The Mighty Mage
Chapter 268: Looming Death

Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Looming Death

"Ah, but you... Si Kai, was it?" Lamashtu sneered.

"Look at you, all loyal and brave, trying so hard to protect your dear sister. It’s almost touching. Almost. But look around."

He gestured lazily to the soldiers and survivors.

"They know it’s over. They’re just waiting for the inevitable. And yet, here you are, clinging to a corpse. How pitiful."

Si Kai’s vision blurred from the pain coursing through his body, but he refused to let go of Gu Jin.

"How do you know my name?"

"It’s pretty easy you know. We have an ability that could allow us to know the names of anyone present here.

Not only that we can also predict when someone can die." Lamashtu smiled.

"You talk too much," Si Kai spat through clenched teeth, though his voice trembled.

"If you want me, then come and take me."

Lamashtu laughed—a deep, sinister sound that sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.

"Oh, how noble. But you misunderstand, Si Kai. It’s not you we’re interested in."

Lamashtu turned slightly, allowing his gaze to fall on Erinyes, the white-cloaked figure who had yet to speak.

Erinyes floated silently, his presence looming over the battlefield like a grim specter.

Without a word, Erinyes raised a single hand, and Lamashtu’s eyes glinted with mischief.

"Our king, Erinyes, has taken a... particular interest in your dear sister, Gu Jin," Lamashtu said, his voice dripping with malevolent delight.

"She’s special, you see. She’s caught his eye in a way none of you could ever hope to understand. And because of that, I’m going to make you an offer."

Lamashtu’s grin widened as he descended slightly, hovering just above the ground now.

His sharp blue eyes locked onto Si Kai’s, and he spoke slowly, relishing every word.

"Hand her over, Si Kai. Give Gu Jin to us, and we’ll let you go. You, your pathetic band of survivors, all of you can walk away from this.

No more fighting, no more death. Just hand her over, and your lives will be spared."

For a moment, a cold silence fell over the forest.

The survivors, soldiers, and commoners alike, looked to Si Kai. Their breaths were shallow, hearts racing in fear and desperation.

Could it be true? Could Lamashtu be offering them a way out?

Si Kai’s body trembled, not from the pain, but from the sheer hatred that coursed through him.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, though every movement sent waves of agony through his bones.

Clutching Gu Jin tightly, he glared at Lamashtu, his voice filled with venom.

"You think I’d ever betray her? After everything she’s done... after everything we’ve been through? I’d rather die a thousand deaths than hand her over to you.

She is my sister, I would never allow anyone to kill her."

Lamashtu’s smile faltered for a brief second, but then his expression shifted, almost as if he had been expecting Si Kai’s response.

He turned to Erinyes, who hadn’t moved since arriving and whispered something inaudible.

Erinyes leaned closer, his white cloak billowing eerily around him, and whispered back into Lamashtu’s ear.

Lamashtu’s eyes widened with sudden interest, and his grin returned—wider, darker, more dangerous than before.

"Ah," Lamashtu said, his voice now tinged with something more sinister.

"Well, it seems there’s another option on the table. Tell you what," he said, addressing the entire group of survivors now,

"If any of you... any one of you... gives Gu Jin to us, I’ll spare all your lives. You’ll live, and you won’t have to worry about Erinyes or me ever again."

With a flick of his wrist, Lamashtu released the oppressive pressure that had been crushing them all.

The weight lifted, and for the first time in what felt like hours, the survivors could breathe freely again.

The relief was short-lived.

As Lamashtu’s words sank in, the tension among the group shifted.

The soldiers, the commoners, the remaining survivors—they all exchanged glances.

Fear, guilt, and desperation flashed in their eyes.

Si Kai’s heart pounded in his chest as he saw some of the survivors shifting nervously.

Their eyes darted toward Gu Jin, and for the first time, Si Kai felt a cold dread that had nothing to do with the enemies in the sky.

He wasn’t worried about his life, he was worried about Gu Jin.

If there were one or two enemies he could still, defeat them but now...with so many of them, Si Kai was worried that Gu Jin would hardly have the chance to survive, even if she escaped from here.

A man stepped forward, his face twisted in desperation.

"We can’t... we can’t keep fighting like this. We’ve lost everything... we... we have to survive!"

He moved toward Si Kai, his steps uncertain, but his intent clear.

"No..." Si Kai growled, his voice low and threatening. He tightened his grip on Gu Jin.

"Stay back. Don’t you dare?"

The man hesitated, but more followed.

Their faces were pale, their eyes hollow with fear and guilt.

One by one, they began to inch closer to Si Kai, some with hands outstretched as if already preparing to drag Gu Jin away.

"Please!" one of them begged, tears streaming down her face.

"I don’t want to die! We... we just want to live. Please... just give her to them."

Si Kai’s fury boiled over, and he shouted,

"You cowards! You dare betray the one who saved you?! You would sell her out just to save yourselves?!"

But his words fell on deaf ears. Some of the survivors, their minds clouded by fear and self-preservation, moved closer.

And then, to Si Kai’s horror, Feng Boyu and Ren Fulin stepped forward.

"No..." Si Kai whispered, disbelief and rage coursing through him. "Not you... You can’t...!"

Even if he could protect Gu Jin from those survivors, he doesn’t stand a chance against the combination of Ren Fulin and Feng Boyu.

For a moment he was filled with despair.

How could the world be so unfair?

His sister fought tooth and nail against those parasites to save these soldiers and in the end, they turned their back on her and wanted to harm her instead.

He hated the world and was filled with the thought of destroying the world if Gu Jin died.

’If my sister is harmed or dies...I will kill you all b*stards. I will destroy this world with my own hands.’ Si Kai’s eyes turned blank.

But Feng Boyu and Ren Fulin did not attack him.

Instead, they stepped between him and the approaching survivors, their weapons raised, their faces grim.

"We’re not here to take her," Feng Boyu said quietly, his voice steady.

"We’re here to protect her."

Si Kai blinked, confused, as more soldiers followed Feng Boyu’s lead.

They formed a protective barrier around Si Kai and Gu Jin, their weapons drawn

"We owe her our lives," Ren Fulin added, his voice firm.

"Gu Jin didn’t have to stay, but she did. She fought for us, even when she didn’t need to. We won’t let her sacrifice be for nothing."

One of the survivors shouted,

"Hey! Move away! You damn bastards! I want to live! If she had sacrificed so much to save you, why can’t she save us? She should sacrifice for us too!"

His words angered Ren Fulin so much that he shouted back at him,

"I wish, your mother had made a sacrifice and killed you before you were born. At least the world would have been a safer place."

"You!"

Lamashtu laughed when he heard Ren Fulin’s word and commented,

"Hey, your tongue is spicy, I want to eat it, to know how it tastes."

Ren Fulin clenched his hand and muttered in his mind,

"And I would like to chop your head to know how a bastard looks when he dies."

"No so good," Lamashtu answered his question.

Ren Fulin’s eyes widened,

"You can read minds?"

"Aww, you are not so dumb. I would like to eat your brain too. Everyone, please attack him carefully, I want his brain and tongue intact."

The survivor who was insulted by Ren Fulin earlier waved his hand,

"We will try our best."

The moment he finished speaking, a large tongue wrapped around him, and within moments he was swallowed by Lamashtu.

The speed was so fast that it could be hardly seen by anyone.

The atmosphere froze and all of them gulped.

Lamashtu’s strength and speed made the hearts of the survivors beat with fear. Even the soldiers weren’t spared.

The survivors who had been moving forward froze in their tracks.

They didn’t dare to move for fear of offending Lamashtu and ending up in the same situation as that man who was swallowed by Lamashtu.

Lamashtu suddenly chewed as if he was eating something and this scene was enough to make the weak heart throw up.

"Hm...what a disgusting taste!"

Lamashtu muttered as he patted his stomach and looked at Gu Jin intently.

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