The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Finally Rescued Zenick! (1)

The question settled over the chamber, and for a moment, none of the Sentinels dared to answer.

They had recognized Nykos. That alone was enough to make the situation far worse than it had been a few seconds ago. But the way he was looking at them made the four Sentinels understand something else.

He wasn’t here to negotiate.

The Sentinel whose wrist had been caught by the shadow tried to pull back. The black tendril tightened immediately, and another sharp crack echoed through the chamber. His face twisted in pain as he stumbled backward.

Nykos finally moved.

His steps were unhurried as he crossed the wet floor, his silver hair falling over one shoulder while the shadows followed behind him. The pressure coming from his body continued spreading through the room, forcing the remaining Sentinels to tense their muscles just to remain standing.

Aisha watched him approach, then glanced toward the tank.

"Zenick," she said, her voice rough from exhaustion.

Nykos’ eyes shifted toward the tank. He knew what she wanted and nodded.

"Take care of the others," he instructed his men.

Vince and Elias moved immediately. The remaining Sentinels tried to resist, but the difference between them and the people surrounding Nykos was too great now. Shadows spread beneath their feet, catching their legs and dragging them down before they could reach their weapons. One Sentinel attempted to force his psychic energy outward, but Nykos only looked at him, and the man’s body froze in fear before he was thrown across the chamber.

Aisha didn’t continue to watch them. She hurried toward Zenick’s tank, though every step sent another wave of pain through her ribs. Her legs felt weak, and her breathing had become shallow. She knew she had pushed herself far beyond what her body could handle.

But when she reached the tank, none of that mattered anymore.

The black liquid inside churned violently. Zenick was still within the tank; his body floated near the center, completely motionless.

"Zenick..." she called out to him, but he did not receive a response.

She called out his name again, but he didn’t move.

Seeing this, Aisha’s face went pale. Her eyes showed hesitation and pain. Was it too late, after all?

Aisha placed her hand against the glass.

The instant her palm touched it, the liquid suddenly reacted.

The blackness rushed toward her hand.

Aisha’s expression changed.

Nykos stopped behind her, his gaze narrowing as he watched the miasma’s reaction.

"Don’t touch the liquid directly," he warned.

"I know."

Aisha looked at Zenick through the glass. Dark lines covered almost every part of his body now. Some had spread across his face, reaching the corners of his closed eyes. Others disappeared beneath his neck and continued toward his chest. His entire body was covered in miasma.

He looked nothing like the brother she had known.

For a second, Aisha couldn’t move. She had spent so long looking for him that actually finding him should have brought relief. Instead, the sight of him trapped inside that tank made something cold settle in her chest.

Aisha swallowed and forced herself to focus. "How do we get him out?"

Nykos glanced toward the control panel. "Break the tank."

Aisha immediately shook her head. "No. If the liquid spills, it’ll spread through the chamber."

"I know."

"Then—"

"We don’t have a choice."

Nykos raised one hand.

The shadows surged forward.

They wrapped around the tank from every direction, forming a thick layer between the glass and the rest of the chamber. Black lightning flickered through them as the pressure continued building.

"Move back."

Aisha did.

The next instant, the tank shattered.

Glass exploded outward, but none of the fragments reached her. The shadows caught every piece before they could fall, while the black liquid remained suspended inside the barrier Nykos had created.

Zenick’s body dropped.

Aisha rushed forward.

She caught him before his head struck the ground.

The moment her hands touched his skin, her entire body went rigid.

Then came the pain. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

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