"H-Hey!"
Anthierin squealed as her feet left the ground. She was far from a damsel—she swung a hammer for a living—but Lexel scooped her up into a princess carry with the casual ease of someone picking up a bag of groceries.
"I-I can run on my own!" she protested, clutching his bare shoulders.
"I know, but we don't have much time!" said Lexel.
He burst forward. The stone floor cracked under his initial step, propelling them into the darkness of the corridor. The wind whipped past their ears, tearing at Anthierin's hair.
ROAR!
The sound didn't come from a throat; it came from a nightmare. It was a harrowing, distorted shriek that vibrated through the tunnel walls, shaking dust from the ceiling.
Anthierin peeked over Lexel's shoulder, her eyes widening in the gloom.
Two glowing red eyes bobbed in the darkness. As they got closer, the torchlight revealed a monstrosity. It stood on two legs, covered in thick, matted gray fur that looked like steel wool. Its head was a wolf's, but its jaw unhinged like a snake's, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.
"This is bad, Lexel," Anthierin gulped, her grip tightening on his neck.
The monster didn't run on the floor. It leaped onto the wall, digging its claws into the stone, and sprinted sideways, defying gravity. Then it transitioned to the ceiling, scuttling like a hairy, rabid spider.
"That thing..." Anthierin whispered. "It's a Neo-Wolf!!"
"Am I faster?!" asked Lexel, his breath steady despite the sprint. His boots left a trail of sonic booms that were quickly swallowed by the terrifying skritch-scratch of claws on stone behind them.
"No!" Anthierin shouted, pointing up. "Look!"
Lexel tilted his head back.
Their eyes met.
The Neo-Wolf was directly above them, clinging to the ceiling moss. It didn't look like a beast; it looked like an executioner.
Shit.
The monster let go. It fell with its arms spread wide, claws extended to shred the air.
Lexel didn't brake. He didn't swerve. He accelerated.
SWISH.
The claws raked the air inches from Lexel's scalp. The wind pressure from the swipe pressed his hair down, but the blades missed flesh by a millimeter.
Lexel dashed without stopping, sliding around a corner.
"Shit, that was close!" he laughed, the adrenaline flooding his system.
ROAR!
The roar came again, louder this time. Frustrated.
"I think it's mad," said Anthierin, looking back at the cloud of dust where the monster had landed.
"You think?! Oh, wait, Rin, quick, check!" Lexel jerked his head down. "Am I bald?!"
Anthierin blinked. They were being chased by a Level 15 apex predator, and he was worried about his haircut. She pulled his head further down to inspect the back.
"No," she sighed. "Your hair is fine."
"Oh, thank god. I thought I needed to go full monk mode," Lexel smirked.
Then, the hair on his nape stood up. A warm, rasping gust of breath hit his neck.
"Fuck! Hold on tight!"
"I AM!" Anthierin screamed.
Lexel didn't run this time. He stopped dead, planted his feet, and spun around.
The Neo-Wolf was mid-lunge, its right claw extended to decapitate him.
Lexel jumped. Not away, but into the attack. He twisted his body mid-air, bringing his leg up in a vicious arc.
BANG.
His heel connected with the side of the monster's claw. He didn't just block it; he redirected the kinetic energy. The Neo-Wolf's arm was knocked wide, slamming into the tunnel wall with enough force to embed the claws deep into the stone.
CRACK.
The monster howled, tugging at its trapped limb.
"W-Woah..." Anthierin stared. He just kicked a giant claw aside like it was a twig. What kind of strength...
Lexel dropped her gently to the floor.
"It seems like we can't run forever," Lexel said, cracking his neck. "But you can."
"Are you sure?" asked Anthierin. She looked at the wall next to them.
By sheer luck—or perhaps Lexel's S-Rank Luck—they had stopped right next to a cluster of dull grey rocks protruding from the wall.
[Iron Ore Vein]
"I believe in you, Rin," said Lexel, turning to face the beast. "I don't know if I can kill this thing in this narrow spot without gear. It sure isn't as big as the Dark Mantis, but in this hallway, agility is king. It would be a contest."
"Then just hold on till I get your gauntlets fixed!"
Anthierin didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees, pulling a small pickaxe from her belt.
CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks flew as she struck the vein. She didn't need to refine it perfectly; she just needed raw material to patch the scrap metal on Lexel's wrists.
"I don't know how high your level is," Lexel said to the monster, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "But I'm guessing it's not that high if one kick could do that to you."
Growl.
The Neo-Wolf braced its legs against the wall and yanked. With a shower of debris, its claw ripped free from the stone. It shook its arm, snarling at Lexel with intelligent, hateful eyes. It seemed fuming, offended by Lexel's taunting tone.
"Come," said Lexel.
He didn't bother to raise his fists. He kept his arms crossed.
I only got my leggings; it's probably safer to use my legs for now. My hands are too valuable to break on this mutt's face.
The Neo-Wolf roared.
It didn't charge. It slashed the air with its claws.
FWOOSH.
Three vacuum blades of compressed air flew diagonally down the corridor.
"What the...!" Lexel's eyes widened. "It has ranged attacks?!"
He pushed off the wall, flipping sideways to dodge the first blade. It carved a deep gash into the stone floor where he had just been standing.
"Oh shit! Rin!"
"Huh?"
Rin looked up from her mining. One of the vacuum blades was curving toward her.
"Crap!"
She threw herself flat on the ground. The air slash sailed over her head, slicing the top of the Iron Ore vein cleanly off.
Clatter.
A chunk of pure iron fell right in front of her nose.
"Well," she muttered, grabbing the ore. "That is some luck!"
Roar!
The Neo-Wolf wasn't done. It slashed diagonally—left, right, left, right. A barrage of invisible blades filled the corridor.
"Shit, I wish I had Seleron's speed," Lexel gritted his teeth.
He ran on the walls, defying gravity for three steps, then jumped to the ceiling, then back to the floor. He was a pinball avoiding the paddles.
He closed the gap.
"Gotcha!"
Lexel swooped in low, sliding under the monster's guard. He kicked its jaw up with his heel, snapping its head back, then swept its legs.
The Neo-Wolf fell.
Lexel jumped, soaring until his palms touched the damp ceiling. He used the ceiling as a springboard, launching himself down like a meteor.
"Die! [Tiger Stomp]!"
His foot drove down with the force of a hydraulic press.
BANG!
The floor exploded.
But the monster wasn't there.
At the last millisecond, the Neo-Wolf had twisted its body like a cat, rolling away. Lexel's heel struck empty stone.
"What in the..."
Before Lexel could recover, the Neo-Wolf retaliated. It planted its feet and double-kicked Lexel in the chest, using its powerful hind legs to launch him backward.
THUD.
Lexel flew twenty feet down the corridor, landing near Rin. He skidded to a halt, clutching his chest.
"Fuck," Lexel wheezed, rubbing a bruise that was already forming. "This monster is annoying. It's actually got skills."
"It's done," said Rin.
She grabbed his wrist.
"[Quick Forge]!"
Using her blacksmith skill, she slapped the raw iron onto the tattered remains of his scrap gauntlets. The metal hissed and fused, the skill accelerating the process instantly. A crude, ugly, but incredibly dense layer of protection formed over his knuckles.
"Thanks."
Lexel flexed his hands. The weight was unbalanced, and it looked like trash, but it felt solid.
"It's a shame that this won't last more than five hits," Lexel muttered.
"Nevermind that, can you kill the Neo-Wolf now?" asked Anthierin, pointing at the beast that was preparing another charge.
"He's too agile for me," said Lexel. "I can't catch him in a footrace."
He looked at the narrow walls. He looked at the monster's claws.
A smirk curled his lips.
"But I might be able to do something."
He scooped her up again.
"...What? H-hey!" Anthierin yelped.
"I'm starting to think that this is just an excuse to grope my butt!" she exclaimed, her face turning pink.
"That is the priority reason," Lexel admitted shamelessly as he turned his back to the monster. "But you will find out the secondary reason in under ten seconds."
He dashed away.
The Neo-Wolf roared in triumph. The prey was running again. It chased, leaping onto the ceiling to gain speed.
"It's chasing us again! Literally!" Anthierin cried, watching the monster scuttle above Lexel's head.
"Stupid pattern," muttered Lexel.
He watched the shadow on the floor. He waited.
"This is a fucking long corridor by the way!" Lexel commented casually.
Then, the sensation arrived. The warm breath on his nape. The screech of claws preparing to strike from above.
"NOW!"
Lexel stopped.
He tossed Anthierin forward—gently, but with enough force to get her out of the blast zone.
He spun around.
The Neo-Wolf dropped from the ceiling, right claw extended, gravity aiding its descent.
Lexel didn't dodge. He kicked.
BANG.
Just like before, he kicked the right claw sideways. It slammed into the wall, embedding deep into the stone.
But he didn't stop there.
Seeing its prey stationary, the Neo-Wolf roared and slashed with its left claw, trying to gut him.
Lexel smirked. Checkmate.
He ducked under the swipe and unleashed a rising kick.
CRACK.
He kicked the left arm upward and outward, slamming it into the opposite wall.
The Neo-Wolf was now crucified—both arms buried deep in the stone walls of the narrow corridor, its chest completely exposed. It tugged furiously, but the angle was impossible. It was stuck.
Lexel landed softly. He stood calmly, smoothing back his hair. He looked at the trapped monster with a sarcastic, pitiful look.
"Well..." Lexel chuckled. "Look at you. All dressed up and nowhere to go."
The Neo-Wolf panicked. It took a deep breath, its throat tremors signaling a Point-Blank Breath Attack.
THRUST.
Lexel didn't let it finish.
He jumped onto the monster's thigh, grabbed its shoulder for leverage, and drove his iron-clad fingers straight into its throat.
"Uu... u... u..."
The howl died in a gurgle of blood.
Anthierin stood up, brushing dust off her skirt. She was both amazed and relieved. She looked at the man who could only reach the neck by climbing the monster like a tree, ending its life with brutal efficiency.
That monster must have been at least Level 15, she thought. An Alpha of the pack.
"Now, where is your core?"
Lexel ripped his hand out.
There was a wet, tearing sound. The Neo-Wolf went limp, hanging from the walls like a grotesque trophy.
In Lexel's hand, dripping with dark fluid, was a shiny red sphere.
"IV Tier Core," Lexel noted, tossing it in the air. "Not bad."