Three dungeons. Three successful runs.

  It had only been a week since Raphael and Kael first teamed up, but the rhythm they’d built was undeniable. Their synergy in combat grew with every encounter—like gears clicking into pce. It wasn’t just timing or strategy anymore. It was trust.

  And Raphael could feel it. The way Kael moved to guard his fnk without thinking. The way he signaled with subtle nods. The way his eyes always searched for Raphael first after each fight.

  This time, they’d agreed to meet at a higher-tier rift located in the abandoned transit station beneath the city. Reports said it spawned frequently with mutated variants—twice as strong, twice as fast. Most solo adventurers avoided it.

  Raphael arrived first, hood up, Seraphim emblem faintly glowing on his HUD. Kael was only minutes behind, fshing his usual cocky grin and adjusting the matte bck gauntlet strapped to his wrist.

  “You’re early. Excited to see me again?” Kael asked, brushing hair from his face as he walked up.

  Raphael smirked. “Excited to not get stabbed by goblins again.”

  Kael chuckled. “We both know they didn’t even touch you. Pretty sure you’re just into dramatic fir.”

  As they approached the entrance to the rift, their HUDs lit up with a mission screen:

  [Rift Objective: Eliminate the Shadow Nest] Dungeon Type: Variant Rift - Tier IIEnemies: Shadow Goblins, Veilstalkers, NightfangFinal Boss: Umbra MatronReward Upon Completion:

  Rare equipment drop (tier II or above)Shadow Crystal (currency)Bonus XP (2x rate for Unique Csses)“Veilstalkers?” Raphael frowned. “Haven’t seen those before.”

  “They’re fast. Like, blink-and-you’re-bleeding fast,” Kael replied. “They usually work in pairs—ambushers. Weak to light-based magic though. So you’ll be the MVP today.”

  Raphael tilted his head. “You’re saying that like I’m not always the MVP.”

  Kael ughed. “Cocky Seraphim. I like it.”

  They stood at the rift’s edge, weapons prepped. But before stepping through, Kael tapped the air to open his skill sheet and tilted it toward Raphael.

  “Since we’re upping the difficulty… quick recap.”

  Kael’s Key Skills:

  Shadowstep: Instantly blink behind an enemy. Grants critical strike bonus.Razor Flurry: A flurry of sshes that stack bleeding on target.Smoke Shroud: Obscures vision and boosts evasion for 10 seconds.Hunter’s Mark: Marks a target, increasing all damage they take by 15%.Sliver Vein: A passive that boosts movement speed by 10% and grants bonus attack speed when attacking from the sides or behind.“And you already know your celestial greatest hits,” Kael said with a wink.

  Raphael gave a soft smile, then readied himself. “Let’s light up the dark, then.”

  They stepped through the rift—and instantly, the light vanished.

  The dungeon was pitch bck save for the dim glow of Raphael’s passive aura. Crumbling subway tracks stretched into the shadows, echoing with the distant chittering of goblins. There were no welcoming parties this time.

  “Stick close,” Kael whispered, his voice almost lost in the void.

  They advanced slowly—until the chittering stopped.

  Raphael’s instincts screamed. “Left!”

  A Veilstalker dropped from the ceiling like a serpent, cws aimed at Kael’s back. Kael spun mid-dodge, using Shadowstep to vanish and reappear behind the creature, bdes fshing.

  Razor Flurry struck like thunder, six rapid hits drawing blood in streaks of violet. The monster shrieked, only to be silenced as Raphael cast Runic Light, unching a radiant orb that exploded mid-air—blinding the second Veilstalker mid-pounce.

  “Two down!” Kael shouted, breathless. “Nice blind!”

  “No sweat,” Raphael replied, unching a Mana Pulse to boost his recovery. His ring shimmered, accelerating the regeneration even more. Every cast felt easier now. Cleaner.

  They pressed on. Three more skirmishes followed, each more intense than the st—shadow goblins swarming in erratic, shrieking patterns. Kael was a blur of motion, bdes slicing with surgical grace, while Raphael alternated between barrier support with Luminous Ward and targeted shutdowns using Celestial Thread.

  Once, a goblin shaman tried to cast a darkness veil, but Raphael tagged it with Radiant Insight—revealing a weak spot in the spell’s matrix. One light burst, and the shaman was down.

  “That trick of yours,” Kael said between breaths. “The one that reveals weaknesses. It’s cheating.”

  “Then maybe you should learn how to cheat better,” Raphael teased, pushing glowing strands of hair from his face.

  By the time they reached the boss chamber, sweat glistened on both of them. Raphael’s clothes were scorched in pces, Kael’s cheek had a shallow cut.

  The Umbra Matron waited—a towering, spider-like beast of writhing shadows and long needle limbs. Dozens of red eyes blinked across her body. The moment they entered, the chamber sealed behind them.

  “Ready?” Kael asked, voice low.

  Raphael nodded. “Let’s end this.”

  The fight was brutal.

  The Matron teleported erratically, casting tendrils of darkness that blocked spells. Kael used Hunter’s Mark, darting around her in wide arcs while Raphael stayed central, unching timed bursts of Runic Light and warping away with Seraph’s Flicker when cornered.

  Halfway through, the Matron screamed and summoned clones. Dozens of them.

  “Cover me!” Kael yelled.

  Raphael activated Luminous Ward, shielding them both, and channeled Mana Pulse until his hands glowed white-hot. One burst, then another. Light seared through the fakes, exposing the real Matron just as Kael teleported behind her.

  A single, perfectly-aimed Razor Flurry tore through her exposed core—and with a final screech, she dissolved into shadow.

  [Dungeon Cleared!] Reward Acquired:

  Raphael: Ring of Radiant Focus (+20% Mana Regen, +50 MP)Kael: Nightpiercer Cloak (+10% Movement Speed, +Crit Chance from behind increased by 15%)Bonus XP: AppliedExit portal opened.They colpsed next to each other, panting.

  “Was that... three clone phases?” Kael asked.

  “Don’t remind me,” Raphael groaned, lying back and staring at the ethereal ceiling.

  Kael turned toward him. “You’re seriously good at this. Like, stupid good.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  Kael grinned, then leaned over and gently bumped their shoulders. “Let’s keep doing this.”

  Raphael’s heart skipped. He looked at Kael—and something warm curled in his chest.

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “Let’s.”

  They stood, weapons sheathed, and stepped through the glowing portal together.

  Outside, the world was normal again—bustling streets, far-off sirens, sunlight just beginning to fade into golden dusk.

  “Wanna grab something to eat?” Kael asked casually, brushing dust from his cloak.

  Raphael smiled. “I’d like that.”

  And as they walked side by side toward the nearest food stall, shoulders brushing every few steps, Raphael realized something:

  He wasn’t just part of the story now.

  He was living it.

  [End of Chapter 5]