𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

𝙭𝙫𝙞𝙞𝙞.

"It would only take a few seconds! I told you I'll be right behind you!" Yeonjun tried to persuade Beomgyu, but knowing the younger male and his stubbornness, they could sit there for hours before he forfeited.

"No."

Yeonjun wanted to strangle the Healer. All he asked was for Beomgyu to distract those pesky green insects and then he'd kill them off quickly. Goblins might not be the smartest monster out there. Still, those things could defeat an enemy three times larger than them because they will overwhelm it to the point that their prey becomes exhausted.

Unfortunately for them, most of these monsters went their way.

Looks like there's no other way but to guilt trip this son of a biscuit.

Yeonjun suddenly let out obnoxious but effective coughs, heaving dramatically as he clutched his heart. Beomgyu, alerted by his older friend's sudden display of weakness, suddenly remembered that he was not well. That he still has poison in his veins.

"You know what? Damned, the looks and my life! Who cares about that, anyway? It's not like the women come screaming at me whenever they see me! They just cower in fear." He muttered the last part bitterly as he prepared to stand up and face the annoying little creatures.

He hates how his life becomes, but he never regrets it to the point he wanted to change it.

"HEY, YOU GREEN DEMON SPAWNS! ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ME?! I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU BLIND MIDGETS! Catch me if you can with those stubby legs of yours!" Then he stuck his tongue out mockingly, immediately causing an uproar on the goblins. They made chattering and clicking noises, expressing their rage toward the stupid white mage.

"I told you to distract them, not make them angry." Yeonjun facepalmed.

"Well, you only live once. Why not enjoy it to the fullest?" Beomgyu confidently stated, but his eyes said otherwise. He's terrified of his life.

"Yeah? Say that to the person who has one foot in the grave." Yeonjun rolled his eyes but readied himself to eliminate every green creature in sight. "All right. Let's end these pesky little bastards."

✦

While the other four are still fighting off the goblins, and some take a while longer than the others because of their differences and unfamiliarity, with the latter intended for Soobin and Dawn, and the former for Beomgyu and Yeonjun, Taehyun and Kai ended their fight with the goblins ages ago and were now navigating their way out of the Stygian Woods.

It was silent except for the occasional rustling of leaves and branches caused by the wind and noises of monsters that they just ignored and the flapping of an Eagle were only heard.

Speaking of the Eagle...

It was a beast summoned by Kai to help them navigate their way. Something that they should've done before but forgot to. Which is a major facepalm with a chair if you ask Taehyun.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Kai's question cut the silence.

"Of course, they'll be fine. We already went to this quest once and everyone came out alive." Taehyun reassured, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"But Dawn didn't..."

Ah, so that's who he's worried about. Taehyun sighed and was silent for a while as he chose his words carefully to not let him worry more.

"Just trust her. You see what she is capable of. And I'm sure Soobin hyung won't let anything happen to her." Seeing the frown on Kai's face, Taehyun could only sigh, knowing that the subject of their conversation had changed when he mentioned the leader's name. "You know that hyung means well, right?"

Although he wasn't verbally saying it, Taehyun was worried about Kai and Soobin. The Archer is doing everything he can for them, but Kai sees something wrong with his way of work.

"I know that, Hyun. I just hate it when he just does things by himself without telling us anything. It makes me feel... Excluded. Like what we say will not even matter even if it could get him hurt."

Taehyun just smiled and pat his back assuringly. There it is. Kai is just doing this because he still cares.

『• • • ✎ • • •』