CHAPTER 128: CHAPTER 128: MALICE

A loud noise reverberated in the forest, and Zerra held her breath.

Nyra’s hair fluttered, and she snapped her head toward the sound. The bullet’s incredible speed had sent a breeze past her hair, grazing some strands softly.

Laziel’s eyes also went wide, staring at the gun in Meira’s hand in disbelief. The girl’s chest heaved up and down. A trace of panic emerged on her face when she saw everyone turning toward her.

Her boyfriend immediately snatched the gun from her hand.

"What are you doing?!" His tone raised and his eyes blazed, demanding an explanation.

"I-I can explain..." Meira stuttered. She became scared when she took in everyone’s reactions, realizing she had let her emotions take over.

She hated it that everyone always looked down on her because she was an ordinary human.

Looking at Nyra easily shooting fireballs and killing the mutated critters, also getting Darren’s affection so easily while her own boyfriend looked down on her, she momentarily lost her rationality.

She was jealous of Nyra.

Now, she was aware of the consequences of her actions. If she didn’t hurry to think of a reason...

"Then explain!" Laziel glared.

He could accept her tantrums, enduring them although she often made him suffer a loss. However, if she wanted Nyra to suffer along, it was the last straw for him. She shouldn’t extend her claws to his family!

A sense of betrayal inundated his chest, making it a little painful. He hadn’t expected Meira to commit such a thing as pointing the gun he had given her toward his family members!

Meira’s head spun, trying to find an alibi. She pursed her lips when she saw Laziel’s angry face. He was usually gentle, but he even shouted at her...

She clenched her hands.

"Look over there." She pointed to the ground near Nyra. Her eyes flitted around to scan everyone’s reactions. When she saw them looking at the ground she had pointed, she continued. "There is a small animal there..."

"I saw Nyra was in danger. She didn’t notice that an animal was about to claw at her. S-so, in a panic, I pulled the trigger with little thought." She lowered her head, praying that they would believe her.

Darren frowned. "Check the animal."

The thin man didn’t like being ordered around, but he was more than happy to find something that could bring Meira down.

He really hated her to the bones for making him and his brothers unable to leave the base. Supplies were scarce, and they had to be frugal with their current crystal cores just to survive.

"This is a monkey..." Arnold walked back to them.

Every word he uttered sent Meira’s heart thumping uncontrollably. She lifted her head; their eyes accidentally met, and she looked away first.

She was sweating as she waited for them to check the little monkey. Some people had used guns too, so she prayed that it would be a bullet wound...

"Bullet wound indeed," Arnold finally said after he inspected the carcass, a little disappointed. He wanted to slander the girl back, but he thought about it and decided he didn’t want to stoop as low as her.

Meira’s hanging heart finally fell down. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Zerra was a little amazed at this cannon fodder’s luck. She wanted to hurt Nyra. Her plan failed, but she was still safe somehow...

Her gaze turned to Nyra, who was staring at Meira with piercing eyes. She instinctively shuddered. Uh-oh, the female lead didn’t seem to believe Meira’s alibi.

She sighed again. Was this the arc where Meira would be sent to log off from the story? With this thought, she gave her a look of pity.

"Azi... look, I-I didn’t have any malicious intentions." Meira’s eyelashes trembled as she clutched Laziel’s hand, looking at him with her pleading gaze.

Laziel’s jaw clenched. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Go back to the car," he told her, pocketing the gun. But he thought better of it and tossed the gun to Zerra.

Zerra’s eyes twitched as she stared at the gun in her hand. Meira was looking at her. Under Meira’s intense gaze, the gun disappeared from her hands into her space.

She was a little alarmed. Meira wouldn’t shift her hatred toward her too, right? She thought about it; if Meira did something to her, she would just stab her with her pitchfork.

It sounded like a good plan!

Meira lowered her head, hiding her dark thoughts as Laziel escorted her back to the car. When she looked up again, she sent him another pleading look, but he had already closed the car door.

Others resumed their fight, getting rid of any aggressive mutated animals attacking them. They divided the task; some were in charge of killing while others should collect the crystal cores.

After the remaining mutated animals fled, they went back.

"Let’s head to the people’s residence." Darren announced. They were merely testing the water briefly upon seeing those critters attacking their cars.

The mutated animals were easy to kill, but their numbers and the fact that most of their size were so small became another kind of trouble.

The houses near the forest were closed tightly, with a few critters roaming around, climbing the roofs, knocking on the windows, or even throwing stones at the roofs.

When they saw cars approaching, the critters swarmed at them, screeching.

Darren almost had a headache. No wonder the base sent them there when they reported they were going to the forest. Unexpectedly, the number of those animals had grown so much.

It was also outside their expectations.

"Prepare for attack!" Darren warned. The moment they got out, they unleashed their power to overcome the horde of small animals coming toward them.

Their scalps went numb. They had no choice but to go all out, exhausting their power.

An hour later, the mutated animals finally realized that they had met formidable opponents. Most of them scrambled away, heading back to the thick forest.

Zerra let out a breath as she wiped her sweat, clutching the whip in her hand. They finally had a rest.

"If any of you get injured, go to Mr. Adler," Darren told them, pointing to a member from Arnold’s group.

Meira had gotten some wounds on her arms. She didn’t know how she got them; most likely from falling down earlier. She had thought about getting treatment, but finally decided against it.

It was unknown what those scums would do to her as revenge!

Darren knocked on some houses, hoping any of them would open the door for them. A few did after they stated they were people from the main base.

He divided the people, allowing them to take a rest in the houses. They also needed to get a clear picture of the situation around the forest.

"This incident has been happening a few times lately." The white-haired man said with fear clear in his eyes. They were currently sitting in his living room.

In the midst of the discussion, Zerra excused herself to find a bathroom. However, she didn’t expect that she would run into another drama so soon.

"Do you like Darren or Laziel?"

It was Nyra speaking to Meira.

Zerra hurriedly retreated to the bathroom.