No One Left Behind
With Park Taemin dashing off to rescue Yoon Ji-young, Ha Jeong-woo issued orders to the rest of the group.
"We keep moving. We can't afford to waste any more time."
Seo Ji-hoon immediately pushed back against his command.
"What about those two? There are people right there..."
"We have no choice. If we go back to save them now, we all might die."
"Even so, how can we just—"
"This is the best option right now. It's already over for them."
"Are you kidding me? If it were the team leader in that situation, could you say the same?"
"Fine. Then I'll go alone."
"Ji-hoon..."
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Seo Ji-hoon spun toward the direction Taemin had gone. But he quickly realized how reckless his words had been. The monsters swarmed so densely that he couldn't even see a foot ahead. Breaking through alone was impossible.
"Damn it."
A sense of helplessness washed over him, and a curse slipped from his lips. That's when a saving hand reached out from behind.
"I'll go with you. I can't just leave Ji-young and Taemin like this."
The voice belonged to Kim Hana. As the only other sorceress besides Yoon Ji-young, she had known her even before arriving here. Even setting that aside, her heart wouldn't allow her to abandon them without confirming if they were alive or dead.
At Kim Hana's words, a few knights exchanged glances and joined in.
"We'll go too."
Ha Jeong-woo, who had been fending off monsters ahead, urgently shouted at their exchange.
"Are you insane? If you go now, you'll all die. You think I don't want to save them? But we have to stay alive too. Please, face reality."
Ha Jeong-woo felt frustrated watching them act so recklessly. Of course he wanted to go save them—who wouldn't? As humans, helping comrades in danger was natural. But in his judgment, Yoon Ji-young and Park Taemin were already goners. No matter how impressive Taemin's abilities were, the odds of surviving amid that horde were near zero.
Betting the lives of the survivors on such slim chances wasn't wise leadership.
Despite Ha Jeong-woo's pleas, their resolve remained firm. And then came the decisive blow—the healers joined in.
"We'll go too. We can't just leave like this."
In a situation where even all of them together might not escape, the healers' addition put the rest in a tough spot. Fighting without buffs and heals was nearly impossible, and without them, pushing forward was out of the question.
A few hunters and Ha Jeong-woo tried to persuade them, but they seemed set in their decision. Finally, Ha Jeong-woo threw up his hands.
"Hah. Fine. Let's go then. Let's see how this plays out. Man, this is not good..."
While they made that choice, Taemin was exerting every ounce of strength to reach Yoon Ji-young. He poured all his power into slaying monsters, but their sheer numbers made progress agonizingly slow. With every passing second, his anxiety mounted.
He had seen her deploy her shield just before crashing into the monster swarm, but how long it would hold was anyone's guess. Even if it fully blocked their attacks, the cooldown would leave her exposed the moment it dropped—and that would be disastrous.
No time. If I delay any longer, I can't guarantee her life.
Taemin redoubled his attacks. Fortunately, his new armor was proving its worth. Only a handful of monster types—like the Smilodon and the Akhan leader—could deal him serious damage. The rest's blows barely registered, so he ignored them as much as possible, pressing forward.
This should be about the spot...
Nearing where Yoon Ji-young had fallen, he carved through the monsters while scanning for traces of her. Glancing around, he spotted a cluster of monsters rushing toward a shadowed corner of the wall. The fact that they weren't aggroing on him despite his proximity meant something was there.
Taemin veered toward it immediately, clearing a path. As he slowly advanced, felling beasts, he caught sight of Yoon Ji-young's legs amid the throng. Unfortunately, no trace of her shield remained.
His heart racing, he intensified his onslaught. He took most attacks in stride, focusing everything forward. After several tense minutes, he finally reached her side.
Yoon Ji-young lay wedged in the wall's corner, her condition horrific. Her eyes had long lost focus, and both arms were shattered, bones piercing through her clothes. She looked every bit on the brink of death.
"Ji-young! Ji-young!"
Taemin shouted her name. No response came despite his repeated calls. He desperately wanted to check her vitals, but the relentless monsters gave him no respite. He kept calling her name while fighting, as it was all he could do.
At least the spot where she lay backed right against the wall, letting him fight with his back covered.
As the fierce battle dragged on without confirming her survival, all sorts of thoughts flooded Taemin's mind.
Why am I even doing this? The survival odds were zero anyway.
He questioned his own actions. Why had he charged in so recklessly? When Yoon Ji-young was in peril, he'd moved almost on instinct. It wasn't heroism. Gratitude for her past help, personal fondness, and pity all played a part, but the core reason was deeper.
Confidence in his skills—he knew he could extract himself even in the worst scenarios. That certainty had driven him. Without it, he might not have risked it. Life was singular, after all.
Regardless of why, confirming Yoon Ji-young's fate was paramount now. If she was gone, no need for this pointless war of attrition. With limited potions, dragging it out only disadvantaged him; running dry would forfeit his escape.
"Ji-young! Come on, wake up!"
Taemin kept shouting her name relentlessly. He'd try until it was time to bail.
Then, her body twitched. Focus returned to her dilated pupils.
Regaining consciousness, the first thing she saw was a man's back, locked in mortal combat with the monsters ahead. The short swords in his hands and familiar silhouette—she knew him all too well.
"Taemin... Agh!"
She tried to call his name, but excruciating pain surging through her body turned it into a scream. Not a single inch of her was unscathed. Broken arms were bad enough, but fractured ribs made even breathing agony. Conscious but little better than a vegetable.
Taemin whipped his head around at the faint groan behind him, locking eyes with her. Seeing her furrowed brow and clear gaze filled him with joy and relief.
Good. She's alive, at least for now. The issue is getting her out.
As he thought, he asked her.
"Ji-young, can you hear me? This might turn into a long fight. Any chance you can pull out a potion?"
Yoon Ji-young immediately tried to open her inventory. But with both arms useless, she couldn't move. She couldn't just lie there while her rescuer fought, though. Biting her lip, she strained to lift her arms.
"Agh!"
Dizzying pain from her shattered limbs brought tears. The inventory was just 50cm away—a simple reach for a healthy arm—but it felt eternally distant.
Glancing at her struggle, Taemin shook his head.
"Stop. No need to push yourself."
His words said one thing, but his tense expression betrayed his worry. At this rate, they wouldn't last an hour. He needed a plan, but none came.
Alone, I could manage... but how? Think, damn it.
As Taemin racked his brain, explosions echoed nearby, followed by faint shouts.
"Taemin! Ji-young!"
"Hyung!"
That voice? They haven't left?
Taemin sliced through monsters while pinpointing their location. Clearing the ones in front, he leaped into the air for a quick scan. Centered on his position, hunters were cutting through the swarm toward him. His face lit up.
Perfect. Reinforcements.
"Ji-young, people are coming. Just hold on a bit longer."
Taemin reassured her as he fought on. About thirty minutes later, the monsters ahead toppled one by one, revealing the hunters. Seo Ji-hoon reached him first.
"Hyung."
"You didn't go?"
"How could we leave you two?"
His words made Taemin's nose tingle with emotion.
"Oh, right—treat her quick..."
Before he could finish, the healers rushed to Yoon Ji-young. Seeing her mangled form, their eyes welled up. But only for a moment—they cast recovery spells, pouring everything into healing.
While the healers worked, the others protected them, battling incoming monsters. Taemin approached Ha Jeong-woo, who was holding the front.
"Sorry about this. My fault."
"No. Priority is escaping now. We've burned through potions on skills. Once Ji-young's stable, we bolt."
After some time, the healers reported to Ha Jeong-woo.
"We've done all we can. Injuries are too severe; she'll struggle like this. Someone needs to carry her."
Taemin stepped back.
"I'll do it."
He hoisted Yoon Ji-young onto his back, speaking softly.
"Shield if you can. I'll avoid hits, but just in case..."
Yoon Ji-young nodded and activated her shield. Watching, Ha Jeong-woo shouted to the group.
"Heading to the entrance! Mages with mana potions, hand them to healers. Hold off big spells, focus personal heals, and stay sharp as we extract! Look after those nearby!"
The mages passed potions to the healers. Once distributed, they slowly advanced toward the exit.