Transmigrating to the World of Thaumaturgy was the Start of Everything Chapter 15: A Survivor, A Sudden Change

As he stepped fully into view, Elias made sure to keep his hands visible and his posture non-threatening. He had witnessed the full extent of her power during the battle, and he harbored no illusions about his chances should she decide he was an enemy. He was currently incapable of taking her on.

Regardless of his previous status as a supre Quantum Seeker, he was now a vulnerable mortal who could barely keep his footing. The key now was to present himself as a victim rather than a threat, to redirect her suspicions away from him.

The destroyed landscape around them betrayed the fierce battle that had just concluded. Smoke still rose from scorched earth, and the acrid sll of burnt dark energy lingered in the air.

General Genevieve studied Elias in silence, her instincts on high alert. She could sense no power from him. He had no aura, no trace of thaumaturgy. He was just an ordinary human. Despite this assessnt, she had seen the way Drakas had reacted to his presence, the terror in his eyes. No matter how much she thought about it, the young man before her was anything but simple.

Was he an assassin sent by the kingdom, like she thought before? An agent of so hidden force? Or sothing else entirely?

General Genevieve’s cold gaze fixed upon him, suspicion evident in her eyes. Her grip on her fla sword tightened imperceptibly.

"You’re the one who disrupted Drakas’s ritual."

She stated this, her tone making it clear that this wasn’t a question.

Sensing her hostile tone, Elias bowed his head slightly, adopting a posture of humility.

"General Genevieve, I an you no harm. I was only trying to survive. I’m just a captive of Drakas... he kept as a slave, forced to work in his mines. Just now, I was attracted by the chaos and ended up here."

General Genevieve’s eyes narrowed.

"So what? Are you telling you had nothing to do with the sabotage of Drakas’s ritual? That you’re just a harmless captive?"

Elias hesitated, choosing his words with care.

"I never said that. I did what I had to do to survive. When I triggered the chanism that led to Drakas’s hidden chamber underground, I found the ritual site by accident. Although I didn’t know what the ritual diagram was for, I had to disrupt it. I feared what might happen if Drakas activated the ritual during your battle and it proved disadvantageous to you. As you can see from the results, I have no allegiance to him or anyone else."

"Then, why was Drakas terrified of you when you showed up?"

She asked, intending to uncover his identity. No matter how Elias explained himself, she couldn’t believe it at face value. From her perspective, a re captive couldn’t possibly elicit such a visceral reaction from Drakas.

Gauging her deanor, Elias realized that he needed to clarify things or the woman before him would act if she received an unsatisfactory response.

Pondering for a mont, Elias answered:

"Even I was surprised by his reaction when he saw . Before you arrived, Drakas had knocked unconscious with a club, and I’m assuming he presud I was dead. Maybe he was shocked to see alive?"

For a mont, the two regarded each other in silence, the tension between them palpable. General Genevieve weighed Elias’s words, searching his face for any sign of deception. She saw only exhaustion and a fierce determination to live.

At last, she lowered her sword, though she did not sheath it.

"Very well. But know this, if you are lying, if you are in league with Drakas or any other enemies of humanity, if I find out, I will not hesitate to end you."

Elias nodded, relief flooding through him.

"Understood, General."

General Genevieve turned away, surveying the battlefield one last ti.

Then the Blazing Phoenix descended from above, its magnificent plumage still glowing with residual combat energy. As the creature landed near its master, Elias felt a strange pull in his chest, a sensation both foreign and achingly familiar.

Elias scowled in discomfort, searching for the source of the sensation. The Blazing Phoenix’s intelligent eyes fixed on him, and suddenly, recognition flashed through them, followed imdiately by sothing that could only be described as betrayal and rage.

The creature let out a piercing shriek that made both humans wince, turning their attention toward it. Its wings flared wide, flas dancing along its feathers as it took an aggressive stance toward Elias.

"What’s wrong?"

General Genevieve asked, perplexed by her mount’s sudden hostility toward soone who appeared to be nothing more than a weakened survivor. Had Elias been a Thaumaturgist, she would have understood the reason for the hostility, but that was not the case.

anwhile, Elias’s eyes widened as mories not his own flooded through his mind, making their way to the surface. The mories were of a small phoenix chick being raised in the Blaze household, of desperate tis when the original Elias had no choice but to sell his beloved companion to survive.

This magnificent creature before him was that sa phoenix, now grown powerful under General Genevieve’s care.

"So you’re Fyn..."

Elias whispered, the na falling from his lips unbidden.

The phoenix’s eyes blazed brighter, and it took a threatening step forward, its beak opening to reveal the furnace-like heat within.

General Genevieve’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Elias when she heard his words.

"How do you know my mount’s na?"

Her sword rose slightly, ready to strike if needed.

Her suspicions were confird. This man was too suspicious. He even knew Fyn’s na. She had only obtained her three years ago, and not many people knew about her, let alone her na.

Yet he knew her na, which only she and the rchant who sold her to should know. Only spies and assassins could have covertly learned about my contracted beast’s na through their channels.

Before Elias could formulate a response, they heard a coughing sound echoing through the air, breaking the tension and drawing their attention.

"Co out!"

General Genevieve commanded sharply, her gaze snapping to a pile of debris near what had once been a residential building not far from them.

As the three looked in anticipation, a small figure slowly erged from behind a wall. It was a girl of perhaps fourteen or fifteen years, covered in dirt and gri, her clothes torn and her face bearing the hollow look of soone who had endured far too much. Despite her disheveled appearance, she had sohow survived the outco of a devastating battle relatively unscathed.

Elias’s breath caught as recognition struck him. This was Selina, Drakas’s maid. This was the sa girl who had secretly brought the original Elias leftover food when he was on the verge of starvation. She was also the one who had tended to his wounds after Drakas’s beatings.

—She was one of the few reasons the original Elias had survived as long as he had.

General Genevieve’s expression softened slightly upon seeing the young girl. Even a hardened warrior could recognize the signs of prolonged suffering in one so young. She gestured for Selina to approach.

"It’s safe now, child. That monster can’t hurt you anymore."

Selina moved forward hesitantly, her eyes darting between General Genevieve’s imposing figure and Elias’s familiar yet changed deanor. When her gaze t his, a flicker of recognition passed through her eyes, followed by confusion. This man looked like the young lord she had tried to help, but sothing was fundantally different about him. When she neared Elias’s position, Selina looked at him.

"You also survived, Young Master."

She whispered, her voice hoarse.

Before Elias could respond, a sudden rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet. Cracks began spreading across the earth, and an ominous groaning sound emanated from deep within the Dark Ruin.

"BOOM—!!!"