touchnovel Chapter 301: Taking Responsibility
Chapter 301: Taking Responsibility
Adam looked at Azrynn for a moment, then turned to Lilith and Isolde with a calm but serious expression."...The Dark Elf village is really in danger right now," he said. "If what she said is true, then we should help them too."
Lilith’s crimson eyes immediately narrowed in displeasure.
"I refuse," she said coldly. "Why should we help someone who tried to kill us? Besides, didn’t we come here to find the Abyssal Bloom for Alice? We don’t have time to play hero for these people."
Adam didn’t raise his voice. Instead, he looked directly at Lilith and spoke in a low, dominant tone— the kind he rarely used, but when he did, it carried undeniable authority.
"Lilith."
Just that one word made Lilith’s body visibly tense. Her crimson eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She instinctively lowered her gaze for a split second before looking back up at him.
Adam continued, his voice steady and firm.
"Finding the Abyssal Bloom is important. But we’re not the type of people who create problems and then run away. I’m tired of being treated like a monster everywhere we go. We’re going to settle this properly."
Lilith stared at him for a few seconds. The usual sharp, sadistic glint in her eyes had softened. Instead, there was a faint, almost obedient look in them, a subtle masochistic reaction to Adam’s commanding tone.
"...Understood," she said quietly, her voice much softer than before. "If that’s what you want... then I’ll follow your decision."
Adam’s expression softened. He gently reached out and stroked Lilith’s silver hair with slow, affectionate movements.
"Good girl" he said in a low, praising tone.
Lilith’s ears turned slightly red, but she didn’t pull away. She simply closed her eyes for a moment, quietly enjoying the head pat.
From the side, Azrynn who was still tightly bound watched the entire exchange with wide eyes.
’Eh...?’
She stared at Adam in genuine shock.
’This man... he can control that crazy woman so easily? Just with his voice and a head pat? He’s... amazing.’
For the first time since she was captured, a different emotion appeared in Azrynn’s yellow eyes, one filled with genuine respect... and curiosity.
Ignis looked at Adam with a slightly surprised expression. She tilted her head and spoke honestly.
"...It’s rare to hear you speak like that, Adam."
Adam let out a small sigh. His crimson eyes were calm, but there was a trace of heaviness in them.
"...Because I don’t want to destroy another civilization again," he said quietly. "What happened in Khaelthar... I don’t want to repeat something like that."
Isolde shook her head gently.
"All of that wasn’t entirely your fault, Adam. Croft and the others were the ones who pushed things to that point."
Adam looked at her and gave a small, bitter smile.
"Even so... I still feel responsible. I was the one who destroyed the city in the end. So this time, I want to take responsibility properly."
He glanced at the still-bound Azrynn, then back at the others.
"We’re the reason the Loom of Fate became inactive. If we just leave like this, the Dark Elf village will suffer because of us. So... we’re going to fix our own mistake."
Lilith, who had been listening quietly, finally moved. With a small wave of her hand, the threads binding Azrynn disappeared completely. The Dark Elf was now free.
Azrynn slowly stood up, her silver hair messy and her yellow eyes wide with disbelief. For a moment, she just stared at Adam and the others.
Then, without hesitation, she dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead to the ground in a deep bow.
"...Thank you," she said, her voice trembling with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for listening to me... and for deciding to help my people. I... I truly thought you would kill me."
She kept her forehead on the floor, her body slightly shaking.
"I swear on my name as Azrynn Nocturne... I will never attack you again. Please... save my clan."
After deciding to help the Dark Elf village, the group didn’t waste any time. With Azrynn leading the way, they left the Loom of Fate through the silver portal and stepped back into the harsh landscape of the Wasteland.
The moment they emerged, they immediately understood that Azrynn’s words had been true.
The once relatively quiet area around the temple was now in complete chaos.
In the distance, the multi-eyed rock monster they had encountered earlier was rampaging wildly. Its massive stone body rolled and crushed everything in its path, while its countless glowing eyes scanned the surroundings with clear hostility. Several smaller monsters that had been hiding nearby were already being crushed or devoured by it.
Even worse, far ahead of them moving directly toward the direction of the Dark Elf village was an enormous sand worm. Its massive body, easily over fifty meters long, burst out from beneath the sand, creating large tremors with every movement. Its gaping maw was lined with rows of sharp teeth, and it was clearly heading straight for the village.
Azrynn’s face turned pale the moment she saw the sand worm.
"T-That’s...! It’s already heading toward my village!" she shouted, her voice filled with panic. "If that thing reaches them, everyone will be wiped out!"
Ignis’s golden eyes widened as she looked at the two monsters.
"These things... they really became active the moment the Loom stopped working," she muttered.
Adam looked at the giant sand worm moving toward the Dark Elf village, then glanced at the multi-eyed rock monster that was still rampaging in the distance. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke firmly.
"We’re going straight to the village."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Adam continued, his crimson eyes serious.
"If we stay here and fight these monsters one by one, it will take too much time. By the time we finish, the sand worm might have already reached the village. We need to get there first and protect the people. We can deal with the monsters along the way or after we secure the village."
He looked at Azrynn.
"Lead the way. We’ll follow you."
Azrynn’s yellow eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised by Adam’s decision. But she quickly nodded, her expression filled with gratitude and urgency.
"Understood! This way, follow me!"
Without wasting any more time, the group began moving at full speed toward the Dark Elf village, with Azrynn guiding them. Adam carried Ignis to help her keep up, while Lilith and Isolde ran alongside them.
As they moved, more monsters began appearing from the sand and rocky terrain, smaller creatures that had been suppressed by the Loom’s power were now becoming active. However, the group didn’t stop to fight them unless absolutely necessary.
Ignis, while being carried by Adam, looked ahead with a worried expression.
"...I hope we make it in time," she muttered.
Adam’s crimson eyes stayed focused on the path ahead.
"We will," he said. "We have to."