"Die, you fucking freak!" he cursed as he lunged forward to strike.
STAB!
The sound of a stab echoed through the air. Liam opened his eyes with confusion written all over his face. He didn't feel any pain.
When he looked up to see the guard staggering, a crossbow bolt was embedded in the side of his neck and the tip protruding from the other side.
The guard's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground as his sword clattered uselessly beside him. Liam glanced around, his vision finally clearing, and saw Rin standing a few feet away with a crossbow in her hands.
She had saved him.
"Rin..." Liam whispered, his voice barely audible. Relief washed over him as he realized he was still alive thanks to her.
Rin rushed to his side with her face filled with concern. "Lee, are you okay?!" she asked in a trembling voice.
Liam's vision slowly faded away and he fell unconscious.
WAKE UP!
Liam's eyes fluttered open as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the cave walls. A sharp pain shot through his thigh.
"Argh!"
He grunted in pain .His body was weak and aching all over. He tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the makeshift bed.
He looked down and saw his thigh wrapped in bandages made from rags, the fabric stained with dried blood. He remembered taking the potion after being stabbed, but the wound was too deep for a simple health potion to heal completely.
His memory was hazy, and blurred by the intensity of the fight. His vision swam, and his head throbbed with a dull ache.
Confusion washed over him as he realized he wasn't in his cage. The last thing he remembered was the guard lunging at him, and the crossbow bolt protruding from his neck. Anr in holding a crossbow.
"Rin..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
"Ooh!" someone exclaimed near him.
He turned his head to the side and saw Soo-Min standing with a surprised look on her face.
"Hey..." he muttered.
"Rin! Rin! He is awake!" Soo-Min shouted and ran away.
A few seconds later, Soo-Min returned with Rin.
Rin rushed to his side with a concerned look on her face. "Lee, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Liam grimaced, shifting slightly to ease the pressure on his wounded leg. "Like shit. But I'll live. Thanks to you."
Rin smiled softly, her hand gently resting on his shoulder. "You scared the hell out of me, you know that? When I saw you fall, I thought..." Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head as if to clear the thought.
Liam reached up and covered her hand with his own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm tougher than I look. Besides, I had an angel watching over me."
[Whoa there. The fuck happened to you? Looks like you aren't fully awake yet.]
Rin rolled her eyes but didn't pull her hand away. "Don't get all sappy on me now. You still have a lot of recovering to do."
Liam sighed as his expression turned serious. "I need to know what happened after I passed out. And how did you find me last night?"
Rin replied, "When I woke up at midnight because Soo-Min wanted to take a pee, we passed by your cage, but you weren't there. I got worried and went to check at our secret place in the valley, but when I didn't find you there either, I thought you might be in the training ground. But you weren't there either.
So I woke up the Joon brothers, and we searched for you. Joon Ho saw some guards heading out, and we quietly followed them. That's when we saw you on the ground and the guard trying to kill you. I quickly grabbed the crossbow and fired at the guard. We then carried you back to our cage."
Liam listened intently, his gratitude for Rin and the others growing with each word. "Thank you, Rin. And thank you, everyone. I owe you my life."
Rin smiled softly. "You don't owe us anything, Liam. We're in this together. Now, get some rest."
"No, I can't rest." Liam shook his head and continued. "You guys only have three days left to reach the first stage of muscle and bone realm. I have to help you as I promised. By the way, Where are the others?"
"The others are out training. They wanted to stay and help, but I told them to go. We can't afford to slack off, not with everything that's happening."
"Rin, has there been any commotion about the guards I killed?"
Rin shook her head with a serious expression on her face. "We threw the guards' bodies into the well. No one will find them there."
Liam's brow furrowed in thought. "The guards and commanders must have noticed some of their men are missing. Have they been acting up?"
Rin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "They've been checking everyone's cages, as though they're looking for something rather than someone. It's like they're searching for clues."
Liam's mind raced. They must be looking for the missing swords. The guards probably thought whoever took the swords was the culprit. But since Liam had stored them in his inventory, there was no way they would ever find them.
Rin continued, "They came to check our cage too. Asked why you were injured. The guards were suspicious, but Joon Seok told them you got hurt in the fight with the hostages over food."
Liam let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Rin. I owe you all so much. Truly." He tried to sit up, grimacing in pain. "I need to thank the others too."
Rin quickly moved to stop him by pressing her hands gently against his chest. "No, Lee. You need to rest. You can thank them later."
Liam resisted and tried to push himself up. "I can't just lie here. I need to—"
Rin was determined to keep him down, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She climbed onto Liam and straddled him, sitting firmly on his stomach. She grabbed his hands and pinned them down on either side of his head, her grip surprisingly strong.
Their faces came close, almost touching. Liam's breath hitched as he looked into Rin's eyes, seeing the concern and something more—a spark of desire. The air between them grew thick with tension, the kind that made his heart race and his body respond in ways he couldn't control.
He could feel the warmth of her body, the softness of her thighs pressing against him, and the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
Rin's eyes flickered with a mix of determination and something deeper, something primal. Her lips parted slightly, and for a moment, Liam thought she might lean in and kiss him. The thought sent a jolt of electricity through his body, and made every nerve end with a tingle of anticipation.
But just as quickly as the moment had come, it passed.
Rin blinked, and broke the spell. She moved back slightly, though she kept her grip on his hands. "You need to rest, Lee," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You can't help anyone if you're not at your best."
Liam took a deep breath, and tried to calm the storm of emotions raging inside him.
"Fine." Liam admitted defeat. "You should also go practice."
"No. I have to guard you."
"Are you stupid or what?! What if you don't break through the first realm of muscle and bone?!"
"I will worry about that later."