"WHAT THE HELL!!"


    ke''s voice echoed with shock and disbelief as he witnessed his team members and several unfamiliar figures rushing towards him. But it wasn''t their sudden appearance that shook him to the core.... it was what lurked behind them.


    A towering Orc Monster, standing at least 12 feet tall, lumbered behind them, its thick, red skin rippling with muscles beneath. In its massive hands, it wielded a humongous tree branch-like weapon, its gnarled surface hinting at the creature''s immense strength. But what truly caught the eye was the sliver-coloured crystal embedded in the centre of its chest.


    This crystal, almost the size of a palm, emanated a mesmerizing glow, casting a radiant light that illuminated the surroundings. Within its depths, two bright stars seemed to twinkle, lending an otherworldly aura to the fearsome creature. As it advanced with purposeful strides, the Orc Monster exuded an air of power and menace, its presence instilling fear in all who beheld it.


    "This bastard..." ke muttered in fear, recognizing the same monster that had nearly wiped out his party the night before. The sight of it sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn''t help but tremble in fear.


    "B-ke!! Help us!!" One of his members cried out for assistance, snapping ke out of his daze.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, ke rushed forward to aid hisrades, determined to confront the monstrous threat head-on.


    Meanwhile, Aether and Ste, their faces etched with fear, finally broke out of their stunned state.


    "W-We need to run!!" Aether eximed, his half-healed hand clutching at his side as he struggled to stand. Determination flickered in his eyes as he made the decision to flee while they still had the chance.


    But Ste...


    ''Thud''


    She copsed to the ground, her breathing in ragged gasps as she fought to regain her strength.


    "S-Ste?" Aether frowned in concern, reaching out to help her up.


    "I-I am fine," Ste muttered, though her voice was strained, and blood trickled from her lips. She attempted to stand, but her legs trembled uncontrobly, refusing to obey hermands.


    "What are you doing? Pull yourself together!!" Aether urged, attempting to lift her to her feet. But Ste''s breaths came in shallow gasps, her eyes growing hazy as she struggled to remain conscious.


    "A-Aether... -ha- Leave... -ha- Go..." she managed to gasp out betweenboured breaths. "I''ve reached my... limit." Her voice trailed off as darkness threatened to engulf her, and she sumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion that gripped her body.


    "What do you mean?" Aether''s frown deepened, his confusion evident.


    "D-Don''t worry... I just increased your speed as much as possible. Please, leave now!" Desperation tinged Ste''s voice as she urged Aether to depart.


    Ste, in her healing, understood that only one of them needed to be able to escape when they were caught by ke.


    And when she saw how much Aether wanted to live, despite the challenges of his own messed-up life, she recognized his determination to keep moving forward.


    Unlike herself, who had given up when her friends abandoned her, Ste came to the conclusion that Aether was the one who had saved her. Therefore, she didn''t mind sacrificing her own life to save his.


    She was truly naive!!!


    In this world, healers possessed the ability not only to heal wounds and regenerate limbs but also to enhance the skills of others... temporarily or permanently. However, permanent enhancements could only be achieved by sacrificing one''s own skill point in exchange.


    Furthermore, there were rare cases where healers could even resurrect the dead. However, this ability was extremely umon and typically only wielded by the highest order of healers within the temple.


    Anyhow,


    During her healing of Aether, Ste not only absorbed his pain but also bestowed upon him a permanent boost to his skills by sacrificing her own. As a result, she was left in an unstable state and in need of time to recover. But the situation was dire, and she knew that Aether''s survival was paramount.


    Seeing Ste''s stubborn determination, Aether clicked his tongue in frustration. Carefully, he lifted her with his other hand and began to run, ignoring her protests.


    "A-Aet—" Ste attempted to protest, but her words were cut short.


    "Shut up, you stupid girl!" Aether''s shout drowned out her voice as he pressed forward, determined to ensure their escape, regardless of Ste''s selfless sacrifice.


    "You really messed something up!!" Aether''s annoyance was palpable, etched on his face as he spoke, "No matter what you did, we''re either escaping together or you''re getting out on your own!!" His stubborn resolve rang clear in his voice.


    Ste''s eyes welled up with tears. She couldn''tprehend why Aether was so determined to save her, but despite her confusion, she felt a flutter of warmth in her chest, "T-Thank you," she murmured softly.


    ''Snort'' Aether scoffed at her response, but a gentle smile softened his features.


    Suddenly, a piercing cry shattered the moment.


    "AETHER!!" Ste''s panicked shout filled the air as she spotted an arrow hurtling towards them.


    ''Chuck''


    Once again, Aether was knocked to the ground, but this time, he shielded Ste with his own body, holding her tightly in his arms.


    "Caught you," the red-haired woman from ke''s team breathed heavily, her body adorned with blood and wounds, signalling to herrades triumphantly, "I caught him!"


    In her hands, a stunning bow dissipated into particles, morphing into a copper-coloured Arcane card boasting three stars, two of which gleamed brightly. This indicated her maximum level at 45, though her current level hovered around 30.


    Ste, with a heavy heart, extracted the arrow from Aether''s back and attempted to heal him. Yet, to her dismay, her energy had already dissipated, leaving her powerless as she watched him endure the agony.


    The red-haired woman wore an amused smirk as she addressed them, "ke ordered you to be the bait, and in exchange, we''ll let this girl without harming her"


    Before Ste could voice her objections, Aether, his eyes filled with pain, intervened with a question, "Is that true?" Resignation tinged his words as he reluctantly epted their fate.


    Observing Aether''s willingness to sacrifice himself, the red-haired woman couldn''t help but smile, her thoughts aligning with ke''s suspicions about Aether and Ste being a couple.


    "A-Aether, what are you saying?" Ste''s shocked expression betrayed her confusion, but Aether disregarded her and addressed the red-haired woman with a furrowed brow, "Let her go first, then I''ll be your bait."


    "Hmm..." The red-haired woman pondered whether Aether would uphold his offer, but before she could respond, ke emerged with the same blood and wounds in his body as if they were facing a dangerous monster and said,


    "You can leave!"


    "Hmm..." Aether nodded in acknowledgement, casting a serious nce at Ste, who was visibly horrified by the turn of events.


    "N-No, I-I can''t..." Ste shook her head, ovee with fear and despair.


    "Ste," Aether''s grip on her shoulder tightened as he spoke earnestly, "Go on... Live for me." With a solemn expression, he rose to his feet.


    "W-Wait..." Ste''s eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed at Aether, who still managed aforting smile.


    It was evident that their weakness made them pawns in the hands of others, much like how her friends had abandoned her.


    "You are not a useless healer, Ste," Aether''s words were firm and reassuring. "You are the strongest woman I have ever known. Be proud of who you are and be the healer you aspire to be." he encouraged, his gaze unwavering as he turned to face ke with determination.


    With ke leading the way, Aether followed, and the red-haired woman cast a nce at the crying Ste before joining them.


    "Why?!" Ste''s anguished cry echoed as tears streamed down her face.


    Leaving her behind, Aether sighed inwardly ''Fuuu, So much for emotional dramas''. As he nced at the mission indicator, he noted it had stopped blinking and returned to normal text.


    ''It seems separating from her is the best way to protect her...?'' he pondered.


    ''BOOM!!''


    The ground shook as the huge orc monster unleashed its devastating attack on the defenders.


    "Now!! Draw its attention!" kemanded before seizing Aether by the neck and hurling him toward the monster.