Reborn As The Minor Villain In A Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Formation
“Ah Boss! Don’t do ittttt!” Grimm’s voice tore through the air as his body jolted awake.

Instinct kicked in before reason and his arms shot forward, shoving the nearest person away with enough strength to send them flying.

Felix, his brother, tumbled across the dusty ground like a ragdoll, groaning as he rolled to a stop several meters away.

Grimm’s chest heaved as he blinked rapidly, his surroundings slowly coming into focus.

“Wait… I’m no longer with Boss?” he muttered, his confusion mixing with relief.

His wide eyes scanned the reddish-tinted clearing that smelled awful.

The last thing he remembered was the dream…

‘Wait, what was I even dreaming about again?’

He looked around until he saw Raven who had just come out of his own pod and was dusting his Grimmaw uniform.

“I think we were dreaming,” Raven said flatly, running a hand through his messy crimson hair.

His eyes flicked toward Grimm and then at the large pods behind them that were starting to crack open.

“Yeah.” Trisha’s voice came from a few meters away.

She was crouched, brushing bits of glowing sap off her uniform with her hair slightly disheveled.

“Yeah, we were.”

Grimm and Raven both turned toward her, blinking as they noticed the flush on her cheeks.

“Hey,” she said suddenly, not meeting their eyes. “I want to ask a question.”

“Yeah? Ask away.” Raven said.

He stretched his back and rolled his neck, grumbling quietly under his breath.

He hated feeling weak. He hated how those illusions had trapped him like a caged animal… and he couldn’t even fight back.

Trisha hesitated, her fingers fidgeting before she blurted out. “How thick do you think Boss is down there…?”

There was silence.

Her face turned crimson as the words left her mouth.

She slapped both palms over her cheeks. “I—forget I said that!”

Raven blinked twice, then three times with a confused expression.

Grimm froze in place, his brain buffering for several seconds before his face exploded with color.

“Uh… huh?” Grimm stammered.

Raven cleared his throat, looking anywhere but her. “Trisha, that’s… not really a battlefield-friendly question.”

“I didn’t mean to say it out loud!” she hissed, sounding completely mortified.

“Why don’t you ask Lady Luna?” Grimm muttered completely serious, scratching his cheek.

Trisha groaned and covered her face again. “I guess I will.”

Raven sighed and muttered “This conversation never happened,” and stepped away.

…

The moment Vanessa saw Lucius touch the ground, she didn’t think… she ran.

Her boots pounded against the dirt as she sprinted toward him, ignoring the looks from the other Awakeners.

When she reached him, she leapt into his arms, wrapping both arms around his chest tightly.

Lucius nearly stumbled back from the force of her jump. “Vanessa… hey! Are you okay?”

She didn’t reply.

She pressed her face into his shoulder as she breathed heavily, her body was shaking.

Lucius blinked as he held her tight.

“Why are you so clingy all of a sudden?” he whispered, glancing at the hovering drone nearby. “We’re on stream.”

But she didn’t move… She only gripped him tighter.

“I dreamt Elena took you away from me,” she whispered with her voice trembling. “I won’t let it happen… no… not again.”

Lucius frowned slightly. “Took me away? Like before?”

“No.” Her voice was quiet now. “She bound you right in front of me… and kidnapped you. I couldn’t stop her.”

Lucius blinked.

‘That hasn’t happened before…’ he thought. Maybe it wasn’t just memories… maybe the illusions showed each person their greatest fears instead.

If that was the case, then Erik had been too lazy to tell him the real deal. How was someone even that lazy?!

He sighed and patted her back softly. “It’s okay. You’re here now. You’re safe.”

She didn’t answer but slowly loosened her hold.

“Everyone, organize yourselves!” Rita’s voice rang through the clearing, she put mana in her voice to ensure it reached all over. “We’re not in the clear yet. The monsters in this dungeon are still active. Stay alert and get into formation!”

A ripple of light spread outward from her staff.

[Spell: Soul Soothing is being used… Your mind is calming.]

Lucius’s heartbeat slowed and he felt the tension in his chest ease away.

Around him, others were breathing easier too… Rita’s spell was stabilizing everyone’s emotions which was a smart move since she needed them to fight.

Vanessa finally stepped back with her face still slightly flushed.

She looked at him, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Stay behind me. I’ll protect you.”

Lucius smiled. “No, I’ll protect you instead.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled all the same.

The group began to reform ranks.

Supreme Man stood tall at the front, his armor practically glowing under the red light. He was standing like a shield.

“Move out!” he ordered. “Don’t relax yet.”

The squads advanced together.

One after another, the Awakeners stepped out of the clearing. While the ground of the clearing looked like it had rotted, they couldn’t see beyond that as it was covered in pink fog… and they were going to march through it.

When Lucius stepped through, the world twisted and the clearing vanished , replaced by a destroyed town?

The sky above was deep crimson and swirling like liquid but around him were broken buildings, crumbled walls, and rotting structures. It looked like a town that had been abandoned for a long time…

“This place looks dead.” Luna said from beside him.

He nodded. “Yeah… it’s worse than I thought.”

The rest of the group appeared moments later, forming up in practiced lines.

Supreme Man raised a clenched fist to signal the vanguard forward. Rita followed beside him with her staff glowing.

“We’re still within the dungeon’s core,” she said. “Stay together. This area reeks of corruption.”

Lucius glanced around.

The ruins stretched endlessly, but what caught his attention was a structure far ahead… a tall tower with stairs spiraling to the top.

“I guess we need to get there,” Vanessa muttered under her breath from in front of him.

Supreme Man raised his arm again, giving a single command. “Scouts!”

Immediately, several wind-type Awakeners lifted into the air.

The man who had wanted to transport them earlier took the lead, forming a triangular flight pattern with the others behind him.

“Scout the area. Report any signs of movement.”

“Yes, sir!”

They flew upward in formation, their capes and armor flapping under the force of their own winds.

The drone zoomed in automatically, streaming their flight.

[ @SkyStream95: That formation is sick 🔥🔥🔥 ]

[ @SaintFan999: Supreme Guild always flying like pros! ]

[ @RaidWatcher: The visuals are unreal 😭 ]

[ @WindMage_Official: Nice formation. Classic tier-A scouting technique. ]

Lucius crossed his arms, watching the air currents twist around them.

“Nice,” he said simply.

For a brief moment, everything was peaceful. The wind-mages rose higher, their glowing trails visible even through the red sky.

Then, without warning, everything changed.

A whistle echoed… it was soft at first then it became louder, until it was impossible to ignore.

Lucius looked up.

Thin streaks of light cut through the haze… dozens of them and they were moving faster than bullets.

And then it happened.

Wooden arrows powered by magic shot through the air and killed all of the Wind mages in an instant.