All-around teacher at the magic academy

Rhine's vision blurred, and his hand trembled as he stroked Arthur's already cold cheek.

His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, but his body was frozen in place, unable to move.

His eyes were filled with disbelief and deep sorrow, and tears silently streamed down his face, landing on Arthur's calm expression.

He desperately wished it were all an illusion, a dream he hadn't yet fully awakened from.

In this dream, Arthur will, as always, break the silence with his unique, hearty laughter and shield him from the wind and rain with his broad shoulders.

But reality was cruel; Arthur lay quietly in his arms, no longer able to respond to his calls.

Rhine recalled the days they had spent together, the laughter they had shared.

He realized that he may have always regarded Arthur as a partner to fight alongside, rather than truly seeing him as his older brother or a family member he could rely on.

However, in his most helpless and desperate moment, Arthur appeared, like a ray of dawn, rescuing him from his dire straits.

The moment Rhine saw Arthur, he was filled with ecstatic joy. Only then did he realize that he had unknowingly developed a deep dependence on Arthur.

Arthur's arrival instantly dispelled the fear and unease in Rhine's heart, and he felt a sense of peace he had never felt before.

Seeing Arthur's resolute figure standing in front of him, Rhine felt he had the courage to face all difficulties and enemies.

Just as he was about to truly acknowledge Arthur as his elder brother and express his deepest respect and gratitude, Arthur fell in a pool of blood while trying to save his life.

Fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on him. Every time a flame of hope ignited in Rhine's heart, an even greater tragedy would befall him, pushing him into the abyss of despair.

He began to doubt himself, feeling that he was an ominous person and that his own incompetence and fear ultimately led to Arthur's death.

If he had been stronger, if he had been braver in the face of danger, Arthur might not have sacrificed himself.

Rhine felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe; the pain was almost unbearable.

He knew that now was not the time to wallow in grief; enemies were still lurking, and he had to stand up and continue fighting.

He gently laid Arthur's body down, gritted his teeth, and struggled to stand up.

His eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve; he was determined to avenge Arthur and make him pay for his sacrifice.

However, when he faced the enemy before him, Rhine found himself powerless.

The Void Tree that appeared out of nowhere had branches that resembled the tentacles of death, relentlessly attacking Rhine.

Despair filled Rhine's eyes as he watched the branches, like venomous snakes, attack him, and he felt utterly powerless.

These were just the attacks from the opponent's summoned beasts, which were already keeping him on his toes. If the enemy in front of him were to attack in person, he would certainly not be able to escape his fate of death.

He couldn't help but think that the only reason he was still standing there was because the other party wanted to toy with him, to watch him struggle, to watch him despair.

The other party might be like a cat playing with its prey, and he, Rhine, is the mouse about to die, kept alive only to satisfy the other party's pleasure.

This thought made Rhine feel even more desperate; he felt he had let down Arthur's sacrifice and his rescue.

Because he realized he had no way to escape, let alone avenge Arthur.

He felt powerless and insignificant, a feeling more intense than any physical pain.

After a quick thought, Rhine made a decision—to give up.

His heart was filled with anger and helplessness. He cursed his fate and this cruel world.

To hell with going home, to hell with living, to hell with fate—he stopped struggling, stopped resisting, and chose to accept death.

Rhine roared, his voice filled with resentment and determination.

Immediately afterwards, he felt a sharp pain in his chest; it was the moment the branch pierced through his body.

His body involuntarily bent over, his eyes became dull, and he looked down at his chest, where there was a bloody hole from which blood was gushing out.

Then, Rhine felt as if something was blocking his throat, which was extremely uncomfortable. He couldn't help but cough violently and then vomited a mouthful of blood.

The blood stained his clothes and the ground around him, making it particularly glaring.

Rhine's body could no longer support him, and he collapsed helplessly to the ground, next to Arthur.

His vision began to blur, but he still tried to look at Arthur's tightly closed face, wanting to say sorry to Arthur.

I'm sorry, the person you tried so hard to save couldn't be saved in the end; I'm sorry, I let you down and couldn't live on with strength.

Mond stood not far away, looking at Rhine lying on the ground with some disbelief.

He did not expect that, at the last moment, Rhine would choose to give up the fight.

Although he knew that even if Rhine didn't give up, he wouldn't let him go, the other party's decision to give up still surprised him.

He had expected to see a fierce battle, a desperate opponent, but Rhine's surrender left him with a strange sense of loss.

Mond slowly walked to Rhine's side, his gaze cold as he watched Rhine's eyes gradually grow dull, and the blood that kept spilling from the corner of Rhine's mouth.

A pang of regret welled up in his heart, after all, he had not yet obtained any useful information from Rhine, and the man was clearly on the verge of death.

However, he shrugged, not really caring. To him, Rhine was just one of three targets.

There are two other people waiting for him to interrogate, so losing Rhine won't have a significant impact on his case.

Mond glanced one last time at Rhine on the ground, then turned to leave and continue with his next move.

However, just as he lifted his foot, preparing to take his first step, he suddenly sensed something amiss behind him. A subtle change, an unease he couldn't ignore.

His brow furrowed, and he quickly turned around, only to see that Rhine, who had been lying on the ground with signs of life fading away, was rapidly recovering under the influence of a mysterious force.

The power surrounded Rhine's body like a halo, and his wounds healed at a visible speed. The bleeding stopped, and his pale face gradually regained its rosy hue.