Chapter 170 - 165: Capture
Mia huddled in a narrow crevice between the rocks, still terrified by the harrowing scene she had just witnessed.
’That bastard Hector... Of course he’d only send me on these suicide missions.’
’The awakened monster was a hundred times more terrifying than he described.’
’I only managed to escape through pure luck.’
’Those strangers were a bigger target and drew all the monster’s attention, which is the only reason I got away with my life.’
The wound on her leg was still oozing blood, burning with pain.
Mia mentally calculated the time. The Alchemy Potion she had taken before the mission would last for another three days.
After those three days, that soul-deep agony would return.
The mere thought of Hector’s cold face made Mia’s body tremble uncontrollably.
But she had no choice. ’Only Hector can keep me alive.’
She used the last of her strength to carefully seal the mouth of the crevice with a pile of moss and fungi.
Finally, she blended her aura into the dark corner.
It was the only racial talent worth mentioning for a "defective product" like her.
Pain and exhaustion washed over her nerves like a tide.
Mia’s consciousness sank into a half-dreaming chaos of pain and drowsiness.
’Just a short nap... recover my strength...’
’Then... report back... as soon as possible... the next potion...’
Just as she was about to sink into darkness, a warning spell linked to her consciousness suddenly went off!
’Danger!’
Mia was horrified. The shock instantly dispelled all her drowsiness, and the hair on her body stood on end!
’What’s going on? How is this possible?!’
Before the thought could even finish, a dark figure peeled away from the shadows to her right without a sound.
There was no sound, no presence, not even a single disturbed speck of dust.
’It’s the one from that group before—the one with the dagger!’
’Run!’
It was her only thought!
Mia’s survival instincts took over completely. Her body lunged toward the open space to her left like a feral cat.
But the moment she leaped—
"WHOOSH!"
A sharp whistling sound grazed the edge of her ear.
A Crossbow Arrow slammed into the tree trunk three paces in front of her with a THUD, its fletching vibrating as it pierced the hem of her skirt.
The immense force yanked her out of the air, slamming her hard onto the ground.
Mia looked back in terror. On a distant rock, a one-eyed man was slowly lowering a crossbow, his eye filled with the predatory glint of a Hunter watching his prey.
’The escape route is gone.’
"ROAR!"
A deafening roar erupted from behind her.
A short man, broader than a bear, with a face full of thick whiskers, crashed through the ferns in front of her, a giant battle-axe slung over his shoulder.
"Where do you think you’re running, little whelp?"
Mia froze completely.
A crossbow in front, a Warrior behind, and an assassin to the side.
No, it was more than that.
CLICK, CLACK...
A sound that made one’s skin crawl came from all around.
One, two, three... A swarm of large black beetles emerged from the shadows. They stood firm on their menacing, jointed legs, the barbs on their carapaces gleaming coldly as they surrounded her.
A trap.
A trap tailor-made for her.
’When did they find me?’
The attack, the blockade, the encirclement... everyone’s movements were fluid and perfectly coordinated, as if controlled by a single will.
She collapsed to the ground, all the strength to even scream gone.
The man with a presence as faint as a shadow walked closer and knelt.
He deftly removed the poisoned needle hidden in her sleeve before tying her up securely.
His movements were light, but the knots were exceptionally professional.
Mia could feel that the ropes would cut into her flesh if she struggled in the slightest.
He picked her up as effortlessly as one would a kitten and carried her to the center of their camp.
Then, Mia saw the last man in the group.
The man who had stood in place from the very beginning, not moving a single step.
He looked very young, dressed in burnt and tattered leather armor. His face was pale, but his eyes were unnaturally calm.
Everyone around him—the fierce Warrior, the cold-blooded assassin, and even those monstrous beetles—all revolved around him.
She was thrown onto the ground in front of the leader.
The fall hurt, but Mia didn’t dare to cry. She could only hug her knees tightly, curling into a ball as she stared at him in terror with her purple eyes.
The man leaned down, his gaze falling upon her.
In that instant, Mia felt like a piece of cargo stripped of all its packaging. From her body to her soul, every secret and disguise was torn away under his gaze, leaving her nowhere to hide.
...
Velin looked at the trembling "spoils of war" before him as information rapidly refreshed in his mind.
[Mia]
[Level: Level 3 Mage]
[Bloodline: Primordial Flame of Desire 44%, Crimson Touch 21%, Mixed Bloodline 35%]
[Abilities: Shadow Stealth, Seduction (Incomplete), Emotion Absorption (Incomplete), Shapeshifting (Incomplete)]
[Overall Evaluation: A congenitally defective succubus due to a mixed bloodline. Unable to effectively convert secreted hormones or absorb emotional energy. A special Alchemy Potion is present in her system, which can temporarily supplement the energy a succubus requires. However, long-term use has already caused physical damage. Bloodline optimization may be attempted.]
[Optimization Plan: ...]
’A succubus?’
’And a congenitally defective one at that?’
’And what’s with these special Alchemy Potions again!’
’There’s no doubt she was sent by the Blackstone Hand Guild, but what is a succubus doing here?’
’What kind of organization is the Blackstone Hand Guild, really? Why do they have so many alchemical creations that can affect bloodlines?’
’All that is unknown. It seems a lot of information will have to be dug out of this "tongue."’
Velin looked down, meeting the girl’s terrified eyes.
They were beautiful eyes, but they held only the hostility and fear of a wild animal, without a trace of charm.
Compared to a succubus, Velin thought she looked more like a scrawny little girl.
"Sir, this..." Ola stepped forward, looking at the small figure curled up on the ground. A rare trace of pity appeared on his rugged face. "She’s the one who... stirred up that big thing? Doesn’t look like it. She’s just an ordinary girl."
"An ordinary girl who could survive in a place like that?" Barrett came closer, his single eye scrutinizing Mia. "And evade all of our senses? If the boss hadn’t warned us, she’d have slipped away long ago."
Kael spoke up coldly, "Her stealth is a natural talent. Even my bloodline perception could only detect a slight anomaly. If Sir hadn’t pointed out her precise location, I never would have been able to lock onto her."
Velin’s gaze shifted from Mia and turned toward the direction they had come from.
He didn’t have time to interrogate this little thing right now.
All he knew was that Hector’s scout had lost contact.
Knowing the Blackstone Hand’s usual disposition, they would definitely take follow-up action to eliminate all obstacles.
And the first one in their path would be him, Velin Klein.
"Tie her up securely. We’re taking her with us," Velin ordered.
"Rest for two hours, then we return to Newly Town."
’Once we’re back, there are many "experiments" waiting for me.’