[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 177: A Bloody Bait

Darius’s long blade clashed against thick, monstrous flesh. The vibration of heavy impact rattled through his weary bones.

He jumped to the side, dodging an incoming strike from the hulking orc in front of him. He barely stabilized his body, but his breath still came in ragged gasps.

The silver sword tore through the nearest orc’s chest, but the beast was persistent. Even as it bled, it still swung its massive claws at him.

Darius twisted his sword just in time to block the strike, but the sheer force sent him staggering. His muscles were burning from exhaustion.

His grip faltered for a mere second, but in a battle like this, a second was the difference between life and death.

These high-level orcs before him were nothing like the mindless beasts they had slain before.

These creatures were intelligent and much more cunning than the blind ones. They had learned from their fallen brethren. Their crimson eyes gleamed with malicious hunger as they stared at Darius.

The second orc lunged at him. Its grotesque gaping mouth, dripped with smelly saliva as it aimed straight for his throat.

He barely managed to dodge the direct attack, and yet its crooked nails raked across his arm.

Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth and retaliated. His silver blade plunged deep into its gut.

Yet, even as he cut it down, he felt the shift in the air.

A third one was already aiming to bite his back. This one had waited, biding its time, watching for an opening. And now, it lunged at him from behind.

Darius turned too late. His body was sluggish from both mana depletion and constant fighting. His vision blurred for a second.

Just as he desperately blinked his eyes to clear his sight, a shadow blurred past him.

Xion.

The black-haired healer had moved without hesitation, throwing himself between Darius and the oncoming strike.

His body, so much smaller compared to the towering orc, took the full brunt of the attack.

The sickening wet squishing sound of claws tearing through flesh echoed loudly in Darius’ ears. Blood sprayed across the battlefield.

Yet, Xion did not fall.

Even as the orc’s jagged claws carved deep into his side, he remained standing, shielding Darius with his own body.

Xion staggered from the impact but refused to fall, planting himself between Darius and the monsters.

At the same moment, from the opposite side, Ray did the same.

Gritting his teeth, he blocked another strike with his sword, though his injured arm barely had the strength to hold up his blade.

Darius felt his heart lurch in his chest. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Why was Xion here?

His body moved before his mind could catch up. Instinct, desperation and something primal surged through him.

His mana flared up without any prior warning.

His sword trembled in his grip as the silver blade became consumed by the ominous energy. The streaks of corrupted mana crawled along the steel, flickering like eerie flames under the torchlight.

Darius didn’t hesitate. With one hand he yanked Xion back and with the other, he swung his blade.

The corrupted mana erupted. The air rippled as the blade met flesh, and in one strike, the orc that had dared to touch Xion was severed in half.

Its corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud, steam rising from where Darius’s blade had burned through its body.

It died without a sound.

For a brief moment, silence hung over them only to be broken by Xion’s words.

"Ray, take him away!"

Darius barely registered it. His mind was still reeling from fury while his body thrummed with even more exhaustion.

But Ray heard it. And for the first time, the knight captain did not look to his master for approval.

He obeyed.

Ray’s grip tightened around Darius’s uninjured side. He had one goal. Get His Grace away from here before it is too late.

But Darius resisted. He turned to the side. His gaze was locked onto Xion’s bloodied form. "No -"

Xion didn’t let him argue. He did not even spare Darius a glance. With his back to his grace, Xion waved his hand. It was clear dismission, an order for the knight to follow his command.

The moment Ray started dragging Darius back, Xion acted.

’Ready, system?’

[Yes, host. But are you sure you want to do this? This will put you in dang-]

’We don’t have time for that.’

Xion’s words dismissed the system from persuading anymore. Soon a fragrance started emitting from Xion’s body. Each and every pore of his body was flooding the air with an intoxicating aroma.

This delicate scent was mixed with his blood and something that would make the orcs even hungrier than ever.

His blood, his very presence, became bait. Xion was the most tempting lure for the ravenous creatures and also the person in the deadliest position.

In the next second, his scent thickened in the air.

The orcs who had been fighting indiscriminately just moments ago froze. Then, as if possessed, their grotesque heads snapped toward Xion.

Their yellowed, and red eyes dilated to such a degree that it was frightening to watch. The soldiers stayed still, not moving an inch, not making a sound.

They watched as the orcs started sniffing the air, taking a long drag while their gaping maws dripped with hunger.

Xion didn’t wait for them to take action. Dragging his blood-dripping body, he ran with all his might.

Using the system’s strengthening card, he rushed forward, leaving behind the blurry shadow.

And the hungry horde followed behind him with equal rush.

Darius felt the pull on his arm, but he was too far gone to notice it.

Everything happened so quickly that all he could do was watch. Watch as Xion led them away. Watch as that dark-haired fool put himself right in death’s waiting jaws.

He struggled to form any other words. However, only one name echoed in his mind. Xion.

And yet, he could not let it escape from his lips. Because saying it out loud was admitting that he had let Xion get hurt, that just in front of his eyes, his fool of a healer had taken a danger head first.

All because Xion was trying to protect him.

He instinctively tried to fight against Ray’s hold. He wanted to follow Xion.

At least, even if he was weak, he was still strong enough to fight. But Xion? That idiot did not even know the basics of fighting? How was he going to get rid of all those orcs?

Nonetheless, the knight didn’t let go.

His Grace was so weak that even with his injured arm, Ray could subdue his master. So, how could he take the risk to let his grace go after Xion?

When the archduke noticed how everyone just stood there silently, waiting for the hoard to go away, Darius felt cold.

"Let go."

Ray did not. Not even when he knew how angry his grace sounded.

"Ray! Are you defying my orders?!" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

For the first time in years, Darius raised his voice.

Ray flinched. But he still did not let go. After all, he wasn’t defying his grace. Rather he was saving him.

"He wants to save you, Your Grace!" Ray struggled to hold the struggling archduke in his arms. "Don’t waste his sacrifice!"

Darius’s breath stilled.

Sacrifice.