NOVEL NEXT Chapter 176: Waiting
Zach's loud voice startled the others. They first realized what had happened to Julius. He was dragged down to the Underworld. Right now, he was plummeting to what could only be certain death.
Even if the underworld energy blocked their view and prevented them from seeing more than a leg when they tried to look down, it didn't take a genius to guess that the hole was deep. It reached all the way to the Underworld, and it was deep enough in the Underworld that it could spew out endless underworld energy.
The fall itself aside, the only thing that waited for Julius down there was the source of the underworld energy and more underworlders, most of whom didn't have friendly inclinations toward the surface.
In a way, it would be lucky if the fall killed Julius. Otherwise, he might be subjected to unfathomable experiments, not to mention the most likely fate of his familiar, who had perfectly adapted to underworld energy and evolved.
The student's expressions were ashen.
First Nessa and now Julius. They couldn't even muster themselves to curse or take a step toward the hole and check in case Julius had managed to let go of the Mannequin and grab hold of the edge.
They knew him better than that. He wouldn't let go of the Mannequin even if his arm tore.
But what did Zach mean with his words?
Gradually, as they processed Julius' misfortune, they realized two things. Zach had shouted at Julius, and Nessa was still hovering between life and death.
"Quick! Get moving!" Zach slapped the Millipede and jumped down. He looked at Violina.
"That barrier will last for at most a few hours." Zach pointed at the barrier floating above the Millipede. It would keep Nessa even more stable than the Millipede, and it would be easier to transport her. But it wouldn't last forever.
Zach was tired. Barriers further away were more difficult to maintain. He had used a lot of energy to create that barrier for Nessa's sake. Circumstances weren't in their favor.
But Violina just nodded as the Millipede started moving. Dukiel, Anerias, and their familiars also moved. They had to escort Nessa and Violina and stop any and all monsters from interfering or slowing them down.
Zach glanced at Alzara. He could tell she was tired and far from her peak strength.
"Can you follow them and do your thing?" If Alzara could chase monsters away from Zach, she could scare monsters away from the others, even if she wasn't in her best state. She nodded. She started out with tired steps, but after a moment or two, her long legs brought her soundlessly from tree to tree.
Zach took out the anti-underworld energy potion and looked at it. He held it tightly and gritted his teeth.
He had no idea what would happen if he dropped the potion down the hole. But he could guess a couple of things based on the Millipede's reaction.
The potion wasn't purely detoxifying, nor did it exterminate underworld energy as well as it could have. It was more of a frightening agent. It drove away underworld energy. That was its primary function.
Things with underworld energy inside them, like the Millipede suffered a little in the process of driving the underworld energy out of them.
But things that were one with underworld energy, such as underworlders… Even if Zach could not know for sure what would happen, he could imagine it. It wouldn't be pleasant.
That was why he had asked Julius to get out of the way.
He might not survive the fall, but Zach had a feeling he would. Maybe the wolf would absorb the hit. Maybe something else would catch him. Maybe the underworld energy was more effective on him than he wanted the others to know.
But he wouldn't survive taking the anti-underworld energy potion head-on, not to mention the secondary effects of when the potion would drive away all the underworld energy.
Julius might be fine since he shouldn't have that much underworld energy inside him. But Zach couldn't be sure. And rather than Julius, the Mannequin was definitely firewood as soon as it sniffed the potion. Julius had to vacate the landing zone as soon as possible for his Mannequin's sake.
Zach walked up to the hole. Most of the fence was gone due to the fights and the wolf, but Zach could just feel where the edge was. He stood before it and glanced into the pitch-black, thick, smoky darkness of the underworld energy. It moved slowly, out of sync with the remnants of wind in the forest.
He looked at the potion again.
It might fall faster than the wolf and Julius thanks to its shape, or it might fall slower due to its weight. How it affected the underworld energy around it might also have an affect.
Zach wanted to leave the hole and the forest and just be done with it. He wanted to check on Nessa. He didn't want to, but he had to inform Jarron, the principal, and Julius' family about what had happened.
He was the club president. It had happened under his watch. It was his responsibility. It was the same with both Nessa and Julius. Their mishaps were on his shoulders, whether they lived or died.
Still, Zach waited. On the off-chance that Julius survived and had heard and understood his shout, Zach waited.
His heart was restless and full of anxiety. But he didn't move. His mind seemingly rushed with a stream of chaotic thoughts while being simultaneously silent as a graveyard. Find your adventure at M-V-L
He held onto his resolve.
He wasn't going to kill Julius or his Mannequin by dropping the potion too early. In fact, there was no need to rush it.
Other than his needs and wants pulling him away, Zach could drop the potion into the hole whenever he wanted. He could even come back later.
But he wasn't going to. He didn't want to return to the hole if he didn't have to.
Eventually, Zach was confident he had waited long enough.
He placed the potion on a barrier and floated it out to the center of the hole. He turned around and made the barrier disappear, letting the potion drop into the abyss.
The underworld energy parted before the potion and then closed up behind it. But Zach didn't stay to watch. He left, his shoulders heavy and his back cold.