Chapter 61

"WHAT THE HELL!!"

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

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

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

"W-We need to run!!" Aether exclaimed, 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 Stella...

'Thud'

She collapsed to the ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought to regain her strength.

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

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

"What are you doing? Pull yourself together!!" Aether urged, attempting to lift her to her feet. But Stella'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 between laboured breaths. "I've reached my... limit." Her voice trailed off as darkness threatened to engulf her, and she succumbed 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 Stella's voice as she urged Aether to depart.

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

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, Stella 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 uncommon and typically only wielded by the highest order of healers within the temple.

Anyhow,

During her healing of Aether, Stella 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 Stella'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—" Stella 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 Stella'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.

Stella's eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't comprehend 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!!" Stella'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 Stella with his own body, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Caught you," the red-haired woman from Blake's team breathed heavily, her body adorned with blood and wounds, signalling to her comrades 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.

Stella, 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, "Blake ordered you to be the bait, and in exchange, we'll let this girl without harming her"

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

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

"A-Aether, what are you saying?" Stella'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, Blake 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 glance at Stella, who was visibly horrified by the turn of events.

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

"Stella," 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..." Stella's eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed at Aether, who still managed a comforting 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, Stella," 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 Blake with determination.

With Blake leading the way, Aether followed, and the red-haired woman cast a glance at the crying Stella before joining them.

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

Leaving her behind, Aether sighed inwardly 'Fuuu, So much for emotional dramas'. As he glanced 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!" Blake commanded before seizing Aether by the neck and hurling him toward the monster.