The fire roared, seeming alive as its flames greedily devoured Fenrir and everything around him. Despite the scorching heat threatening to melt the flesh, the giant creature paid no attention, focusing solely on me.

Looking into his razor eyes, suddenly my heart felt like it was tearing apart, and a loud ringing filled my ears. "Urgh, it hurts. Why?"

As Khyne carried me with his strong arm wrapped securely around my waist, I held onto him tightly like a lightweight pillow. In his other arm, he held Nobelle protectively. His quick steps carried us away from the chaos. The salamander beast spirit perched on his shoulder once more, exhaling another burst of fire that engulfed Fenrir again, making his silhouette vanish in the blaze. In that moment, the pain I had been feeling simply disappeared.

"Tsk, why the h*ck is that monster here?! It should be in Saviya Forest!" Khyne's anxious shout startled me.

'Saviya Forest? That's where all sorts of savage monsters live.'

"Hey, are you dead?" Khyne's voice carried unexpected concern as he suddenly stopped. He swung his leg for a kick but was abruptly halted. I couldn't see them as I was facing the opposite direction.

"Don't state the obvious," Elijah replied nonchalantly, though his distress was evident. I could hear his faint cough and the sounds of vomiting afterward.

If it weren't for him, Khyne and I might not be here now. It was Elijah who first detected the monster's attack and swiftly shielded us, sustaining a deep wound in the process. Even the ground bore a terrifying claw mark from the monster. It's a miracle that Elijah is still alive.

"I thought I'd need to sprout another arm just to carry your corpse," Khyne continued.


"That's unnecessary," Elijah replied, his voice feigning confidence, but the blood left on the ground told a different story. There was a high possibility that he might succumb to blood loss.


"Tsk, then hold onto that useless sword of yours. We're running out of time here."


As Khyne uttered those words, a suffocating tension settled in the air. The only sounds were the strained rustling of clothes and the muffled thuds, revealing the arduous effort it took Elijah to stand up.


Realizing the need for urgency, I swiftly reached into my bag. My fingers trembled as they located the bandages, my body seemingly in a state of shock. My voice wavered as I began, ''Khyne, Elijah—'' I was about to call out to them, hoping they'd put me down, but before I could finish, Miss Spirit appeared before me. Her lovely form softly brushed against my face, leaving a chilling kiss. It seemed as if her cold touch stole my voice, rendering me in stunned silence.


"[Human, I grant you permission.]" As soon as the chat box materialized, indecipherable, liquidized runes emerged as if being ghost-written in the air. They then settled onto the back of my hand, softly glowing before fading away.


"Miss Spirit, what was that?" I inquired.


She responded with a gentle smile, "[I promise to protect you, alright?]" Her face brushed my hand, as if seeking the comfort of my warmth.


This behavior raised suspicion. It felt as if she was leaving. "Miss Spirit." I tried to voice my concerns, but a strong grip around my waist interrupted me.


Elijah then stood beside Khyne, tapping his shoulder as he said, "Khyne, I'm entrusting the young master to you."


"Tsk, you better give it your all."

"Wait, what do you all mean?" I demanded, but before I could receive an answer, Khyne had already taken off in a hurry, leaving Elijah and Miss Spirit behind.

[Human, please take care.]

'No, this couldn't be....'

"W-wait, Khyne, wait! What about them?" My voice trembled with fear without me even realizing it. Elijah stood there, his grip unwavering on the broken sword, while Miss Spirit remained by his side. None of them even glanced back at me. Not once. They stood resolute, facing the incoming enemy from the fire.

A haunting memory from a dreadful night rushed over me, and my heart ached, praying for history not to repeat itself. I couldn't bear to watch them confront the monster alone, knowing they wouldn't survive.

"Stop, Khyne! We have to help them!"

The distance between us expanded rapidly, yet Khyne showed no sign of slowing down. I found myself unable to break free from his unyielding grip.

"Khyne... Please, Khyne..."

Though we had only known each other briefly, I couldn't bear the thought of them perishing before my eyes. The fear of that familiar, overwhelming helplessness haunted me. I didn't want to experience it again. To feel utterly powerless.

"Ma, please stop! He's a knight! It's his duty to protect you, even if it costs his life."

"But we can help him! Elijah isn't even in any condition to fight back."

"Tsk, are you even hearing yourself now, Ma? What about this kid? I've told you she's teetering on the brink of death. She could pass any minute!" Khyne glared at me as his voice rose, but after a second he sighed, "Besides, that naiad's child was with him."

I couldn't argue back. He was right. We were here to save Nobelle, but I couldn't bear the thought of others making sacrifices.

"Haah... Ma, that black Fenrir is an SSS-rank monster, feared by the kings of all races. A single swing of its tail could obliterate an entire mountain..."

"...Damn it, I hate to admit it, but Elijah and I, and everyone else, are powerless against its strength."


"Then why must we leave them behind? We could all run together!"


"That's to buy us time, Ma. Just a few meters outside this cave, to the west, I can hear rushing water..."


"A waterfall..."


"Exactly! If Elijah can buy us 5 minutes, no, even just 3 minutes, we'll be able to reach the Naiads' sanctuary," Khyne explained. He cast a determined look toward Nobelle, "Thanks to her connection as the Naiad's child's contractor, and you, with your granted permission. I, as the Keeper, can open the gate using water as the medium."


This surprised me. I used to think of Khyne as a hot-tempered and reckless guy who often dove headfirst into danger. But now, despite looking nervous and sweating, he remained calm and collected. He seemed vulnerable during his heat, yet he was strong and dependable in this critical moment.


Then what about me? Since coming here, it feels like all I've done is stand in the way. Once again, I'm nothing but a burden to those around me—to Zarani, to Elijah, and to Khyne. It seems like I only cause them harm.


What's the point of all that training if I can't help them?.... 'To get stronger? To protect Zan?' Hah, how laughable. I can't do a thing. I feel so useless!


"Finally..."


My focus abruptly shifted as a sudden ache in my chest set in again, just as a cold man's voice echoed in my ears.


I gasped, ''K-Khyne, can you hear it?''


His expression showed perplexity as he looked at me. "What do you mean?"


'He can't hear it?'


The surroundings had grown dim, a sign that we were nearing the mouth of the cave.


"Finally..."


The sound reached my ears again. I looked around, trying to locate the source, but there was no one around us.


"Ugh!" The pain in my heart returned, but this time, it felt as if thousands of needles were pricking it.


"Master, you're finally here!"


*Ba-dump! My heart thumped rapidly, as if it were palpitating. 'What's happening to me?'

Just then, the cave shook violently in response to the Fenrir's deafening howl, causing the ground to quake.

I covered my ears tightly, while Khyne shielded himself with his beast spirit, and Nobelle had a water-like slime covering her ears. It was so loud that I felt like my eardrums would be destroyed.

"Is that damn monster trying to bury us alive?" Khyne exclaimed, quickening his pace as he did his best to avoid the falling debris.

As the howl subsided, to my surprise, the pain I had felt strangely vanished. 'What was that? Was I so afraid that my body reacted to the Fenrir?'

The train of my thoughts stopped when Khyne came to a halt. I noticed, it was already quite bright, indicating that we were now outside.

"Shits! Damn that Fenrir!"

"What's going on?" I asked, puzzled. We were outside, but he was slowly stepping back.


"That howl made me unable to hear them, damnit!"

It was then that a series of incomprehensible noises reached my ears. "Monsters," I mumbled, urging Khyne to put me down. When I saw them, my body shivered. From the smallest goblins to massive orcs and a horde of dog-headed creatures called Kobolds, they all surrounded the entrance of the cave. It was as if the Fenrir's howl was a signal for an ambush. We had no choice but to fight back.

I gripped the two swords tightly after unsheathing them, determined that this time, no matter what happened, I had to protect them.

'However, the world doesn't want that.'

"MA!!!"

Khyne abruptly shoved me aside, causing me to fall to the ground. When I looked back to see why, a menacing black silhouette passed, horrifyingly devouring Khyne and Nobelle whole. Soon, terrifying droplets of blood tainted the monster's mouth.

It happened in an instant, with no sounds or warnings to alert us. All I saw was the swift movement of its throat, gulping my companions alive.

"No!!!"

Holding the swords, I madly lunged at the Fenrir with no care. All I wanted was to kill him, to save them... But my hopes shattered as the blade crumbled like fragile glass upon the monster's impenetrable body. It was as if I had been trying to pierce a solid stone, having no effect on the creature.

Despite this, I still wildly swung the broken blade, slashing at it with all my might, but the Fenrir remained unscathed.

"Why? Why, why, why... why?!!"


'Why can't I do a thing?'


My body froze when the Fenrir moved, and its gaze locked onto me. Its deep, uninterested eyes made me feel like a fly—a nobody, an existence so insignificant that it didn't even merit an attack. The Fenrir even snorted, looking down at me.


It was then that a sudden burst of air happened when the Fenrir leaped skyward, leaving only dust behind.


"No!!! Come back! Give them back to me! Give them back!"


I chased desperately after him with my small limbs, but the monster had already vanished in the blink of an eye. Afterwards, a group of monsters surrounded me. They had moved back a bit when the Fenrir appeared, but the moment the being they feared disappeared, their confidence returned, and they closed in, ready to hunt me.


Their loud voices, the chaos of their movements, the crazy laughter and excitement—all of it seemed like a scary war song, predicting that my death was coming.

"I can't die here, not yet..." Not when I hadn't killed that Fenrir.

Armed only with a broken sword, I slashed through the goblins in front of me, anger driving each strike. Soon, blood-spattered, mixing with my own.

My chest panged with a new kind of pain. It wasn't like before, not just from anger and helplessness; this time, it was from a rusted blade buried within it. I bit my lip, the feeling unbearable, but I refused to give in to death easily. Summoning every last bit of strength, I swung my sword at the one who had stabbed me. His head flew through the air, and at the same moment, both our bodies collapsed to the ground as I lost consciousness.