Baron managed to pull himself away from Lyna's suffocating embrace, gasping for air. "Alright, alright! Calm down, both of you. I know you were worried, but this is a bit much..."
Before he could finish, Sienna stepped up from behind and landed a heavy fist right on top of his head.
Thwack!
"Shut up! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused us?" she hissed, her face flushed with rage. "Is this forest your father's backyard? You think you can just wander off whenever you feel like it?"
Baron winced, rubbing his bruised head, but a playful smirk danced on his lips. He teased, "Ouch! Sienna, are you unusually worried about me today? Or is there something else going on under that armor?"
In an instant, Sienna's fierce warrior persona crumbled. She turned her face away, her cheeks glowing redder than the surrounding flames. "Don't talk nonsense! You're the Mayor's son; it's my job to protect you, nothing more!"
Lyna stepped forward then, her expression grave. She spoke in a sharp, disciplined tone. "Running away from home like that was wrong, Baron. We know the Lord treated you unfairly, but disappearing like a ghost wasn't the answer."
Baron's smile faded as he looked at the charred ground. The old resentment bubbled up in his voice. "How much more was I supposed to take? My power is growing every day. I can fight. Yet, my father ordered the Guild Master to keep my rank frozen at 'D' illegally. When I found out, I realized there was no respect for me in that house. I left because I was done being a puppet."
Lyna placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "We understand your anger. But you could have come to us. We grew up together. We could have talked to the Lord for you. Was leaving us in the dark really a solution?"
Baron went quiet. The weight of his stubbornness hit him; he hadn't just put himself in danger, he had dragged his childhood friends into this mess. "Maybe... maybe you're right," he muttered.
From a few yards away, Even watched this high-stakes drama unfold, his fat forehead creased with confusion. 'What is this? They're hugging him one second and punching him the next?' In his mind, Even was convinced Baron was some sort of secret harem king and these beautiful women were fighting over him.
Even swallowed hard as he took in the scene. In his experience, love was always a transaction—a means to an end. Kindness usually hid a motive, and discipline was just another word for hate. No one had ever given him a scolding hug or cried for his safety. These complex human emotions were like a foreign language to him. His rusted heart couldn't conceive of something pure, so he defaulted to seeing it as a cheap web novel plot.
Baron finally regained his composure and looked at Sienna and Lyna. They were among the finest warriors in Asthenia, names that made bandits tremble.
"Tell me one thing," Baron asked, taking a deep breath. "Why did it take you so long to find me? You're the best trackers in the city."
Sienna glared at him, her fist itching to land another blow. "Long? You think we were sitting around? The moment the Lord found out you were gone, we were mobilized. We cleared out every monster camp and cave around the city. We even scoured the cursed Dark Forest."
Baron's eyes widened. "Then that terrifying thunder from the sky earlier...?"
Lyna nodded, exhaustion showing in her eyes. "Yes. Aira used her maximum mana output. We found you because of her power. But you had wandered so far from the city that her 'Finding Magic' was struggling at the edge of our borders. We were raiding every camp we found because her magic kept pinging that you were being held by monsters. When we reached this Orc camp, the signal became a certainty."
She paused, catching her breath. "But when we didn't see you at first glance, Aira lost it. She was so consumed by rage that the sky turned black instantly. That lightning strike was her fury coming down on this camp."
Sienna stepped closer, her voice still filled with disbelief. "But how did you even get this far? This area is a half-day's journey from the city borders!"
Baron scratched the back of his head like a guilty child. "Well... everything went sideways when I tried to save that kid."
"Kid? What kid?" Sienna blinked.
"I was sitting by the river, feeling miserable and thinking about confronting my father, when I heard a child fall in. I didn't think twice; I jumped in. I managed to push the kid to the bank, but since I'm a terrible swimmer, the current swept me away." Baron looked down, ashamed of his own clumsiness.
Sienna's anger softened into concern. "Forget us for a second. Aira hasn't eaten a single thing since the moment you went missing. She's been a wreck."
Distance away, Even listened to the conversation, sweat dripping down the folds of his neck. His psychology was at war with itself. He had lived his life believing humans only used each other. But here was a man who risked his life for a random child, and a woman who refused to eat out of worry for a friend. It felt alien.
'Is this guy actually a hero, or just a lucky fool?'
Even wondered. His cynicism clashing with this display of selfless emotion. His past whispered a warning:
'Be careful, Even. These emotions are a human's greatest weakness.'
Baron looked around frantically. "Where is Aira? I don't see her!"
Right then, a massive explosion rocked the earth. They had been so distracted by their reunion that they forgot they were standing in the middle of a battlefield. The air vibrated with mana, and blue flashes of light signaled a high-level magical duel nearby.
"There!" Lyna pointed.
They ran toward the source of the noise. When they arrived, Even's jaw dropped. Aira was fighting alone. But her opponent wasn't a normal monster. The Orc Leader, driven by desperation, had consumed the corpses of his fallen soldiers, transforming into a grotesque Orc Lord. Dark smoke and the stench of rotting meat poured from its massive, bloated body.
But the most shocking part?
The giant monster couldn't even touch Aira. She was toyed with him, her movements effortless. Even quickly triggered his System scanner.
[Rank: S]
Even felt the blood drain from his face. She was far more powerful than Sienna or Lyna. She was the absolute powerhouse of the group. But looking at her, he was even more confused. Aira was significantly shorter than the others, looking almost like an innocent child. But inside that small frame hid a destructive volcano.
Suddenly, Aira's eyes landed on Baron. She paused the fight for a split second. Unlike Sienna or Lyna, she didn't rush to hug him. Instead, a spark of pure rage flickered in her eyes. She blurred across the ground like a lightning bolt and landed a brutal punch right into Baron's stomach.
"Gack...!" Baron crumpled to his knees, clutching his gut.
Aira turned her head and unleashed a string of insults. She looked like she wanted to kill him herself. Even in pain, Baron tried to offer a helpless smile; he knew this punch was just her way of hiding how terrified she had been for his life.
Even stood paralyzed. Baron's life looked like it was pulled from the pages of a fairy tale. Beautiful women, deep bonds, and protective anger. In Even's neglected past, no one had ever punished him out of love.
He sighed inwardly. 'If only my life were like this. If only someone would bring down lightning for me.' A sliver of regret and longing pierced through his jealousy.
Standing amidst the flames, Aira's small frame crackled with blue electricity. She glanced sideways at Sienna and Lyna and barked, "Why are you standing there watching the drama? Go finish that Orc Lord! I don't want to waste any more time on it."
She cracked her knuckles and turned back to Baron with a wicked grin. "As for me, I'm going to have a long talk with this brat."
Baron gulped. He knew he was in for a nightmare. Against Aira's wrath, there was no escape.
…
While Aira was busy scolding Baron, Lyna and Sienna charged toward the massive Orc Lord. Sienna swung her giant sword in a wide arc, sparks flying from the friction. She leaped forward and aimed a heavy strike at the monster's knee. The blade bit through the skin, spraying black blood, but the bone was so dense the sword didn't sink deep.
"You won't die easily, will you?" Sienna hissed, spinning her blade for a second strike.
Suddenly, three of Lyna's arrows streaked through the air like fireballs. One slammed into the Orc Lord's shoulder, while the other two whistled past its eyes. The monster let out a deafening roar of pain. It swung its arms wildly, but Lyna was hopping between tree branches like a monkey—making it impossible for the beast to aim.
Realizing he couldn't win against these two women, the Orc Lord revealed his true, horrific form. He grabbed a wounded Orc nearby. Without hesitation, he bit into the living Orc's neck, tearing it open and drinking the blood while chewing the raw meat.
"Disgusting!" Lyna shouted in horror.
As the blood of his kin entered his system, the Orc Lord's muscles swelled to twice their size. His skin began to tear, revealing glowing red veins underneath. To increase his power further, he snapped off one of his own fingers and ate it. His eyes glowed a deep, murderous red. He was no longer just an Orc; he was a bloodthirsty demon.
"I've never seen such a demon!" Sienna shouted, raising her massive sword.
Then, something strange happened. The massive Orc Lord vanished into a cloud of smoke. He didn't attack the warriors—he went straight for Baron. He reappeared right behind Baron, but before he could grab him, Aira cast a lightning-fast spell. The monster's right arm was severed instantly, hitting the ground with a wet thud.
But the beast didn't give up. Thrashing in agony, its eyes landed on Even, who was standing further away. Its crimson eyes burned like coals. It screamed, "That pig!!"
Even was shocked; thanks to his translation ability, he understood every word. The monster vanished again and, in a heartbeat, appeared behind Even, sinking its claws into his neck.
"Help! Save me!" Even screamed. His heavy body shook like a leaf against the monster's incredible strength.
Baron cried out, "Save him! Sienna, Lyna—go rescue Even!"
But surprisingly, Sienna and Lyna didn't move an inch. In their eyes, Baron's safety was worth infinitely more than Even's life.
"Our primary duty is to protect you, Lord Baron," Lyna said coldly. "We cannot leave you alone in this state for a stranger."
Baron was furious. "But he's my friend!"
Despite Baron's repeated pleas, the two women stood like statues. Meanwhile, the Orc Lord began dragging Even into the darkness of the woods. Even's blood-curdling screams pierced the silence of the forest, but Baron's companions didn't budge. Their eyes remained fixed only on their 'Lord.'
As Even vanished into the depths of the forest, held by the horrific demon, his final words echoed through the air— "Are you just going to let me die? Help me...!"