I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 213: Too Late

"Thea, you need to rest," Arthur insists.

Theo looks at Arthur. "I know. I agree. Completely."

Then his expression hardens. "But, Arthur." He holds Arthur’s gaze, deadly serious.

"I can’t. I need to teach you how to protect yourselves. It’s not ideal. Not at all. But if we don’t hurry, those people are going to be permanently impaired."

They all freeze at that.

Maeve steps forward. "Thea, come to the tent first. You can teach us there and tell us what the dungeon is like."

Liam nods. "Yeah. And tell us what we need to do."

Theo takes a slow breath.

"Okay. Let’s go to the tent. I have to tell you anyway."

He turns and starts walking, but after only a few steps, he falters.

"Whoa." Maeve immediately grabs him.

When he starts moving again, she does not let go.

Liam moves to his other side, close enough to catch him if he stumbles again.

------------------------------

Captain Chambers is sitting inside the infirmary tent, watching the doctors work on the four officers Thea Montrose brought out.

He is in a dilemma.

He does not know what to think, or what to do.

He had insulted Thea Montrose indirectly, and she had just saved four of his comrades. He knows he should apologize, but Arthur’s terrifying aura still lingers in his mind, making his chest feel tight.

He eventually steps out of the tent. There is nothing he can do here. All four officers are unconscious. He cannot speak to them.

When he exits, he spots Thea being half carried by Maeve and Liam.

Captain Chambers frowns.

Is Thea Montrose injured?

Then why is she not being taken to the infirmary?

After a few seconds of hesitation, he decides to tell them they are welcome to use the tent.

He is just about to approach when he hears a voice.

"What? Haelions that can corrupt minds?"

Captain Chambers freezes.

What does that mean?

He slows his steps and edges closer, unintentionally eavesdropping.

------------------------------

Inside the tent, Theo is drinking water by the gallon.

Once he finally lowers the bottle, he starts.

"We were right. The green mist originated from the dungeon. And it corrupts minds."

He takes another breath before continuing.

"The dungeon itself is not big. Compared to the others we’ve entered, it’s very small. You can see almost the entire dungeon from the entrance."

His voice drops.

"But it’s covered in thick green mist."

"And haelions," he adds. "Spider-like haelions. They spew out the green mist that corrupts minds."

"What?" Julian asks, shocked. "Haelions that can corrupt minds?"

"Yes." Theo nods. "Spider haelions that can corrupt minds. I don’t know the range or how severe the corruption is. I need to check the four people I brought out first."

"Can you save them?" Maeve asks quietly.

Theo exhales. "I honestly don’t know. Maintaining my own sanity inside was difficult. I didn’t want to examine them while still surrounded by the mist."

"How do we deal with it?" Arthur asks. "We tried Maeve’s method to detect it, but Light magic is too hard for us."

Theo nods. "Light magic is difficult for those without resonance. It requires a higher level of mastery in basic elemental magic first."

Then his gaze shifts.

A shadow moves along the tent wall.

"You can come in now, Captain Chambers," Theo says calmly.

Outside, Captain Chambers startles, nearly stumbling backward.

------------------------------

Captain Chambers is flabbergasted.

Magic?

Light magic?

Higher level?

Basic magic?

Basic elements?

"What the hell are they talking about?" he mutters under his breath.

Then he hears it clearly.

"You can come in now, Captain Chambers."

The words hit him so hard that he jerks backward and nearly falls on his backside.

His heart pounds.

A moment later, he clears his throat and forces himself to straighten up before stepping into the tent, his expression unmistakably embarrassed.

"I... I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I..." He trails off, unable to find a proper excuse.

"Captain," Theo says gently, "may I check the officers?"

Captain Chambers looks up, eyes filled with desperate hope.

"Can you really save them? I’m sorry about what I said earlier. Please don’t take it out on them. I was the one who insulted you."

Theo tilts his head, confused. He had already entered the dungeon by then.

Arthur steps in. "It was nothing, Thea. Ignore it."

"Thank you!" Captain Chambers blurts out.

"Please. Can you check them?"

Theo nods.

He tries to stand on his own, but Arthur and Liam are already there, offering their hands.

Theo grins faintly and takes them both, pulling himself up.

"You okay?" Arthur asks, watching him closely.

Theo nods.

"Let’s go."

------------------------------

Outside the infirmary tent, a restless crowd has formed. Officers hover just beyond the perimeter, pretending to be busy while clearly straining to hear anything from inside. They want updates.

But they also know better than to barge in. The medical personnel inside are already stretched thin, and no one wants to be the one who gets shouted at for getting in the way.

When Captain Chambers approaches with Rhaenas, the low murmur shifts. Heads turn. Eyes follow.

Whispers ripple through the group:

"That’s her..."

"Thea Montrose."

"She’s the one."

"The one who brought them out."

Captain Chambers catches the looks and immediately frowns. One sharp glance. Shoo.

He lifts the tent flap and letting Thea and the rest of Rhaenas to enter first, then follows closely behind, letting the canvas fall shut and muffling the noise outside.

Inside the infirmary tent, the air smells of antiseptic and sweat.

Theo doesn’t waste time.

He steps to the closest bed, Lieutenant Merryweather. He takes the man’s hand gently, bowing his head as if in prayer.

In reality, Theo lets his mana flow, careful and precise, probing for the sickening presence of the green mist.

Time stretches.

When he finally opens his eyes, his expression has changed.

Captain Chambers steps closer, barely containing himself.

"Well?" His voice is tight. "Can you save him?"

Theo doesn’t answer.

He moves to the next bed instead. Lieutenant Cole.

Again, he takes her hand. Again, his eyes close. Again, silence fills the tent, heavier this time.

When Theo opens his eyes, he turns to Captain Chambers.

"Between these two," Theo asks quietly, "did he enter the dungeon before her?"

Captain Chambers nods at once.

"Do you know how far apart their entrances were?" Theo presses.

Captain Chambers blinks, then straightens. "I’ll find out." He pivots and exits the tent at a near jog.

Theo turns back to his teammates. His shoulders sag, just a little.

"He can’t be saved," he says softly. Then, after a breath, "But she can."

No one speaks.

The tent flap snaps open moments later. Captain Chambers rushes back in, a folder clutched in his hands.

"It says here," he begins, flipping pages, "Captain Thierry led Teams Alfa, Beta, and Charlie into the dungeon five days ago. Forty-eight hours ago, the officer on-site realized they’d been gone too long and called HQ using the emergency red line."

He turns another page.

"Chief Lutherford entered the dungeon approximately thirty-six hours ago."

His voice drops.

"Lieutenant Merryweather was with Team Charlie. The gap is days."

Captain Chambers looks at Theo, eyes shining with desperate hope.

Theo exhales, long and heavy.

"I can save Lieutenant Cole," he says. "But not Lieutenant Merryweather."

His gaze lowers.

"And I’m afraid... the first three teams’ fates are sealed."