Chapter 83: Monkey Carnage 2
As the last monkey fell, Adrian stepped forward, surveying the carnage. His eyes gleamed with an almost amused detachment, as if this entire ordeal had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. The air around him shimmered with residual heat, the result of his casual yet devastating attacks.
Tessa, still recovering from her earlier use of the moon shield, leaned heavily against a tree. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, watching her comrades tend to their injuries and checking on the fallen. Despite the tension that had consumed her moments earlier, there was a strange calmness in her gaze. They had survived, but at what cost?
One of the Rhemonic warriors—an older man with silver streaks in his hair—approached Tessa, his voice hoarse from the battle. "We've a lot of injured men and a number of us died, about Half a dozen good men today, my lady. But thank goodness, we didn't lose everyone."
Tessa nodded slowly, the weight of the responsibility settling onto her shoulders. "We did what we had to," she said softly, though her heart ached for those who had fallen. Her mind was still replaying the chaos—how close they had come to losing more.
"Those who followed Adrian were safe," the warrior continued, his eyes flicking toward the group gathered around the alien boy. "Perhaps... we should stick closer to him from now on."
Tessa's gaze followed his. Adrian, standing at the edge of the clearing, was still wearing that same infuriatingly confident smile. He met her eyes and gave her a playful wink, as if to say told you I had it under control. She couldn't help but smile back, despite the weariness creeping into her bones.
Meanwhile, Nyala wiped her spear clean, still fuming from the earlier attack. She glanced toward Ecdy, who was shaking his head in disbelief. "First flies, now monkeys—what's next, a parade of killer squirrels?" he grumbled, stabbing the ground with the butt of his spear in frustration.
Adrian overheard and chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. "Squirrels, huh? Now that would be a challenge." His tone was sarcastic, but his eyes gleamed with a dangerous amusement. "Maybe Akanon's just throwing us a welcome party. After all, who wouldn't want to greet us?"
Nyala shot him a glare, still irritated but unable to deny the effectiveness of his powers. "Next time, try not to look so smug when you incinerate everything in sight."
"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Adrian countered, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "Besides, it's not like these monkeys stood a chance. You might as well let me enjoy myself."
Nymff, who had been fiercely stabbing the last of the downed monkeys, finally paused, her chest heaving with effort. She glanced toward Adrian and then at Tessa, her face unreadable. "We can't keep relying on him," she muttered, though her voice was low. "Not for everything."
Tessa, hearing the comment, glanced over at Nymff. She understood her concern—Adrian's power was overwhelming, but his carefree attitude could be unnerving. He could obliterate threats with a wave of his hand, but what if one day, they faced something beyond even his control?
"We're all in this together," Tessa said, her voice calm but firm. "Adrian is powerful, yes, but we can't afford to become complacent. We have to rely on each other, not just on him."
Nymff nodded, though her gaze lingered on Adrian for a moment longer, conflicted emotions swirling in her eyes.
As the group began to settle down, preparing to move forward, Ikehara reappeared from the shadows. He had been watching the entire battle from a distance, his face still wearing that lazy, infuriating smile. Adrian's earlier anger flared back up, but before he could speak, Ikehara raised a hand in mock surrender.
"Calm down, calm down," Ikehara said smoothly, his voice dripping with false charm. "I didn't think the monkeys would be that much of a problem for you. After all, you've got the moon girl and you... alien friend.... here."
Adrian narrowed his eyes, his hands flexing as if ready to reduce Ikehara to ash. "You led us into this mess on purpose. You're testing us. Don't think I don't know what you're doing."
Ikehara's smile widened, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, come on. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't use flies and monkeys. But you're right about one thing..." His voice dropped to a more serious tone, his gaze darkening. "This isn't the last trial you'll face on the way to Akanon. You should be grateful—these were just the warm-up."
The group tensed at his words. If this was just the beginning, what else lay ahead?
Tessa straightened, despite her fatigue. "Whatever comes next, we'll face it together," she said, her voice steady. She glanced around at her comrades, her eyes filled with determination. "We're not turning back."
Adrian, still glaring at Ikehara, gave a small nod of agreement. "For now," he added, his voice carrying a dangerous edge, "you're lucky we need you to guide us, otherwise, we would have disposed of your despicable, self-absorbed ass. Keep playing these games and trying this petty tricks, and soon you'd get burnt...soon...and it won't be pretty." He let the threat hang in the air, his power crackling around him like static.
Ikehara only chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'll keep that in mind."
As the group prepared to move on, Nyala stepped up to Tessa. "You sure about this? We've lost people... and Ikehara isn't exactly trustworthy."
Tessa met her gaze, her voice firm. "We don't have a choice. Akanon is where we need to be. And whatever comes next, we'll be ready."
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With the tension still hanging in the air, the group moved forward once more, their destination looming ahead. The road to Akanon was long, but they were prepared for whatever came next—or so they hoped.