Abomination

The chaotic scene before them was unlike anything Axel and Rael had ever expected. A large pack of mutated dire wolves, supposedly loyal underlings of the dungeon's boss monster, had turned against it, attacking with relentless ferocity. The sight was startling, to say the least.

What was unfolding defied precedent, but the reason soon became clear. It was their eyes.

Upon closer inspection, using the telescope, Axel and Rael noticed the anomaly. The wolves' eyes glowed with a faint yet unmistakable green hue, an unnatural gleam that stood out even from a distance.

Normally, these creatures didn't have such eyes. Under normal circumstances, their pupils would appear ordinary in daylight, and in darkness, they would exhibit a faint yellow glow, an innate characteristic familiar to most awakeners who had encountered them. Axel himself had observed it during the fight in the dark tunnel.

But this green glow was something else entirely. This wasn't natural. These weren't just mutated dire wolves anymore, they were being controlled.

This theory was only solidified by the hooded figure standing off to the side, watching the scene unfold. Axel and Rael had noticed him immediately upon arrival. Rael had identified him as the false ranker he had mentioned earlier, the one responsible for killing and mutilating the other participants.

"He's just standing there, controlling them. But why isn't he joining in? The strategy doesn't seem to be working," Axel said in a confused voice.

It was a strange sight indeed. The boss monster, formidable in its own right, was holding its ground against the swarm of wolves. Despite their mechanical and relentless attacks, the creature tore through them one by one with sheer brute force. The wolves' strategy appeared ineffective, and yet, the hooded figure made no move to intervene.

"I think… maybe he doesn't intend to fight it directly. He could be trying to exhaust it," Rael suggested.

"Hmm... that's likely," Axel replied, then added, "Or maybe he doesn't intend to kill it at all."

Rael paused, a brief flicker of realization crossing his face. "T-that's possible..."

"Not just possible, more likely," Axel said. "His goals might be far more complicated than we thought."

Before arriving at the scene, Axel had hashed out a rough plan. He had taken every circumstance into account, the identity of the false ranker, the nature of the dungeon, and the formidable obstacles ahead. It wasn't a perfect strategy, but it was the best he could devise given the situation.

The dungeon posed two major threats: the boss monster, and the false ranker, who was a powerful adversary. Axel's ideal outcome was to avoid fighting either of them. The original plan hinged on one key assumption: the false ranker's goal was to kill the boss monster. If they let him do the dirty work, the exit would open, and they could slip out without having to fight.

Of course, things rarely went according to plan. That's why they had a Plan B. If the boss monster and the false ranker weakened each other in the fight, Axel and Rael would swoop in to finish them both off, a classic "kill two birds with one stone" approach. But this option depended on the strength gap between them and the false ranker being manageable, a detail they had already confirmed.

Now, as Axel watched the chaotic scene unfolding below, it was clear that neither plan was feasible.

"Seems like we're out of options," Axel muttered, lowering the telescope.

The false ranker wasn't behaving as expected. He didn't appear to be trying to kill the boss monster at all. Instead, his strategy seemed slow and methodical, wearing the creature down with waves of controlled wolves. The reason for this tactic wasn't immediately clear, but it reeked of something dark and sinister. Axel could feel it in his gut.

And the implication was obvious. If the false ranker didn't kill the boss monster, the dungeon's exit wouldn't open. They'd be trapped here. That was the one outcome Axel and Rael had to avoid at all costs.

"Plan C," Axel said finally, his voice firm. He turned to Rael. "We attack him now."

Rael blinked, his brows knitting together in alarm. "Attack? Now? Isn't that too dangerous?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of panic.

By their estimates, the false ranker was a solid C-ranker, a significant threat even under normal circumstances. Attacking him now, when he was still at full strength, seemed like an enormous risk.

"Of course it's dangerous," Axel admitted, his tone calm but resolute. "But if we want to get out of this dungeon, this is our best shot. If we let him carry on with whatever he's planning, it'll be too late by the time we figure it out. Besides," he added, glancing back at the fray, "we still have some leverage. The boss monster is a wildcard. He can't focus all his power on us while that thing's still in the picture."

Rael looked conflicted, his expression shifting between doubt and resolve. After a long, tense moment, he sighed, a flicker of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Alright," he said, his voice steadier now. "How do we proceed?"

Axel remained silent, with a thoughtful and tense expression. His focus wasn't entirely on the false ranker, though the man was a threat, no doubt. Axel had already sized him up with his heightened senses and was confident he could hold his own in a one-on-one fight. No, the reason for his unease lay elsewhere.

"That abomination," he muttered in a low voice. "Let's try our best to avoid it. I don't have a good feeling about that thing."

Beside the false ranker stood a grotesque, patchwork figure, a corpse puppet. Its hideous form was an amalgamation of mutilated body parts, crudely stitched together. The creature stood still, its lifeless eyes staring vacantly into nothing, but Axel's instincts told him otherwise. Through his monster senses, he could feel a dangerous energy radiating from it, something dark and unnatural.

"Well," Axel began, turning to Rael, "we'll get as close as possible to the false ranker. When the time's right, I'll launch a sneak attack. You stay back and provide support. His focus is on the boss monster, he shouldn't notice us easily."

Rael nodded, determination replacing the uncertainty in his expression. With their plan set, the two moved swiftly and silently, descending onto the plains where the battle raged on. Rael muttered a spell, masking his presence, while Axel relied on his monster instincts to suppress his aura. Like a predator stalking prey, he moved with lethal precision.

As they crept closer, the oppressive pressure emanating from the battlefield became almost unbearable. The clash of monstrous forces ahead filled the air with a biting, suffocating aura that would have frozen any normal D-ranker in place. But Axel pressed on, undeterred. He knew the stakes. If the false ranker succeeded, they'd be trapped here, helpless and doomed. This was their only chance.

Finally, they reached a position Axel deemed close enough. He crouched low, motioning for Rael to hold. The false ranker stood with his back to them, his attention fully consumed by the battle as he controlled the mutated dire wolves swarming the boss monster. Axel's claws extended, a ruthless gleam flashed in his slit pupils as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

But just as Axel prepared to pounce, the false ranker spoke.

"Finish off the pests and return quickly," the man said in a calm and commanding voice.

He hadn't turned, but the words froze Axel in place.

The corpse puppet stirred. Its lifeless pupils suddenly glowed with the same eerie green light as the wolves' eyes. The abomination turned its head sharply toward Axel and Rael's hiding spot, its piercing gaze locking onto them with unnerving precision.

A dark, oppressive aura erupted from its body, sending a chilling wave of energy across the battlefield. The air seemed to hum with power as it stepped forward, its movements mechanical yet unnervingly deliberate.

[Enemy Identified: Archmage Soul Fragment (Fallen) – Rank C]

The system notification flashed across Axel's vision, the words confirming his worst fear.