HPDBC Chapter 123 Flaming Insults and Rescues
Chapter 123 Flaming Insults and Rescues
the heat of battle was everywhere figuratively and literally, thanks to the torrents of black fire i was hurling at anything that moved. my blade clashed against steel, sparks flying in the dimly lit chamber. enara was a whirl of dark magic, her small figure darting between shadows as if she were born to this chaos.
but we were losing ground.
"liria, why is that one still standing?!" ananara's sharp voice cut through the noise, his leafy crown flapping as he bounced irritably in my satchel.
"maybe because he's wearing half a suit of armor?" i snapped, dodging a swing from the aforementioned guard. "feel free to hop out and lend a hand, pineapple!"
"excuse you, i'm an intellectual! my strength lies in my wisdom, not... whatever flailing you're doing with that sword."
"don't tempt me to throw you into the fray!" i hissed.
a jolt of electricity crackled past me, courtesy of one of the acolytes. i twisted away just in time, my health bar blinking in warning.
[health: 1800/3000.]
"system, can we get an upgrade on my dodge skills?" i grumbled mentally, diving behind a shattered pillar.
[how about you focus on the skills you already have, hmm? try inferno burst or oh, wait, don't stand still, there's another guard behind you.]nôv(el)b\\jnn
i whirled just in time to see a massive brute charging toward me. his sword was as long as i was tall, and his roar sounded like it came straight from the depths of a monster movie.
"great. another contestant," i muttered, gripping my shadowflare blade tighter.
the brute swung, and i ducked, rolling to the side and coming up with ember swipe. the black flames licked at his armor, but he shook it off like an annoying fly.
"enara, anytime you want to help!"
"busy!" she called, sending a torrent of darkfire toward an acolyte.
"of course you are," i muttered, deflecting another swing.
the brute's strength was terrifying. each strike felt like it was shaking the room, and i was running out of stamina.
"liria!" the system barked. [use your environment! pillar to your left. lead him into it.]
"oh, sure," i snapped mentally. "let me just politely ask him to smash into it!"
still, i had to try. i dodged another swing, angling myself so the pillar was directly behind me. the brute growled, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to charge.
"come on, big guy," i taunted, waving my blade. "you're slow, stupid, and—oh, look, i'm over here!"
with a roar of fury, he lunged. i dove to the side at the last second, and his massive frame collided with the pillar, bringing it crashing down.
"boom," i muttered, brushing dust off my shoulders. "one less problem."
[enemy defeated. experience gained: 300.]
before i could catch my breath, a sharp cry came from enara's direction. i turned to see her pinned against a wall by one of the guards, her magic flaring but unable to break free.
"oh no, you don't!" i growled, sprinting toward them.
the guard barely had time to react before i unleashed inferno burst. black flames erupted around us, scorching the ground and sending the guard flying. enara slid to the ground, panting but alive.
"next time," she wheezed, "i'm bringing more backup."
"next time, i'm staying home," i shot back, helping her up.
our reprieve was short-lived. myrthe finally stepped forward, her golden eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.
"impressive," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "but you're only delaying the inevitable."
"oh, great, the villain monologues," i muttered.
"she's worse than you," ananara added.
myrthe raised her hands, magic swirling around her. "let's see how you handle this!"
"enough!" seraphis's voice cut through our bickering like a whip, and both ananara and i fell silent, though the pineapple's smug energy still radiated from the satchel.
seraphis strode forward, her crimson robes flowing behind her like liquid fire. her golden eyes pinned me with an intensity that could've melted steel. "liria," she said, her tone low and dangerous, "i've had enough of your antics."
"antics?" i repeated, gesturing to the wrecked cafeteria. "i didn't ask to be ambushed by a group of lunatics with questionable hygiene and worse combat skills!"
her eyebrow twitched. "and yet, here we are. chaos seems to follow you like a shadow, doesn't it?"
"hey, that's not fair!" i protested. "i'm not the one who—"
"stop," seraphis interrupted, holding up a hand. her gaze flicked to enara, who stood tall despite her disheveled state. "princess enara, are you hurt?"
"no," enara replied, straightening her spine. "thanks to liria."
a muscle in seraphis's jaw tightened, but she nodded. "good. that's at least one piece of good news."
i opened my mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but seraphis shot me a glare that could've frozen hellfire. i wisely shut up.
"liria," she began, turning her full attention back to me. "i asked you to become my apprentice because i saw potential in you. potential that could be harnessed, trained, and used for something greater than... this." she gestured to the destruction around us.
i crossed my arms, my expression defiant. "and i told you i'm not interested in being anyone's apprentice. i don't need a babysitter or a mentor. i can handle myself just fine."
"oh, really?" seraphis's voice dripped with sarcasm. "because what i see is someone who stumbled into a fight she wasn't prepared for and managed to turn a simple skirmish into a demolition site."
stay tuned to empire
"simple skirmish?" i repeated, incredulous. "those guys were trying to kidnap enara! they had magic weapons and everything!"
"which you escalated," seraphis snapped. "this was not a battlefield, liria. it was a cafeteria. there were innocent lives at stake!"
"yeah, and if i hadn't done what i did, enara might've been taken!" i shot back.
"that's enough," seraphis said coldly. "we'll discuss this later. for now, both of you are to report to the infirmary for evaluation. and when you're cleared, you'll begin cleaning up this mess."
"what?" i yelped. "but we didn't—"
"i don't care who made the mess. you were involved, and you'll take responsibility."
"fine," i muttered, glaring at the floor.
seraphis turned to enara, her expression softening just a fraction. "princess, your safety is our top priority. i'll be assigning additional guards to ensure this doesn't happen again."
enara frowned, her pride clearly stung. "i don't need guards. liria and i are more than capable of protecting ourselves."
seraphis's laugh was humorless. "yes, i can see how well that's been working out for you."
enara flushed but said nothing, her fists clenched at her sides.
"now," seraphis continued, her voice regaining its commanding edge, "i expect you both to cooperate fully. this academy is not just a school; it's a sanctuary. and i will not tolerate anything that threatens its peace."
with that, she turned on her heel, her robes swirling dramatically as she strode toward the exit. she paused at the doorway, glancing back at me. "and liria?"
"yeah?" i muttered.
her eyes narrowed. "i'm not done with you yet. one way or another, you will learn discipline. whether as my apprentice or not."
she disappeared through the doors, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.
"well," i said after a moment, "that was fun."
enara sighed, brushing soot from her hair. "you really have a way with authority figures, don't you?"
"hey, i didn't ask for this," i shot back. "and i'm not about to let her boss me around like i'm some wayward child."
"you do realize she's one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom, right?"
"yeah, well, power doesn't mean she gets to control my life."
from my satchel, ananara snorted. "you're delusional if you think you can keep dodging her forever. seraphis is like a hunting dog. once she's locked onto you, she won't let go."