When Elijah's body touched his embrace, Axion trembled involuntarily.
While he was confused, Illya grabbed Axion's arms and wrapped them tightly around her body.
"You have to raise your body temperature to survive.
Otherwise, you will die."
Then, Axion muttered weakly.
“…I don’t care if you die.”
Instead of becoming the best soldier, he was injured and nearly died.
If the girl in his memory saw this sight, she would inevitably be disappointed.
Perhaps death would have been better for him.
Then, Illya muttered through gritted teeth.
"Don't be silly.
You're a member of my unit.
Do you think I'll let you die like this?"
At her words, Axion objected.
“Didn’t you say a moment ago that we should prepare because it is the end?”
"Now it's different.
There is a glimmer of hope."
If there is any hope of survival, one must stubbornly cling to life by any means possible.
“I will survive any way I can and bring you back to the unit.
That is my mission.”
Axion's eyes shook.
Axion embraced her.
Warm heat quickly transferred from Elijah's body to his, and his frozen body seemed to melt little by little.
The faint glow of a “teardrop” inlaid in the dagger illuminated them.
In the quiet cave, the sound of Elijah's breathing could be heard.
Axion now looked at Illya who was settling quietly in his arms.
'Why is this young man's body so small and delicate?'
Soon after, Axion whispered to Elijah in an almost inaudible voice.
"Thank you."
He hesitated a little, then added.
“For saving me.
And also in the last training.”
Then, Elia answered.
“Never mind.
I just did my duty as a unit commander.
If that’s the case, I’m also grateful to you.”
“…?”
“I'm talking about what happened during the march.”
When Ilya remembered how Axion had saved her when she stumbled during the walk, Axion replied coldly.
“It was in exchange for you bringing me the black crystal.”
Was that enough to save her, who always seemed to him like a thorn in his side?
“Why is this ordinary black crystal so precious?”
I asked, but Axion did not answer.
Elia changed the subject.
“Meanwhile, Keisha must have received the news from the kids.
By the way, this idea of stopping time… it's really crazy.
Aren't you surprised too?”
"not quite."
'Oh my God, this conversation is not going anywhere.'
As Ilia grumbled inwardly, Axion added in a bitter voice.
“I did a lot of that kind of stuff when I was young.”
Elijah's eyes widened when she heard his words.
"What did you do?"
Axion answered her question in an emotionless voice.
“When I was a child, my father brought a wizard and cast a spell on the training ground, stopping time for a month.”
"What?
Why?"
“He said that this increases the efficiency of training, because you can complete a whole month’s training in one day.”
Elijah's face froze.
If one stayed in a place where time did not pass for that long, one might lose one's mind.
“And what other exercises have you done?”
"Just miscellaneous things.
Sometimes, they would make me temporarily disabled."
Elia was shocked.
'They make him disabled for training?'
It was a crazier idea than Keisha's.
'Isn't this complete torture instead of training?'
If this had been in her previous life's army, it wouldn't have been just a report, it would have resulted in imprisonment.
What made matters even stranger was that Axion's father, not a stranger, was training his son in this way.
Although the Roblet family had been a military family for several generations, this had far exceeded all limits.
While Elia was in shock, Axion added bitterly.
"It's normal.
I didn't live up to my father's expectations."
Only then did Illya realize where Axion's superhuman physique came from.
'He became like this because of this kind of crazy training.'
It wasn't just the abilities he gained because he was the first male hero in the novel.
How much pain did Axion have to endure in silence to become like this?
Remembering her difficult life in her previous life, Elijah felt a strange sympathy.
'He also lived a really hard life.'
Illya turned and looked at Axion.
Axion shuddered.
In the darkness, Elia was staring at him with intense concentration.
Her face beneath her red hair looked even more beautiful than usual.
Her long-lashed eyes stared at him tenderly.
As he looked into those tender eyes, his heart beat strangely, and his body that had been cold until a moment ago rose in temperature.
'Why do I feel this way about this young man?'
He deliberately answered in a colder voice.
“What is this all of a sudden?”
Elia looked directly at him and opened her mouth.
“Axion, you are cool enough.”
Axion's eyes shook when he heard those words.
He had never felt so good at all.
Since his childhood, he had always seen himself as a talentless and incomplete person.
“You now what…?”
Strongly-
Elia hugged him and whispered.
Axion was about to push away whoever was creeping into his embrace.
“I have suffered a lot so far.”
to stop.
Something hot surged in his chest.
‘Do I receive solace now from this young man Erhan?’
It's ridiculous.
But contrary to what he was feeling, his eyes turned red.
He unconsciously hugged Elijah.
His massive body hugged her petite figure.
Elijah's breathing was strangely soft.
Her body smell was strangely sweet.
Surprisingly, it smelled similar to the beloved Accion doll “Baby.”
'Why on earth does this young man smell like this?'
At the moment Axion was at a loss.
Huge bang!
A huge sound echoed throughout the entire cave.
Even if monsters were gathering, this level of noise was not common.
Illya, who was also hugging Axion, widened her eyes.
'No way!'
This was likely a sign of a portal opening.
They got up quickly.
Ilya Axion asked.
“Can you walk?”
He nodded.
They picked up the daggers and left the cave.
Now, the “teardrop” was almost completely dyed grey, and the protective light had become extremely dim.
A huge sound rang out!
In the void in front of them, a strange vortex was forming.
Ripping sound!
Cracking sound!
With a frightening tearing and cracking sound, the blood-colored gap opened in the void.
That was clearly the gate they saw in the training ground.
"Let's go!"
When they were about to run towards the gate.
Shhh…
The “teardrop” turned completely grey, and the multi-colored light that had been protecting them disappeared.
At the same time, the monsters that had been hiding away from the light nearby began to rush towards them all at once.
"Axion!
Run!"
They ran with all their might towards the gate.
This was their last and only chance to survive.
The gate approached until it was directly in front of them.
'A little more, a little more...'
The approaching monsters grabbed their legs.
They waved their swords vigorously, but new creatures attacked them again.
'If we stay like this, we'll both die!'
They had to go back and at least one survived.
She raised Axion's dagger and quickly cut her palm.
With a sharp pain, drops of light crimson blood fell.
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Kyaaaaaaaaaak!
The monsters, excited by the smell of blood, rushed towards her, targeting her alone.
Thanks to that, Axion's body was relatively freed.
“Axion, at least you go!”
"And you?"
"I'm fine, so go quickly!
This is an order!"
Axion's blue eyes twitched.
If the portal closes again, they don't know when it will open again.
Soon, monsters covered her body from every direction, and her vision darkened.
Her breath choked under the weight of the monsters.
In the darkness, she gathered her strength and waited for death.
She thought that if she was born again, she would at least avoid the army this time.
At that moment, the once dark vision brightened.
Kyaaik!
Chuaach-
The arm of the monster that was pressing her body flew away, and its black blood splattered onto her face.
Above that, Axion's figure appeared holding his sword.
He was panting hard as his wound had not yet fully healed.
She shouted at him in an eager voice.
"Why didn't you go!
I told you to go!"
Then, he looked at her and replied in a cold voice.
"Don't be silly.
Bet."
He vigorously shook off the monster blood that covered his sword and added.
"You're my deputy leader.
Do you think I'll let you die like this?"