Chapter 80: Wasted Chance
'Alvin, Felia,' Linfel quickly spoke to those two through their minds. 'We are turning back.'
'What?!' Alvin and Felia almost tripped after hearing that. 'Are you crazy? We will be eaten alive!'
'We will be eaten alive regardless,' Linfel continued. 'However, there is something I would like to test. If it works, then we will have a chance to make it out of this place.'
Alvin and Felia looked at each other. In the end, they have survived this far, thanks to Linfel, so they might as well continue to believe him. 'Alright. But what about the others?'
'Tell Claus to lead the group ahead. He will have to use the bubbles instead of me. He doesn't have the same Magic Energy Control as me. However, he is a Level Three Magus, and so is his Familiar. He can make up for it with his Brown Magic Energy alone,' Linfel explained. 'As long as the wasps aren't pursuing them, they will have a higher chance of escaping this place as well.'
Alvin thought about it for a moment and nodded. He knew through Linfel that the wasps were much faster than them. They would be caught again, and when that happens, only death awaited. "Claus, Linfel asked you to exchange places with him and control the water bubbles."
Claus was taken aback. "Really? Are you two already without Magic Energy? I can do that, but we won't be able to move as fast as now since my control isn't as good."
"It's fine," Alvin didn't mind. "I'm going back with Linfel and Felia to attract the wasps somewhere else. You will have enough time to adjust and lead everyone out of here. Or, at the very least, reach another high place."
Everyone was taken aback. Alvin and his Familiars will run back? "Are you guys out of your mind?!"
However, Linfel stopped using the Bubbles, not giving time for Claus to speak anymore, as he quickly took control of them. "Claus, keep going. We will try to deal with the wasps. Just make sure everyone gets out. Also, Vera, don't forget our rewards!"
In the next moment, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia turned around and ran in the opposite direction. They soon disappeared from everyone's eyes in the middle of the highly concentrated gray-purple mist.
Claus and the others couldn't believe that. However, even Claus, as a Level Three Magus, had his limit. His Magic Energy Reserves would run out soon or later, so he couldn't spare time to go after Alvin. "Do not waste their efforts. Keep running; just do it a little slower so that I can control the Water Bubbles."
Tens of meters back, Alvin began to hear the approaching of the wasps. No doubt, the wasps also noticed him and his group since they seemed to accelerate even more.
"Felia!" Linfel shouted.
Felia understood and quickly connected to Alvin. They were once again using the Double Master Familiar Connection, giving Linfel access to all their Magic Energy. 'Felia, Alvin, I know you two don't have Water Element Affinity, but try to control the water bubble for a few seconds. I need to concentrate.'
'Alright!' Felia quickly answered. 'Do we need to cover you as well?'
'No,' Linfel quickly rejected. 'I can resist the Decaying Magic Energy. Now, I'm releasing it.'
Linfel completely stopped using Magic Energy in the water bubbles. Alvin and Felia immediately took control of them, but they couldn't move. They didn't know how to use Water Element, so just maintaining the bubble was hard enough, let alone moving while doing it.
*Bzzzzzzzzzzz!*
Suddenly, hundreds of wasps came from behind the mist, instantly spreading and trying to swarm Linfel's group. Linfel still underestimated the wasps, though. In the last few meters, the wasps' speed increased once again, much to his shock. 'Shit! Too fast! Run!'
Alvin and Felia didn't expect that and took some time to react. It was too late to run now, as the wasps had already reached their group.
Linfel changed his approached and accumulated Fire Element. he could only try to create a barrier to try to buy his group some time. Unfortunately, the wasps were indeed too close. By the time he finished accumulating the Fire Element, the wasps were already on Alvin's face!
*swish!*
*shaaaaaaaa!*
Yet, just as they were to be completely swarmed, a flash of red passed right between his group and the wasps. The flash of red was followed by a wave of fire, burning all the wasps that tried to attack Alvin! In the next moment, a woman holding a flaming sword landed on Alvin's side while coughing nonstop.
"Milia!" Naturally, Alvin easily identified the girl. "What are you doing?!"
"I told everyone in our- cough, cough, cough... our faction that I would come with you to make sure you would survive, did you forget?!" She answered with a serious expression.
"You are crazy!" Alvin quickly held her. She didn't have the Water Bubble around her head like him. She obviously separated from Claus and the others to come after Alvin. Alvin did his best to control that water bubble inside his head and include Milia inside. Only then would she be able to breathe a little.
She didn't breathe much of the Decayed Magic Energy, but it still affected the girl since it was in its most concentrated state at the moment.
Of course, the problems didn't end there. Milia's attack only bought their group a few seconds. More and more wasps came out of the gray-purple mist and quickly passed by the dying flames of Milia and Nori's attack. Even worse, Milia wasn't in a state to attack again.
"Well done!" However, Linfel couldn't be happier. Milia bought him exactly the amount of time he needed. Even better, the dead wasps on the ground due to Milia's attack made his life even easier.
Linfel's Red Magic Energy quickly spread around, stopping at around two meters from Alvin's body. "Come to Papa!"
Hundreds of wasps entered Linfel's Magic Energy and advanced. However, just as they were about to sting Alvin and Milia from all sides... they stopped!
More and more wasps entered Linfel's range, and in the same way as the previous wasps, they all stopped as well. Not before long, Linfel's group was surrounded by wasps flying close to them. Yet, they didn't do anything. They flew in a very organized manner, something you wouldn't expect from a swarm.
"Linfel..." Alvin, Milia, Felia, and Nori looked at him.
Linfel mentally sighed in relief. "As expected, they are Magic Beasts, but they aren't anywhere near Level One. There is very little Magic Energy in their bodies, which makes it quite easy to control. All these wasps are under my command now."
Linfel glanced at Milia and couldn't help but feel happy that she had come. She bought him enough time with her attack, and he was able to use the dead bodies of the wasps to analyze their Magic Energy. The wasps' Magic Energy Channels were extremely simple, and they had so little Magic Energy that one might not even call them Magic Beasts... or Magic Insects, for that matter.
Linfel was already Level Two, and he was already capable of controlling a Level One Magus before while he was at Level One as well, albeit for a few seconds only. The wasps were nowhere near Level One, so the result was pretty obvious.
Even better than that, the wasps that Linfel just took control of acted as a shield that confused the other wasps outside of his control range. For the other wasps, it was as if they were just passing by their own race members. They didn't have intelligence, but they didn't attack each other. That was the perfect shield, a living, deadly, and toxic shield.
"Now then," Linfel quickly regained control over the Water Bubbles. "Do you two prefer to keep using the same water bubble, or should I create one for each?"
Alvin and Milia looked at each other and saw their faces so close that a slight movement could end up in a kiss right there and then. Instantly, their faces went completely red. "Se-Separated ones... please."
Linfel sighed in response. "Another reproduction chance wasted..."