“……What is this situation now?”
Accion, who had regained consciousness, asked, looking up at Elijah.
"It's our end.
Get ready for this."
She replied with a bitter smile, then looked at Axion who was in her arms.
Her eyes fell on his form, which was soaked in blood.
To die with him, what an irony.
وذلك في عالم الوحوش.
“Axion, I'm sincerely sorry.”
I apologized to Axion.
She didn't want to make the excuse to him that this situation was an inevitable choice to save the majority.
Hadn't Axion himself stepped forward to fight the monsters desperately to save his comrades in the unit?
Even if she had made the best decision for the sake of unity, the feeling of human guilt had not gone away.
I pressed hard-
She hugged Axion's body with all her strength and curled in on herself.
So the monsters can attack her first instead of Axion.
She wanted to protect him, as her lonely companion, at least until the last moment before her death.
Her accelerated heartbeat was completely transmitted to Axion's body.
His blue eyes trembled.
Wow!
The hungry monsters that had come within sight of each other rushed towards them all at once, and Illya closed her eyes tightly.
flash!!!
At that moment, a dazzling multi-colored light emanated from her body, and the monsters retreated back.
In this unexpected situation, Elijah opened her eyes that were closed.
She couldn't open her eyes properly because of the dazzling light.
Light was coming from the pocket of her training uniform.
She quickly searched her pocket.
The Axion Dagger, which she had been constantly carrying since the second training, was radiating a dazzling multi-colored light.
Exactly, the light was emanating from the Sword God's tear embedded in the tip of the blade.
It was a much stronger light than when he recognized Keisha's Aura Training Stone and emitted light into the lake.
The monsters gradually started to flee upon seeing that light.
'Is this also the effect of an artifact?'
Ilya looked at the dagger light in amazement.
What a high-ranking teardrop if it was able to expel such a massive horde of monsters?
Rather, if this continued, wouldn't they be able to stay safe here without dying?
If the sword continued to emit this monster-repelling light until the portal opened again, they would be able to survive.
Just when the glimmer of hope she had given up was about to falter, her eyes caught something strange.
The upper part of the translucent spherical Sword God Tear was gradually turning gray-gray.
And the multi-colored light, which was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes, gradually began to dim.
Elijah's eyes narrowed.
'There is a time limit.'
It seemed as if all of these protective effects would disappear once the entire tear turned grey.
Then, everything will be over.
To survive, they had to find a way to escape from this place within the allotted time.
'We first have to go to a safe place before this protective effect ends.'
She had to treat Axion's wounds first.
She must hold on as long as she can until the gate opens again.
Fortunately, Axion had the pocket space bag Yusar had handed him, and that bag contained first aid medicines.
Holding a faint hope like a thin thread, Illya carried Axion on her back and got lost in the world of monsters.
Thanks to the tear light, the monsters did not approach them at all.
But the tear was gradually turning into an ashy grey, and Ilya felt distressed.
After being lost for a long time, they discovered a cave.
In that place, they can treat wounds and take a rest.
Moreover, if they entered a deep place, even if the tear protection effect disappeared, it would be difficult for monsters to find them easily.
After entering deep into the cave, Ilia Axion lay down.
Thanks to the light emanating from the tear, vision in the dark cave was clear.
She treated Axion's wounds using the first aid medications found in the pocket space bag.
She couldn't treat him as perfectly as Theo, but she at least provided first aid.
Fortunately, the pocket space bag was also full of emergency supplies that Yusar had brought earlier.
In this difficult situation, that was a great hope.
Elia handed Axion the bacon and bread from the bag.
“Do you want to eat?”
“I have no desire.”
It wasn't as stubborn as usual, but he really seemed to have no appetite due to his injury.
But in a critical situation like this, where they didn't know when the enemy might attack, he had to eat even if he had to.
“If you don't want to die, eat.
That's an order.”
I ordered firmly.
“There are only two of us, but we are a unit.
And I am the leader of this unit.”
Axion took the food she offered and ate it.
'Fortunately, listen to me.'
Illya now looked at the dagger that was radiating light from the bottom of the cave.
The tear embedded in the sword blade had already turned ash gray by about half.
It had been nearly two hours since they had come to the monster world through the portal.
This means they are only safe for about the same amount of time anymore.
‘During this time, I should sleep to save as much energy as possible.’
Because she didn't know how long they would have to hide silently here after the protective effect wore off, she had to sleep now.
Even if the gate opened during that time, they could easily notice it, there was no need to worry.
I remembered that even when the gate opened during this training, a violent earthquake occurred that split the ground.
She also remembered that the gates that opened in the Baron's fiefdom two months ago, upon thinking about it, were accompanied by minor earthquakes or storms and the like.
She didn't know it then, but after she experienced it again, she realized that it was all phenomena caused by portals.
'It's a power that transcends time and space, so it's bound to have a massive impact.'
So, there must be similar phenomena in this world on the other side.
If such a violent phenomenon happened, even if they were asleep and hiding here, they could easily notice it.
After Ilia finished her thought, she ordered Axion.
“Sleep now while you're safe.”
After she finished speaking, Elia lay down on the floor of the cave.
The hard, bumpy surface of the rocky cave floor dug into her body.
She closed her eyes.
She thought that she must survive at all costs, and she fell asleep like a machine even in this situation.
•
Elia suddenly opened her eyes.
'How much time has passed?'
A faint light was emanating from the dagger.
The tear had now turned 80% ash grey.
It looked like she had slept for about an hour.
More importantly, there is not much of a protective effect left.
I looked nervously at Axion.
Behind the dim light emanating from the dagger, Axion's back appeared to be lying and curling in on itself.
'Is he asleep?'
But an unusual groan came out of him.
I quickly approached him.
“Axion, what's wrong?”
When I checked his condition, he had dark circles all over his eyes.
His lips turned blue and goosebumps covered his entire body.
He was panting as if he had a fever.
Elijah's face froze.
It was hypothermia due to the injury.
'In this case, he won't last long.'
Instead of saving energy, his consciousness was clearly fading.
Axion's body shook violently.
“Wake up!”
Meanwhile, while Axion was in intermittent consciousness, he remembered the girl in his memory.
This is undoubtedly her voice.
Even though years had passed, he couldn't forget her.
I don't know why, but she was there for him.
What a wretch you are!
Even in the lake he almost choked to death, and here he was stupidly facing death again.
How pathetic his soul truly was, because he couldn't even receive this training properly.
He despised himself because he couldn't keep his promise to her of becoming the best soldier.
“Sorry...”
An apology flowed from his mouth.
“I'm really sorry I couldn't keep the promise...
I really wanted to keep it...”
Illya looked at him with a confused face when he suddenly apologized to her.
His blue eyes were filled with lust.
With whom and by what promise had he sworn, that the noble Axion should so apologise?
At that moment, his pupils rose upward, and only the whites of his eyes began to appear.
As such, it's a real risk.
“Wake up!”
slap!
Illya slapped Axion's cheek with all her might.
She had to raise his body temperature by any means, and make him regain consciousness, even if just a little.
As soon as he received the slap, Axion's pupils returned to normal.
He seemed to regain consciousness.
When he discovered the red-haired Erhan standing in front of him in the dark cave, his face completely froze.
He couldn't believe that he had once again confused Erhan with that girl.
Just as he was beginning to hate himself as he was losing recognition over and over again, Elia was looking directly at him.
“Axion, I don’t know what promise you want to keep so badly.
But in order to keep it, shouldn’t you survive here first?”
After Elijah finished speaking, she entered his arms while he was lying down, and lay down next to him and said to him in a firm voice:
"If you don't want to die, hug me.
That's an order."