CHAPTER 158: TWIST

Kael carried an unconscious Alice in a princess carry as he moved stealthily across the battlefield.

With his Energi reserve currently low, he had no choice but to pass through the regions of tall grasses yet to be incinerated. Thankfully, Py flew a short distance away, attracting the attention of the abomination who had had their senses trained on them, and any undead close by, buying him enough time to escape before any of them could sniff out his vital essence.

He had thought of checking on the area where Nathan and Elena had battled, but in the end, he could only continue along the path on which they had planned. With how tired he was, even an ordinary First Order might prove life-threatening if he were to encounter one, not to mention the danger it would pose to Alice, who was in no state to fight.

After a five-minute walk, he eventually saw a building sitting in a wide clearing far in the distance, and he could hear the sound of battle coming from there.

His face hardened, and he was about to take a step when a strange sensation suddenly enveloped him. The feeling was eerily similar to how Rose had tried to invade his mental space, but the problem was that where Rose had failed, Kael's instincts roared at him that this one might just manage to.

Without hesitation, he activated Godly Focus, and he winced from the faint pain that shot through his brain. But he could only grit his teeth and bear with it.

Strangely, that probing sensation didn't try to break through his mental defenses. It only lingered for a moment before a voice resounded around him.

Stay, and I will let the others go.

The voice sounded very masculine, containing a deep bass to it. Not to mention, it contained a strange authority that made the command feel almost impossible to resist.

Kael felt a chill shoot up from the base of his spine to the roof of his skull.

He came to a standstill and turned around, his eyes falling on that small shape standing above the main building of the academy.

Countless thoughts passed through his mind at that moment, and if it wasn't for his Mythical skill, Kael knew he wouldn't be as calm as he appeared to be. Yet, despite his skill's influence, he could still feel his heartbeat picking up.

'Is this what Nathaniel meant?'

For the boy to have been rendered unconscious for an entire day, whatever he had seen must have been so dire and important that the backlash he suffered was almost too severe.

He knew he couldn't act out and had to think through his actions carefully. He could still remember the mistake he had committed when he reached level 10, and he wasn't one to make the same mistake twice.

What he needed at this moment was a cool head and a clear understanding of the situation before making his move.

Therefore...

He deactivated his skill, and the full brunt of his emotions hit him.

The panic. The fear. A foreboding feeling that he was at a crossroads.

The flood of emotions almost made him stumble, but he rooted his feet to the ground and remained steadfast.

Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths and continued his actions for a full ten seconds before his heart finally calmed.

Only then did he reactivate his skill, his closed eyelids glowing a deep blue, as the radiance reflected the power coursing through his mind.

'So what do I know?'

His first thought fell on Nathaniel.

'I know something terrible must have happened, and for me to stop or avoid it, I have to draw its attention away.'

'But is it the right decision?'

'No, it must be. I don't know why the undead had not directly acted even till now, but he must be restricted in some way. This is something I can take advantage of.'

Yet, that thought had barely ended when the faces of his team flashed through his mind one by one.

'No, let's not do anything careless. Better to be safe than sorry.'

'Then am I just supposed to remain behind? I don't know what that monster wants from me, but surely it's nothing good.' It didn't take a genius to know that if he remained with this monster, he was as good as dead. Then what was he supposed to do?

"Only you can draw him away..."

Nathaniel's words flashed through his mind once more, and a vague plan slowly began to take shape in his mind.

'It seems the answer is to separate from the team.'

Though the solution left him feeling unwilling, Kael knew he had no choice but to do what would ensure his and the others' survival.

His thoughts made, he spoke out, seemingly to no one in particular.

"Okay, but let me drop her off first."

He waited for a while, expecting to receive a reply, but when none came, he shrugged in his mind and continued forward.

There was no way he was going to risk Alice, but that also meant he had to move quickly without letting the others realize what he intended to do.

He also kept his mythical skill active, hoping to regenerate as much energi as he could.

Far in the distance, a strange glint flashed in the blue eyes of the undead anomaly as he watched Kael go.

It didn't take long for Kael to reach the clearing, where he saw a small battle had broken out.

Zombies clashed against themselves, the human survivors supporting from behind. The building was already half-collapsed, as the team struggled to fend off the attacks from the stray undead who were drawn to them.

Kael realized they must have been waiting for them. When he scanned the area and saw no sign of Elena, Nathan, or Daniel, it only affirmed his suspicion.

Pressed for time, he quickly closed the distance, his eyes falling on his sister.

Yet, before his mouth could even open, a scream took him by surprise.

"EVERYBODY RUN!"

His head rapidly swiveled to see a figure at the rear of the team running away. What surprised him more was that the cloaked figure, who had already piqued his interest due to the shocking might they had revealed, had, in their panic, the hood blown back, revealing a devilish face that radiated a shocking charm.

'Rachel?'

Kael didn't care for her appearance. Instead, his guts twisted as that foreboding feeling suddenly returned, this time with a far greater intensity.

It was then that the deep masculine voice sounded around him once again, clear enough not only for him to hear, yet directed at him and him alone.

I am no fool.