Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 136

Chapter 136: The Pull
The sky darkened as an ominous mist rolled across the battlefield.

We couldn’t use hot weapons, mechas, or even shift into our wolf forms here. There’s a barrier that prohibits us from doing anything.

Richard and Richmond stood back-to-back, surrounded by grotesque figures, half-decayed creatures with hollow eyes and jagged teeth, their twisted forms writhing in unnatural motion.

Among them, demonic beings loomed, their eerie grins revealing razor-sharp fangs, dark energy swirling around their limbs like living shadows.

The air was thick with the stench of death and rot, the ground beneath them soaked in blackened blood.

Richard tightened his grip on his weapon, his mind racing with the image of Ahcehera being swallowed by the portal.

He couldn’t let himself fall here. He had to find her. But the enemies pressed in, their hunger evident.

Richmond, already injured from their previous battles, staggered slightly, but his stance remained firm.

“Stay close,” Richard muttered, shifting his footing as the first wave lunged at them.

His Netherien Fire blazed to life, burning a path through the swarm, but for everyone he cut down, more took its place.

Richmond swung his blade, slicing through the rotting flesh of the creatures, his movements precise but visibly strained.

Blood seeped from a deep wound on his side, staining his uniform a darker shade of red.

The battle was relentless. Claws raked across Richard’s arm, drawing deep gashes, but he didn’t flinch.

With a burst of Netherien Fire, he incinerated the attacker, watching as its body crumbled into ash. Richmond fought with everything he had, his breath labored, his movements slowing.

Suddenly, a massive creature emerged from the shadows, a towering beast with blackened horns and molten eyes. It let out a guttural roar, shaking the very ground they stood on.

The other creatures recoiled in fear, recognizing their superior. The demon lord raised its clawed hand, and dark tendrils shot toward them.

Richard barely had time to react. He threw up a barrier of flames, but the attack was too powerful.

The impact sent him flying, crashing into a pile of rubble. Pain shot through his body, but he pushed himself up, heart pounding. Ahcehera… I have to get back to her.

Richmond wasn’t so lucky. The tendrils wrapped around him, tightening like a vice, dragging him toward the demon. He struggled, gritting his teeth, his strength waning.

“Let him go!” Richard roared, launching another blast of Netherien Fire.

The flames struck the creature’s arm, forcing it to release its grip, but Richmond collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood.

The demon’s laughter echoed through the battlefield. “You cannot protect him. You cannot even protect yourself.”

Richard’s fury ignited. He rushed forward, dodging the next onslaught of attacks. With a fierce battle cry, he drove his weapon deep into the demon’s chest, twisting it.

The beast howled, its body convulsing before it disintegrated into a storm of black dust.

But there was no time to celebrate. The battle had drained them both. Richmond wavered, his body swaying dangerously.

“We need to move,” Richard said, hoisting Richmond’s arm over his shoulder. He could feel the tremors in the man’s weakened form. “Can you still fight?”

Richmond exhaled sharply. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

They pushed forward, weaving through the ruins, the howls of pursuing creatures echoing behind them.

Their injuries slowed them down, but stopping meant death. Richard knew they had to find a way out, fast.

After what felt like an eternity, they stumbled upon an abandoned stronghold, its towering walls barely standing.

They forced themselves inside, barring the entrance with whatever they could find.

Richmond collapsed against the wall, his breath ragged. Blood seeped from his wounds, pooling beneath him. His face was pale, eyes unfocused.

Richard crouched beside him, tearing off a piece of his own tattered cloak to press against the worst of the bleeding. “Stay with me,” he urged, voice tight with worry.

Richmond chuckled weakly. “You look worse than I do.”

Richard ignored the comment, his mind racing. He needed to stop the bleeding, but they had no supplies. He cursed under his breath.

“Damn it, I should have grabbed medical kits from the base.”

Richmond’s fingers twitched, his expression darkening. “Richard… what if I don’t make it?”

“Shut up,” Richard snapped, forcing more pressure onto the wound. “I’m not letting you die.”

Richmond’s gaze wavered, a strange look crossing his face. “You don’t understand… the darkness inside me, it’s growing.”

Richard stilled. He knew Richmond had changed, ever since surviving that cursed place, he had sensed something off.

A power unlike his own, an unnatural energy clinging to him. “What are you saying?”

Richmond exhaled slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not sure if I’m still… human.”

Silence settled between them. Richard clenched his fists. “We’ll figure this out later. Right now, we need to survive.”

Richmond let out a dry laugh. “Easier said than done.”

Outside, the creatures prowled, their guttural growls reverberating through the night. They weren’t safe yet.

And Ahcehera, Richard’s heart clenched at the thought of her, lost in an unknown world, facing an unknown fate.

“Hang on,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “We’ll make it through this.”

But even as he spoke, the shadows outside thickened, and a new, even more terrifying presence made itself known.

A cold wind howled through the cracks of the ruined stronghold, carrying the scent of decay and blood.

Richard pressed his back against the wall, his heart pounding as he listened to the guttural growls outside.

The creatures were still searching for them, their silhouettes shifting in the dim moonlight filtering through the broken ceiling.

Richmond coughed, blood speckling his lips. His breathing had grown shallow, and Richard knew they were running out of time.

He tore another strip from his cloak, pressing it against the wound on Richmond’s side, but the bleeding wouldn’t stop.

“Damn it,” Richard muttered. He clenched his jaw, feeling the heat of frustration and helplessness burn through him. “You need to hold on.”

Richmond gave a weak chuckle. “You’re starting to sound like a broken record.”

Richard shot him a glare. “Shut up and focus on staying alive.”

Outside, the creatures prowled, their hunger growing with each passing moment. The stronghold wouldn’t hold forever.

Richard knew they had to move, but Richmond’s condition made it nearly impossible.

Then, suddenly, the air shifted. A deep, unnatural silence settled over the ruins. The creatures outside halted, their growls turning into uneasy whimpers.

Richard tensed, his instincts screaming at him. Something worse was coming.

Richmond’s fingers twitched, his body shuddering. His eyes flickered with an eerie glow. “Richard…” his voice was barely a whisper, filled with something unsettling.

And then, from the darkness, a shadow loomed, a force unlike anything Richard had ever encountered.