The Weakest Healer Became a God

A Kiss Before Death

Adrian keeps his eyes fixed on the massive goblin outside the barrier, his mind racing as Marcus's question hangs in the air. He takes a slow breath and points toward the walls around them. “The traps. They were all deliberately set.” His finger moves toward the dead goblins scattered across the chamber. “And look at those bodies. They weren't simply killed. They were eaten.”

Marcus follows his gaze, his expression becoming more serious.

Adrian continues, his voice steady despite the fear tightening his chest. “There are three kinds of goblins. Most of them stay weak, but one of those three types can evolve. When they do, they become stronger by eating their own kind. That's why there are so many dead goblins here. This thing killed them and consumed them so it could evolve.”

Selene's eyes move from the bodies to the goblin outside the barrier. “You know all that?”

Adrian nods. “I've studied monsters.”

Darius turns toward him, his expression changing slightly. “How?”

Adrian looks at him for a moment before giving a small smile. “While you guys train your swords, I train my brain.”

Marcus raises an eyebrow.

Adrian continues, “Most of what I know comes from the academy library. There are records about different monsters, their habits, their abilities, and how they evolve. According to the history books, this type of goblin hasn't appeared for decades.”

Darius's gaze shifts back toward the goblin.

The creature is still circling the barrier, its mischievous smile never leaving its face.

Darius's jaw tightens before he turns toward Marcus. “Contact the academy dungeon response squad. Tell them to send an SS-Rank student to our aid.”

Marcus immediately pulls out the communication device and tries to activate it.

Nothing happens.

He tries again.

Still nothing.

Adrian suddenly points toward the entrance of the dungeon. “That won't work.”

Everyone looks at him.

“Look.” Adrian points toward a green crystal embedded near the top of the entrance. “That is a magical signal jammer. As long as that thing is active, we can't contact anyone in the academy.”

Marcus looks toward the crystal and curses under his breath. “You're right.”

Darius remains silent.

His eyes stay on Adrian.

Even though the boy struggles to remain standing whenever he heals someone, he has managed to analyse everything around them. The traps, the dead goblins, the monster's behaviour, and now the signal jammer. Darius has to admit it.

He's smart.

Too smart for someone who is supposed to be useless.

If only he hadn't fallen in love with Lena, Darius thinks, perhaps he would have considered sparing his life and taking only the pendant.

“Darius, your call!” Selene suddenly shouts.

The barrier shakes violently as the goblin slams into it again.

Selene arms tremble as she struggles to maintain the shield. Sweat runs down her forehead, and her breathing becomes heavier with every attack.

“I can't hold on to this barrier any longer!”

Marcus looks toward Darius. “What are we going to do?”

He glances at Adrian before looking back at the goblin. “If this useless healer is right, then we're doomed. We can't possibly defeat an SS-Rank monster. We don't even have an SS-Rank with us, and you're only an S-Rank. The signal isn't connecting either, so I can't contact the academy.”

Darius closes his eyes for a brief moment.

Then he opens them.

“Fine.”

His voice is calm, but there is a slight shake beneath it.

“If it comes to that, then we end it here.”

Darius slowly nods toward the others.

Marcus understands immediately and gives the same nod.

Selene does the same.

Finally, Lena lowers her eyes before giving a small nod of her own.

Adrian watches them one after another, confused by the silent exchange and yet he doesn't understand what the nod means, but he sees something in their faces that makes his stomach tighten.

They're scared.

All of them.

Just like him.

Lena suddenly steps away from the group and walks toward Adrian. She stops beside him, close enough that he can feel her breath against his ear.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

Adrian blinks.

“For what?”

Before he can say anything else, Lena places her lips against his.

Adrian freezes.

For a moment, everything around him disappears.

The barrier.

The goblin.

The others.

All he can feel is Lena.

His girlfriend.

The person who stayed beside him when everyone else treated him like he was worthless.

Then something cold pierces his stomach.

Adrian's eyes widen.

His body jerks as the dagger sinks deeper.

Lena pulls away.

Adrian looks down.

A short dagger is buried in his stomach.

Blood slowly runs down the blade.

His hands tremble as he looks back at Lena, his mind refusing to understand what just happened.

“Why?”

The word barely leaves his mouth.

Lena doesn't answer.

Instead, she grabs the red gem pendant hanging around his neck and pulls it free.

The chain snaps.

Adrian staggers backward.

His legs give out, and he crashes onto the ground.

His hand moves toward the dagger instinctively. He wants to pull it out. He wants to heal himself.

But his body doesn't move.

His chest tightens as he stares at Lena.

Tears begin rolling down his cheeks.

Why?

He can't understand it.

Why would Lena do this?

“Now!”

Darius's voice cuts through the chamber.

Selene immediately releases the barrier.

The blue shield breaks apart and transforms into a thick cloud of smoke that spreads across the chamber.

Marcus and Lena attack at the same time.

Lightning tears through the smoke while arrows fly toward the place where the goblin had been standing.

The chamber fills with flashes of light and the sound of explosions.

But when the dust begins to settle, the goblin is gone.

Darius turns toward the others. “Move!”

They immediately run.

Adrian remains on the ground, blood spreading beneath him as the dagger stays buried in his stomach.

The others leave the chamber and quickly seal the entrance behind them.

The goblin doesn't follow.

It ignores their escape completely.

Its attention remains fixed on Adrian.

Adrian's breathing becomes uneven as he lies there, staring at the place where Lena disappeared. His fingers curl against the stone floor, but they lack the strength to pull himself up.

His mind begins replaying everything.

Lena's smile.

Her voice.

The way she used to encourage him.

The times she stood beside him when everyone else laughed at his E-Rank Healing.

He remembers how hard he tried to become useful to the team.

Every time he healed Marcus, his body became weaker.

Every time he healed Selene, his legs became heavier.

Every time someone needed healing, he obeyed.

“Adrian, heal Marcus.”

“Adrian, heal Selene.”

“Do that.”

“Do this.”

“Don't keep us waiting.”

He always obeyed.

He thought that was what being part of a team meant.

He thought that if he kept working hard, eventually they would accept him.

He thought he had finally found a place where he belonged.

But Lena...

His eyes close as another tear slips down his cheek.

He remembers the times she stared at Darius.

The quiet conversations between them.

The playful gestures.

He saw them.

He noticed them.

But he never thought anything of it.

Lena could never fall for someone like Darius, he had told himself.

Darius flirted with different girls all the time.

Why would Lena choose him?

Adrian remembers something else.

Lena asking about his pendant.

She had wanted to see it.

He refused to give it to her because it was the only valuable thing he possessed in this world.

Now he understands why she wanted it.

His fingers tremble against the ground.

“Why?”

The word escapes his lips again, but there is no one left to answer him.

Why did they abandon him?

Why did Lena betray him?

Why did he trust them?

A sudden pull against his leg interrupts his thoughts.

Adrian's eyes widen.

Something has grabbed him.

He looks down and sees the goblin holding his leg.

The massive creature begins dragging him across the stone floor.

Adrian tries to resist, but his body is too weak.

The dagger is still buried in his stomach, and every movement sends another wave of pain through him.

He manages to lift his head.

The goblin stops beside a section of the cave wall.

It reaches toward the stone and presses its hand against it.

Something clicks.

A hidden passage opens.

Adrian's eyes widen.

The goblin begins dragging him inside.

The bright blue crystals of the main chamber slowly disappear behind them as the darkness of the passage surrounds him.

Blood continues dripping from Adrian stomach, leaving a trail across the ground.

His vision begins to blur.

The last thing he sees before his eyes start closing is the goblin dragging him deeper into the darkness.

Outside the cave, Darius and the others finally make it out.

Selene bends forward, breathing heavily as she places her hands on her knees. “That was close.”

Marcus takes a deep breath and looks toward the dungeon entrance.

Darius remains silent for a moment before turning toward Lena.

A smile slowly appears on his face.

“Finally,” he says. “That annoying brat is gone.”

He reaches for Lena's hand.

She doesn't pull away.

Their fingers intertwine, and Darius pulls her closer before their lips meet in a passionate kiss.

Marcus looks away with a faint smirk while Selene simply watches them.

Darius pulls back and looks into Lena's eyes. “How does it feel getting rid of your own boyfriend?”

Lena's expression doesn't change.

“I never wanted a weakling as my boyfriend.”

She opens her hand.

The red gem pendant rests in her palm.

Darius's eyes immediately fall on it.

“Give it to me.”

Lena places the pendant in his hand.

“Here is the pendant.”

Darius closes his fingers around it before looking toward the dungeon entrance. “Let's go before the dungeon gate closes.”

He turns toward Marcus. “What about the supplies?”

Marcus lifts Adrian's bag, showing it to the others.

“Everything is here.”

Darius nods.

Then let's go, as they begin walking away from the dungeon.

After a few steps, Darius speaks again. “If anyone asks, we were overwhelmed and Adrian died in the process. We were only lucky to survive.”

Selene nods as she walks beside them. “Nobody will doubt us.”

She glances back toward the dungeon before turning away.

“Everyone knows how weak and pathetic he is.”

Her lips curl into a faint smile.

“His only attribute is his handsome face.”