The Mighty Mage
Chapter 335: Rescue

Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Rescue

Long Yifan’s body ached with every step as he sprinted through the dense forest.

The faint glow of the absorbed core crystal in his chest kept him moving, its warmth battling the creeping exhaustion in his limbs.

Gu Jin rested in his arms, her breathing shallow but steady.

Behind him, the sound of someone stumbling over roots and leaves made him grit his teeth.

"Long Yifan! Long Yifan, stop!" Gu Aihan’s shrill, desperate voice echoed through the trees.

He didn’t slow. The weight of her words carried nothing but irritation for him now.

"Did you hear me? I said STOP!" she screamed, her voice breaking. Her ragged breaths signaled how hard she was pushing herself to keep up with him.

When it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, Gu Aihan stumbled closer and shouted, "I’m your fiancée! Do you understand what that means? You have to protect me! You made a promise to your mother—don’t forget it!"

At the mention of his mother, Long Yifan faltered for the briefest moment.

His pace slowed, and Gu Aihan took it as encouragement.

"You said you’d always look after me! Do you think your mother’s dying wish is something you can just cast aside? Protect me, and we can get through this together! That girl," she spat, glaring at Gu Jin in his arms, "is why the supreme-rank beasts are chasing you! Get rid of her, and they’ll leave you alone. You’ll be safe! We’ll be safe!"

Long Yifan’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping Gu Jin protectively. He glanced down at her unconscious face.

"No," he said quietly, his voice hardening like steel. "I’m not abandoning her."

Gu Aihan froze for a second, disbelief written across her face.

"What... what do you mean, ’no’? Are you insane? You’ll die protecting her! Do you think she’s worth it? She’s the reason the beasts are after you!"

"That’s enough," Long Yifan snapped, his voice cutting through her tirade like a blade.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, his dark eyes burning with a mix of anger and resolve.

"Gu Aihan, I don’t care about your schemes, your words, or your lies anymore. I will never

abandon Gu Jin. Not for you, not for anyone."

"But—"

"Quiet!" Long Yifan’s voice boomed, silencing her. His chest heaved as he continued, his tone laced with bitterness.

"Do you think I’ve forgotten my mother’s last wish? I remember it every day. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let it chain me.

She’s gone, and I’ve spent too long living under the shadow of a promise that served only your selfish desires."

Gu Aihan’s lips quivered. "You... you promised her! You can’t just—"

"I can, and I will." His voice softened, but the edge of determination remained.

"Gu Jin is someone who has fought for me, suffered for me, and believed in me when no one else did. If I have to fight every beast in this cursed forest, I will, but I will not let anything happen to her."

Tears welled in Gu Aihan’s eyes, her voice trembling with desperation.

"You’re throwing your life away for her! For what? For someone who’ll bring you nothing but destruction?"

Long Yifan shook his head.

"I’ve already made my choice. You can fend for yourself or keep running, but don’t waste your breath trying to change my mind."

Without another glance, he turned and continued running, holding Gu Jin closer to his chest.

Gu Aihan stumbled after him, her voice hoarse from yelling. "You’ll regret this, Long Yifan! When she brings your doom, don’t say I didn’t warn you!"

He didn’t look back, his focus narrowing on the path ahead.

As the trees closed around him, her words faded into the distance, replaced by the distant roars of the pursuing beasts.

Long Yifan whispered to himself, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips. "If you are the reason for my doom, Gu Jin, I will happily accept it."

2 days later.

"Three down," Long Yifan muttered, his body battered and bruised from the relentless clashes. He glanced down at Gu Jin’s pale face and tightened his hold.

"But I don’t know how much more of this I can handle."

His mind replayed the brutal fights.

The Ten-Legged Octopus had been a nightmare, its tentacles whipping through the air like battering rams.

Long Yifan’s "Resonant Tremor" had disrupted its footing long enough for him to plunge his "Shadow Lance" into its exposed core.

The Pink Prawn was deceptively agile, zipping through the air with blinding speed.

Long Yifan had relied on "Frost Barricade" and "Entropy Spiral" to trap it, delivering the finishing blow with "Celestial Gale."

The Sharp-Toothed Fish, with its razor-like scales, had nearly ended him.

It took a perfectly timed "Lightning Chains" and "Lightburst Arrow" combination to immobilize it long enough for a fatal strike.

But victory came at a cost.

Blood seeped from a deep gash on his side, his mana reserves were dangerously low, and every breath sent a sharp pain through his ribs.

"Three’s my limit," Long Yifan muttered, collapsing to one knee beneath a towering tree. He placed Gu Jin gently against the trunk and let out a shaky breath.

The glow of the three beast cores shimmered in his palm.

"If I don’t absorb these, we’re both done for," he said, pressing the cores to his chest.

A surge of energy flooded his body as the cores dissolved into pure elemental essence, spreading warmth through his limbs.

His wounds began to heal, his strength returned, and his mana pool expanded.

The sensation was intoxicating—his cultivation leaped forward in bounds, but with it came an ominous realization.

The shockwaves of his breakthrough rippled outward, causing the air to hum with unstable energy.

"No..." he whispered, panic gripping him. He glanced at Gu Jin, her fragile form untouched by the chaos he had wrought. "If I keep going, this world will tear itself apart."

"I need to get her out of here," he muttered, his eyes scanning the forest for any sign of help.

At the same time.

The air split apart. Ten figures emerged from the swirling portal that had materialized in the clearing.

Leading the ten figures was a handsome man with a gentle demeanor. Gu Jihu looked around and said with a dark face.

"The safety zone’s wall has crashed," Gu Jihu announced grimly, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade.

"Supreme-rank beasts are running loose in the forest. Our priority is to rescue the students. Split into teams, secure the survivors, and send them to the extraction point. No one gets left behind."

"Yes, sir!" the team responded in unison before dispersing into the dense forest.

Gu Jihu didn’t wait; his gaze sharpened with determination.

He had his own purpose. He wants to rescue Gu Jin and hopes that she won’t get into any kind of trouble.

10 hours later.

The students, battered and weary, gathered around the extraction zone. A sleek, magical transport bus from the Magic Council hovered nearby, its glowing insignia signaling safety.

Gu Aihan was among the rescued, her disheveled appearance doing little to hide the relief in her eyes.

As the tall figure of Gu Jihu approached, her face lit up like dawn breaking through a storm. S

he rushed toward him with unrestrained enthusiasm.

"Brother Jihu!" she exclaimed, "You came for me, didn’t you? I knew you wouldn’t abandon me! You’ve always been my savior!"

The nearby students, dirty and exhausted, watched with envy and awe.

"Of course, Gu Aihan would be the first one to get saved," one muttered under his breath.

"She’s so lucky," another sighed. "Not only is she talented, but she has Gu Jihu for a brother. He’s practically a legend."

"I wish I had a brother like that," a girl whispered wistfully.

Hearing the murmurs, Gu Aihan straightened her back and gave the faintest smug smile. She looked every bit the damsel in distress, but her inner thoughts simmered with satisfaction.

Turning back to Gu Jihu, she clutched his arm tighter.

"Brother, do you know what Long Yifan did?" she began, her voice dripping with indignation. "He abandoned me for her! For Gu Jin! He—"

"That’s enough," Gu Jihu interrupted, his tone icy. His sharp gaze met hers, and she faltered, blinking in confusion.

"But I’m your sister!" she stammered, trying to regain her composure.

"You can’t let him get away with this! And Gu Jin—she’s the reason for all this chaos! If you—"

Gu Jihu’s patience snapped.

With a sharp motion, he pushed her aside, his strength making her stumble back a few steps.

"Brother?" Gu Aihan gasped, disbelief etched on her face. "What are you doing?"

Without sparing her a glance, Gu Jihu stepped past her, his expression cold as ice.

"My business is with Long Yifan and Gu Jin. Stay out of it."

"W-what do you mean?" Gu Aihan sputtered, her voice rising in panic. She reached for him, but her hand grasped only air as he moved away.

"Where are you going? I’m your sister! You can’t just—"

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