Chapter 357: Return Gate [ 1 ]

The white pillar shone in the distance like the only mercy left inside the Vault, yet reaching it felt almost impossible.

Sage and the others were no longer running with the strength of people chasing freedom, but with the broken desperation of people who knew death was close enough to breathe on their backs.

Their legs were heavy, their lungs burned, their mana was almost empty, and every step across the ancient wilderness felt as if the roots, stones, and broken earth beneath them were trying to drag them down.

Gregor’s silver armor was scratched and stained with dirt, his long green hair sticking to his face as he forced himself forward while keeping one hand ready to steady Lyana whenever she stumbled.

Brutus looked like a walking mountain that had finally begun to crack, his axe dragging low in one hand while the other supported an injured adventurer who could barely keep his feet moving.

Caelis ran with his jaw clenched, he felt weak all over as he guided the weaker members and kept glancing back to judge the serpent’s distance, while Vanthrice remained near the rear with her bronze spear gripped tightly in both hands, her sharp eyes moving between the sky, the forest, and the exhausted adventurers as she prepared to strike down anything that tried to slow them.

Even Mina had stopped joking, her little face pale as she clung to Sage’s robe, the pouch of coins she had guarded so fiercely now pressed silently against her chest.

Behind them, the ancient horned serpent descended through the storm clouds again, its enormous body circling above the forest like a living disaster.

Its emerald eyes burned with cold fury, and the golden horns rising from its head caught the light of the white pillar in the distance, making them shine like weapons forged for gods.

The beast had clearly realized they were running toward an exit, and the amusement it had shown earlier seemed to vanish completely. Its massive coils twisted through the clouds, dragging thunder and wind behind them, while lightning crawled across its mountain-like scales.

When it roared, the entire wilderness shook. Trees bent. Stones cracked. Smaller beasts fled in every direction. The sound rolled over Sage’s group and struck their backs like a physical wave, causing several adventurers to stumble.

Lyana nearly fell to one knee, and Gregor barely caught her in time, but even his hands were trembling now. The white pillar still stood ahead, but the distance between them and the serpent was shrinking faster than the distance between them and salvation.

Sage’s mind moved wildly as he ran. He could feel everyone slowing down. He could feel their breathing breaking apart. He could feel the serpent’s pressure closing in behind them with each passing breath.

His wind magic had been supporting the group for too long, and even though his Divine Mana Veins continuously absorbed mana from the surrounding atmosphere, his body and mind were beginning to strain under the endless calculations.

They could not outrun the serpent like this. They could not fight it. Valeria could stall it, but not forever, and if she stayed behind too long, even she might be trapped.

The distance to the white pillar was not impossible, but with their current speed, it was still too far. One more serious attack from the serpent would scatter them, and once the group broke apart, they would die one by one beneath the storm.

Sage gritted his teeth, then made a decision.

He suddenly slowed just enough to turn toward Lyana, and before Gregor could question him, Sage reached out and picked her up in both arms. Lyana’s emerald eyes widened in shock, her exhausted body stiffening for a moment as she stared at him, but Sage’s expression was too serious for embarrassment or confusion.

"Lyana."

His voice was low, sharp, and urgent. "Wrap everyone."

Lyana understood almost instantly. Her face was pale, and her mana had already been drained heavily from everything she had done inside the treasury and throughout the escape, but the moment she saw Sage’s eyes, she swallowed down her exhaustion and nodded.

A green magic circle bloomed beneath her even while Sage carried her, its light spreading outward like roots across the air itself.

Thick emerald vines burst from the magic circle, not randomly, but with precise control, whipping through the fleeing group and wrapping securely around everyone’s waists. Gregor barely had time to blink before a vine locked around him.

Brutus grunted as another tightened across his armor. Caelis grabbed one vine with his hand to steady the injured adventurer beside him. Vanthrice did not resist when a vine wrapped around her waist, though she immediately adjusted her bronze spear so it would not be caught in the bindings.

Boren looked down at the vine circling his fat belly and let out a horrified sound. "Wait, wait, wait, boss, I don’t like where this is going."

Sage did not look back. "You’ll like being alive more."

Boren’s face twisted. "That depends on how we survive."

Mina clung tighter to Sage’s robe as the vines connected everyone together, her golden eyes widening when she felt the air around Sage begin to change.

The wind magic circles beneath his boots appeared one after another, larger and brighter than before, rotating with increasing speed until the ground beneath him cracked from the pressure.

The surrounding air compressed violently, forming layers of spinning wind around his legs, his back, and the entire vine-connected group. Sage’s robe whipped wildly, his hair flying backward as he forced more and more mana into the spell.

This was not ordinary flight. This was not graceful hovering. This was propulsion, raw speed, the kind that could tear muscles, break bones, and turn a mistake into death. But they had no other choice.

Vanthrice glanced toward the sky, where the serpent had already lowered its head, jaws parting as storm energy gathered in its mouth.

"Now would be good," she said calmly.

Sage’s mouth curled slightly despite the danger."I know."

The wind beneath his boots exploded.

BOOM!