Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 42: The Highest Bidder, Part Seventeen

{Mel}

Admittedly, it took an almost shameful amount of time for Mel to process what was happening.

Jack had shifted his attention away from the rest of the recruits, focusing mainly on reaching Lianna. As Mel leaned over the railing, she watched with wide eyes as Jack slowly chased after the crimson-haired newcomer, putting all of his attention on preventing her from escaping.

Somehow, everyone behind him, whom Jack had been so focused on earlier, was currently exiting the guild hall even though they hadn’t been able to before.

[What changed?] Mel wondered before shaking her head. [It doesn’t matter... I need to leave!]

Pushing the constant messages she’d been receiving out of her mind, Mel finally got up and ran forward. Physical activities like these weren’t something that she’d ever been good at, or could ever be good at, but right now all she could hope to do was to put her legs to work.

"Come on, come on..."

In the distance, bolts of raw magic crashed into the walls.

Lianna yelped, and Mel froze, standing in the center of that exit, just so she could look back and make sure her one and only friend hadn’t just perished.

She hadn’t, as Mel noticed by the way that the panicked girl sprinted toward the front lobby. She did, however, cast a glance Mel’s way before she turned and ran off.

With that image of her in sight, Mel took a few steps toward the exit.

And, here, she stopped.

Mel turned around again.

She watched as Lianna entered the library just now. Jack, of course, walked in with her.

[She cornered herself...] Mel thought as she stood there. [Is she going to make it out?]

The likely answer to that, unless Lianna possessed hidden power that Mel couldn’t sense, was probably not.

And it was this realization that she made as she stood there, hearing the guild hall go oddly quiet, that had Mel wondering if she really could just leave right now.

She wasn’t delusional about her own abilities, of course. Mel knew she wouldn’t be able to do much in this type of situation, but in all honesty, the thought of the only person she’d spoken to in a friendly manner over the last 19 years of her life dying here sent more chills down her spine than the possibility of her own death did.

Weighing her options, Mel stood for only a little while longer before, finally, she turned back around.

[I have to try, at the very least...]

---

{Lianna}

Lianna went into the library for one reason, mainly. Her low stats.

Lianna could run in circles all day, but the only way she’d likely manage to stay alive before Jack inevitably turned her into a smoothie was to wait it out until the police arrived.

Knowing how the barrier worked now, Lianna understood that the ability wasn’t just about denying access in or out of a location but also giving access to allies.

This meant that moving toward the library would result in his attention being pulled in two different directions, Jack had likely decided to allow the other recruits to leave in exchange for the possibility of taking her out.

Assuming that every time someone even drew close to the barrier, Jack would have to actively prevent them from leaving. he likely let them all out if for no other reason than to be able to focus solely on Lianna.

If she just kept running from one floor to another, or in circles around the building, sooner or later, one of those magical bolts Jack produced would inevitably catch her. Lianna was not a fast individual.

So, Lianna opted to buy a few seconds of peace once she felt like Jack’s spells were getting too close to her.

Using {Tag}, Lianna could see Jack through the walls as she hid in the corner of the room.

A few bookshelves stood between them as Lianna pulled out a low-level dagger from her Inventory.

No, she did not plan to kill the obscenely overpowered player walking into the room with her, as that would be nigh impossible, but rather she intended to do the following: stab him somewhere, anywhere really but preferably someplace that would provide an amount of damage that could not simply be described as "mildly annoying", and then run out again, hopefully using that moment to create a large enough gap between them that Jack wouldn’t know where she went to next.

It wasn’t the best plan, but it was, as far as she could tell, one of her only options available now that she was in here, as it was almost certain that at some point, Jack would, inevitably, reach her.

[Either that, or I could just run and hope for the best. Either way, I’m not going to get a second chance at this. Whatever I go for, I have to commit.]

With that in mind, Lianna waited.

"Lianna Velcross," Jack suddenly said, and Lianna’s eyes popped wide open. Mainly, because it wasn’t that woman’s voice from before. No, this time it was Jack’s own voice that spoke. "I did some research on you following our first meeting."

Lianna made sure her breathing remained steady, continuing to watch Jack through the counter she was currently behind and the shelves Jack was passing by. He was currently moving away from her.

"Someone who had nothing suddenly granted an opportunity to have everything by your Constellation. I can understand why you didn’t turn the offer down. And yet, I can tell you have no idea what is truly happening, do you?"

As focused as Lianna was on finding the right timing to deal a good blow to this asshole, she couldn’t help but realize that, indeed, she actually didn’t. She knew of the world’s looming end and of some events that would lead to it but had no idea who would be behind those events and why. There was a lot that The Lover had left out.

"You’ve become nothing but a pawn trapped amidst a board full of rooks. I almost feel sorry for you."

[Yeah, but I got a pretty wife out of it, so it’s not all bad.] 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Just as she had that thought, two things occurred.

First, Lianna heard sirens in the distance.

[THEY’RE HERE!]

Jack noticed, stopping where he was and turning in the direction of the sound.

"Of course, that was your idea. Predictable. I’m guessing you expected me to turn and run now but, unfortunately for you, though, at some point, you usually want to deal with the pawns on the board before you move for the king, so make no mistake, you will still be dying today."

However, the second thing happened soon after he said that.

And this was something neither he nor Lianna predicted.

Mel appeared at the door.

[What?] Lianna looked over the counter, wanting to see this with her own eyes.

Mel made eye contact with Lianna.

Then, Mel aimed her hands at Jack.

[Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT!] Lianna stood up from where she was, trying to silently urge her to stop.

But, Mel had cast her spell already.

A bolt of lightning flew through the air and struck the enemy in the back.

Jack turned toward Mel and saw both her and Lianna.

"Found you."