The monster burst into laughter, a sound that made the earth tremble. "So fragile," it said with disdain.

Then, it exploded in a mass of blood and flesh, taking Nox with it

.

Nox did not dodge; he took the full force of the explosion before beginning to disintegrate, fading away like a reflection.

A few meters away, Nox reappeared, his eyes empty and glassy, devoid of all emotion. Something unhealthy had germinated and was growing within him.

Ding!

[ Quest Accomplished ]

Even the system notification, which would normally have captured all his attention, went unnoticed, inaudible to his ears.

Immediately after the message, the return crystal appeared and activated. Without delay, Nox and the rest of his team left the portal, leaving behind the monsters' bodies and a rapidly expanding black hole.

...

The exit portal closed behind Nox and the others, spitting them out onto solid ground under a familiar sky. The daylight, though ordinary, seemed almost blinding after the darkness of the dungeon.

The group was silent; Johan's heavy breathing was the only audible sound. They were alive, certainly, but the price paid and the terrifying final moments had left a deep wound.

Nox fell to his knees. The memory of him striking Tilda kept flooding back. He knew it wasn't her, but the image of her expressionless face, her dark, inscrutable eyes, remained etched on his retina. He clenched his fists, rage and guilt warring in his chest.

Jack cautiously approached and placed a hand on Nox's shoulder. "Nox... It was the only way. You know that. It wasn't her."

All of them had seen the scene from afar. Even if they hadn't heard the conversation between Nox and the Exsanguinator, they knew that what was putting their captain in this state was the act of having killed a monster that had taken the appearance of the Princess of the Erian Empire, his rumored fiancée.

Nox did not respond, merely nodding his head, unable to utter a single word. The echo of the monster's mocking laugh, just before the explosion, still resonated.

"What kind of monster am I? How on earth could I lay my sword on her? With what courage did I take her life? Are my feelings for her not sincere? Why couldn't I force that monster to transform before trying to kill it? I was supposed to be the man who would protect her, yet..."

Tilda's face calling him a murderer resurfaced in his mind.

Nox's mind began to darken with negative emotions, and as they amplified, Nox started to lose his footing. This was the Exsanguinator's true final attack: a psychological assault. The explosion was merely a decoy.

...

As his mind was reeling, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Captain, back already? Congratulations on successfully completing the portal. Do you need any assistance?"

It was one of the guardians assigned to monitor the portal who had approached.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine," Nox replied in a neutral voice.

"For now, we're going back to the Citadel to rest. Can you teleport us?" he asked Johan.

Without answering, Johan used the little mana he had left to cast his teleportation skill. Soon, they found themselves at the Kyralia Citadel.

"My God..." gasped Johan, stumbling just after their arrival. He clutched his right arm, where the black hole had drawn its power. "I feel like my arm doesn't belong to me anymore. I used... far beyond what I should have."

He looked up at the sky, looking lost. "The spatial isolation held, but barely. If you hadn't managed to kill it at exactly that moment, the black hole would have continued to grow and destroyed all of us, and part of the territory!"

The group realized the scale of the disaster they had averted. They had not only defeated two S+ rank monsters; they had prevented a dimensional catastrophe.

"Go and rest. In three hours, we will debrief what happened in the portal."

After this instruction, everyone headed to their quarters for a brief rest. No joy illuminated their faces.

A silence settled, everyone facing their own demons. It was then that the system manifested to Nox.

Ding!

[ Reward: Primordial Soul Fragment ]

[ Reward: Unique Artifact - Shadow Cloak (S Rank) ]

It was rare for the Goddess to issue a quest request to a high-ranking guardian, but each time, the rewards met all expectations.

But even at the sight of all these incredible rewards, Nox felt nothing. Everything went unnoticed. His mind was too preoccupied.

Physically and mentally exhausted, he walked with measured steps towards his private room.

...

As he crossed the threshold, Nox stumbled, his body heavy with fatigue and pain. He hurt everywhere, his injuries inflicting torment. He felt like he had been trampled by a herd of buffalo.

In front of his teammates, he had done everything to remain unwavering and strong, but anyone who saw him now would doubt that he was the real Nox.

This was understandable; the Chimeric Cleaver had not gone easy on him.

He looked up, trying to focus on his surroundings, but everything he saw was blurred. He blinked, tripping over the edge of a table, catching himself just in time not to fall.

That's when he saw her. Tilda. She was standing in front of him, her face worried and concerned. She looked like an apparition, a dreamlike vision. Nox felt his heart clench in his chest.

Tilda approached him, her eyes filled with tears.

"Nox, oh Nox," she murmured, taking him in her arms.

As she spoke his name, other flashes of him killing her crossed his mind, and he instinctively pulled back.

"Nox, calm down and come, please," she said in a maternal and soothing voice.

Nox leaned into her, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He had been so strong, for so long. But now, he was broken. He needed someone to support him, to reassure him.

Tilda guided him to a bed, helping him lie down. She began to clean his wounds, her hands soft and delicate.

Nox looked at her, his heart overflowing with love and gratitude. He had thought he would never see her again, that he was doomed to wander alone in this cruel world.

But she was here, now. She was real.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "I hurt you. I swore to protect you and our child, but I did the opposite."

Tilda shook her head, her eyes filled with compassion.

"Nox, I'm fine, and the baby is too. I won't ask you what you went through in the portal, but know that I trust you, no matter your choices.

And my man is braver than this, so pull yourself together!" she said with a small smile. "Now let me heal you."

Tilda held out her hand, and a greenish glow emerged from her palms, clinging to Nox to heal him.

"Hmm... a curse?" Tilda thought, intrigued, while healing Nox.

Nox felt a wave of relief wash over him, followed by profound fatigue. He closed his eyes, letting himself go in Tilda's arms.

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