Traitors (1)

I had been wandering alone in the forest for a while, trying to track down the main cast, but my efforts proved futile. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn't seem to find any trace of them.

'Damn it! I should have been quicker about getting out of the battlefield.' 

The reason behind my frustration was the worry that my existence could alter the plot and potentially change the course of the events in a terrible way.

The ambush targeting the main cast was mainly to eliminate the children of the Big Three before they could reach their full potential. However, with my existence as an extra child of the Big Three heightening the perceived threat level for the Titans, it was more likely that more demigods would be sent for this despicable mission.

Though I wasn't sure if the number of traitors that would attack us would change, there was a high possibility it would. And I didn't want to leave it to luck at all. If events were to unfold as I feared, the lives of the main cast would be at risk. Which also meant that my future knowledge was also in danger.

Thus, I was trying to find the main cast in case they encountered unexpected opponents. This way, I could intervene to balance balance the odds. However, if the plot turned out to be unaffected by my presence, then I was going to refrain from interference and let the plot play out as it was meant to.

"Aarghh!"

My head snapped in the direction of a man's scream. My instincts kicked in as I sprinted towards the source of the sound as fast as my legs allowed me to.

'I hope I am not late...'

The wind whipped against my face, and branches grazed through my skin as I pressed on. Soon, the rattling sounds of the battle reached my ears. Without hesitation, I quickly climbed up a nearby tree to observe from a safe distance.

*Phew..*

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I surveyed the scene below. What I saw aligned perfectly with the description in the novel. The plot remained unchanged, alleviating the weight of uncertainty that had gripped me moments before.

I sat on the thick branch and leaned back against the solid trunk of the tree. It was a surreal feeling, a strange mix of impressions, watching the events unfold below, mirroring the pages of the novel I had read.

Amelia was nowhere to be seen, she had left with the flag while these two held them back. But what the main cast hadn't anticipated was that the four demigods were not merely holding them back, they intended to end their lives.

As I examined the battlefield, I saw Adriel had already gravely wounded one of the four demigods that had ambushed them, taking him out of the battle. His left arm was cut off. He was clutching his severed left arm to cease more blood loss. Nevertheless, blood poured forth uncontrollably.

'The scream that led me here was probably his scream.'

As I drew nearer to the unfolding scene, Eleanor's voice cut through the chaos, filled with shock and disbelief as she shouted at Adriel. The urgency in her tone conveyed the gravity of the situation, adding to the tension already thick in the air.

"Adriel, why the fuck did you chop his arm off! Did you forget this is just a mock war?!"

"He was trying to kill me! Did you not see what happened just now?!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, look here!"

Adriel disclosed his neck where a clear red line marred his skin, evidence of a sharp blade grazing through the skin.

"His killing intent was real! I'm certain he was trying to take me out!"

Dumbfounded, Eleanor shot a glare at the demigods. Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw arrogant smirks on their faces.

"What the hell?"

"Heh... Seems like we are caught red-handed."

"Now we can't let you two leave this place alive. What a shame..."

'How can you be this arrogant when one of you just had his arm obliterated? What a third-rate villain.'

"I don't know what you guys are up to, but even if you kill us here, you will be eventually convicted by the camp for this crime."

Adriel's attempt to reason against their absurd actions fell on deaf ears as the three demigods mocked his words with laughter. As the one who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, it was obvious that the situation was only about to escalate further.

"You really think we didn't think this through? We have already set the crime scene before the flag war even started."

The leader lifted his arm and pointed towards the divine barrier that encircled the entire camp.

*Booom!*

An explosion of divine energy reverberated in the distance. As the dust settled, the sight of a massive aperture torn into the barrier came into view, leaving everyone stunned. Through the gaping hole, packs of monsters poured in, launching a full-scale raid on the camp.

Soon, the monstrous roars mixed with the desperate screams and cries of demigods as the camp was overrun by the relentless assault. Exhausted from the flag war, many demigods found themselves unable to fend off the onslaught of creatures pouring through the breach in the barrier. Panic and chaos reigned as the campers struggled to escape the overwhelming horde of monsters.

"We are not going to kill you. You two will have been killed by the monsters that raided the camp, along with many other demigods. If you know what I mean..."

His words hung in the air as the full extent of their plan became horrifyingly clear.

"You... How can you do such a thing... to your own people... To those who opened their arms to you..."

Adriel gritted his teeth uncontrollably out of pure rage as he mumbled under his breath.

"Yeah? What was that?"

"I SAID, HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU DO THIS TO YOUR OWN PEOPLE!!"

Adriel's anger erupted, his rage overdriving his divine energy uncontrollably. In an instant, the clear sky was shrouded in threatening dark clouds. The rain cascaded down, crashing down on earth.

"Hoo... How scary?∼"

Adriel exhaled a hot steam that escaped through the gritted gaps of his teeth. He slowly bent down, as if preparing to shoot himself toward the demigods before him. His white hair now stood on end, spiked with an electric charge that crackled and danced across his body.

Sensing the impending danger as Adriel prepared to strike, the leader didn't remain stagnant, which was pretty unusual for a punching-bag-level villain.

As the other two demigods rallied around their leader, the injured one was left unattained. Despite his cries for help, the leader ignored him, their focus fixed on the upcoming attack. The leader pulled out a device and activated it, creating a shimmering barrier with the intention of shielding them from the impending strike.

Unbeknownst to the demigods, a smile of victory crept onto Adriel's face as he unleashed his divine power. A bolt of lightning crackled in the sky above, descending directly upon the tip of Adriel's spear.

The lighting touched Adriel's spear, and he darted toward his opponent with great speed, moving so swiftly that my eyes struggled to track his movements. The next moment, the spear in Adriel's was penetrating through the leader's heart, ending his life in a single decisive strike.

Spouting a mouthful of blood, the leader's terrified eyes locked with Adriel's blue eyes. With a rough tug, Adriel pulled the spear out from the lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground in a heap. The other demigods wore blank expressions, as they struggled to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

Out of desperation, one of the demigods lunged at Adriel, intent on striking him down. But before he could land the blow, a massive hand made of water materialized out of thin air, catching him in its palm with a firm grip.

"Thanks for the rain."

"You are welcome."

She began squeezing her hand, commanding the mass of water to mimic her actions. The demigod trapped within the mass of water cried out in agony as the pressure increased, the sound of cracking bones echoing through the air until the scream abruptly ceased.

The fate of the other traitors wasn't any different either.

'They sure are brutal as fuck.'

It was unbelievable how they could act so cruelly when they were living an average high school student life a few weeks ago. Yet, this just went to prove their innate battle tendencies as demigods.

I watched as Adriel swiftly made his way towards where Amelia had gone to confirm her safety. Meanwhile, Eleanor headed in the opposite direction, to join the other campers to help fend off the monsters that had invaded the camp.

'Everything has gone just as it should have. Just like in the novel...'

Yet, despite my attempts to suppress my uneasiness, a nagging feeling lingered. My instincts were telling me otherwise. Something was amiss. It gnawed at the edges of my mind, provoking me to reconsider the plot.

Kronos must surely be aware of my existence by now. With my lineage as a child of the Big Three, especially as a son of Hades, the overseer of the underworld where Tartarus lay—the very prison in which Kronos had been sealed—it was inconceivable that he would overlook my presence. Therefore, he must have certainly ordered his lackey to send some demigods to come after me as well.

'But how come there is no one after me?'

There was a slim chance they may have just been unable to find where I was since I had left the battlefield without a noti-

"Who would have thought you were hiding here? It's such a shame you couldn't get away in the end."