Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger-Chapter 28: Moss Hollow Cave [3]

"F-Finish it!"

Darren roared, veins bulging in his neck from the strain of holding back the thrashing beetle.

From the back, Lira raised her staff with trembling hands. Water Mana glowed softly around her as she channeled healing energy toward Soren and Torin.

"Please work, please work..."

Warm light washed over Soren’s injuries. The sharp pain in his ribs dulled to a manageable ache, and his shoulder loosened just enough for him to grip his spear again. Across the chamber, Torin gasped as the crushing pressure in his chest eased, allowing him to breathe properly.

He scrambled for his bow, fingers closing around a special arrow he’d been saving since the start of the raid. Its tip was engraved with faintly glowing runes.

It was a D-rank artifact arrow.

His hands shook as he nocked it, drawing the string back with the last of his strength. He aimed at the beetle’s head, where the shell was thinnest near the eyes.

"This better hit," he muttered through gritted teeth and released.

The arrow streaked through the air like a comet, striking true. It buried itself deep into the vulnerable spot, and the runes ignited instantly.

Flames erupted from within the beetle’s skull, spreading rapidly as the artifact’s power consumed it from the inside. The creature shrieked, a horrible, grating sound that echoed through the chamber. Its massive body thrashed even more violently, nearly throwing Darren back.

Nina gritted her teeth, her entire body trembling from exhaustion. She had barely any Mana left, her legs felt like lead, but she forced herself to move.

’O-One more step.’

’...Just one more.’

She poured every last drop of fire Mana into her swords, the blades igniting with weak but determined flames. She launched herself forward, aiming for the beetle’s last intact front leg—the one keeping it upright.

Her swords cut through with a final, desperate strike.

The leg was severed cleanly.

The Greater Stone Beetle’s massive body tipped forward, crashing to the ground with a deafening thud that shook the entire chamber. The flames from Torin’s arrow consumed its head completely, and after a few final, weak twitches, the creature went still.

Silence.

Complete, heavy silence.

Then Darren lowered his shield, breathing heavily. Sweat poured down his face, and his arms shook from the strain.

"Everyone... status?"

"I’m okay," Lira said weakly, slumping to the ground with her staff still clutched in both hands.

"Alive," Torin rasped, leaning heavily against the cave wall. His torso was bruised where the vines had constricted, but he was breathing.

Nina dropped to one knee, her swords clattering beside her. "...I’m out. Completely out."

Soren slowly stood, wincing as his ribs protested. "S-same here."

Darren looked around at his battered team, then let out a long, shaky exhale. His legs finally gave out, and he sat down hard on the stone floor.

"We... did it."

For a moment, no one spoke. They just sat there, catching their breath, letting the reality sink in.

They’d survived.

Torin was the first to break the silence, his voice hoarse. "That... was way harder than it should’ve been."

"The Elite Creeper wasn’t supposed to be here," Darren said, wiping sweat from his face. "Gates sometimes spawn variants, but that was unlucky timing."

Nina looked over at Soren, her expression unreadable. "You saved me back there. And you warned us before it attacked."

Soren shook his head modestly. "Just instinct. I felt something was wrong."

"Good instincts," Darren said, genuine respect in his voice. "If you hadn’t shouted, we might’ve all been caught off-guard. That could’ve ended badly."

Torin glanced at Soren, his earlier skepticism noticeably absent. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

Lira smiled weakly. "Brother Soren is amazing!"

Soren felt a bit embarrassed by the sudden attention and scratched the back of his head. "I was just doing what anyone would’ve done."

"Not anyone," Nina said quietly. She picked up her swords and stood, though her legs were still shaky. "Most people would’ve frozen or run."

An awkward but comfortable silence settled over the group as they recovered.

After a few minutes, Darren pushed himself back to his feet. "Alright. Let’s collect the loot and head back. We’re all exhausted and need to get treatment."

The team moved toward the beetle’s corpse. Its massive body yielded various loot—fragments of hardened shell, intact mandible pieces, and embedded within its chest, the boss core glowing faintly with concentrated Mana. The core was by far the most valuable piece.

However, the Creeper’s core was split cleanly in half, its glow significantly dimmer than it should have been. Still valuable, but worth less than an intact variant core.

Nina looked apologetic. "Sorry, I didn’t have time to aim around it."

"Don’t apologize. You saved our lives, too," Darren said firmly. He turned to Soren. "Brother Soren, you should take this."

Soren blinked. "What? No, we should split everything equally."

"You’re the one who warned us about the ambush. Without that, we’d all be dead or seriously injured." Darren’s tone was firm. "And you saved Nina. Take it."

"He’s right," Nina added quietly. "You earned it."

Torin nodded in agreement, still catching his breath.

Soren hesitated, looking at the damaged core in Darren’s outstretched hand. He wanted to refuse, but the sincerity in their eyes made it clear they wouldn’t take no for an answer.

"...Alright," he said reluctantly, accepting the core. "Thank you."

Darren smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "No, thank you."

He then carefully extracted the boss core and divided the regular cores they’d collected throughout the raid into five equal piles.

"Equal split for everything else, as agreed," he said, handing each member their share.

Soren accepted his portion, the weight of the cores settling in his hands alongside the damaged variant core.

As for the other loot, they would calculate after selling it and then do the math.

"Let’s go back," Darren said, leading the group toward the exit.

_____

The journey back through the cave was quiet and uneventful.

When they finally stepped through the portal and emerged into the open air, the bright afternoon sunlight felt almost blinding after the dim cave. Soren squinted, breathing in the fresh air with relief.

The checkpoint official glanced up from his desk. "Clear?"

"Clear," Darren confirmed, showing the boss core as proof. He also informed the man about a variant’s appearance.

The official marked it down in his records and waved them through.

The team moved to a shaded area near the parked truck and collapsed onto the grass, completely drained.

"Everyone, let me heal you properly now," Lira said, standing with effort despite her own exhaustion. Her Mana was low, but she had enough left for basic treatment.

She went to each member in turn, channeling healing energy to close cuts, ease bruises, and soothe strained muscles. By the time she finished, her face was pale, and her hands trembled, but everyone was in much better condition.

"Thank you, Lira," Soren said sincerely.

"You’re welcome, Brother Soren!" she said with a tired but genuine smile.

After resting for another twenty minutes, they climbed back into the truck and began the drive back to the city.

____ ___ _

The return trip took about half an hour. No one talked much since everyone was too tired. Lira dozed off in the back seat, her head resting against the window. Nina stared out at the passing landscape, her expression distant. Torin leaned back with his eyes closed, still recovering from the vine constriction.

Soren sat in the passenger seat beside Darren, who drove steadily and carefully.

"You did well today, Brother Soren," Darren said quietly. "Really well."

"Thanks. You all did too."

"We make a good team," Darren said with a small smile. "If you’re interested, we’d be happy to have you join us for future raids."

Soren blinked in surprise. "You mean...?"

"Mm. I am inviting you to our party." Darren glanced at him. "Think about it. No rush."

Soren nodded slowly. "I will. Thank you."

When they reached the city, they stopped at the Hunter Market to sell the loot. The boss core, variant core, shell fragments, and other materials were appraised and sold. After tallying everything and splitting the profits equally, each member walked away with a decent payout.

Soren pocketed his share along with the damaged variant core they’d insisted he keep. It had been a good haul.

By the time they finished all the administrative work and parted ways, it was already past noon.

The group stood outside the Hunter Market entrance, the afternoon sun warm on their shoulders.

"Alright, everyone. Great work today," Darren said, his voice tired but satisfied. "Get some rest. We’ll do this again soon."

"Take care, Brother Soren!" Lira waved enthusiastically.

"See you around," Nina said with a slight nod.

Torin gave a casual wave. "Thanks again for earlier."

Soren smiled. "You too. All of you."

He pulled out his phone and called a taxi. Within a few minutes, a car pulled up to the curb.

As Soren climbed into the back seat, Darren called out one last time.

"Think about what I said, Brother Soren!"

Soren gave a thumbs-up through the window, and the taxi pulled away.

He leaned back in the seat, exhaustion finally catching up to him.

His first party raid was over.

And it had been a success.

However, just as he was about to fall into a light doze, his phone buzzed.

Soren glanced at the screen.

... An unknown number.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered. "Hello?"

A cold, unfamiliar voice spoke on the other end.

"Soren Valmere. We need to talk. You.. and about your wife."