I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 155: To Protect Everyone (9)

Dust devils, typhoons, tornados, thunderstorms, downbursts, and so on—

There are all sorts of weather phenomena tied to the wind.

It’s just the movement of air caused by differences in pressure.

And yet, wind could easily blow away man-made structures, and even erase landscapes shaped over hundreds of thousands of years by the earth itself.

Among them, there was the fierce updraft that surged from the ground into the sky.

Commonly called a "dust devil," this particular column of rising wind was now violently sweeping across the entirety of the Sky Garden.

‘Ugh...! If I don’t pin myself down with telekinesis, I’ll get blown away! This is way too strong!’

A large-scale spell powerful enough to change the weather entirely into overcast skies...

No matter how I looked at it, the only person capable of doing something so absurd with such composure was Tempest.

But even for Tempest, enveloping the entire Sky Garden in wind should be a bit of a burden.

Did that mean the opponent was strong enough to warrant him going all out?

Just who was he facing...?

I widened my eyes in shock, staring in the direction from which the fierce wind was blowing.

‘It’s close... But I doubt Mayor Tempest would lose. So for now, I should get out of here as quickly as possible.’

I hugged the box containing the seed tightly against my chest and used telekinesis to lift myself into the air.

The wind was rough, but as long as my focus on telekinesis held, I was still okay.

In the end, wind was just fluid flow.

By gently nudging it aside to make a path, I could easily avoid being caught up in it.

If anything, other people were more likely to be trapped by Tempest’s wind than I was.

It might even give me a convenient advantage—free rein to move through the Sky Garden alone.

But of course, there's always a twist.

Just as I started moving toward where Murmur was waiting, having floated myself upward—

A sharp arrow pierced the wind like a bolt of lightning and came flying straight at me.

“...”

CRACK!

Fortunately, I had already spread my telekinesis wide to push against the wind, so it wasn’t much of a threat. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

I just caught the arrow in midair and snapped it in half. That was the end of that.

The real problem was that I couldn’t see the shooter anywhere.

To make a shot like that from such a far distance, in this kind of wind? It was no ordinary feat.

It was definitely another one of those damn modified humans...

‘They might come chasing after me. I should finish this here.’

I didn’t want anything to trip me up now that I had secured the seed.

But letting someone tail me when I didn’t even know what they looked like? That was asking for trouble.

The place where Murmur was waiting was meant to protect the fairies.

If I led someone there while being tracked, it could put them in danger.

So I hesitated for only a moment while floating midair, then made my decision quickly.

I’d end it here, so they couldn’t follow. I flew straight in the direction the arrow had come from.

“Oh? Bold of you to come charging in. Guess that means you’re confident.”

“Sharp too. How’d you spot us in this wind?”

“Oh my, what a cute face. Are we sure she’s the one carrying the item?”

“No doubt about it. That overwhelming pulse of life just now—it came from her. The seed we’re after is with that girl.”

“...”

When I reached the direction the arrow had come from, I found a group of people.

Their forms looked like grotesque fusions of multiple living creatures—

Immediately repulsive, clearly modified humans.

Judging by their conversation, their target was the World Tree Seed in my arms.

The moment I opened the box to destroy it, its location must’ve been exposed.

Apparently, Murmur’s box had been masking the presence of the seed.

‘Tch... So getting pursued was inevitable. But I didn’t think there’d be a whole group... Can I win this...?’

Given how many times I’d already clashed with modified humans,

It was hard to feel confident about victory against this bunch.

Earlier, I’d struggled with just three modified humans, and they’d been clumsy and poorly matched.

But these four had clearly superior individual abilities.

It might be a situation where I’d have to call on the Tesseract’s power.

So I discreetly placed my hand over it beneath my clothes, quickly trying to assess the situation—

When suddenly, a roar like thunder split the sky,

And a windstorm powerful enough to snap every tree in its path tore through the forest in a destructive rampage!

‘Gah...! Thank goodness I’m airborne. I would've been caught in that storm!’

Because I was floating with telekinesis,

I managed to avoid getting swept away by that terrifying current.

But the four modified humans on the ground weren’t so lucky.

They were flung around by the storm, slamming into the earth with bloodied bodies.

Despite all their earlier bravado, their exit was laughably pathetic...

But it wasn’t hard to guess whose handiwork it was.

‘...That must’ve been a stray burst of Tempest’s magic. But when did he get this close? I didn’t sense any magic at all...’

If I’d been caught in it too, it would’ve been ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a disaster—but I got lucky.

I silently thanked Tempest for the unexpected assist and turned to leave.

Or I would have—

If someone hadn’t suddenly stood up from the wrecked forest left behind by his storm.

“Oww... What the hell is wrong with that damn old lizard...? Even with an arm and a leg sealed, he’s still that strong? That’s just absurd.”

Rustle.

Dusting off the dirt and grass from her body, a winged woman covered in wounds stood up.

Compared to the other modified humans with their grotesque appearances,

Her form looked shockingly normal. The only notable features were her blood-stained white coat and limp, oversized wings.

But I recoiled in shock—her ghost-pale skin, those lifeless, white eyes.

I immediately realized who she was.

She was none other than one of the Seven Calamities—Olvis of Grief.

I’d suspected she was somewhere in the Sky Garden, based on how many modified humans I’d encountered so far—

But I hadn’t expected to run into her directly.

It was so sudden that I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

“Oh my... you’re...”

Apparently, Olvis had noticed me as well while brushing off the dirt.

With a weary look, she wiped the blood from her coat—

And her gaze landed squarely on me.

Her eyes locked onto me as I floated in the air,

And she smiled thinly, like she’d figured something out.

Yep. No doubt about it. I’d been spotted.

Immediately, I cranked my telekinetic output to the max and bolted—

No time to think about where I was going. I just had to get as far away as possible.

“That absurd life force... you’re carrying the Seed of the World Tree, aren’t you! No wonder my children came back empty-handed...! Now I don’t have to waste time fighting that annoying old lizard! Hand it over, now!”

“...!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

But Olvis’ wings weren’t just for show.

She beat them hard and soared after me at full speed.

She was supposedly more of a researcher than a fighter among the Seven Calamities...

But even if she was considered the weakest among them, the title wasn’t for show.

Her alchemy-enhanced body easily surpassed any modified human I’d faced so far.

There was no way I could win like this.

Unless I used the Tesseract’s power, the gap was just too big.

‘She’s catching up...! Ugh, damn it! Why did Tempest let this one slip past him!’

This was beyond unlucky.

I’d been doing my best to avoid dangerous people—and now of all times, I ran into Olvis while holding the seed.

Of course, it wasn’t Tempest’s fault—he couldn’t have predicted this.

But I had to make a decision. Right now. Whether or not to draw on the Tesseract’s power.

“A chantless spell? No—this is... psychic power! So the Association has been dabbling in psychics behind our backs! Kyahahaha! What a perfect excuse for a little war!”

As I hesitated for just a moment, Olvis let out a shout and spread her wings wide.

And from them, feathers rained down like countless blades.

Olvis’ feathers, each one carrying devastating power.

If I tried to deflect them with telekinesis, they’d snap it instantly.

I understood that instinctively—so I hurled myself downward, sliding toward the ground.

But horrifyingly, the feathers followed.

They twisted through the air on bizarre trajectories, chasing me.

“...!”

BOOM!

When Olvis’ feathers struck the ground, it was like bombs going off—pillars of earth exploded upward.

They weren’t blades at all—they were practically grenades.

And there were dozens—maybe hundreds—of them.

Let your guard down for a second, and you’d be erased without a trace...

This was on an entirely different level from the modified humans I’d fought before.

‘Guh...! My—my control...!’

I couldn’t deflect all the impact—too much was happening at once.

Pain pulsed through my body, my vision blurred, and dizziness washed over me.

My lungs seized, the world spun—

And before I knew it, I was lying flat on the ground.

‘I didn’t even take a direct hit—just the shock alone did this much... The difference is too big...’

The earth beneath my skin felt cold.

I almost wanted to stay like that.

But lying still would mean losing everything.

So I forced myself to reach for the box lying nearby and hugged it to my chest as I got to my feet.

Running was impossible. She was faster, and her attacks were overwhelming.

I had no other option. I’d have to use the Tesseract after all.

‘Aha... Can’t believe I have to fight her head-on like this... Good thing I didn’t use it earlier.’

Could I win? I wasn’t sure.

The transformed version of me was strong, yes—but strong enough to beat her in just a few minutes? I didn’t know.

Still, it was better than collapsing without a fight.

I sat back down, clutched the Tesseract hidden under my clothes,

And pleaded—transform me into the future version of myself, stronger and more capable.

Or I would have—

If not for the chillingly familiar voice that rang out nearby.

“Well now, sweetie—did you dye your hair since I last saw you? Black suits you. But if it’s just a mood change, why not try navy next time, like your big sis here?”

Step, step.

From the depths of the forest, a familiar face appeared—flawless, not a drop of sweat on her.

No need to even say it.

She was one of the people I absolutely needed to avoid right now—Vespera.

In front: Olvis of the Seven Calamities.

Behind: Vespera, the Progenitor.

A living nightmare.