Lee Han was not the only one feeling tense while waiting; John and the others felt the same way.
They hoped the antidote would heal Zoey or at least slow down the poison until Levy or they could bring her back to the city.
After a few more minutes, Zoey's purple lips gradually started to change color to rosy, and her face also looked brighter.
"Heaven! Looks like the antidote finally works."
"Yes, and she's starting to breathe normally."
"I knew it! General will not easily die—" The man said, wiping his teary eyes.
"Hahaha, true! General Zoey was the only female and young General in our kingdom, but she's not a weakling!"
"Indeed, bro! Our General is like a cat, has seven lives—"
Laughs echoed in the air as they felt relieved by Zoey's condition. They had all been afraid when Zoey's breath grew short and weak. Her face and body had slowly turned purple, as if someone had just thrown purple ink into her body. But now she is showing signs of being free from this deadly poison.
...
John, still kneeling before Zoey's body, wiped his tears away as a faint, relieved smile crossed his face.
After composing himself, John looked up to see Lee Han. He felt immense relief to have Lee Han on their team. Without him, Zoey might have died by now.
John stood up and faced Lee Han.
"Lee Han, thank you so much. From now on, I owe you my life!" John said, offering a warm handshake.
Lee Han was stunned by his vow.
They didn't need to thank him; he had merely pursued his quest. If his system hadn't sent him here, he wouldn't have bothered to come to this place. All he cared about was accomplishing his quest. Nevertheless, he accepted John's handshake.
"No need to say that, bro. It's my duty to assist General Zoey and her team," Lee Han smiled, but his smile faded when he heard Lara's warning.
'Master, they are coming!'
Lee Han already knew what Lara was trying to say. He could feel his heart beating faster as he turned his gaze in a particular direction.
With his divine eyes, Lee Han could see many beasts and a few vampires heading toward their location.
John was puzzled when he saw Lee Han turn his gaze away from him.
He followed Lee Han's line of sight but couldn't see anything there, which only deepened his confusion. When he looked back at Lee Han and saw his expression darken with tension, he couldn't help but ask.
"Lee Han, did you see anything coming at us?" John sounded worried.
"Yes. Tell your people to be prepared and maintain their vigilance at the highest level. Hundreds of evolved beasts and vampires are heading this way—" Lee Han's calm voice trailed off as John interrupted with a shout.
"WHAT?!" John was shocked.
If only Zoey hadn't been injured and Levy had been here with them, John was confident they would have won.
But now? Only he was on the Gold Rank. While the other teams are still Bronze and Silver Rank, they won't be able to survive.
Moreover, they didn't have a mage capable of healing if anyone was injured.
'How the fuck do they know we are here?' John can't help but vent his frustration.
They were still quite far from Victor's hiding place. How did these creatures know their location?
Before John could ask Lee Han, Elara's face flashed in his mind.
"Damn it!! You are a traitor, Elara! And this mission was a trap from the start!" John couldn't contain his anger. He was furious at Elara.
Another adventurer stood nearby, confused by the sudden change in Lee Han and John's expressions.
"What happened, Leader?" he asked.
However, John didn't answer him. His brow furrowed as if deep in thought. He was thinking about the escape plan.
"Bro, please focus... And think faster!" Lee Han warned John.
Lee Han started to feel frustrated looking at John and his team. He wanted to flee from this place. However, looking at Zoey's fragile body lying on the ground made him abandon that idea.
John grabbed Lee Han's arm.
"Listen, Lee Han... I want you to take Zoey back to the base camp. There's a powerful magic aura around the base camp, and those creatures can't enter. You must run as fast as you can."
Lee Han was surprised by John's plan but nodded in agreement. Before he moved to carry Zoey, he glanced at John again.
"What about you guys?" Lee Han asked, worried. He knew that no matter how strong they were, they would be outnumbered and likely wouldn't survive.
"We'll follow you back to the base camp. But we'll also try to hold them off while retreating," John explained hastily. "Alright, let's move now!"
Lee Han didn't say anything further. He agreed with the plan. Retreat was their only option.
After someone helped lift Zoey onto his back, Lee Han immediately ran in the direction they had come from.
With the help of Lara's magic, Lee Han felt his legs lighten, and he barely felt Zoey's weight. He gripped his bow tightly in his hand, wary of a possible ambush.
'Master, if they don't retreat immediately, they will all die...' Lara's concerned voice echoed in Lee Han's mind.
'I don't care, Lara. I've warned them... Their lives and survival are not my responsibility,' he answered briefly.
However, the sound of gunshots, grenades, and fighting in the distance forced him to clench his jaw.
He was reluctant to look back and ignored what was happening behind him. He pushed himself to run faster; his primary focus was to reach base camp.
'Yeah. This isn't your mission anyway—' Lara's voice suddenly faded. But later, she said in panic, 'Master, from your right side!'
Lee Han glanced to his right, his heart tightening when he spotted two pale men approaching.
'Damn! They are Vampires?'
Unlike regular humans, he could see their crimson eyes and faster movements.
'Yes! And they're quite strong—'