Chapter 232: Sudden Attack!

[Monster: Rift Hound]

[Level: 44]

[Rank: D]

[HP: 5400/5400]

[Special Traits: > Rift Sense: Can detect spatial weak points and minor distortions in the surrounding environment. > Gale Overdrive: Draws in surrounding wind currents, sharply boosting speed and attack power for a short duration]

—

Soren never thought that after going through the portal, they would land right below the nest of the Rift Hound.

Looking at the ten or more monsters above them, all launching rapidly from the heights, it felt like the day of the apocalypse.

To be honest, this seemed like a true life-and-death battle.

*Heaven Splitter!*

*Roar!*

Only, the situation abruptly turned around when a strike of sword light so brilliant cut through the air, cleaving through the claw of the massive monster and splitting it in half.

*Hell Fire!*

It was turned further when Aurelia lightly tapped the tip of her staff on the ground, summoning a circle of fire that erupted outward, instantly engulfing the Rift Hound as the sudden flames swallowed its massive body in an instant.

*Petal of Death.*

The situation spiraled even further when Elise and Elara danced in perfect sync, rapidly releasing countless thin, petal-like blade fragments that drifted through the air before piercing into another monster’s body, turning it into a living hedgehog of steel.

“Roar!”

Not to be outdone, massive earth spikes erupted from below, piercing through the remaining dodging monsters that tried to escape.

“Compressed Mana Bomb, explode!”

*Boom!*

At last, Soren found the situation even more absurd when Sylvia gracefully threw a few mana bombs, directly incinerating the injured monsters into smithereens.

It was so abrupt and out of the blue that everyone couldn’t help but pause briefly, dumbfounded.

‘Hey, hey, hey… what the heck are you doing using bombs in such a close space?’

Really, the last one nearly threw Soren off his balance as he abruptly turned to Sylvia, who was beaming with a brilliant smile behind the giant summoned by Aria.

It seemed she had noticed Soren’s gaze, as she met it before letting out a giggle. In her hand, five colorful pellets danced lightly as her eyes surveyed the battlefield eagerly.

Clearly, this girl had learned something bad from Professor Lysandra, it seemed.

“Sylvia, don’t use them recklessly! Do you want us to be plunged into the chasm?”

In the end, Soren had to shout to stop her when he saw she was about to throw another one.

‘Is this girl an idiot?’

If she bombed everything and this huge basin collapsed, wouldn’t they directly plunge below?

“Tsk… it was just getting fun, and you have to stop me…”

Sylvia also realized her gaffe and stopped herself, though she didn’t forget to mumble her annoyance.

Clearly, she understood she might not be able to use her “toys” normally in this dungeon due to its geography.

‘And I was about to impress Soren with this. Tch… should have learned Poison Bomb instead.’

She thought, sulking slightly as she noticed Soren glaring at her.

So she obediently put away her mana bombs before taking out her staff and beginning to buff her teammates instead.

This girl was so excited to take part in the fight that she hadn’t even used her class skill yet.

So much for being an S-rank healer.

‘Sigh… I knew this would happen if I let her stay with Professor Lysandra.’

He didn’t even know whether she had learned to make such bombs herself or if she had simply taken them from that crazy healer.

Soren shook his head and turned to look at the battlefield ahead.

Seeing Soren, Aurelia, Elise, Elara, and even Aria dealing with the monsters almost single-handedly, he realized there was no need for him to intervene.

Despite the name “Rift Hound,” the monsters in front of them weren’t actually proficient in spatial attacks or anything of the sort. That would be far too absurd and overpowered.

As far as he knew, monsters that truly manipulated complex forces like space, time, or chaos only began to appear in B-rank dungeons and above.

The reason these creatures carried such a name seemed to be due to a special trait instead.

—

> Rift Sense: Can detect spatial weak points and minor distortions in the surrounding environment.

—

*Boom!*

*Roar!*

Fortunately for his team, the highest level of the Rift Hound here was only level 45.

And now that he looked at it, Soren realized that being inside the basin had somehow worked in their favor instead.

It made the Rift Hounds’ location far too exposed from the moment they appeared. All they had to do was press their backs against the wall and direct their attacks upward toward the nest.

The speed at which the monsters died was so fast that, before they even realized what had happened, not a single one of them managed to survive.

Above them, broken bodies rained down in pieces, swallowed by the chaos of overlapping attacks.

The once-menacing nest was now nothing more than a collapsing slaughter zone, each second stripping away whatever resistance the Rift Hounds had left.

“Hah… hah… that was too dangerous.”

“Y-yeah… I thought we were done for.”

“Why did the portal open in such a location anyway?”

“Such bad luck!”

“Tch… and I only managed to use one mana bomb.”

“Hey, Sylvia, where did you get that? You scared the shit out of me.”

Well, it seemed that although they had managed to clear the nest with absolute thunder, they were all completely drained, sprawled across the ground.

Even Sylvia was sweating profusely as she tried to heal her companions, still pouting in frustration. She was clearly brooding over the fact that she hadn’t been able to attack properly.

The only one who was perfectly fine, without a single speck of sweat on his body, was Soren, still holding the arrow he had drawn earlier.

In the entire fight, he hadn’t fired a single shot at all.

“…”

For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. He had thought he would once again have to step in and save them heroically today.

But now that he looked at it, as their levels increased, their abilities and overall combat power were growing exponentially as well.

She nodded and parted her legs wider in invitation. His mouth settled over her with exquisite care.

He used broad strokes of his tongue at first then focused on the bundle of nerves that still throbbed from earlier pleasure. Two fingers slid inside her and curled in a come-hither motion that made her hips lift off the bench.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and held him in place while pleasure built in shimmering layers. The sounds he made vibrated against her and heightened every sensation.

She came with a long shuddering breath and clenched around his fingers. He moved back up her body and kissed her deeply so she could taste herself on his lips.

She reached between them and stroked him back to full hardness with firm sure movements. When he hovered over her again she guided him inside with one smooth push.

This time their joining felt slower and more intimate. He rocked into her with deep measured thrusts that allowed them to feel every inch of connection.

Her legs wrapped around his waist once more and her heels pressed into his lower back to pull him even closer. They moved together in a rhythm that felt instinctive.

Eyes locked and breaths mingled. He whispered how beautiful she looked beneath him and how perfectly she fit around him.

She answered with soft moans and kisses along his jaw. Pleasure coiled tighter with each thrust until it broke over them in a shared wave.

He spilled inside her again and she pulsed around him in endless ripples of release. They collapsed together in a tangle of limbs.

Sweat cooled on their skin but the alcove kept them warm. Fingers continued their endless exploration.

He traced the line of her spine while she drew circles on his chest. Soft laughter mixed with quiet sighs as they recounted favorite moments from the night.

Desire never fully faded. It simply rested like embers waiting for the next breath to flare.

One final time she pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips. This joining felt playful and unhurried.

She rode him with long rolling movements that let her grind against him exactly where she needed. His hands roamed her body freely.

He cupped her breasts and teased her nipples while she set the pace. When she leaned forward to kiss him their bodies pressed together from chest to thigh.

The added friction sent them both spiraling quickly. She came first with a muffled cry against his mouth and he followed with a deep groan that vibrated through them both.

Afterward they lay quietly for a long while. The alcove felt like their own private universe.

Touches remained constant and affectionate. They helped each other dress with lingering caresses and stolen kisses.

Even fully clothed they found reasons to stay close. Hands brushed arms and waists.

Foreheads touched. Promises of more nights like this one passed between them in soft whispers.