Dark-colored Fairy Tale: Seven Magicians - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The Fall

Standing on the second-floor iron staircase, Liu Menglu felt a sudden shudder. However, with her attention completely fixed on the battle below, she didn’t think much of it. The factory had been abandoned for years and was in a state of disrepair; a little shake was normal. Her eyes were locked on the two figures, filled with worry.

But in the middle of her fight with Li Qiuyu, the moment Liu Menglu’s position made a sound, Chloe immediately turned her head. In the next second, her pupils contracted. She abandoned her entanglement with Li Qiuyu, taking a direct hit from a sword she could have easily dodged. The powerful impact disrupted Li Qiuyu’s attack and sent Chloe spinning towards Liu Menglu.

Although Li Qiuyu’s attack was briefly disrupted, Chloe’s back was now completely exposed. Confused but not one to miss a good opportunity, Li Qiuyu seized the chance to pursue. She formed a hand seal, summoning a lightning charm and a sword charm. A dazzling white light flared, and a basketball-sized lightning orb shot straight for Chloe’s back. She was certain that if Chloe was foolish enough not to dodge, she would lose without a doubt.

This would be it. She could finally send Chloe away and let Liu Menglu return to a normal life. The thought made her feel both relieved and reluctant. Images of her moments with Liu Menglu flashed in her mind, and her heart sank. She reached for her chest; there was something there she couldn’t quite explain.

Chloe felt the magical fluctuations from behind her, but her expression remained unchanged. Her dark golden eyes were filled with an intense killing intent as she shot like an arrow toward Liu Menglu.

The lightning orb was incredibly fast, reaching Chloe’s back in an instant. She calmly summoned her demonic armor, preparing to take the hit. The sharp, heavy armor blocked the attack, but it was still enough to make Chloe’s mouth fill with bl00d. Her cheeks, flushed from the intense battle, turned a ghostly pale. However, thanks to the lightning orb hitting her armor, Chloe was able to use the force to accelerate once more toward Liu Menglu.

Liu Menglu was still wondering why the battle was suddenly coming her way, but the next second, the floor beneath her gave way. Before she could even react, she was falling straight toward the ground floor. The abandoned factory had been used for chemicals, so the second floor was a full eight meters high. At that height, an unprepared fall could be fatal for a normal person. Liu Menglu’s fall was so sudden that her mind couldn’t even process what was happening. She only felt a sudden emptiness under her feet, followed by a sensation of weightlessness. Her mind was in a daze, but the instinct for self-preservation, etched into her very genes, made her reach out for something to grab. Unfortunately, she was in mid-air with nothing to grasp. Her outstretched hand was a futile attempt at self-preservation, like a swan with a broken wing trying to fly.

“Mengmeng!” Chloe’s eyes were wide with anguish.

Liu Menglu looked back, her expression confused, but seeing Chloe rushing towards her, she felt a strange calm wash over her. The rushing wind filled her ears, and Liu Menglu knew Chloe wouldn’t be able to save her this time. The distance was too great, even for a magical being. Perhaps because she accepted that Chloe couldn’t save her, Liu Menglu’s smile was exceptionally warm, just as it always was when she looked at Chloe. She was trying to comfort her. She was only falling eight meters; it shouldn’t be too bad. Instead of showing fear and worrying Chloe, she would comfort the one who was more anxious than she was.

Her bright smile in mid-air carried a strange, comforting power, a silent message of “Don’t worry.”

But how could she not worry? The words were meaningless now. In reality, only three seconds had passed, but they were the longest three seconds of Chloe’s life, seconds she would never forget. She saw it. Liu Menglu’s hand and her hand just missed each other. She could feel the fleeting warmth of their fingertips touching, but she couldn’t grasp the fragile girl and pull her into her arms.

Li Qiuyu realized what had happened after Liu Menglu’s fall, alerted by Chloe’s heart-wrenching wail. Her speed was not slow, but she was still a step behind Chloe. Looking at the person about to hit the ground, Li Qiuyu could no longer maintain her stoic composure. Her eyes filled with bl00d, and she used charms and her fiery blade to accelerate, but it all seemed in vain…

Time seemed to stretch out, leaving only the image of the girl’s bright smile in Chloe and Li Qiuyu’s eyes.

Thump.

A New Threat

Chloe’s body, lost to her despair, lost control and slammed directly into a wall. Although her armor greatly reduced the impact, the damage from the lightning orb was still present. The crash against the wall was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Bl00d trickled from her lips, and she collapsed from the high wall in a cloud of dust. Chloe could clearly feel three of her ribs had broken, her leg was fractured, and her arm was unresponsive. Her condition was critical; she was covered in wounds.

The dust kicked up by the crash blinded her. At this moment, her reason told Chloe that staying put was her best chance at survival. But survival? All Chloe wanted was to get to the other cloud of dust, the place where Liu Menglu had fallen.

She was gravely wounded, and every movement of her limbs sent a piercing pain through her body, but she had to get to Liu Menglu. She had to!

She crawled forward, pulling herself along with her delicate hands. In moments, her fingers were scraped raw and bleeding, the red staining the ground around her. To monsters, bl00d was a constant stimulant.

“Hsssss.” The monster hissed quietly, its sound not carrying far. A foul, putrid drool dripped from its mouth as a crimson tongue flickered in the air. It stared greedily at the collapsed Chloe, wanting to feast, but was wary of the Headless Tyrant’s Armor she wore. It cautiously circled its prey, and only when it was certain she was helpless did it emerge from the shadows. Its massive tail swept out, once again slamming Chloe into the wall.

BANG! The heavy impact sent Chloe’s body past its breaking point.

Pfff.

Spitting a mouthful of bl00d, a seed-like object—a Seed of Healing—appeared in her hand. It was a consumable artifact that could quickly heal her injuries. The monster in the shadows seemed to sense the threat. With a roar, it lunged at Chloe. She awkwardly tried to dodge, but the Seed of Healing was lost from her grasp…