The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 478 Preparations
At first, even Levi wasn’t convinced it would work. His body remained tense, every instinct on edge. But when he saw the sun rise exactly as she had predicted, and the blinding light completely swallowed the radiance spilling from her hand, he finally allowed himself to exhale.
But Addison had only a narrow window to complete the purification and store the power of light inside the biochemical agents. Once the sun rose past a certain angle, the cover she relied on would disappear. If she were still channeling light when that happened, it would look as though two suns were blazing in the same sky, an anomaly no one could overlook.
She worked feverishly, the power of light flowing without pause. Sweat beaded on her brow and dripped onto the glass containers as her energy drained at an alarming rate. Her limbs grew heavy, weak, as though strength were being siphoned straight from her bones. Inside, it felt as if something vital was leaking away, like water pouring out of a cracked vessel.
Addison knew, dimly, desperately, that she might not have enough power to finish. But she had no choice. Doubt would only give her an excuse to stop, and stopping was not an option. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself onward, pushing past the warning screams of her body, past fear and hesitation, until she drove herself to the very limit, and finished what she started.
"I–I did it..." Addison choked out, her voice trembling as tears of relief threatened to spill.
At her words, Levi turned his head, his wolf’s eyes crinkling as he nudged her gently in encouragement. But the moment he did, Addison’s strength gave out. Dizziness washed over her, her body going limp as if all the power had been drained from her at once.
Levi reacted instantly, lowering his massive head and catching her before she could collapse, his fur serving as her only support as she managed to grasp it. A worried whine rumbled from his throat as his gaze locked onto her pale face.
"Don’t worry... I’m fine," Addison murmured, forcing a weak smile as she reached out to ruffle his soft fur. "I’m just... a little drained. Once I rest, I’ll be okay."
She let out a breathy chuckle, trying to ease his worry. "See? Unlike the first time I used the power of light, I didn’t pass out this time."
Even as she spoke, her grip on his fur tightened slightly, proof of just how close she’d come to her limit.
Hearing her words, Levi couldn’t help but recall the time she had healed him to save his life. Compared to how she’d been back then, this was an improvement, at least, that was what he believed.
What he didn’t know was that Addison was standing only on sheer willpower. She wanted to remain conscious long enough to see the outcome with her own eyes. In truth, her body felt like a fragile house of cards, poorly held together and ready to collapse at the slightest breeze. Darkness tugged at the edges of her vision, tempting her to let go, to surrender and rest.
But fear drove her forward, the fear that her solution might fail. And so she pushed herself beyond what she should have.
When Levi finally sensed just how weak she truly was, he lowered himself and signaled for her to climb onto his back, offering to be her legs so she wouldn’t have to move on her own. Addison didn’t hesitate. She accepted with quiet relief, resting against him as exhaustion finally caught up to her, her strength all but spent.
Riding on Levi’s back in his wolf form, Addison carefully inspected the surroundings. The hot air balloons were now fully prepared, and the guards had already distributed the biochemical agents to each team, securing the containers inside the baskets beneath the balloons.
Seeing that everything was in place, Levi lifted his head and released a long, resonant howl as he called the warriors scattered across the territory. A second howl followed, just as powerful, the sound rippling through the land like a command etched into the earth itself.
Before long, the warriors came charging back from every direction. They had already driven the wild animals out of the territory, and as they sprinted toward the gathering point, their combined movement thundered like a stampede of horses. Even Addison could hear the heavy drumming of their paws pounding against the ground as they approached, eventually regrouping alongside Lance and his team. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The mission had gone as planned. With the wildlife cleared from the area, once the biochemical agent was released within the barrier, the danger-sensitive creatures would sense the threat and flee even farther away. Thanks to the warriors’ efforts, the wildlife now had ample time and distance to escape before the toxic agent fully dispersed.
Once everyone had gathered, Lance moved to the hot air balloons and began securing the ropes to the baskets, following Addison’s instructions closely.
"Right... tie the ropes to the baskets," Addison said weakly, pausing to catch her breath. "Then choose the fastest warriors, those with strong legs and visible grit strength. We’ll need them to run at full speed and pull the ropes, dragging the hot air balloons out of the territory’s range so the guards can safely descend once their mission is complete."
Only then did understanding dawn on everyone’s faces. Without further prompting, the warriors who fit the criteria stepped forward one by one. They were confident in their speed, the power in their hind legs, and the crushing grip of their jaws in wolf form, exactly what the task required.
With the selection complete, Addison released a quiet breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She offered them a faint but satisfied smile and lifted her hand, signaling everyone to take their positions.
At that moment, Archmage Elric also led his disciples away from the barrier as they were doing their best maintaining it from a distance instead. The burden of the spell fell heavily on Archmage Elric alone, as he was the primary spellcaster sustaining the barrier, while his disciples could only offer auxiliary support.
Seeing the mages arrive, the remaining warriors immediately understood their role. Without needing to be told, they stepped forward and crouched low, offering their backs so the mages could climb on and be carried.
"Right. Those who can run the fastest will carry the mages," Addison said, forcing her voice to remain steady as her gaze swept across everyone. "Once the hot air balloons reach a certain height, we won’t have much time. The moment the biochemical agent is released, we must already be moving, running as far and as fast as we can. There will only be a short window, so everyone has to keep up. We’ll be sprinting at full speed."
As her explanation sank in, the atmosphere visibly shifted. Muscles tensed, backs straightened, and instincts sharpened. Nervous energy crept through the warriors’ veins, a faint tingling beneath their skin as anticipation and pressure mounted.
No one noticed that Addison’s face had gone as pale as a sheet of paper, or that her voice trembled faintly between sentences, each word a little weaker than the last.
"For the mages, you must keep the barrier intact until we reach a safe distance from the biochemical drop point," Addison said, her gaze lingering on the mages before settling firmly on Archmage Elric. "Only then can you release it."
"Princess," Archmage Elric asked, lifting his head. Though his body was frail and age had thinned his frame, his voice carried unmistakable authority, steady and resonant. "How far must we hold the barrier?"
At his words, the disciples fell completely silent. Their posture alone made it clear, whatever Archmage Elric decided, they would follow without hesitation.
"I need all of you to hold on until we are at least a kilometer away from the drop points," Addison said quietly. "Only then can you allow the barrier to collapse on its own."
She knew what she was asking was excessive, borderline impossible, but it wasn’t as if they had any other choice.
"Princess," Archmage Elric replied, a deep frown creasing his brow, "you understand that the farther we move from the barrier, the more difficult it becomes to keep it intact. Maintaining it from such a distance, and continuously supplying mana, will place an enormous strain on us."
His expression wasn’t one of disagreement or anger, but concentration. His mind was already working, weighing risks and calculating an alternative plan, even as he knew this would be no easy feat at all.
"I know," Addison said calmly. "That’s why I needed you to prepare in advance. If you must use mediums to amplify your mana, to strengthen your output or extend your control, I want you to do so."
Her gaze was steady as it met Archmage Elric’s.
"If any of you are required to expend personal treasures or magic tools to make this possible, the Royal Palace will compensate you in full."
