Author Of Worlds: I Reincarnated Into My Novel As A Random Character
Chapter 24: Failing The Mission?

Chapter 24: Failing The Mission?

’If that happens, won’t that be considered a failure of my mission? Then my ability...?’

Sylvia felt a splitting headache surge through her skull, as though she were trapped in an endless loop with no escape.

If she chose not to use her ability against them, then Matthew and Axel would flee with the upgrade crystal.

But if she did use it to stop them, Matthew would simply activate his own ability to destroy it.

No matter what decision she made, none of it would end in her favor.

Matthew stared at her with cold, indifferent eyes, silently waiting for her response.

Leo, who stood nearby, frowned at Matthew’s words. He couldn’t understand the purpose of this mysterious woman interfering in their plans, but he absolutely couldn’t let the upgrade crystal be destroyed.

Just like Matthew and Sylvia, the upgrade crystal was of immense importance to him.

As tension hung in the air, a faint voice echoed from outside.

"Why are there traces of dust on the walls? It looks like this place has been infiltrated."

"Everyone stay on high alert. We’re not sure how strong the intruder is."

"Hurry, we can’t allow anything to be taken from the monolith!"

The moment the voices reached their ears, all three of them widened their eyes in shock.

Matthew’s gaze turned sharp as he turned in the direction of the noise. ’The guards are already here? So soon?’

He had anticipated their eventual appearance but hadn’t expected their arrival this early.

Sylvia, too, looked surprised. Meanwhile, Leo’s eyes flashed with realization.

’So they woke up and alerted the others.’ When he had knocked out those two guards earlier, he had already foreseen this possibility.

’If not for these two, I would’ve left long ago.’ His eyes gleamed with ruthless determination as he made a decision. There was no longer any reason to hold back his ability.

He had refrained from using his earth element due to caution about Matthew’s strange powers, but now that time was running out, there was no need to hide his strength.

With the enhancements he could gain from the crystal, it was worth risking everything.

He stirred the origin energy within his body. Instantly, the earth beneath their feet rumbled. In the next breath, sharp stone spikes burst upward from the ground in rapid succession.

Sensing the incoming threat, Matthew leapt to the side without hesitation, narrowly evading the rising spikes.

Axel, too, reacted quickly, rolling away to avoid being skewered.

But Sylvia remained perfectly still. Her multicolored eyes calmly observed the sharpened stone spikes rushing toward her.

In the next moment, the spikes vanished from her vision. A sudden gust of icy wind swept across the area.

Matthew’s pupils narrowed. He understood immediately. Rather than dodging, Sylvia had used her molecular alteration ability to transform the spikes’ composition—converting them into gas.

’Terrifying,’ Matthew thought to himself. Among the five protagonists, he had always felt Sylvia possessed the most overwhelming ability. Watching her use it with such creativity and precision only affirmed his belief. Yet he didn’t dare be too certain.

’After all... there’s that one other protagonist.’ His thoughts paused midstream.

Leo gave them no chance to recover. He clenched his fists and punched toward the air.

Bolts of electricity crackled from his hand, streaking outward like a violent storm, lighting up the space with rapid arcs.

Thankfully, Matthew had been prepared. The moment he saw Leo’s hand twitch, he dove to the side, avoiding the brunt of the electric wave.

Sylvia disliked being passive. So the instant Leo unleashed his lightning, she responded.

With a sharp intake of breath, she condensed electricity of her own by manipulating the molecular structure of the air around her.

A thin arc of nearly invisible lightning burst forward, flashing silently toward Matthew and the others.

Matthew’s instincts screamed. He threw himself aside, avoiding it by a narrow margin.

He had written this character himself. Of course he knew all her tricks. That’s why he remained constantly on edge, waiting for the inevitable strike.

As Sylvia prepared to follow up her attack, a loud voice rang through the room.

"Quickly surrender yourselves!"

The voice was cold and commanding, cutting through the air like a blade. It made everyone freeze for a moment, a chill running down their spines.

Simultaneously, a figure stepped out from behind a row of shelves.

The moment Matthew saw the tall man with dark brown eyes and faint dark circles under them, his heart tightened.

Desmond.

He immediately dropped into a crouched posture, lowering himself to the ground in submission. He wasn’t willing to take any risks.

He had written Desmond too—and he knew exactly what the man was capable of.

Though only a rank 9 Sleeper on the Origin Path, Desmond was on the verge of breaking through to rank 8 and could already go toe-to-toe with many full-fledged rank 8 espers.

Another reason Matthew obeyed him was that he was looking for the perfect opportunity to escape. Desmond, seeing what appeared to be cowardice, wouldn’t pay him much attention.

As expected, Desmond barely spared Matthew a second glance. His eyes swept toward the other two who still stood with defiant auras.

"It seems I’ll have to teach you both some manners," Desmond said quietly, his deep voice spreading across the space like thunder rumbling in the distance.

The instant his words ended, his towering figure blurred into motion.

His speed shocked both Leo and Sylvia. Their eyes dilated.

’Impossible! He’s the same rank as me. He doesn’t even use the lightning element, yet he’s faster!’ Leo’s thoughts exploded with disbelief.

Before he could react, a heavy punch smashed into his gut like a sledgehammer.

His eyes bulged and his breath left him in a painful gasp as his body was flung backward, crashing into a wall like a cannonball.

Sylvia was stunned at the sight. But she didn’t lose her composure.

The moment she sensed Desmond shift his focus to her, she acted. Origin energy surged within her as she rapidly altered the air surrounding her, condensing it into solid metal.

Desmond’s gaze turned colder, but he didn’t halt his attack.

With a booming impact, his fist collided with the metal barrier, shattering it into fragments.

But as the pieces fell, instead of Sylvia waiting behind the shield, Desmond saw only—

...

A/N: Please drop some powerstones and golden tickets if you’ve been enjoying the novel so far...