Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Cath - Ch. 102

I nearly threw up.

Even as the creatures evaporated, the smell of burned flesh filled the cave, and the penal squad wouldn't stop glancing behind their backs. I was well aware of the Princess' new capabilities, but not their extent. She made quick work of the entire wave of imps, using the same miracle that sent the Sea People's royalty flying.

This comparison also awakened a new appreciation towards the blue-robed girl, if she managed to survive this brutal force. Or maybe Elizabeth held back in the arena and now she let loose out of being scared? She seemed as surprised to me as everyone else though.

"C-cath, where did they go?" She asked whispering, taking quick breaths, once our small force finally continued its journey inside.

"You fried them all, and they turned into a smelly cloud." I did my best to sound calm, but it made me wonder if my magic-resistant armor would stand a chance against that barrage. I couldn't believe she wasn't aware of the extent of her new power. "Don't tell me you don't remember."

"I-I do, but I thought someone else did something too because there is no way I did that alone." She shook her head, and I struggled to accept the fact too. "N-no, you didn't tell me that. This is not how it worked the last time either... Oh, sorry it's just..."

"Yeah, your Geddu, I know." I shrugged, curious about what was going on inside her head. "What did the goddess tell you?"

"N-nothing in particular, she just said to calm down..." That did sound like a good idea. If she fried our team during a panic attack, this journey would have ended abruptly. Her strength was already impressive back in the arena, but this was on a completely different level. Or maybe the creatures were weak... "Did I get them all?"

"You did, Lizzy, before they reached us. But I'm worried about the cost you might have to pay for this later." I knew what deities sometimes demanded in exchange for their miracles.

If they even answered the calls. Some wanted mana, others a sacrifice, prayers, or spreading their word. And if they didn't receive what they wanted, the gods wouldn't hesitate to cut off even their most devout followers. This is why wizards were generally viewed as superior while their powers rarely compared to priests and paladins.

"Ah, uh, Geddu said it's fine, she always wanted to explore a dungeon or something, so she will help just to entertain herself..." She kept her voice low, but I could still see Aoi's wild expression. I can't say I wasn't jealous either when Remmol wouldn't even answer my prayers here.

This place was rooted in the real world, but beyond a specific point, we were expected to enter a space between spaces, a separate dimension, where their power couldn't materialize unless they were present.

And since Gadurien promised her support, it thought about what the blue-robed girl said. She might become an avatar, not a priest... No matter how useful it seemed in the short term, I could not even imagine, what would happen to the Princess once this journey was over. She already changed a lot, and I was worried about her sanity. And from the stolen glances, the others feared her too.

"Let's just uh, move on then, and try not to destroy the entire cave while we're in it." I patted her back for now, and from the other's muffled mumbling, they seemed to have the same thoughts.

As we pressed on, we reached one junction after the other. The princess in blue would stop and perform some sort of ritual before each one, and decide on which way to continue after a few seconds. If she tried to follow the mana trails or asked for some kind of divination, I couldn't tell, but the other wizards nodded in unison every time she made a move.

The second wave of enemies counted much less imps, and thankfully Elizabeth didn't panic this time. This meant the front row had some work to do, and they braced their shields against the abyssal swarm.