Chapter 215: Act Impulsive

Luna, completely unaware that someone was watching her, continued reading peacefully inside her tent.

Her thoughts occasionally drifted back to the barrier surrounding Great Tartarus.

’That ancient barrier was truly fascinating.’

She had never encountered such sophisticated defensive magic before. Its structure was far more complicated than anything she had studied, yet its underlying principles were remarkably elegant.

If she could fully understand it, perhaps she could eventually create a barrier of similar strength.

However, such an undertaking would require an enormous amount of mana and a much deeper understanding of magic.

’I would probably need to reach the Seventh Circle before attempting something like that.’

Luna closed her current book and reached for another one beside her.

It was her Necromancy Grimoire.

She opened it to a page containing a particular spell she had been studying.

Mana Absorption.

A magic that allowed the caster to directly extract mana from another person’s body and absorb it into their own reserves.

It was an incredibly dangerous technique, especially when used against someone who couldn’t resist.

But its benefits were undeniable.

’With this spell, I can increase my mana reserves far faster than through ordinary training.’

Her thoughts briefly returned to Cindy.

The locket resting beside her belongings was a reminder of the successful experiment she had conducted on the former mage.

’Just like what I did to Cindy.’

Luna smiled faintly as she turned another page.

"If I continue developing this spell, I should be able to become even stronger in a relatively short time..."

Suddenly—

THUD!

Her body was forcefully pressed down against the chair.

Before she could react, a hand covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

Luna’s eyes widened.

Someone was behind her.

"Don’t struggle."

A low voice whispered directly beside her ear.

"Or I’ll make sure you regret it."

Luna’s body stiffened as she tried to understand what had happened.

’Who?!’

She attempted to gather mana, but the pressure holding her down made it difficult to move.

’How did someone get inside my tent?!’

Her thoughts raced.

The camp was surrounded by knights, and the monster detection artifacts had been placed around the perimeter. Even the patrols should have noticed anyone approaching.

Yet this person had somehow bypassed all of them.

’How did they penetrate our defenses... and get past the guards without anyone noticing?’

Gray could feel Luna’s body tense beneath his grasp.

Although he had managed to catch her by surprise, the woman was still attempting to resist. Her shoulders shifted as she tried to free herself, and he could sense mana beginning to gather within her body.

’She’s still trying to fight back?’

Gray tightened his grip and pressed her more firmly against the chair.

"Stop struggling."

Luna ignored him. Her fingers twitched, and a faint magical fluctuation began spreading through the tent.

Gray immediately understood what she was trying to do.

"Don’t even think about it."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper.

"If you continue resisting, I’ll kill you right here."

Luna was silent for a moment.

The intruder’s tone wasn’t theatrical or exaggerated. There was no hesitation in his voice, only a chilling certainty that made her reconsider her actions.

’He really intends to kill me if I resist...’

Luna had no intention of dying in the middle of an expedition. She had already accomplished so much, and there were still countless magical secrets she wanted to uncover.

She reluctantly stopped gathering mana.

Gray waited a few seconds, making sure she wasn’t attempting another trick.

"Good. Keep it that way."

Gray let out a quiet breath.

’Damn it. This was too impulsive.’

He had intended to sneak into the camp and gather information. But, that locket wasn’t something he could simply ignore.

’I should have waited and observed her longer. There might have been a chance to learn more about Cindy without getting myself into this mess.’

Unfortunately, there was no point regretting it now.

He had already infiltrated the camp, and he had already captured one of its most important members.

’Well, since I’ve come this far, I might as well get some answers.’

Gray extended several tentacles from beneath his concealed body.

Luna’s eyes immediately widened.

’Tentacles?!’

Before she could react, one of them reached toward a pile of spare cloth inside the tent. Another tentacle grabbed a nearby strip of fabric and pulled it toward him.

Gray began binding her wrists.

He worked carefully, making sure the cloth was tight enough to restrict her movements without injuring her. He then used another strip to secure her legs.

Luna stared at the strange appendages in disbelief.

’What kind of creature is this?’

The intruder’s body was difficult to identify. His movements were unnatural, and the tentacles emerging from him certainly didn’t resemble anything she had encountered before.

She tried to memorize as much as she could.

His appearance. His voice. The shape of his body.

Anything that might help her identify him later.

Gray finished tying the bindings and checked them with one of his tentacles.

"Listen carefully."

He leaned toward her again.

"If you scream, call for help, or try anything suspicious, I’ll kill you immediately."

Luna stared at him.

And after several tense seconds, she slowly nodded.

"Good."

Gray cautiously removed his hand from her mouth.

For a brief moment, the tent fell silent.

Luna lowered her gaze, seemingly accepting her situation.

Then, without warning—

"HELP! INTRUDER! SOMEONE—!"

Gray’s eyes widened.

’YOU BITCH!’

He immediately clamped his hand over her mouth again, cutting off the rest of her scream.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Luna struggled against him, attempting to make as much noise as possible.

Gray’s expression darkened.

"I told you what would happen if you screamed!"

He pressed his hand more firmly against her mouth, trying to silence her.

But it was already too late.

Her scream had escaped the tent and carried through the quiet camp.

Outside, several expedition members immediately stopped what they were doing.

"What was that?"

"That came from Lady Luna’s tent!"

William, who had been sitting near the campfire, immediately stood up.

His expression changed.

"Everyone, move!"

The knights grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the tent. Several mages followed, hurriedly gathering their mana.

Jooquin lowered his drinking cup and turned toward the commotion.

"Hm? What’s happening?"

One of his pirates hurried over.

"Captain! Someone’s screaming inside the mage’s tent!"

Jooquin’s expression became more serious.

"An intruder?"

William had already reached the entrance.

"Lady Luna! Are you alright?!"

He pulled aside the tent flap.

Gray cursed inwardly.

’Fuck! This is bad.’

He had underestimated how quickly the expedition would respond.

The knights were already gathering outside, and several mages were preparing spells. Even if he used Phantom Cloak, escaping while surrounded would be difficult.

Worse, abandoning Luna now would leave him with no way to control the situation.

And if they start searching the area... Cindy and Lily could be in danger.

Gray glanced at the woman struggling in his grasp.

There was only one option left.

He tightened his grip on Luna and pulled her closer, keeping her bound body between himself and the approaching knights.

’I really didn’t want to do this.’

But he had already made his move.

Now he had to deal with the consequences.

Gray moved toward the tent entrance, preparing to face the expedition with Luna as his hostage.