Flames rushed toward him like a magma beast tearing at his very soul. Just before he could be engulfed, Barrett reacted quickly, pulling a large square shield from his spatial ring and placing it in front of him. Still, the furious heat thrust him into the inferno.
As he fell into the fire, one thought raced through Barrett's mind: what a crazy spell scroll… the burning effect is insane! I definitely need to get one of these!
Fortunately, Barrett was skilled. He plunged his sword into the wooden floor, using it for support to steady himself. While he narrowly avoided being burned alive, a nauseating whiff of roasting flesh began to creep into his nostrils.
The poisoned individuals were in a near-death state, twitching on the ground like shrimp about to be steamed alive. But now, with flames roaring in the dining hall, the "steamed shrimp" were becoming "roasted shrimp." Several fiery figures writhed on the floor like burning bugs, their agonizing screams echoing throughout.
A complex and melodious chant rang out behind Barrett, followed by a strong, commanding voice:
"Frostbound Barrier!"
With a sizzling sound, like rain hitting red-hot iron, a wave of cold air slammed into Barrett's back, pushing the searing flames away. The flammable hardwood floor was soon covered with a solid layer of frost.
image [https://cdn.anisearch.fr/images/character/screen/75/75234/full/433162.webp]
Lakyus, truly an adamantite-level adventurer, maintained the blessing magic while casting a 3rd Tier ice spell. One moment, Barrett felt like he was in a furnace, and the next, it was as if he were standing on frozen ground.
But he knew deep down that this spell wouldn't last long. Lakyus was a Divine Magic user, and Arcane Magic wasn't her specialty. Before long, the alchemical fire elementals, cornered against the walls and ceiling, would come roaring back, turning this place into a hellish inferno once again.
Golden holy light surged forth as Lakyus cast a healing spell again, the warm magic spreading across the frosty white floor, temporarily saving those who were poisoned.
A motionless body floated up into the air, gliding past Barrett as it moved toward the dining hall exit.
He turned his head to see that the cleric girl, Stella, had somehow gotten back on her feet. She was using a 2nd Tier spell, "Mage Hand," struggling to move the still-raw "shrimp" outside. Barrett almost forgot that, despite being only silver-level, she was also a Divine Magic user.
Sean also stood up, his hair and eyebrows singed and curled from the flames. He was supporting two weak knights, slowly moving them outside, one of whom was Wade, the knight who had been "chatting pleasantly" with them earlier.
Seeing this, Barrett rushed over to help; he was much stronger than Sean. With both knights tucked under his arms, he dashed forward. Lakyus, the adamantite-level adventurer, shot them a grateful look, knowing she couldn't possibly save all the survivors in the dining hall on her own.
Lakyus was close friends with Princess Renner, and this time she had secretly joined the knight squad at the princess's invitation to protect her. Sure enough, before they even reached their destination, a group of assassins sprang an ambush.
The assassins were cunning and ruthless. First, they secretly poisoned the food served at noon, and then they unleashed an alchemical fire elemental scroll that rivaled a 4th Tier spell. If Lakyus hadn't quickly cast her blessing magic field, all the knights escorting the princess would likely have met their end here.
At that moment, Lakyus realized her duty was to protect the princess, and throughout this attack, she had been focused on healing the knights, while Princess Renner…
Cold sweat broke out on Lakyus's forehead. Princess Renner was not only her employer but also a close friend. If something happened to her, Lakyus would never forgive herself!
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Just as she was about to draw her magic sword and rush outside, she spotted a figure in a pink dress and silver armor stepping through the doorway, still smoldering from the last flames. It was Princess Renner and her personal guard, Climb, whose sword dripped with blood.
image [https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OVR56YOKOWM/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLDbhBTE5V4Lulqxtvflo9TRv_IcIg]
A third person leaped into the dining hall—a black-haired girl wielding a giant sword. Lakyus recalled that she was the new orichalcum-level adventurer hired by Princess Renner.
"Your Highness, you need to get out of here! It's too dangerous!" Lakyus shouted anxiously. Given the situation, Princess Renner was actually trying to enter the fire-infested area, where ice magic was barely keeping the flames at bay, to help rescue the incapacitated poisoned victims.
"This attack was aimed at me, and it has put you all at risk. Now, I should do my part to help!" Princess Renner said apologetically. She grabbed hold of an unconscious knight and began to drag him outside, completely unafraid of the occasional falling flames from the ceiling, nor did she care about the knight's soot-covered body staining her dress.
Lakyus sighed. She had heard a bit about Princess Renner's covert dealings, but as a royal princess of immense stature, she always thought of the common people, even if it was just for show. This was part of why Lakyus had maintained a long friendship with the princess.
The group worked together to carry out the remaining survivors from the dining hall. Just as Barrett carried out the last pale-faced clerk, the ice magic field behind them could no longer hold, and the alchemical fire elementals rampaged back through the hall. Flames tore through the wooden windows, and the stone walls turned scorching hot.
Lakyus cast another freezing spell, barely managing to suppress the raging flames and prevent the fire from spreading further.
Watching the flames ravage the dining hall, she felt helpless. As a Divine Magic user, this was all she could do. If only her party's Arcane Magic user were here, he could have handled this in no time.
Meanwhile, a nearby two-story brick building, half-destroyed by an unknown explosion, collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into a pile of rubble amidst the swirling dust.
……
Some of the escorting knights and staff had been treated, while others remained unconscious. About ten people had perished in the flames, and they would have to wait for the fires to die down before retrieving their charred bodies from the ruins.
Lakyus mixed a vitality potion into a jar of fruit wine and carefully shook it before taking a small sip. She had cast too many healing and blessing spells earlier and felt a bit drained.
"Are you the adamantite-level adventurer?"
A sudden voice questioned from behind her. Lakyus turned around to find a black-haired girl wielding a giant sword.
Lakyus had previously heard about the black-haired girl from Princess Renner and knew that her name was EeDeChi. She was an orichalcum-level adventurer with a natural strength.
"That's right, I'm Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, the leader of the Blue Roses adventurer team."
Lakyus smiled and nodded, taking a sip of her fruit wine. To be honest, she wasn't keen on dealing with adventurers below her level.
Adamantite-level adventurers represent the elite in the adventuring world, with only three adamantite-level teams in the entire kingdom. Because they are so rare, many bored individuals often try to pry into their lives. Nobles and commoners alike idolize them as heroes, adding undeserved glory and responsibility that can be quite burdensome.
However, Lakyus never let this go to her head. She understood that there are always stronger individuals—whether it's the fellow adamantite-level adventurer Momon, the demon Ainz Ooal Gown who had slaughtered hundreds of thousands in her homeland, or the demon king Jaldabaoth who destroyed the Roble Holy Kingdom—all were formidable existences she couldn't contend with.
"Can we go somewhere a bit more private to talk?" The black-haired girl blinked her eyes excitedly, a mysterious smile lighting up her face as if she was eagerly anticipating something.
"Sure." Lakyus replied vaguely after sipping her fruit wine.
She couldn't help but wonder what those alchemists were thinking, always brewing vitality potions that reeked so badly, as if no bitter taste meant the potion wouldn't work. Even mixing it with sweet mountain pear wine couldn't hide that awful, mothball-like flavor.
Distracted, she followed EeDeChi into a secluded grove surrounded by lush trees, where no one else was in sight.
Lakyus looked at the black-haired girl, wine in her mouth, and thought helplessly that this was probably just another boring topic from a fan.
"Can I get your autograph?" "Is your magic sword really the weapon of the legendary Thirteen Heroes?" "Please, I want to join your team," "Do you want to fight alongside me?" … These kinds of questions were endlessly annoying!
EeDeChi affectionately placed a hand on Lakyus's shoulder, her expression serious and sincere as she said, "Do you want to fight alongside me? Let's take down Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"Pfft!" Lakyus spat out the fruit wine she had in her mouth, splattering EeDeChi with it. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"