Chapter 349: Ch 348: You are all Mistaken

"I need you to punch me. Hard! In fact, use a little bit of your magic as well. I want to feel the impact."

Lyra stared at Kael for a few seconds after hearing his request, completely unable to understand what was going through his head.

She had expected many things from him, especially after watching him absorb the dungeon core, but asking her to punch him was certainly not one of them.

"Huh? Have you lost your mind? You want me to punch you hard? There is no way I am going to do that. What if you die or something...?"

She asked, her expression slowly turning into one of disbelief and irritation. Kael simply nodded, completely serious about what he had asked her to do.

It made her let out a sigh, and she decided not to question him. After all, Kael was the reason they had been able to make it this far. So if anyone knew what they were doing, it was Kael.

"Fine! I will give you what you want. But don’t complain that I went too far. I am only doing this because I believe you can handle it."

She pulled her fist back, gathering a small amount of magic around it. Kael had specifically asked her to use only a little, so she had intended to do exactly that.

But the more she thought about his ridiculous request, the more irritated she became.

’He really thinks he can just order me around like this...’

So, perhaps by accident, she used a little more magic than necessary.

Her fist struck Kael in the chest.

"Ugh—"

Kael staggered backward, his feet sliding across the ground as he struggled to remain standing. The impact had been far stronger than he expected, and Lyra immediately realised that she had gone too far.

"Kael!"

She rushed forward and reached out to support him, but before she could grab him, several figures appeared around her.

"Don’t move!"

Iris shouted as she grabbed Lyra from behind, while Seraphina quickly cast a spell to restrict her movements. Leon moved in from the side, and Elena surrounded Lyra with her black magic.

"What are you all doing?! Let me go. I was just trying to help him—"

Lyra struggled against their restraints, completely shocked by what was happening.

"After you just attacked him like that? Do you think we are going to believe you?"

Iris shouted angrily, and Lyra felt irritated at their questioning tone. After all, it was not fair that she was being made to look like this horrible person when she had just done as she had been asked to.

"What? No! He told me to punch him! And I only used a little more magic than he asked for! It was an accident!"

Lyra desperately tried to explain herself, but none of them seemed willing to listen.

"You expect us to believe that? Look at him! Kael is knocked out."

Leon asked while tightening the restraints around her.

"Yes! Because you knocked him out as soon as you came. How is it my fault?"

Lyra protested, but Elena’s expression remained suspicious as she continued holding her in place.

"Lyra, I want to believe you as well. But the circumstantial evidence proves otherwise. Maybe it will be better if we keep you under watch for some time..."

"You too?! Elena, at least you have to believe me—!"

Lyra looked around at all of them in disbelief before glancing toward Kael, who was knocked out and in Seraphina’s arms. And she was not healing him. She was just holding him in her arms longer.

"Kael! Tell them what happened! Wake up and tell them! Wait! I am innocent! I swear I am innocent!"

Her desperate words only made everyone tighten their grip.

And Lyra suddenly realised that, no matter how loudly she protested, none of them had any intention of letting her go.

...

"I am telling you that it is not my fault. There is no need to bind me like this. I am not going to run away from here."

Lyra promised, only to be ignored by everyone around her. This was just too much, and she decided she did not want to bother anymore.

She just needed to wait for Kael to wake up, and he could clarify this situation for her.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Kael opened his eyes and looked at her bound form. He looked as shocked as she had felt the first time she was captured.

"Kael, how are you feeling? Can you tell us what happened? Did Lyra hurt you? Or did something else happen—"

"I am fine. But why is Lyra bound to the chair like that? Did she do something after she punched me?"

Kael asked, and Lyra took this chance to immediately clarify her side of the story.

"They bound me up because they thought I attacked you. Tell them that you were the one who asked me to do it! This feels so unfair..."

Lyra yelled immediately, causing Kael to let out a sigh. He looked at the others around him and gave them a smile.

"Can you all let Lyra go? She punched me because I asked her to. And she did not punch me that hard either. I just staggered because I was not mentally prepared to be hit."

Kael pointed out, and everyone looked at him like he had lost his mind.

Seraphina looked especially unhappy with the outcome, but she nodded at Elena to let Lyra go. And finally, once Lyra was free, she threw her arms around Kael and shook his body.

"You stupid idiot! Because of you, I almost died. And you... well, never mind. I don’t care to know anymore at this point. The fact that you are alive and well is enough for me."

Lyra let out a sigh before she looked at him again.

"So, did you get what you wanted out of this?"

She asked, and Kael let out a sigh.

"Well, you could say that. I did ask her to punch me, and I did get what I wanted out of this as well. So you can let her go."