Too Close to Fall

Axel's claws retracted as he staggered back toward Rael. His chest heaved with exertion as he dropped to the ground beside him. "That... was too close," he muttered, slumping against the rough stone.

Rael gave a curt nod, his own breathing labored but steady. "Let's hope the false ranker doesn't have any more tricks up his sleeve." His voice carried a quiet determination, even as fatigue edged into his words.

Axel's sharp eyes flicked toward their enemy in the distance. The figure remained unmoving, his hooded robe billowing lightly in the wind. Despite his stillness, there was an intensity radiating from him, the swarm of wolves under his control still tearing into the boss monster.

The mocking expression Axel had noticed earlier was gone, replaced by an unreadable yet unmistakably grim look. Beneath the shadow of the hood, anger simmered, barely restrained.

"If he does, we'll deal with it," Axel said in a firm voice. His gaze slid back to Rael, a hint of reluctant respect softening his usually sharp tone. "You're not bad. Like you said, you're more useful than I thought."

Rael's blonde hair was messy and damp with sweat as he rubbed the back of his head, cheeks coloring slightly. "Haha, I was just doing what I could to survive, honestly," he admitted. "Besides, if you hadn't been holding that thing off, taking the brunt of its attacks, I wouldn't have had time to prepare any spells. You made it possible."

Axel let out a low grunt, but the corner of his mouth twitched as if resisting a smirk. His initial impression of Rael—a pampered, rich kid with more money than skill, had been shattered during the fight. Rael's ability, particularly his timely and precise support, had been critical against the corpse puppet. Without him drawing its attention at key moments, Axel wasn't sure he'd have made it through the encounter.

"How's the toll?" Axel asked, his tone quieter now, more curious than critical.

Rael caught the underlying concern and exhaled a faint sigh. "The physical strain's there, but it's manageable," he said. "The main problem is my mana, it's almost completely drained. But that's fixable."

Reaching into his ring, Rael retrieved a small, intricate bottle filled with a red liquid and another filled with blue-green liquid. He downed the red one in quick gulps, then handed the second bottle to Axel without hesitation.

Axel blinked, momentarily surprised. He eyed the small label etched onto the bottle's side, confirming its contents before accepting it. "Thanks," he muttered, tipping it back and swallowing the content of the potion.

[You have consumed a Major Grade healing potion.]

Axel couldn't help but be dumbfounded. Just as the system notification had stated, the effects of the potion were immediate and remarkable. The healing coursed through his body like a surge of energy. The deep cuts that had marred his skin moments ago began to seal themselves at a speed visible to the naked eye. The aching throb in his muscles eased as torn tissue knit together seamlessly.

He flexed his fingers experimentally, feeling strength return to his limbs. "This stuff is insane…" he muttered.

His gaze shifted to Rael, narrowing slightly. "You… it's just as I thought. You must be some rich kid, huh? How else could you get your hands on an original potion from Potion Palace, with all the fakes flooding the market?"

Rael smiled faintly, brushing a hand once more through his disheveled blonde hair. "Actually, it was a gift from someone."

Axel rolled his eyes and let out a sharp laugh. "A gift? That doesn't change a thing. You don't just get Potion Palace products handed to you unless you're loaded. Whoever's giving you gifts like this clearly knows how deep your pockets are."

Rael gave a wry smile, opting not to comment. He seemed content to let Axel think what he wanted.

Axel stretched as he stood, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. "Ah, this feels amazing. I can already tell I've gotten a massive boost to my stats after taking down that abomination. I bet it's the same for you."

"Yeah," Rael replied, his voice calm, though his eyes betrayed a spark of excitement as they scanned the holographic system window visible only to him.

"How does it feel to be carried?" Axel teased, smirking as he watched Rael's reaction. Despite Rael's best efforts to mask his enthusiasm, Axel could read it loud and clear.

"...."

Rael looked up with a wry smile, his expression complex, clearly unable to come up with a response to Axel's question. After a beat, he simply looked away and continued scanning at his system window.

Axel snorted. "Don't get too excited. We've still got him to deal with." He jerked his chin toward the figure in the distance. "And that boss monster isn't going to finish itself off."

Both of their gazes locked on the false ranker, who remained rooted in place, his hood obscuring most of his face. His hands moved methodically, controlling the swarm of mutated dire wolves that surrounded the boss monster.

For a moment, Axel couldn't help but admire the man's tactical acumen. WHen they had first arrived, the wolves moved with precision, overwhelming the boss monster in waves. Even though the boss monster fought ferociously, killing several wolves with each swing of its massive arms, the false ranker's strategy seemed to be working. Victory had appeared inevitable.

But then, the unexpected happened.

The false ranker's plans were now crumbling. These two nuisances, whom he'd dismissed as little more than pests, had turned into a serious problem. First, they had destroyed his corpse puppet, a key asset he had counted on as his trump card. That loss had forced him to hasten his control over the mutated dire wolves, driving them to attack the boss monster with relentless ferocity. He'd wanted this fight over quickly, before things spiraled further out of his grasp.

But there was another problem, one he hadn't anticipated. This boss monster wasn't ordinary. It possessed a strange and formidable ability, the very reason the false ranker had gone to such lengths to capture it. That ability had now turned into his biggest obstacle, as the beast used it to devastating effect. In his impatience, he'd pressed his wolves harder, but the boss monster capitalized on his desperation, slaughtering several of them with alarming ease.

"Tch!" The false ranker clicked his tongue in frustration, glaring at the figures of Axel and Rael as they closed the distance, their movements slow and deliberate.

His hands moved rapidly, forming a series of signs. The remaining dozen wolves, which had been harrying the boss monster with unrelenting attacks, froze mid-action. Slowly, their heads turned in unison toward Axel and Rael. Their glowing eyes locked onto their new targets, and in the next instant, they charged, leaving the boss monster behind.

The false ranker didn't waste a moment. As the wolves redirected their attack, he moved to take their place. His hands flashed again, summoning a horde of ghostly, monstrous apparitions. Their translucent forms oozed malice, and their eyes burned with an eerie green light as they surged toward the boss monster.

"Looks like we've really messed up his plans, huh?" Axel muttered, watching the scene unfold from their position. His tone was calm, but there was a spark of amusement in his voice.

Rael, however, wasn't as composed. His eyes widened, a tense expression flickering across his face as he took in the charging pack of wolves. Their predatory growls sent shivers down his spine.

"The plan doesn't change," Axel said firmly. His voice snapped Rael back into focus. "I'll take them head-on. You support me from behind." He shot Rael a grin, the glint of his slit pupils visible as his crimson eyes gleamed. "Try your best, all right? Rack up some points. I don't want you coming out of this dungeon the same weak crybaby who bawled his eyes out like a fountain."

Rael's mouth opened, probably to speak, but Axel didn't stick around to hear it. He was already moving.

In a blur of motion, Axel darted toward the oncoming wolves. His body was a dark streak against the chaos, his obsidian claws glinting as they sliced through the air. The wind whipped around him, carrying a crazed, almost exhilarated look on his face as he charged. His crimson eyes burned with reckless intensity, and his grin widened as he prepared to meet the wolves head-on.

Behind him, Rael steadied himself, a determined look replacing his earlier hesitation. He raised his small staff, his hands already glowing with the beginnings of a spell.