The boy's screams only fanned the brute's twisted excitement. His blows grew heavier—meaner—each strike delivered with deliberate cruelty.
He hated that look in the kid's eyes.
That same "righteous" glare… the same as those women.
Before long, Xien could barely breathe. More air left his lungs than entered. His awareness drifted in and out, as if he were slipping toward death.
Why… didn't I keep my mouth shut…?
Why did I end up here…?
Why won't the cheat power show up…? Why…?
At some point he couldn't even feel pain anymore.
Something inside him cracked.
I hate you…
You bastard… I won't let you go even as a ghost…
That was the last thing he managed to form—an exhausted curse—before darkness swallowed him whole.
The brute stared down at Xien's limp body and still wasn't satisfied. He meant to finish what he'd promised: kill the kid who dared to "cause trouble" like those Astraea women.
There were plenty of captives here. One or two more dead wouldn't matter. The captain wouldn't even scold him.
He raised his fist again—
—and froze.
A distant explosion thundered through the corridor.
"What the hell?"
Years of living like a rat in the shadows had sharpened his instincts to a blade. He bolted out of the cell and looked toward the source.
Not long after, several of his comrades came sprinting over.
"Move! Withdraw! It's the Astraea Familia—those women. This hideout's been found!"
The brute didn't hesitate. He turned and ran.
He talked big, but he understood better than anyone what would happen if he was too slow and ran into them.
He wasn't done enjoying life yet.
Inside the cell, Xien—left barely clinging to breath—began to change in a way no one could see.
Across his vision, lines of data flickered like a broken interface struggling to come online.
Detected: Host vital signs critically weak. Requesting forced deployment…
Denied. Insufficient key energy. Deployment impossible.
Initiating backup plan: minimal-energy protection of host's heart meridian…
Approved. Energy limited. Maximum sustain time: 48 hours.
A faint, unseen force appeared inside him, wrapping around his failing heart—holding it steady, preserving the last thread of life.
And then—luck, at last.
Minutes later, a green blur rushed down the corridor at terrifying speed.
The figure stopped short upon discovering there were still survivors in the cells. A wooden weapon flashed, and iron bars were cleaved as easily as rotted wood.
Ryuu Lion stepped into the ruined doorway, eyes sharp, movements precise. She reached the collapsed old man first, lifting him with careful strength, and began a chant—calm, controlled, like a prayer spoken to the forest itself.
"—Song of the distant woods, melody of life from days long past. To those who seek you… grant the mercy of healing."
"Noah Heal—activate."
Green magic gathered in her hand and flowed into the old man as a soft, rippling wave.
Two seconds later, the old man's eyelids fluttered open.
"Y-you're…?"
"Don't talk," Ryuu said immediately. "You're safe now. We're the Astraea Familia. We've come to rescue you."
Her healing ended. She lowered him gently to the ground and turned to move—
But the old man, trembling, refused to stay silent.
"The child… next door… please… save him. He… he tried to save me. He's dying…"
In that moment, more than anything, the old man wanted the kind boy to live.
Ryuu froze.
Then she moved—instantly.
She reached the adjacent cell and saw Xien sprawled there like a broken doll, barely breathing.
She knelt, checked him—then her expression tightened.
Multiple fractures. Internal bleeding. Organs damaged. His breath was a thin, fraying thread.
Her healing magic… wouldn't be enough.
Ryuu didn't hesitate.
She pulled a single bottle from her pack—the only one they had for this operation.
A Panacea.
She tipped it to Xien's lips and poured it in.
Seconds passed.
His breathing—weak as it was—began to strengthen.
Ryuu let out a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Then a clear, sharp voice spoke from behind her—pretty, but unfriendly.
"Hey, you damn elf. That was the only lifesaving medicine for this entire raid. You used it on some kid we don't even know without asking anyone—what's that supposed to mean?"
The tone was less about the medicine and more about picking a fight.
Ryuu turned, eyes steady.
Standing there was a striking woman dressed neatly, a katana at her side—an unmistakably Far Eastern swordswoman.
Kaguya.
Ryuu answered without flinching.
"Human life comes first. I believe even the captain would agree. And this boy ended up like this because he tried to save that old man—his character speaks for itself. So your accusation doesn't hold."
"Hmph. Nice words, filthy elf. If anything goes wrong on this mission…" Kaguya's eyes narrowed. "You'll be the first one I come after."
"Anytime," Ryuu shot back.
She knew Kaguya's personality all too well. The woman had chosen this team on purpose—just to needle her.
Ryuu rose and spoke briskly.
"We're leaving. You carry the old man. I'll carry him."
Kaguya scowled. "Hah? The old man? Why don't you carry him?"
Ryuu's gaze flicked to Xien. "Because you said you don't like this kid."
Kaguya's expression shifted—too fast, too blunt.
"I do now. Problem?"
"…Fine."
Ryuu didn't waste time arguing. She hoisted the old man onto her back. Kaguya took Xien. One each.
They left the hideout at speed, regrouping with the main force.
On Kaguya's back, Xien's condition continued to stabilize.
Across his fading consciousness, the system's interface flickered again.
External healing detected…
Terminating backup plan. Switching to guided energy repair of host body.
Approved. Conserving energy. Awaiting optimal timing for full deployment.
Half a day later, the Astraea Familia concluded the operation and returned to Orario with a large number of rescued captives.
The incident shook the city once again. The Astraea Familia's reputation climbed even higher, while Evilus' arrogance took another harsh blow—buying Orario a short stretch of relative calm.
After handing the rescued civilians over to the Guild for proper arrangements, the familia's captain finally stepped out with a bright smile.
Alise Lovell looked over her companions, about to say a few encouraging words—when her sharp eyes caught something strange.
"Kaguya," she asked, "what's with the kid on your back? Someone you know?"
Kaguya, still visibly irritated as she glanced at Ryuu, clicked her tongue.
She was still annoyed at herself—she'd lost to Ryuu in the moment, too busy trying to trip her up to think about what came after.
"This?" Kaguya hiked Xien higher with a jerk of her shoulder. "Ask our noble, high-minded elf. She used the only Panacea on this brat."
She tilted her head at Alise, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Which means the kid on my back is worth about half the income of this entire expedition. So tell me, Captain—do you think I should hand him over to the Guild?"
"…Eh?"
Alise blinked.
And it wasn't only her.
The rest of the familia members froze too—staring at the unconscious boy as if he'd suddenly become a walking pile of gold.
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