The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 186

Protecting the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 186

* * *

Just before the chaos erupted, the room where Noel Vertium was confined remained eerily silent.

Having refused lunch, and with no visitors, Noel sat alone, anxiously scratching the armrest of his chair.

Then, a heavy thud echoed from beyond the door.

The sound, like something slamming against the wall, reverberated twice.

Creak…….

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Guards were supposed to be stationed outside, but an unsettling quiet permeated the doorway.

Noel lurched to his feet.

Could it be the dolls?

Before departing Vertium with the envoys from Yggdrasil, he had issued commands to all his combat dolls.

They should have arrived by now.

Noel’s hand grasped the doorknob.

He found the guards collapsed before the door.

They appeared to be without external injuries. The surroundings were eerily silent, as if not even an ant stirred.

If it wasn’t the dolls, then what…?

Noel, deprived of proper sleep and rest, pondered with a muddled mind.

His thoughts were so jumbled that he couldn’t dwell on it for long.

Inevitably, the face of the person who was his sole purpose in coming to Yggdrasil surfaced in his blurry vision.

“Nix…….”

A strange glimmer ignited in Noel’s clouded eyes.

He stumbled forward, searching for his doll.

Meanwhile, the clamor echoing along the building’s outer wall spread like a wave.

Noel’s pace quickened into a near run.

His destination, of course, was Nix’s location.

* * *

Deon Agriche also registered the commotion outside.

He was alone in a room devoid of light.

Slumped in a chair, chin resting on his hand, he heard the din of heavy equipment clashing, punctuated by shouts and sharp screams.

Though it was daytime, the darkness of the room and the cacophony outside evoked memories of Agriche last winter.

Deon rose slowly and approached the window.

Whirr.

Drawing back the heavy curtains, the sunlight piercing through the dark clouds momentarily blinded him.

Deon lowered his gaze to the scene unfolding below.

His eyes were so dry that anyone observing him would hardly believe he was witnessing a brutal slaughter.

The unexpected scene piqued Deon’s interest, but only briefly.

It was unusual that one of the opposing figures continued to move even after having their necks pierced, but that was all.

Roxana’s plan was clearly not this… but it held little importance for Deon now.

After a moment, Deon’s gaze shifted to the adjacent building, positioned at a right angle to his own.

The sight of people hurrying through the hallway was reflected in the glass window.

Noel Vertium.

Dolls that have invaded Yggdrasil.

Asil’s doll, trapped somewhere in that building.

Deon lingered by the window before finally moving away.

Since arriving in Yggdrasil, he had drifted aimlessly, unable to find his purpose.

But now, a faint signpost seemed to flicker before him.

Deon opened the door and stepped out of the room, a faint light in his eyes.

He entered the even darker hallway.

* * *

Roxana tore off the necklace hanging from her collarbone.

The round jewels scattered across the floor with a clatter. There was no time to gather them.

She immediately thrust the objects in her hand into the eyes of the dolls, targeting their most vulnerable point.

The dolls pursuing her faltered, momentarily blinded.

Based on previous experience, rupturing their eardrums was the most effective method to disorient them, but it was impossible in their current location.

Ryuzak and Pandora were once again speechless at Roxana’s consistently high success rate, even while running.

They managed to reach the building safely while the dolls’ movements were impaired.

It was foolish to confront so many dolls with so few people and without proper countermeasures.

“Close the door!”

They slammed the door shut as soon as they were inside.

The door was heavy, making it difficult. Still, they managed to latch it before the dolls swarmed in.

“There are weapons in the exhibition room!”

They ran again, hearing the thumping sounds from behind.

If they continued straight and turned left, they would reach an exhibition room filled with neatly preserved historical swords and spears.

“What the hell are those people? How dare they come to Yggdrasil……!”

“They’re not people.”

Pandora glanced back at Roxana, her cut hair swaying.

Realization dawned on her face, which had been etched with doubt.

Pandora stuttered, searching for the right words. Ryuzak’s face was equally grim.

This was Roxana’s first direct encounter with Vertium’s dolls, excluding Nix.

Their insensitivity to pain highlighted their difference from Nix, eliciting a sneer from her.

She always carried poison needles hidden in her earrings for emergencies, but one she used earlier had no effect on the dolls.

Buzzing.

Tinnitus rang in her ears, and a throbbing headache threatened to split her forehead open.

Roxana had been monitoring the situation through poison butterflies scattered throughout Yggdrasil.

Sharing vision with the butterflies in real-time was strenuous, especially within Yggdrasil.

The dolls were already positioned inside and outside Yggdrasil.

She saw dolls breaking down doors and searching inside the buildings.

Their actions suggested they were looking for someone.

The movements of other dolls, as observed by the scattered butterflies, were also strange.

They attacked everyone they encountered, but their eyes darted around as if searching for something else.

Roxana focused her attention on the butterfly near Cassis.

Cassis was systematically destroying the dolls that had infiltrated the building, like exterminating hidden insects.

Roxana’s vision flickered between the inside and outside of the building.

Just this morning, Roxana had planned to endanger the people here.

But she never intended to annihilate everyone.

Why was Noel Vertium doing this?

Roxana frowned, recalling Noel Vertium’s increasingly unstable behavior since arriving in Yggdrasil.

“Let’s split up. I have somewhere to go.”

At the fork in the hallway, Roxana changed direction.

“Wait……!”

Pandora and Ryuzak urgently called after Roxana, but she was already moving away.

Thanks to Cassis and his subordinates’ swift response, the dolls hadn’t occupied all the buildings.

Roxana seemed able to move without interference.

Jeremy was also seen leaving the garden and heading this way.

He looked precarious, so Roxana directed the butterfly to guide him along the safest path.

She also used the butterflies to inform Cassis of the dolls’ locations beyond his sight.

Switching her vision to Nix, she saw him wandering aimlessly in his room, seemingly aware of the commotion outside but unable to act.

Her head throbbed as if it would burst from constantly sharing vision with the butterflies. Still, Roxana persisted.

Judging by the dolls’ movements, Noel Vertium’s goal was to capture Nix.

Roxana intended to spirit Nix away before that happened.

Buzzing.

Her vision momentarily reversed, and dizziness washed over her as her mind overloaded.

She was straining the power of the poison butterflies while being affected by Yggdrasil’s magic circle, causing confusion.

Whirr!

Suddenly, something flew in from the side and seized Roxana’s waist.

Roxana reflexively stabbed the knife she was holding into it.

Clang!

But the knife shattered against whatever was wrapped around her waist.

Immediately, something struck her wrist, causing her to drop the broken knife.

Then Roxana was lifted into the air with surprising force.

Her feet left the ground.

Ambushed and bound, Roxana frowned.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? Miss Roxana.”

A leisurely voice, seemingly distant, reached her ears.

He wasn’t the one holding her waist.

Roxana glanced at the solid green vines constricting her waist and turned her head.

“Orca Hyperion.”

A cool, hardened voice spoke the name of the man who stood before her.

He smiled brightly, as if he were enjoying a stroll through a sunny field.

“Hello, Miss Roxana. Good afternoon, isn’t it?”