Chapter 98 – A Silent Wrath
The night air still reeked of gunpowder and blood when a shadow moved swiftly across the ruins, leaping over debris with desperate urgency. In its arms lay an unconscious figure Sofia. Her body was limp, her hair disheveled, and blood still dripped from the deep stab wound on her back.
Other Shadows followed closely behind, their movements silent and alert for any sign of pursuit. But there was none. The mysterious figure who had attacked Sofia had vanished, taking Viktor with him who, up until moments ago, they believed to be a captive. Now they knew the truth: Viktor was a traitor.
The Shadows, as silent as mist on a moonless night, arrived at a makeshift shelter where survivors and members of Sofia’s squad were being tended to. Among them was Rina, tirelessly moving from patient to patient, healing wounds and stitching flesh with both hands and magic.
She turned sharply as the Shadows approached, her eyes widening when she saw who they were carrying.
"Sofia?! Oh god, what happened?!"
The Shadow said nothing it couldn’t speak but gently placed Sofia on a bed hastily built from wooden crates and clean cloths. Her pale skin and ragged breathing said more than words ever could.
Rina rushed to her side, eyes scanning the wound, hands glowing with golden-green light as healing magic surged through her palms. The stab had missed her heart barely but the damage was severe.
Time seemed to slow.
Little by little, the bleeding stopped, the torn flesh knitted back together.
But then...
"Damn it... she’s lost too much blood..."
Rina bit her lip hard. The physical wound was closed, but Sofia’s body remained cold and pale. Her breaths were shallow. She needed a transfusion and fast.
"What’s her blood type?" Yuna asked, breathless, already anticipating the worst.
"AB Negative," Rina replied, her voice cracking, her face drenched in sweat.
Yuna and Vivi immediately sprang into action, running to every corner of the shelter, questioning every survivor. Hope flickered briefly only to be extinguished moments later.
They returned, faces grim.
"We searched... but no one has a compatible blood type."
Rina clenched her fists and looked at Sofia, still unconscious, then up at the cracked ceiling. The fracture wasn’t in the building but in her heart, splintered by helplessness. In that moment, even her magic felt meaningless.
Meanwhile – In Another World’s Dungeon
My fist clenched so tightly that my own nails dug into my skin.
Tyrant’s voice echoed within my mind, deep and steady, but every word fueled the fire within me.
"Sofia was injured... betrayed by one of her own team."
Just that sentence was enough to make my blood boil.
My abyssal magic flared, eyes glowing crimson in the dim light of the dungeon. The flickering aura of unstable power coiled around my body like smoke.
"She was stabbed while healing someone. The Shadows managed to save her, and she’s with Rina now. The wound is healed, but she’s unconscious. Too much blood loss."
I said nothing. My chest rose and fell slowly anger bubbling under my skin like magma.
"Who did it?" I asked, my voice low.
"His name is Viktor. He vanished with an unknown individual likely a modified human. According to the Shadows, both had red eyes. We suspect involvement from the Central Military... or something worse. The attacker was immensely strong. Possibly an experiment."
I trembled. Not out of fear but from the sheer fury of being powerless. I wanted to be there. I wanted to rip Viktor apart with my own hands. But right now, I was in another realm in the middle of a dungeon I couldn’t abandon.
"How is Sofia now?"
"She’s stable. But still unconscious. They’re trying to find a blood donor. Her type is rare."
There was silence between us.
I took a deep breath.
"Bring her here."
"...Here?"
"To our territory," I said firmly. "Bring Sofia, her team, and anyone loyal to her. Protect them. Use all available zombies to build a proper settlement for them. But they’ll have to cooperate. Nothing comes free in this world."
Tyrant was quiet for a moment, then responded with determination.
"Understood. We will begin moving them within two days. I’ll have the zombies start constructing a human settlement on the eastern edge of your domain."
"Also..." I narrowed my eyes. "Send a scout to Celes Base. See if there’s anyone there with matching blood. We’re running out of time."
"Understood, Queen," Tyrant said.
I severed the telepathic link.
My right hand trembled, wrapped in faintly glowing chains that gently vibrated in response to my seething rage. My wrath was not loud it was quiet, consuming, buried deep within the abyss of my heart.
But this wasn’t the time to lose control.
I had to become stronger.
Stronger than I’d ever imagined.
Strong enough to open my own portals.
Strong enough to return whenever I wanted.
Strong enough... to make sure that no one I loved ever bled again without consequence.
My gaze shifted to the large treasure chest at the center of the boss room. The Death Knight that nearly severed my arm lay in pieces on the floor, its remains scorched by repeated blasts of my Nether Flame.
I opened the chest slowly.
Inside lay a pair of black crystal earrings. Smooth, flawless, and radiating dark magical energy.
[Black Crystal Earrings – Rare Grade]
+10% INT
+10% VIT
Passive Effect: Increases mana regeneration and mental resistance against illusion-based attacks.
I stared at them for a moment before putting them on.
As soon as they touched my skin, a wave of clarity swept over me. My mana felt calmer. My body felt stronger. The exhaustion that clung to me like cobwebs began to fade.
I exhaled slowly, regaining my composure.
Then, I turned my gaze toward the hallway ahead deeper into the dungeon.
The road forward was long, dark, and uncertain. But I no longer cared.
One step at a time.
The chains at my side clinked gently with every move, a reminder of my power and of the promise I had silently carved into my soul.
No one hurts the people I love and walks away.
Not anymore.
"...Let’s continue."
And so I walked, deeper into the abyss driven not just by survival, but by wrath, By vengeance, By love.
And by the promise that I would never be powerless again.