Plot Manipulation (1)

*Chatter... Chatter...*

*Hahahaha!*

The atmosphere around the campfire was as lively as ever. The demigods talked to each other about their days while devouring their unusually tasty meals. It was an ordinary night in the camp. Nothing seemed to be off.

But I knew this wasn't the case at all and that a wicked plan was being carried out behind everyone's back. I was sitting on my usual seat, at the far back. As I carefully observed the site, I was waiting for the traitors to make a move.

Tonight was when one of the traitors would sneak away into the forest to execute the first step of their betrayal.

Many people minded their own business while some eyes landed on the main cast, which exuded a charming aura that drew people's attention. However, what nobody noticed amidst the rather peaceful mood was two demigods whispering to each other at the back seats opposite to me.

The one who seemed to have a dominant position in the hierarchy was a guy with short blonde hair. He had a typical demigod physique with a lean body. However, contrasting his standard appearance were his bright turquoise eyes that gave away the feeling of anomaly.

Although he was handsome, he couldn't compete with the likes of the main cast. On his face was a crazy smile while he whispered to the other demigod's ear.

'Victor Darkwood...'

He was the leader traitor and the first official villain. As I examined his every movement with keen eyes, I finally caught a glimpse of Victor secretly handing a gray, opaque sphere to the other demigod. As soon as the other demigod got the ball, he left after looking around to make sure no one was aware of his parting. Victor blended into the crowd and began having a conversation as if nothing had happened, with a mask that only showcased his sympathetic smiles and waves of laughter.

Without wasting any more time, I got up and left the area too. I didn't want to lose that demigod's traces. He was a crucial part of my plan. I didn't have to make much effort to leave without anyone noticing, as no one even minded my presence in the first place.

Thus, I ran through the rock paths, which were dimly lit by sporadic lambs. When I recognized a figure in the distance, carefully navigating his way toward the forest, I hid behind the darkness of the night.

Soon, we entered the forest. I climbed up onto a tree and continued my chase from above as the demigod made his way through the thick trees. When we came to a rather open area, the demigod halted in his steps. I too stopped and patiently concealed myself behind the tree's body, overlooking the area.

After making sure he was not followed, which he was gravely mistaken for, he crouched and began excavating with his hands, opening a small hole. Then he pulled out the grey sphere Victor gave him from his pocket. The sphere was the size of a hand.

He channeled a little of his divine energy into the sphere, making a slight flicker of blue light come out of the sphere. The sphere vibrated for a while until it ceased abruptly. He put the sphere into the pit he had dug. But just as he extended his hand...

*Crack*

An almost inaudible sound of the crackling of a branch lingered in the air. Although the rustling of the leaves and the buzzing of the fierce wind suppressed the sound, it still managed to make it to the demigod's ears.

As the demigod scanned the vicinity to comprehend what that sound was, I hid behind the body of the tree.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

He waited for a response for a while, with uneasiness bottling up inside him. Shortly after, he wasn't able to detect anything in the dark and gave up, thinking it was just a branch snapping due to the wind.

'That was close...'

Upon confirming there was no one, which he was gravely mistaken for once again, he proceeded with the plantation of the sphere. He put the sphere in it and buried it. Thick roots began growing out of the sphere, spreading across the surface. The roots covered everywhere within a meter radius of the sphere.

The roots emitted an ominous vibe that threatened every living being that came close to them. The demigod, also sensing this, quickly backed away to avoid the roots. The roots pulsated violently as if wanting to suck up everything they came into contact with.

Suddenly, the divine energy in the area started to get absorbed by the roots. The roots transported the divine energy to the sphere.

Seeing this, the demigod smirked with a twisted expression. He looked like he had lost his mind, which wasn't too far off.

"I can't wait to see the downfall of this camp with my own two eyes."

The demigod then left without looking back. He quickly got out of the forest, leaving no traces that indicated he was even there. At least that was what he thought. However, he would have been right if not for me.

In the following days, the divine energy inside the camp will decrease substantially because this sphere will be rapidly sucking the divine energy dry. Victor had gotten his hands on this sphere thanks to the Titans' lackeys. One of the lackeys gave him this sphere for him to use to destroy the camp from within.

As the divine energy supply of the camp diminished gradually, not only the demigods would lose some of their strength, but the barrier would be severely weakened. The barrier was constructed using the supply of divine energy inside the camp, so this sphere was technically eating away the barrier, which would leave the camp defenseless against hoards of monsters.

Though, for the situation to become dire, there was still some time. Now that I had the necessary information about the location of the sphere, I could use him to my liking.

After watching the roots slowly expand, I left the forest too. I made sure no one noticed me coming out of the forest so that I wouldn't be blamed after the sphere was discovered in a few days. I was already a child of Hades, making me a potential suspect for whatever bad would happen to the camp.

I got to my cabin and threw myself onto a couch. The first step of my plan was accomplished without any problems. Now all I needed was to wait for a while.

***

As I walked around to investigate the situation of the camp, I realized that the other demigods had begun sensing there was something wrong with the divine energy within the camp. The main cast was also feeling the effects of divine energy deprivation. I heard them talking about how the divine energy in the air had been becoming less dense.

The destruction caused by the demigods around the training ground wasn't recovering as fast as it used to. Everyone was feeling unreasonably lethargic.

'The time has come...'

Suddenly, a sound similar to the shattering of glass could be heard in the distance. The sound reverberated throughout the camp, alerting everyone. As everybody tried to understand what had just happened, a mechanic bull barged into the camp, leaving the demigods in shock.

"What is happening?!"

"How did this bull pass the barrier?!"

The demigods were caught off guard, as they were sure no monster could ever force its way through the barrier. The bull rushed at some demigods with its sharp horns made out of steel. The demigods tried to flee in panic, which only gave the bull the opportunity to toss them in the back.

The reason this was happening was because the divine energy was running short to fully charge the barrier. So a strong monster such as this mechanic bull was able to penetrate through the barrier, catching the demigods by surprise.

The bull smashed the buildings into rubble and attacked every living being on its way. The once peaceful camp was now swept into chaos. Soon, the demigods with weapons and armor came to help. One by one, everyone gathered to fend off this mechanical beast. The last ones to arrive were the main cast.

With Adriel and Eleanor at the front, charging at the bull, the demigods bombarded the bull. Not all of them, though, as some of them were reluctant to put their lives on the line. However, even if everyone attacked the bull simultaneously, it was still very hard to deal with. Its external shell was made out of thick and sturdy metal, which rendered many of the attacks useless.

Everyone's focus was on the bull. Just like I wanted it to be. I sneaked out of the battlefield and made my way toward the cabin area. No one was around the cabin area since they had all gone to the battlefield.

I was all alone. No one was there to see me as I approached a specific cabin.