Chapter 150: A Rescue Is Still a Rescue (Bonus)

"What a pain."

Carrying the famed high elf of Orario, the "Nine Hell Princess," Bell reached the center of the barrier—Hestia Familia's territory—feeling like he was holding a live bomb.

'I've never seen an elf this reckless before.'

Inside the barrier, Bell had laid out a complex series of traps and mechanisms—those near the outer layer meant for deterrence, while the middle and rear layers were designed for lethal force.

In addition to the traps, the barrier itself had its own structure and function.

Bell was well aware that skilled mages could analyze and break through a barrier's formation, so he had specially prepared a system to counter those who actively probed with magic—specifically targeting anyone who tried to exploit a weakness.

In short, it was "magical interference" combined with "magical backlash."

Once triggered, the intruder's magic would spiral out of control within their body—then explode like a bomb from the inside out.

Normally, any magician caught in it would be dead on the spot.

Bell had full confidence in these traps. After all, he set them himself. Their purpose was simple—kill the intruder.

But he hadn't expected them to hit an ally.

He also hadn't imagined someone would come charging in on their own—let alone willfully set off his traps.

Faced with the suicidal recklessness of the "Nine Hell Princess," Bell could only shake his head.

'Still... I've got to save her. Otherwise, we'll end up in a full-blown feud with the Loki Familia.'

He checked her condition and breathed a sigh of relief.

Though she'd taken a direct hit and was clinging to life by a thread, she wasn't past saving. Her condition was critical, but not beyond repair.

So, Bell opted for a quick and reliable treatment.

He pulled a Spirit Tree seed from his storage and casually tossed it to the ground.

In moments, it took root and sprouted—rapidly growing into a five-meter-tall tree in under a minute.

Once it reached full height, the base of the tree reshaped itself into a natural seat. Bell gently laid the unconscious Riveria onto it, then reversed the tree's growth cycle, channeling its overflowing life force directly into her body to heal her using pure vitality.

Once the transfer began, Bell took a seat on a nearby branch-formed chair of the tree.

'What a pain.'

'Two intrusions, back-to-back. And both ignored the warnings and just barged in.'

It had only been two or three days since he finished setting up the outer barrier, and already all this trouble had come knocking.

'Should I just put the deadliest traps right at the front? Maybe then those idiots would think twice.'

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The outer barriers were designed to warn and repel those who stumbled in by accident, not to kill. Placing lethal traps on the outside would only cause unnecessary problems.

Especially for Goddess-sama—it'd bring her endless headaches.

Even if someone had to die, it had to happen inside the barrier, not out in the open.

Letting others witness the kill would only create more trouble.

'I really hope no more fools come looking to die.'

Bell was just... tired.

...

Five minutes later, the Loki Familia members who had collapsed outside began to recover. The red mist cleared, the fog that had obscured their view began to dissipate, and the outer wall of Hestia Familia's territory came into sight.

"Riveria!!!"

As soon as she could move, Loki sprang up and bolted toward the entrance, not even waiting for the others to catch up.

She had only one thought—make sure Riveria was safe.

Without a second thought for any potential traps, she charged forward and slammed into the thick vine-covered gate.

Bang!

The impact made her stagger.

But beyond it, in the clearing inside, she saw Riveria sitting motionless beneath a towering tree.

"Riveria!"

Spotting her, Loki rushed straight toward the tree without hesitation.

Finn, Gareth, Aisha, and Sanjouno Haruhime quickly followed.

As seasoned adventurers, their sharp eyes instantly locked onto Riveria seated at the tree's center.

They were able to observe more details than the others.

"Finn."

"Yeah, that tree is healing Riveria."

Both Gareth and Finn had noticed that the large tree was rapidly withering away, while Riveria, seated at its center, was quickly recovering from her injuries.

"Sigh... Looks like we really should've waited until tomorrow to come."

Finn let out a soft sigh. If he hadn't made such a hasty decision, they wouldn't be in this mess now.

Someone as sharp as him had already figured out—it was Riveria's probing of the barrier that triggered its attack response.

If that hadn't happened, they probably would've just been immobilized, lying there until someone came to deal with them.

But because the attack mechanism had been triggered, things had escalated to this point.

Finally, Finn's gaze landed on the young man sitting beside the tree. Even now, he still wore a windbreaker and hood, projecting a careful, guarded presence.

'I never imagined that kid's magic would be this powerful.'

His own poor judgment had led to Riveria's severe injury. Finn knew he had to take full responsibility.

The boy hadn't deliberately targeted anyone. Just trespassing into the barrier had caused a near-catastrophic outcome.

And at that moment, Finn clearly recognized just how absurd the magic this boy wielded truly was.

It had bypassed their levels entirely—hitting with maximum force.

Maybe the outcome this time was mostly due to the prepared barrier, but that alone had been enough to trap three of Orario's top adventurers. Even more shocking, the triggered counterattack had gravely wounded Riveria.

That kind of result was far beyond what anyone could've predicted.

What did it mean?

It meant that if they ever found themselves on opposing sides—and barged into another one of this boy's prepared traps—the Loki Familia might not walk away intact. They might not walk away at all.