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Eliara's POV:
Eliara ran with every last bit of energy she had left.
The mana in her body was nearly depleted… and recovery was painfully slow, almost hopeless—but she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
Arthur was somewhere ahead… and he might be facing death alone.
As she ran, strange thoughts crept into her mind:
"How did he get here? How did he know my location? Did… did he know everything and came to help me? And why…?"
But she didn't finish the question to herself.
A loud crash echoed in front of her, snapping her focus back instantly.
When she arrived, she saw the scene clearly:
Arthur was throwing his dagger at the one-star Black Lion's feet, but the beast dodged swiftly.
Eliara was about to cast a spell to aid him, but before she could speak… Arthur vanished for a moment, as if his body had slipped through the air.
In the blink of an eye—
He was above the beast, plunging his dagger directly into its eye.
The roar of pain from the lion shook the ground.
Eliara froze in shock.
Just minutes ago… Arthur had barely held his own against a Dark-White rank beast.
And now he was striking a Black-rank beast straight in the eye?
She couldn't comprehend how the situation had changed so quickly.
But the lion didn't remain in pain for long.
It recovered, broke the magical restraints around it, and unleashed its full strength.
Then it prepared to leap directly onto Arthur, this time to kill him without hesitation.
"Arthur, wa—!"
Her voice vanished with the violent tremor that shook the area.
She lifted her head.
The barrier… was crumbling.
Layer after layer cracking like thin glass.
Then came the second wave—stronger, clearer—blue flames igniting every fissure in the barrier.
Eliara turned to Arthur with joy:
"They're here…! My parents—!"
But his expression was… cold.
As if he felt nothing.
His gaze didn't change even at the moment Duke Alistar and Duchess Evelyn arrived…
But she didn't know that behind that calm facade, both Arthur and the System were leaping with joy.
Yet the joy was short-lived.
Suddenly, a voice came from the cave to her right, only seven meters away.
Deep… cold… terrifying, making her bones shiver:
[Bring her… quickly, before they arrive.]
The lion heard the command immediately.
It leaped at Eliara, swinging its paw with tremendous force to throw her into the cave.
But she was unable to move due to the pressure of the voice and her exhausted mana… she couldn't dodge the attack.
At the last moment—
Arthur jumped.
He pushed Eliara away with all his strength, taking the massive strike in her place.
Almost all his bones shattered.
His organs tore inside.
But his cold eyes looked at the lion with a small victorious gleam…
Because he knew:
Once he entered the cave, the System would automatically transport him to a safe location.
Eliara screamed in heartbreak:
"ARTHUR!!"
Their eyes met for only a moment.
And with a gentle glimmer—perhaps the last—he whispered:
"Live happily…"
The instant his body entered the cave, a black storm of smoke erupted around him…
and he vanished completely.
No trace.
No sound.
Not even a speck of mana to indicate his location.
Eliara collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Tears streamed down, but she couldn't scream…
Only painful sobs, mingled with her overwhelming exhaustion.
The duke and duchess arrived almost simultaneously.
The duchess didn't hesitate—
She bound the lion with her magic and e
xecuted it in a way that only pain could describe.
As for the duke…
He held his daughter in his arms, his eyes trembling with fear for her:
"You're alright… it's all over…"
But Eliara didn't respond.
She couldn't.
She had surrendered to exhaustion…
and lost consciousness in his arms.
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