Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 43: The Highest Bidder, Part Eighteen

Lianna wasn’t too sure what Mel could do, but with the girl having made the decision to attack their enemy there was an overall sense of urgency in the air that led Lianna to arrive at the simplest plan possible.

1. Land a hit on Jack.

2. Take Mel and run toward the sirens.

Whatever happened to the police or to Jack after that was out of Lianna’s hands.

The first move was made just as Jack aimed his right palm at Mel. From the way she instantly began sliding toward him, even though she was trying to move away, Lianna knew he was trying to pull her in and absorb her.

He was having trouble, though. Vara had been absorbed far quicker.

That fact allowed Lianna to get up close.

"...!" Jack pulled his hand away from Mel and instead aimed it at Lianna. A barrier stopped her from moving any closer.

Knowing how it worked, though, Lianna was able to move around it.

Jack unleashed a bolt of raw magic aimed at Lianna’s head, but at this distance, Lianna was able to dodge away from it by ducking into him.

As quickly, and as harshly as she could, she stabbed him.

It would have been better if she’d gotten him in the chest or the neck, but from this angle, all she caught was his stomach.

"AGH!" Jack cried out, falling back.

Lianna was running away before he even hit the ground.

"MEL, RUN!"

Taking her friend by the hand, Lianna ran away from the library, venturing into the halls.

As she did, that moment when Jack tried to absorb Mel played back in her mind.

[Did he struggle because Mel wasn’t injured? Maybe it’s the type of spell that’s more effective when the target is damaged...]

Setting that aside for now, though, Lianna had to figure out where to go.

As she and Mel sprinted down the hall, Jack burst out from the room, clutching a red-stained spot on his shirt.

"Get back here!"

Lianna ducked her head as a magic bolt crashed into the wall to her right, sending debris falling behind her like a trail of concrete.

Unfortunately, Jack could cast spells faster than Lianna and Mel could run, so it only took two spells before the two girls had to duck behind the concrete railing for cover.

Naturally, Lianna held Mel close, pulling her in as more bolts flew over her head.

"Tsk!" Lianna clicked her tongue. "Where the hell are the police!? Jack’s barrier should be down..."

Mel was squeezing Lianna’s dress so tightly that she nearly tore it. Lianna, meanwhile, was holding her so close that she almost couldn’t tell if the rapid heartbeats she felt were coming from her or the chest that was pressed up against her.

[What do I do? What do I do? What do I...?]

"Huh?" Lianna heard Jack’s voice. Using {Reconnaisance}, she saw him looking at the back of the guild hall. He raised a hand in that direction and it was easy to guess he was setting up that barrier, as that was the direction the sirens were coming from.

"Dammit, it’s blocked off!" A man yelled from the right, confirming Lianna’s suspicions.

[Wait, now’s a good chance!]

Lianna let go of Mel and crawled forward, swiftly pulling her bow out from her Inventory, which automatically put her quiver on her back as well.

"W-Where...?" Mel whispered.

[5 meters,] Lianna thought. [5 meters...]

She was relying on her passive Technique for this new plan to work. That being, the same one that had made her previous stab so effective.

Ambush - Passive

{Technique}

{Lesser}

{Class: Scout}

{Desc: The first attack you or your allies attempt on an enemy that has not seen you specifically yet has a 25% higher chance of landing and deals 25% bonus damage. This passive is maintained for every attack you or your allies attempt until the enemy sees you.}

{Note: Passive only activates when within 5 meters of an enemy}

Granted, 25% bonus damage with low Strength and 25% higher chance of landing with low Dexterity didn’t amount to much, but it was all Lianna could think to do right now.

So, she moved forward, crawling closer to Jack, watching him through the railing using {Reconnaisance}.

Until, finally, Jack heard something coming from the left and turned away.

{Ambush - Active}

"The barrier’s fallen?" Jack asked. The only response to that question that he got came in the form of an arrow landing in the back of his neck.

Lianna had launched it, and the shot hit its mark.

Jack stepped back.

Reaching behind his neck, his lips quivered as he realized the sudden gravity of the situation.

He spat out some blood while Lianna went to nock her next arrow.

Behind her, Mel came out as well and aimed her hand at Jack, launching an electric sphere at him.

Jack, too shocked to move, did not avoid it.

He was pushed back, his chest burnt by the lightning magic and the back of his neck still oozing blood.

Finally, staring back at Lianna who was about to shoot another arrow, Jack turned and ran off.

Lianna fell to her knees.

[Holy shit, it’s done,] she breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure, none of the wounds they’d inflicted on Jack had been particularly damaging, but clearly, Jack felt he could not risk staying there any longer as the police began to pour into the guild hall.

Swords out, they found Lianna and Mel and quickly ran to her.

"He went that way," Lianna told them.

A few of those players ran off. Another handful remained where Lianna and Mel were.

"Are either of you hurt at all?" A mage asked.

"No," Lianna answered. Mel shook her head. "No. But, uh, I don’t really have the time to answer your questions," she said, knowing where this conversation was likely going. "Mel, can you tell them what happened?"

"Y-Yes." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Good," Lianna replied before standing up. "I need to head back to the gala."

"H-Hey, wait!" One of the players called out but Lianna was already jogging away.

[Enverna’s still on her own. Even if the bulk of the threat was here, something else could happen to her. The quest...]

Lianna went to check it.

[Huh?]

The quest, telling her to "stop the ascension of the Storm Fiend", hadn’t been completed.

But, it hadn’t been failed either.

[Why...?]