LGHTNOVELBOOK CHAPTER 178 - Feeling Fear.
The tension that had dissolved by the appearance of the meat returned right after Alex left the hall.
The scent of meat, which they had been yearning for, was now mixed with the smell of blood from the fake fallen boss.
They all made it seem like they didn't care much about it as it would have affected the negotiation, but now they didn't need to keep up with that.
Barbara remained standing, her emerald eyes fixed on the door through which Alex had disappeared, deep in thought.
One of her subordinates, a burly man with short silver hair, stepped forward, his voice laced with restrained frustration. "Lady Barbara, why did we let him leave? We could've easily overwhelmed him. He's just one man. A mage at that."
He had wanted to attack but didn't because Barbara, their leader, didn't tell them to.
Another, a beautiful woman with a lean yet muscular frame, crossed her arms. "He was impressive, sure. But we all saw it—he fights like a magic swordsman. Even if he's a genius, he's still in the Star Formation Realm. Someone like him can't overcome the sheer difference in power. If we had attacked all at once, he wouldn't have stood a chance."
They had all seen his stars; they were scattered and swirling. He wasn't yet in the star connection realm, and they were all star connection realm experts. So, the woman didn't get why they didn't attack.
A third subordinate, a younger man with sharp blue eyes, leaned against a cracked pillar, his tone curious. "Even if he were some prodigy magic warrior, the power barrier of an entire realm isn't something one can simply ignore."
He paused, and as everyone nodded in agreement, he spoke again, "At worst, he might have taken one or two of us down, but against all of us? He wouldn't last."
There was no way one could have infinite stamina or mana to fight against so many people, right?
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Barbara, however, remained silent, her fingers lightly drumming against her armrest.
She knew how they must all have felt for a while. Letting go of the person who killed one of their close friends. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "You're all correct."
The warriors exchanged glances, confusion evident in their eyes.
For Barbara, they were correct. Absolutely correct to have such thoughts, and she was thankful that they didn't do anything and kept their feelings in check, so...
"I did consider killing him," Barbara admitted, her tone cold and calculating. "The moment he killed Archer, I knew he was dangerous. That kind of precision, that calm—it's not something you see in normal geniuses."
She turned her gaze toward them, her eyes flashing with something they couldn't quite decipher. "I've seen countless prodigies in the Demon Realm. Some of them were born with unparalleled talent. Some forged in blood and battle. But when I looked at Alex..." She hesitated, then continued, "I felt it."
One of the warriors frowned. "Felt what?"
Barbara's grip on the armrest tightened slightly; she recalled the strange sensation she felt when she was about to attack Alex.
"Do you want to see more?" Those from Alex were still fresh in her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she replied to the man, "Fear."
The air in the hall seemed to grow colder.
The warriors stood in stunned silence when they heard that. Barbara was not someone who feared easily.
They had seen her fight. Demonic creatures rush into the ruins many times, and there are times when they are strong enough to make even Barbara struggle, but she never said something like this.
So, why now?
"I could sense it," Barbara continued. "The moment I even thought about making a move against him, my instincts screamed at me. It wasn't logical. But I knew if we fought him, we wouldn't walk away unscathed."
She didn't know that Alex had used death gaze on her. Seeing one of her subordinates, she wasn't able to notice it. So, for her, it seemed like her instincts called.
If she knew, she wouldn't have evaluated Alex so highly.
One of the older warriors, however, scoffed, not wanting to believe her words—though there was a nervous edge to his voice. "You think he's that strong?"
Barbara's expression hardened. "I don't think. Maybe, maybe not. But that's a risk I wasn't willing to take."
Another silence stretched between them, heavier than before.
One of the women gritted her teeth. "Then what now? Are we just going to let him be?"
They were a group that worked on trust and loyalty. They treat each member like a family member, so how could they just let it go?
Barbara, looking at their expressions, shook her head. "No."
A slow smirk formed on her lips, one filled with a mixture of amusement and cold intent. "I don't plan on letting him walk away without consequences. We lost Archer, and I don't forgive such things easily."
She paused, her expression thoughtful as she muttered, "I still don't know what we could do to him, but there's still time. He's heading deeper into the ruined city, towards something we've never been able to see."
Her emerald eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Let's wait for now. We will see how the situation plays out. We will collect intel on him when he fights that thing... then we'll decide what to do with him."
A grim understanding passed through the warriors. The strategy was sound. They didn't need to take unnecessary risks when there was still an unknown variable in play.
For now, they would observe.
And when the time was right, they would act.
............................
The next morning.
Just like any morning in the ruined city, this morning was as dark as night. It was an underground city, so of course, the sun never rose here. It was only because of the street bulbs, which, for some reason, always kept glowing that people could see anything.
But that didn't mean people's routines would be broken. The ones who had something planned would do it anyway. Alex was one such person.
He was doing his morning exercise while talking to Zahara and Mira together again.
Alex was never going to skip his training after all. Especially now when he was so close to breaking through the star formation realm.