I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 221: Fighting Fear

Baroness Voss is watching the news, sipping her tea.

She puts the cup back down with a soft clink.

Her favorite tea does not taste as good today.

The usual black tea that always tastes rich and comforting leaves a bitter aftertaste on her tongue, lingering longer than it should. She narrows her eyes slightly and blames Lucien for it.

Lucien has just called her, updating her about the Hunters.

Twenty people.

All of them can wield magic now.

And they want to add more members.

Her fingers curl slowly against the armrest.

Has Isabelle not explained to her beloved apprentice that magic is not for everyone? That talent alone does not equal suitability? That power, in the wrong hands, is far more dangerous than no power at all?

And the Custodians’ oath.

Have they all forgotten about that too?

She already voiced her concerns to Lucien, calmly.

His reply still echoes in her mind.

"Stella, I know that. But we also need to build our people. Vitari and Neutral are joining forces, if they’re not already. For us to achieve our goal, we need more magi."

Then, as if to soften the blow, he added, "Don’t worry. We’re not doing it now. We’re still in the observing phase. We’ll assess again in three or four months."

The Baroness understands what Lucien is trying to say.

Strategically, logically, it makes sense.

And that is exactly why she couldn’t say anything back to him.

But the moment the call ended, her composure shattered.

Her mana flares violently.

The table in front of her is wiped clean in an instant.

The teapot explodes against the wall.

The cup shatters midair.

Snack plates crash to the floor, fragments scattering across the carpet.

Still, it is not enough.

Magic is not for commoners!

The thought burns hotter than her mana.

A sharp gust of wind erupts from her, tearing through the room. Chairs topple. Curtains snap violently. Furniture scrapes and slams as if struck by invisible hands.

Only when the room is in ruins does she finally calm down.

Her breathing steadies.

Her mana settles.

She shifts her attention back to the television.

The news is still playing.

Images of St. Lucas fill the screen.

She sits there calmly, perfectly composed, surrounded by broken porcelain and overturned furniture, as if nothing at all has happened.

------------------------------

Theo finally manages to subdue the shaking in his hands.

They are still trembling, but not violently anymore. Not uncontrollably. The worst of it has passed, even if the fear itself hasn’t. It is still there, heavy and oppressive, coiled around his chest like a living thing. Crippling. Paralyzing. Pressing down on his thoughts, slowing every decision.

But his breathing is no longer ragged.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Slow. Controlled.

That alone feels like a victory.

He takes it as one.

Inside his mind, the King does nothing but laugh.

The sound is not loud, not manic. It is amused. Patient. As if it has all the time in the world and is thoroughly enjoying the show. It watches him struggle, watches him wrestle control back from fear that isn’t even his own.

"Just give it up, human."

Theo lifts his head, jaw tight.

"What do you get out of this?" he snaps, voice strained, words pushed out between clenched teeth. "Besides amusement?"

The King’s presence shifts.

Theo feels it before he understands it. A change in intent. A curl of satisfaction.

A sneer.

The thought flashes through his mind, absurd and horrifying at the same time.

Can a spider sneer?

"It is fun," the King replies calmly, almost indulgently. "To watch you humans struggle."

Images flood Theo’s mind uninvited. Haelions waiting. Watching.

"I was perfectly fine in here," the King continues. "I stayed obediently inside the dungeon."

Theo stiffens.

"But you humans had to trespass my home," it goes on, voice turning sharper, more resentful. "You had to gather my magic stones."

Theo’s breath catches.

"What?"

The word slips out before he can stop it.

"You... chose to stay in the dungeon?" Theo asks slowly, disbelief creeping into his voice. "You mean you can leave this place?"

Cold sweat breaks across his back, soaking into his clothes.

This is wrong.

This is very wrong.

The King laughs again, richer this time, clearly enjoying the effect its words have on him.

"Of course I can," it says. "What is so difficult about leaving a dungeon?"

Theo visibly pales.

Everything he thought he knew tilts violently off balance.

How is that possible? his mind screams, even as his lips stay sealed. Aren’t they trapped here? Aren’t dungeons supposed to be cages?

"If you leave," Theo finally asks aloud, carefully, deliberately stalling, "what happens to the heartstones? To the dungeon itself?"

He knows what he’s doing.

He needs time.

Time for his mana to recover, even a little. Time to wrestle Thea’s fear back into its cage. Time to think.

Inside, his mind races.

If the King can leave...

Then this isn’t containment.

It’s choice.

And that realization is far more terrifying than any green mist.

"Heartstones?" the King repeats, its tone almost thoughtful. "That’s what you call our magic stones. Heartstones."

A pause.

"Hm. It makes sense."

Theo doesn’t answer. He doesn’t dare.

Then something shifts.

He feels it before he sees it. A ripple in the green mist. A sudden jolt of awareness that is not his own. The King has noticed something it shouldn’t have.

The massive presence recoils.

Not far, not physically, but enough that Theo feels the air change. The mist churns violently, pulling back as if startled, as if offended.

Then the voice slams into his mind.

Loud.

Violent.

Furious.

"You deceiving little human!"

Theo grits his teeth as pain spikes behind his eyes, sharp enough to make his vision blur.

"You’re stalling for time!"

The green mist around him convulses.

In the next instant, countless arrows form out of the mist itself. Not solid. Not physical. But dense enough that Theo can feel the pressure of them before they move.

They launch.

Theo reacts purely on instinct.

He snaps his barrier into existence, tight and compact, wrapping only around himself. There is no room to protect anything else now. No one else is here.

The first wave slams into his shield. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The impact rattles through his bones, not because of force, but because of intent. Each arrow carries corruption, malice, hunger.

Theo reinforces the barrier.

But the King doesn’t stop.

The arrows twist midair.

They curve.

They change direction, bending unnaturally, striking from above, below, behind. Theo’s eyes widen as he realizes what’s happening.

They’re evolving.

Theo clenches his jaw and expands the barrier, reshaping it into a semi-dome around him. A full enclosure. No gaps. No angles left exposed.

The arrows don’t stop raining down.

They come in waves, relentless, battering the shield again and again. Each impact forces Theo to reinforce it, layer by layer, pouring mana into repairs faster than he can comfortably manage.

His carefully gathered reserves begin to drain again.

Too fast.

Way too fast.

Theo’s breathing grows heavier, his shoulders tensing as strain crawls up his spine.

I can’t keep doing this.

The thought hits him hard and clear.

Defending alone will kill him.

He tightens his fists inside the barrier, eyes blazing with resolve despite the fear still clawing at his chest.

I need to attack.

If he keeps reacting, the King will grind him down.

And Theo refuses to die like that.