"Should I just kill this goddamn potato sack myself?" Elara muttered, dropping the black military boot she'd been holding, attached to a leg, belonging to a massive, muscled man. It hit the ground with a loud thud.

Sighing, she bent down and plucked a white flower from the ground, twirling it in her fingers. As she began picking its petals, she muttered under her breath. "Leave him to die... save his sorry ass... let him walk into the light... extend his worthless life... leave him as monster bait..."

When she reached the last petal, her scowl deepened. "Goddamnit." She flung the flower across the field in frustration.

Her eyes dropped to the unconscious man sprawled before her. Crouching down, she rested her chin on her hand and studied his face. "How is it," she muttered, "that even after being clawed to hell by monsters and dragged across the ground for half a mile, his face is still good-looking?"

Her expression twisted in disgust as she fought the irrational urge to slap him. Eryx Arcanis. The poster child of the Crystal Guild. One of the few S-Class Raiders in existence. If he died here, it'd probably cause a national crisis.

Elara groaned, running a hand through her hair. If we weren't trapped in this hellhole of a domain, I could've just anonymously called it in.

Instead, she reluctantly slid the patch covering her right eye off, her lips pressed into a thin line. Grumbling under her breath, she placed her hands on either side of his face and leaned down until their faces were just inches apart.

Okay, foolproof plan: heal him just enough so he won't die, then ditch him before he wakes up. He'll never know I was the one who saved him, and nobody will find out that I'm an S-Class Healer. Perfect.

Taking a deep breath, Elara pressed her forehead lightly against his. As her healing powers activated, she assessed his injuries—and winced. Oops, he's way worse off than I thought. If I'd waited, he actually might've died.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally stabilized his condition, barely bringing him back from the brink. Elara let out a relieved breath, opening her eyes—

Only to meet a pair of deeply rich, purple eyes staring back at her.

Shit.