emanating with a sickly green energy. She drew her handheld submachine gun, prepared for any potential threats.The silence here was unnerving, devoid of the rustle of insects or birdsong, a stillness reminiscent of death itself.Due to the magnetic field's instability, Filia found her teleportation abilities severely limited, yet this limitation considerably sped up her search through the dense undergrowth.As Filia relentlessly sought Luciano, he leaned against a massive rock, gasping for breath.Four hours prior, Luciano's cruiser had been shot down by the assassin legion. In that assault, four of his bodyguards had perished on the spot.He barely had time to mourn, for the high-ranking sorcerers led the assassins in swift pursuit. The remaining three guards scattered in different directions to cover his escape, leaving him alone to navigate the treacherous jungle.Though perilous, this terrain was equally hazardous for his enemies.After encountering several enormous mutated raptors, he sustained injuries and temporarily sought refuge.Wounds that would typically heal within minutes showed no signs of recovery, influenced by the corrupt energy surrounding him.He knew the command center would dispatch a rescue team; all he had to do was survive.If Luciano were merely an ordinary soldier, he could consider sacrificing himself for his country. But as a commander on the brink of battle, his death would surely incite chaos within the ranks.Drawing a deep breath, Luciano touched the wound at his waist, grimy and sticky with blood.Gritting his teeth, he tore a strip from his shirt and fashioned a makeshift bandage, tying it around his injury.Fortunately, being a werewolf meant he would not bear lasting scars. If she were to see such wounds upon his return, it would surely break her heart.As Luciano conjured memories of his beloved wife to distract from the pain, ominous footsteps approached from behind the rock.The weight of those steps indicated a presence far larger than that of the smaller mutated raptors.Luciano shifted slightly, tilting his head to see.A colossal mutated Tyrannosaurus rex with red eyes was approaching his hiding spot.He had to move—time was of the essence. Taking a deep breath, he bolted forward.However, not long after he began to run, he found his path blocked by several raptors on the hunt.These predators possessed a keen sense of smell and had tracked his blood to this very spot.Having recently transformed, Luciano lacked the strength to shift forms again.As the T. rex drew near behind him, the raptors began to close in from the front.Just as despair threatened to engulf him, a figure leaped from the tall foliage beside him, tackling him to the ground.Before he could process the turn of events, a portal opened beneath him.When he landed, he found himself transported to a relatively safer area within the jungle, still in the embrace of the person who had saved him.At that moment, a sweet scent of wine mingled with roses filled his nostrils, causing his pupils to dilate with astonishment.He froze, gazing up at the person atop him.Filia, breathless and wide-eyed with disbelief, had finally found him—just barely in time before death might have claimed him here.Once she steadied her breathing and regained her composure, she swiftly rolled off Luciano and scrambled to her feet."Commander, are you alright? It's me, Athena. You remember me, right?"Swallowing hard as she assessed his injuries, Filia had no time to dwell on her concern. She retrieved her emergency medical kit, ready to tend to his wounds.But just as her hands reached for the bandage at his waist, Luciano gripped her wrist firmly."No need; I'm fine.""Fine? Really?" Filia's hands trembled slightly as she gazed into Luciano's eyes, their mutual concern palpable."Yeah, I'm fine." Luciano nodded and released her wrist, rising to his feet as well."I'm relieved to hear that. Cole, can you hear me? Cole, this is Athena!" Filia immediately attempted to contact the search team, but after shouting for a long moment, static filled the air."Don't bother. The magnetic field here is too intense; all communication devices are nonfunctional." Luciano's tone was grave, his gaze hesitant to meet hers, though the urge to look at Filia was almost uncontrollable, his eyes revealing a depth of complex emotions."Well, as long as we reach the rendezvous point by 9 PM, we'll be fine. Commander, can you still walk?" she asked, abandoning her attempt to contact Cole and reaching out to support Luciano.To her surprise, he evaded her grasp."I can do it. I can walk.""Good."This marked the first time Filia, as Athena, directly interacted with Luciano. Fearing recognition, she spoke in a deliberately lowered tone."Commander, we can't go in that direction anymore; there are mutated dragons everywhere. We'll have to take a detour.""Understood."Luciano acknowledged her suggestion and began to head in the direction she indicated.Observing his steadfast form, Filia's anxious heart finally found some solace.At that moment, six hours had passed since Luciano had fallen into this treacherous place."Commander? I heard from Cole that normal individuals shouldn't remain here for more than five hours. How do you feel after being here so long?"Filia caught up to Luciano, walking alongside him with a worried expression.However..."Are you quite close to Cole?""Hmm? We're... we're just friends. Why do you ask?"