Grapevine (Zetheria Series #1)

Chapter 13: Unfriendly Visitors

Selene blinked and gasped upon realizing where she was.

She didn't make it to the staircase. Her left leg was paralyzed and everywhere she looked, there was only darkness.

Dust fell from above.

She coughed.

"Damn it."

On her hands was a jar full of seeds. Holding its cold and smooth surface made her palms sweat.

'Could this be the Vizila Seeds?'

Selene can't say for sure. However, the jar gave off an eerie kind of mana. If it's not the Vizila seeds, then it might turn out to be a precious ingredient. In which case, she would still have some use of it.

Her stomach protested and the spell recoil crashed on her like a mountain. Unknowingly, Selene called upon her vines at the last moment before the ceiling crushed her into meat paste. If not for her reflexes, who knows what would have remained of her.

Thinking about it, a question emerged on her mind. If she really died, would she be transmigrated back to her world, to another world or would she disappear without a trace?

In any case, Selene didn't dare to find out.

She took deep breaths to calm her wildly beating heart, before murmuring a healing spell.

The pain receded for a bit.

'Now, how should I escape this place.'

By this time, Hadeon or whoever he is would have been made aware of what happened. He might even be waiting for her to come out of the rubble. Or perhaps, he might have thought that the thief was dead.

The latter would be much more ideal for Selene.

Thinking of this, a sudden explosion rolled off the ground in waves. It shook violently and more dust fell from the barrier of vines. The spell recoil was not yet done torturing Selene.

At this point, it's only a matter of time. Whether it's her or the ground would collapse first.

---

Outside, a ball of fire flew from the sky and set a cluster of huts aflame.

Two hooded men appeared from the chaos, walking out of the flames as if they were not burned. If anything, the flames seemed to lick their shoes and clothing with reverent glee.

A line of guards barred their way.

The leader simply pointed his sword to the strange duo and the rest of the guards moved as though they were one entity. A dark smoke coated their swords, letting out a shrill cry each time they swung it. Which is a shame, because all they managed to do was cut through air.

The intruders moved like slippery eels, they didn't just show their strength but also the ability to manipulate the battefield to their advantage. This level of understanding was gained through experience.

As the leader of the guard clashed with one of them, the other jumped away. The one who landed on the left, his hood flew away and revealed the handsome face of a young man. He had a clean haircut and curvy lips.

The one fighting with the guards' leader, wore his hood before his face was revealed.

In the next few seconds, the clangor of steel filled the air, bringing with it the ominous scent of destruction.

Meanwhile, hidden beneath layers of rubble, a vine slithered. It grew as thick as the trunk of an old tree, giving the impression of a dormant giant slowly awakening from its century-long slumber. More of such vines grew from beneath and into the surface.