Chapter 139. Lightning Strike!
"Have I already escaped?"
Lying on the ground, Olivia muttered to herself.
The noise made by those detestable wizards had vanished, and only the patter of rain drumming on leaves remained by her ears.
And that little orb seemed to have a healing effect; the pain in her body eased a great deal, and even the broken bones felt as if they had knit back together.
Struggling to her feet, Olivia judged from the surroundings and the weather that she had not left at all and was still in the forest.
"Those bastards will be able to find me again very soon. I've got to get out…."
She let out a breath, clenched her teeth, forced herself to endure the agony, and staggered on into the distance.
But after only a few steps, the rain in her ears seemed to be mixed with the sound of several people speaking.
"Lord Oles, how did you know that woman would get away?" someone asked in a low voice.
"Bob is a fool," Oles said with disdain. "A little trick is enough to fool him. Otherwise, with his strength, how could he still be just a Knight? Enough—check the map. How far is that woman from us?"
"Not far, Lord Oles. She's just ahead," the earlier voice replied.
"They came this quickly?" Olivia's face changed, and she hurried to flee farther off.
Just then, the pocket watch in her pocket began to tick-tick, the sound striking her ears like peals of thunder.
"Half an hour already?"
Joy flickered across Olivia's face.
She quickly took out the magic indicator.
The pointer in the dial spun rapidly and, after a moment, stopped, trembling as it pointed in one direction.
Olivia ran toward that direction without hesitation and swung her wand, ceaselessly firing spells that made violent reports.
"Duncan, don't worry.
Even if it costs me my life, I'll lure these wizards into your trap!"
She repeated it in her heart, eyes firm, filled with the hunger for victory.
"My lord, that woman is over there!" a wizard in the distance shouted as he heard the commotion.
"Catch up!
Seize her before Bob arrives, but don't kill her, or she'll lose her value!" Oles ordered loudly.
The other wizards answered in unison, wands raised, and rushed forward like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves.
Listening to the shouts behind her, Olivia gritted her teeth, forced herself to quicken her pace, and now and then flung two spells behind to hinder them.
But to her alarm, voices came from other directions as well, and it sounded like there were quite a lot of them.
She had been circling about in the forest, and it seemed everyone in the forest had been stirred and were all running this way.
"I don't know how far Duncan is from me now.
Can I make it there?
And I don't know if he can deal with so many wizards…."
Olivia fretted inwardly, but thinking more was useless.
She had only one choice—to keep sprinting.
Time passed.
Olivia did not know how far she had run; she only knew that the wizards behind her were getting closer and closer.
Countless spells whirled through the air around her, blasting the ground ahead to cut off her route, and the whole forest seemed to tremble.
Her heart in her throat, Olivia defended with all her might, and even had the impulse to use the orb to escape once more.
But she feared being sent farther away from Duncan and ruining the plan entirely.
After a moment's hesitation, she gave up on using the orb, lowered her head, and ran on, praying she would reach Duncan's position quickly.
Suddenly, several wizards sprang out from her flank, and several spells shot toward her at once.
Olivia could not dodge in time.
She managed to bat three of them aside with everything she had and could only watch as the last spell struck her.
Her body flew sideways.
It felt as if flames were blazing inside and out, twisting her face with pain.
But the pointer in her hand suddenly stopped trembling and spinning.
It seemed she had reached her destination.
Olivia froze for an instant, then let her whole body relax and collapsed to the ground, no longer trying to dodge the spells streaking toward her.
"Duncan, I've done everything you asked me to do.
The rest is up to you.
Before I close my eyes, kill them all!"
So thinking, a smile blossomed on Olivia's scarred face, and her carefree smile echoed through the woods with the rain.
The wizards drawing near were given a fright.
They glanced at one another, at a loss, and continued forward.
"You've worked hard.
Leave the rest to me.
Have a good rest," Duncan's voice came from an unknown place.
Oles swept a wary gaze around and shouted, "Who's there?
If you've any guts, come out!"
The other wizards also looked around, including Bob, who had just arrived and was panting.
"Very well, I'll come out now.
But don't regret it later."
Duncan spoke and walked out from not far away, a cold grin on his face, looking at the wizards as if they were already corpses.
"So it's just a brat!" Bob said with contempt, pointing his wand at Duncan, intending to kill him offhand.
Duncan gave Bob a glance and flicked his wand.
The earth swelled where Olivia lay, rising to wrap her body and protect it.
"Wait, I want to watch them die with my own eyes!" Olivia shouted when the soil was about to cover her head.
"All right, no problem," Duncan nodded, striding to her side and answering in a deep voice.
"Brat, you think you alone can kill us all?" Oles sneered, and laughter rose from the surrounding wizards.
Duncan acted as though he hadn't heard a thing.
His gaze swept over the wizards as if he were counting heads.
Feeling Duncan's contempt, Oles's voice cooled.
"Don't waste time.
Kill him!"
"Almost everyone's here…." Duncan said to himself, lifting his wand high, then slowly pointing it forward.
"Lightning Strike!"
His not-very-loud voice echoed through the woods, carrying clearly to everyone's ears, and a trace of fear rose in their hearts.
"What are you standing there for?
Do it!" Oles snapped, glancing tensely around.
Many wizards hesitated briefly, then raised their wands one after another—but before they could act, a rumble sounded from above.
In an instant, the whole world was shrouded in silver-white.
Bolts of lightning as thick as buckets speared down, clawing and lashing toward them.
"Damn it—what magic is this?" Oles's voice trembled.
He wanted to flee, but the lightning clung to him like a shadow.
He could only block with all his might, straining for a chance to live.
But the weaker wizards had no way at all; under strike after strike, they were turned into lumps of charred charcoal.
Olivia's wide eyes were flooded with silver-white.
A moment later, the corners of her mouth lifted into a contented smile.
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