The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 468: Chapter 468 The Barrier Broke

The wolves hauling the rope and the accompanying guards formed the second line, followed by those carrying the mages in the third. The outermost line consisted of warriors fending off the smaller animals, ensuring the core of the group remained protected.

Despite the fatigue weighing her down, Addison kept her hold firm; this was the final stretch.

After a few tense moments, the guard running close to Levi drew nearer. Unable to communicate through the mind-link, it nudged him with its head, signaling him to look back.

Addison followed its cue, and her heart tightened at the sight. The barrier’s shimmering light was fading, flickering as if on the verge of collapse. The thick white mist billowed up, obscuring everything in its path, and streaks of greenish blood from the demonic insects splattered across the haze.

It was all she could see, and all she could feel was the rising dread.

”Princess, it’s breaking!!” Archmage Elric shouted as he coughed up blood. He had clearly pushed himself to the absolute limit just to keep the barrier intact.

It wasn’t just him; other mages riding the backs of the other werewolves were also coughing blood, their strength draining rapidly as they struggled to stay upright. Many teetered dangerously, nearly falling off the wolves’ backs.

Thankfully, before setting out, Addison had insisted that everyone be securely tied down, and that precaution now kept them from tumbling completely as more and more mages began to lose consciousness.

”Archmage Elric!” Addison called instinctively, her voice laced with panic, trying to gauge if he, too, was on the brink of collapse.

”I’m still fine!” Archmage Elric called out, his voice weak but steady. The fact that he was still conscious meant he was still holding on.

Addison looked back again, and her eyes widened in shock. The barrier had shattered like glass, splintering into millions of pieces. The demonic insects that had been trapped surged free. Some tumbled to the ground, and in the clearing, she watched as a few locusts hopped, wriggling their wings desperately, as if trying to shake off the biochemical agent clinging to their bodies. After a few futile movements, they collapsed, motionless.

Only then did Addison realize her plan had worked. Yet the dense, poisonous gas of the biochemical agent still lingered, its high concentration a deadly reminder that the danger was far from over.

The biochemical agent hadn’t been designed with safety in mind. Any lingering mist could be deadly, so there was no time to stop running.

Addison’s eyes fell on Archmage Elric, who was now curled up like a shrimp, completely unresponsive, no matter how much she called. She knew he had reached his limit, and the backlash from maintaining the barrier might already be taking its toll.

”The barrier’s down! Don’t stop running, the locust swarm is out!” Addison shouted at the top of her lungs. Her mind, still foggy from exhaustion, but it sharpened slightly as she reminded everyone, and in truth, it also felt like she was reminding herself to stay focused, to keep it together.

Right now, no one could afford to look back; they were all running at full speed in their wolf forms. The responsibility of guiding them, of keeping everyone informed of the chaos behind, fell entirely on Addison’s shoulders. That was why she kept shouting, reminding the group of what was happening and alerting them to every new change.

Fortunately, they had all been well-prepared before setting out; no one panicked or faltered even as the danger steadily closed in.

Although Addison had said they were about to leave the Golden Hue territory, in truth, they were still nearly five hundred meters away. The mist crept forward, spreading through the trees and engulfing everything in its path. Even the smaller animals sensed the threat, running frantically, while insects scattered en masse, flying, hopping, desperate to escape the encroaching mist.

As they ran, all Addison could hear was her own heart pounding, loud enough that it felt like it was thumping directly in her ears. Time seemed to blur; she had no sense of how long they had been running.

Finally, she glimpsed the fog-like mist creeping steadily behind them. She didn’t need to say a word; everyone could feel it. It was as if the Grim Reaper itself was licking at their backs. The tension made their fur bristle, and every muscle in their bodies screamed, but they didn’t stop.

They pushed forward, using every ounce of strength just to stay ahead, even as pain threatened to lock their limbs. Some of the smaller animals had already been swallowed by the biochemical mist, never to emerge again, a grim reminder that this was no harmless gas.

So they ran. And ran. And ran.

They didn’t slow down until they had run a full mile. Only then did the biochemical mist that had been clinging to their heels begin to thin. They pushed on for a few more hundred meters before finally easing their pace.

By then, they had reached slightly higher ground. From there, the view was chilling: the fog-like mist stretched endlessly, so dense that the surrounding trees were almost invisible.

It was only at that moment that they fully grasped the scale of the threat. The biochemical agent had spread dangerously far, nearly reaching the neighboring pack’s territory. If those packs hadn’t been evacuated in time, mass poisoning could have been inevitable.

Slowly, the werewolves shifted back into their human forms, their bodies still trembling. Every hair on their skin stood on end as a lingering shiver of dread washed over them. If they hadn’t outrun the mist, they might not have made it. Their hearts thundered violently, refusing to slow, gripped still by fear.

Addison slowly climbed down from Levi’s back, her eyes vacant as she took in the scene before her.

”Addie!” Zion shifted back as well and rushed to her side. He scanned her from head to toe, checking for any signs of injury. Seeing her pale, horror-stricken expression, he pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair gently.

”Don’t be scared, baby. I’m here. We’re here for you...”

He could feel the trembling of her body, the lingering fear that still gripped her.

Addison didn’t respond. Her mind was still replaying the scene like a broken, flickering image. Slowly, she tilted her head and looked back at the area behind them. Even a few hundred meters away, where the biochemical mist hadn’t yet reached, smaller animals lay still and unmoving.

The smell of the biochemical agent alone had been enough to poison them. It was clear that staying in their territory, or waiting it out, would be far from safe for the neighboring pack.

”It’s not safe to linger here. We need to keep moving!” Zion said, his voice tight with concern as he pointed out the small detail.

All around them, fear was written on everyone’s faces. Zion had so many questions he wanted to ask Addison, but with no sign of the demonic insects yet, he didn’t know where to begin. For now, his priority was clear, and that was to get Addison to safety first, then figure out the next steps.

They helped the guards on the few remaining hot-air balloons climb down safely, then quickly dismantled the hot-air balloons and stored them securely in their magic bags.