Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 150 - Comrades

Previously:

The Tainted sets his eyes on Nelaira. Nelaira is unable to escape but Aurel comes to her rescue. Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen circumstance, Aurel ends up getting hit by the creature and rendered unconscious. Laica loses her bearing and intensifies her magic, attracting the creature's attention onto herself. Luki starts treating Aurel, but the creature's stomp causes an earthquake and the two of them fall into the nearby pit. Laica rushes towards the pit to help them.

* * *

Nelaira attracts the creature's attention by erupting her mana and the team manages to kill the Tainted. At its death bed, the Tainted starts twitching and erupts in its last attack shooting out countless air blades. Laica blocks in front of Luki and Aurel to protect them and ends up dying as a result. Unable to block all of the blades, one manages to pass through and damage Luki's boots, making him and Aurel fall back down into the pit. Nelaira wants to rush into the pit to save the two but is stopped by Lorafiel, her corporal.

"To risk contamination just to confirm the death of two fallen comrades is foolish."

Nelaira bit her lip until she tasted blood. "So, you are saying we should just leave them there?!"

Lorafiel didn't speak for several seconds.

"They wouldn't want you to risk your own life like this."

Episode 150 – Comrades

Nelaira's fists clenched so hard her nails drew blood.

"You have a responsibility to your team, Lieutenant. This is not the time to succumb to your feelings of grief and self-blame." Lorafiel continued. "Think about it carefully. If there was one Tainted here, there might be more. We should teleport back immediately."

Nelaira fell silent. She hated to admit it, but her corporal was right. Every second that they remained here she was risking the lives of the remaining three members of her team.

Out of the four of them who have survived, Lorafiel and Scotty weren't specialized in combat, while she was in no condition to fight. If another Tainted popped up, their entire team would be wiped out without a doubt.

But even so... even so... she was unwilling to just abandon Luki and Aurel! Until she saw their corpses she refused to proclaim them dead!

Even if they had been tainted, with proper treatment they could survive a few more years!

How could she ever look their families in the eyes if she didn't even confirm their death?

She gritted her teeth and decisively showed her Beacon into Lorafiel's hands.

She couldn't risk the lives of the remaining three, but she couldn't abandon Luki and Aurel either. Thus, she could only risk her own life to save the duo.

Giving Lorafiel no chance to complain, Nelaira took off her backpack and threw it at Lorafiel's feet. "Stand by for teleport. I'll go down to bring back Luki and Aurel. Give me 30 minutes. If another Tainted appears in the meantime, don't wait for me to return, activate the Beacon immediately."

She eyed Scotty, Lorafiel, and Grass sternly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Her physical state might be nearing collapse but that did nothing to dampen her commanding presence.

Grass and Scotty subconsciously straightened up and nodded their heads. Lorafiel accepted the command without question. He pocketed the Beacon with a strange glimmer in his eyes, then he crouched and picked up her backpack.