‘What’s the alternative?’ Locrias replied, using his eyes’ Domination to deviate the elemental pillars enough for Ryman to survive and wrap his shadow body around the incoming Hati’s punch.
It softened the blow and stole part of the collective life force, passing it unto Protector and healing his wounds the moment they opened.
‘Did you offer an alternative solution? Did Faluel or Ajatar suggest any change to Lith’s plan before sending you here? No. This is all you have and you are screwing it up. Remember that even if we didn’t come down here, these people would die anyway.’
‘Yes, but I’m robbing them of the little time they had left. I’m goading them into sacrificing themselves for a lie. I’m the one who is killing them and I’ll carry this burden for my entire life.’
‘Indeed, but if you wash your hands of this you won’t do them any favor. If we fail, the Council will step in and they will all die.’ Locrias replied. ‘Many times during my career I’ve done the wrong thing for the right reason and now it’s your turn.
‘You can choose between keeping your conscience clean and watching the Council massacre every monster in Zelex or you can dirt yourself and save the majority of them. The longer you hesitate, the longer the plan will be delayed and the more people will die.’
Protector inwardly cursed at Locrias for being right and at himself for being weak. He had evolved into a Skoll back when Lith was still a fourth year student at the White Griffon academy and reached the blue core when he was already a Ranger.
Years later, Lith had already reached the violet while Protector was stuck at the bright blue. The plan required exploiting the monsters’ superstitions and making them desperate, yet the Skoll lacked the strength and the conviction to play his part.
With her mana crystal, the orc shaman was a better mage than him. With his bloodline abilities, the Fomor was a better warrior than Protector. As for the Hati captain, he was a merciless war machine.
He was above the Skoll in everything but speed, relentlessly chasing Protector while unleashing a new spell the moment his soldiers finished weaving one and striking with the strength of a deep violet-cored Awakened.
Locrias guided the Skoll’s steps with iron discipline, helping him to block, dodge, and repel the enemies’ spells but he couldn’t counterattack for him without blowing their cover.
A mass of hexa-elemental magic blasted the Skoll’s side, sending him against a blue fist charged with golden lightning that cracked Protector’s skull. The Hati didn’t miss the opening, plunging his clawed hands into the demon’s exposed chest.
Protector could feel the Hati trying to tear him apart despite the haze of the concussion clouding his mind and the blood veiling his eyes, yet he lacked the strength to stop the enemy.
Locrias used Abomination Touch to drain the vitality of the Hati and heal Protector, but for every warg that died of exhaustion, another was ready to take their place.
Protector bashed the Hati’s head just for a warg in the backline to take the damage and let his captain continue. Locrias unleashed the spells he had at the ready and those from his rings, but the Fomor absorbed them and turned them against the Skoll.
The Hati’s claws tore Protector’s flesh and bones, letting his organs slip out and his life away.
It was then that the Skoll let go of his morality, forgetting about right and wrong and focusing solely on survival. The images of Selia, their children, and their unborn son flooded his mind.
All the hardships that they had gone through together flashed in front of his eyes, followed by the grief that his death would cause.
A guttural howl burst from his throat as the primordial need to protect his pack drove Protector to tap into every ounce of strength his body possessed and awakened his bloodline abilities.
The maw of the Skoll deformed and grew in size to the point that the Hati fit into his mouth. Protector then closed his jaws shut, severing the arms of the Hati from his chest and then swallowing him whole.
The Life Eater bloodline ability instantly assimilated the ingested nutrients, healing the wounds and dragging the exposed organs back inside the body under the protection of the skin and fur.
It also assimilated the energy that the Hati carried, filling Protector with more strength than he could handle. The blue flames surrounding his neck and tails spread to the rest of his body, setting him ablaze without hurting him.
The Hati soldiers sent all they could to their captain to ensure his survival but they only fed Life Eater with more strength. Protector howled again, swallowing the severed arms and sending the excess energy where it would keep everyone safe.
***
City of Lutia, Lith’s house.
“What the heck is going on?” Blue flames burst out of Selia’s skin and no matter how much she tried, neither water magic nor damp cloths could smother them.
The fear she felt for her life was nothing compared to the terror for the safety of the child in her womb. Yet even that seemed insignificant when Lilia, Leran, and Fenrir turned into living blue torches a second later.
Selia screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing a howl filled with pride and strength instead of a terrified human voice. The kids joined her, feeling no pain from their condition either.
She jumped to her feet and against the ceiling under the terrified gaze of Elina who had no idea of what was happening. Selia landed with the grace of a cat and when she tried to reach her babies, she moved so fast that she missed them entirely and hit the wall.
The arrays of the house immediately started to repair the damage and protected the occupants of the house.
“What’s happening to me?” Selia stood up, crushing the armrests of a chair under her grip.
As the blue flames approached her swollen belly, her fear turned into full-blown panic.
Kamila was at work so there was no Guardian at the house. Not knowing what to do and afraid for her friend’s safety and her own, Elina pressed Salaark’s rune on her communication amulet.
The Overlord arrived the moment the hologram projected the mayhem taking place in Elina’s living room.
“Calm down. The only threat to your son is you.” Salaark said while grabbing Selia’s wrists and stopping her from beating at herself in the attempt to smother the flames.
“Aunt Sally is right, Mom.” Lilia said. “These flames don’t burn at all. See?”
She grabbed the curtains to prove her point, sending Elina’s heart in her throat from the fear that the whole house might catch fire. Luckily, the blue flames stuck to Leria without triggering the defensive arrays.
Selia opened her mouth, but only whimpers and yelps came out.
“What’s happening to them, Grandma?” Elina asked.
“It’s a bloodline ability I’ve never seen before.” The Guardian replied. “Somehow, Protector has gained a strength above what his body can safely harness and has sent the excess to his family.”
