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Cassy gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the searing pain. Blood streamed down her face, as though she were crying tears of blood—her expression a grim representation of her unbreakable resolve and emotions.

"With this... you can\'t control me!" Cassy shouted, pressing the dagger against her heart with trembling hands. "Now... do as I say!"

"..."

Lorelai gazed at Cassy, her expression unreadable. She scanned Cassy\'s bloodied figure, eyes lingering on the torn flesh and deep wounds, before she sighed deeply.

"Chro—"

"If you try to heal my eyes or restrain my limbs, it\'s useless! I\'ll just kill myself in another way!"

Cassy\'s voice carried the weight of truth; she wasn\'t bluffing. Lorelai couldn\'t afford to lose her just yet. With another heavy sigh, as though resigned, Lorelai addressed her followers with a clear, commanding voice.

"... Everyone, do not harm her allies any further."

The fight ended as suddenly as it began. Aster, Argus, Kali, Liz, and Tina were spared from immediate death. Yet, in their current states, being left behind would still be akin to being abandoned to die.

"Priodis... Sirreo... Cura! Minor Heal x5!"

Exhausted, Cassy used the last of her energy to heal the five of them. One after another, the healing spells took effect, but casting so many consecutively without a break took a severe toll on her body. She collapsed to the ground, drained and helpless.

"Cassy...!"

Aster called out to her, feeling the gradual effects of the healing magic mending his broken body.

But his injuries were too severe to be fully repaired by just one Minor Heal. He needed at least three before he could stand again. The others were no different—healed just enough to pull them back from the brink of death.

Despite being blind, Cassy turned toward Aster. Her vibrant orange ears drooped, clearly showing her exhaustion. A faint smile played on her lips as she silently mouthed words without sound.

"Sorry, Star..."

"...!"

Cassy\'s decision had been made with the best possible outcome in mind. Every other option would\'ve led to the party\'s complete annihilation. Letting everyone live, even at the cost of her freedom, was the best she could offer.

"We did as you asked. Now, you\'re coming with us, Cassandra," Lorelai\'s cold voice echoed as she patted Cassy\'s shoulder.

Cassy lowered her hand slowly, her dagger slipping from her grasp and clattering to the ground. She nodded, silent.

After walking a short distance, Lorelai retrieved something from her pocket. It looked like a small, blurry mirror, palm-sized, with a braided red-and-white tassel dangling from the top, a small bell tied to the end. Holding it up, she began channeling mana into it.

The space before them twisted and warped, a small portal slowly forming in the air. Aster had never seen this before—the "illegal" method of entering or exiting the dungeon.

"No...!"

Aster cried out, helplessly watching as Cassy was led toward the portal. He wanted to stop them, to fight back, but his body refused to obey; he couldn\'t even stand.

Cassy vanished into the swirling portal, followed by the other Aracelli members, one after another. The red-haired man and the pink-haired girl threw one final glare at Aster before disappearing.

Lorelai was the last to leave. She stood in front of the portal, pausing for several seconds. Then, as if on a whim, she snapped her fingers.

"H-Huh?"

"Where am I...?"

"Captain! You\'re hurt!"

With that simple gesture, the members of the three clans were released from her control. Aster stared at Lorelai, unsure of her intentions. She didn\'t even glance back at him as she stepped through the portal, vanishing like smoke in the wind.

"..."

Aster stood frozen, staring at the spot where the portal had been.

His body, though still battered, was slowly healing enough to allow movement. But his face twisted in a storm of negative emotions—fury, despair, helplessness, terror, and anguish all collided within him.

"Why..." Aster whispered through gritted teeth, his lower lip bleeding as he bit down in frustration. "Cassy, why did you...!"

He wanted to scream, to vent his anguish, but deep down, he knew Cassy\'s decision had saved them. Without her sacrifice, they all would\'ve been dead.

However, understanding and accepting it were two different things.

*BAM!*

Aster punched the ground with all his remaining strength, cracking the earth beneath him, a cloud of dust rising. "Why...! Why am I this weak...!" His voice trembled with rage and sorrow.

No matter how hard he fought, nothing changed. Whether he was there or not, Cassy would\'ve been taken. His strength felt meaningless, his power useless.

What good was strength if he couldn\'t protect the people he cared about?

"Aster..."

Liz\'s voice broke through his self-loathing. She was already on her feet, though her injuries were still severe.

"... I have a message from Cassy," she said, her tone firm but laced with fatigue. "She told me to tell you... she\'ll be waiting for you to save her. Until then, she\'ll keep trying to stay alive."

"..."

Cassy\'s "message" shook Aster out of his despair. She had anticipated how things would unfold and had left her words in Liz\'s care.

That\'s right—Cassy wasn\'t dead. She had only been taken away. There was still time to save her. Aster could still fix everything!

"I understand... Thanks, Liz," Aster whispered. A faint, forced smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

There was still hope! But the smile quickly faded, replaced by a gloomy realization. Even with hope, he was still too weak to make a difference. The enemies were far stronger than he was, making his current strength irrelevant.

\'I need to get stronger... fast!\'

A flame of urgency ignited deep within his soul. Cassy\'s life was tied to the Aracelli Race\'s plan. As long as they still needed her, she would be safe. But once they no longer had any use for her, her fate was sealed.

"Five days..." Aster declared, his voice steely with determination. "I need to reach level 100 in five days!"