The Weakest Hunter Ascends

the last deserter

Front, back, left, and right.

To maintain a complete perimeter, four individuals was the absolute mathematical minimum required.

Arthur himself, Julie, Mr. Sterling, and Kim. A single person abandoning their post now would create an unmonitorable blind spot in their collective field of view.

Kim wiped a thick sheen of cold sweat from his forehead, his shortsword trembling in his hand as he demanded, "Arthur, what the hell is happening?! Explain it to me properly!"

"As long as we hold our ground on this platform, we survive!" Arthur shouted back, his voice hoarse. "We just have to wait until every single blue flame goes out!"

Arthur rapidly laid out every variable he had deduced regarding the Third Commandment. Kim’s ears perked up, his head nodding in frantic, erratic bursts as he absorbed the information.

Arthur quickly wrapped up his explanation, adding one final, firm plea:

"Listen to me! Every single person remaining on this platform can walk out of here alive!"

The internal mechanics of the sanctuary had always provided a logical path for survival. The final law was no different. Arthur was utterly convinced that no one else needed to bleed, provided the remaining survivors simply trusted one another to hold the line.

“……”

Unfortunately, Kim’s brain was operating on an entirely different set of incentives.

"Look, Arthur... maybe your math is right," Kim stuttered, taking a hesitant step back toward the edge of the steps. "But... what if the door seals permanently when that timer hits zero instead of opening?"

"……"

Arthur opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He had constructed his hypothesis by weighing dozens of environmental variables, but until the final ember vanished, he couldn't offer a hundred percent guarantee.

And a guarantee was the only thing Kim wanted. Rather than gambling on a collective promise of group survival, the immediate, absolute certainty of saving his own skin proved far more tempting.

"I'm sorry, kid..." Kim muttered, his voice cracking. "I can't stay in this box anymore."

"Kim, wait! Don't—!"

"I'm sorry."

Dropping his gaze, Kim stepped down off the altar. Ignoring Arthur’s desperate yells, he spun on his heel and sprinted toward the open doorway. He paused for a fraction of a second at the threshold, glancing back at the dim cathedral, before crossing out into the natural cavern beyond.

Arthur clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

"Damn it!!"

He had used his own mind to save these people's lives, yet when the leverage shifted, all he received in return was calculated abandonment. A cold, bitter wave of anger washed over him.

True to Arthur's calculations, the moment Kim abandoned the alignment, a massive blind spot opened in their surveillance network. It was physically impossible for three crippled survivors to monitor four complete cardinal directions.

Instantly, the guardian statues positioned in the unobserved quadrants began their relentless advance toward the platform.

Creeeeaaaakkkk…

Creeaakkk…

The ring of stone figures was tightening like a vice. Sterling swept his gaze across the closing perimeter, then looked down at Arthur and Julie.

"You two need to leave now," Sterling said softly, his tone completely flat, echoing with a quiet resignation.

Arthur snapped his head up toward the veteran.

"Mr. Sterling, what are you saying?!"

"Kim was right about one thing," Sterling replied, a faint, sad smile touching his weathered face. "I was the commanding officer who brought us into this extra chamber. If someone has to hold the line so the rest can escape, it's my responsibility."

"No! We can still—"

"You two have your entire lives ahead of you," Sterling interrupted gently. "You're the ones who should walk out of here today."

Arthur’s words caught in his throat. He looked at the old man's face, realizing Sterling had already made peace with his fate, driven by a desire to spare the two youngest members of the raid.

"……"

Arthur lowered his eyes, unable to offer a counter argument. He felt sick to his stomach, but there simply wasn't time left to debate who should play the martyr.

Sterling turned his focus to Julie.

"Julie, can you help Arthur down the steps? You two need to move."

"Y-yes..."

Julie reached out, attempting to brace her hands under Arthur's shoulders to hoist him up, but the moment she applied pressure, her knees buckled and she collapsed flat onto the flagstones.

"Ah……"

She tried frantically to push herself back up, but her limbs refused to obey. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, spilling down her pale cheeks.

"My legs... Arthur, I can't feel my legs..."

Arthur and Sterling’s expressions hardened instantly.

Even a novice could see that Julie’s physical condition was critical. Her lips had turned a terrifying shade of pale blue, and a violent tremor ran through her body. She was experiencing severe neurological backlash from completely burning out her mana core while already at the brink of exhaustion.

Because she poured everything she had into closing the arterial bleeding on my leg...

Arthur felt a tight, suffocating knot form in his chest. But the sanctuary wasn't waiting for them to recover.

Creeeeaaaakkkk…

The stone statues were grinding closer by the second, their shadows lengthening across the platform.

Arthur shoved Sterling’s hand away, deliberately dropping his upper body flat onto the cold stone floor. Sterling’s eyes widened in shock.

"Arthur?! What are you doing?!"

Arthur met the veteran's gaze with an absolute, unyielding resolve.

"Mr. Sterling, pick Julie up and get out of here right now."

"I told you, I'm the one staying!"

"And how are you going to carry her through that doorway before the timer runs out?!" Arthur snapped. "Look at her! She can't even sit up!"

It was a cold, mathematical reality. Carrying a paralyzed person off the platform while missing an arm was impossible for Sterling within the narrowing time frame unless someone drew the aggro.

Of course, there was another option: they could leave Julie behind to save themselves. But Julie had saved Arthur's life more times than he could count, and the only reason she was paralyzed right now was because she had nearly killed herself trying to save his.

Arthur refused to live the rest of his life carrying the soul-crushing guilt of abandoning her in this hellhole.

"There's no time left to argue," Arthur rasped, his voice steady. "Go. Right now."

"……"

Sterling’s face twisted with a profound, quiet agony. He reached down, hoisting Julie's limp form up and balancing her securely over his right shoulder. Julie shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face as she reached out a weak hand toward Arthur.

"No... Arthur, please... you can still survive... let me..."

"Hey," Arthur cut in softly, a faint, tired smile breaking through the blood on his face. "I still owe you that dinner, remember?"

He reached into his tactical vest, pulled out the tiny, low-grade E-Rank mana crystal he had harvested earlier that morning, and pressed it firmly into her trembling fingers.

"Take this and grab something nice. When I clear this dungeon, I'm coming to collect the change."

Julie’s eyes flashed with a sudden, furious grief.

"How can you make a stupid joke right now, Arthur?!"

Before she could scream further, Arthur caught Sterling’s eye and gave a slight nod. The veteran brought the edge of his calloused hand down lightly against the side of Julie's neck.

"Ah..."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and her body went completely limp over Sterling's shoulder.

Sterling looked down at Arthur, his weathered face etched with deep sorrow.

"I'm sorry, kid..."

"It was my choice," Arthur replied quietly. "Get her home."

Sterling bowed his head deeply to the young man lying in the blood on the floor. Without another word, he turned and sprinted down the steps, carrying Julie toward the open doorway.