The Lower South District rift shimmered like a heat mirage at the edge of the abandoned overpass. The once-busy highway was now cordoned off by electric barricades and guarded by city watch drones that hovered like mechanical vultures. Glowing symbols pulsed around the Dungeon’s entrance—a floating ring of arcane glyphs, unreadable and alive. It was a tier-one rift, manageable for low-level teams. Still dangerous, but not fatal. Usually.

  Raphael stood with Kael at the perimeter, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets. The day was cool, the air thick with electric tension. His Seraphim badge had been officially logged that morning—a sleek metallic pte now clipped discreetly to his hip. No one else had the same symbol. He felt it burning against his side.

  Kael, meanwhile, was stretching, rolling his shoulders and checking his dual daggers. “You good?” he asked, gncing over.

  “As I’ll ever be,” Raphael replied, trying not to sound nervous.

  “Alright, before we dive in, let’s compare skills and come up with a pn. We need to work together.”

  Raphael nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Kael pulled up his stats, the screen flickering briefly in the air. “I’m a Rogue—speed spec. My skills are based on movement and debuffing enemies. I’ve got Silent Strike, which lets me deal extra damage when I’m behind an enemy, and Shadow Veil, a stealth skill that can make me invisible for a short time. I also have Bde Dance, which lets me strike multiple enemies at once with a flurry of sshes. And Poison Toxin, which adds a lingering damage effect to my attacks.”

  “Impressive,” Raphael said, his voice a little more assured now.

  Kael smirked. “You?”

  Raphael hesitated but then pulled up his own skill set. “Well, I’m a Seraphim, so... I’ve got a few utility skills, I guess. Runic Light is my main attack, fires a radiant orb that can blind enemies on impact. Mana Pulse helps me regenerate mana quickly, and Luminous Ward creates a barrier that absorbs damage and stuns enemies when it breaks. I’ve also got Seraph’s Flicker, which lets me teleport a short distance, and Celestial Thread, a tether that slows down enemies. Last one is Radiant Insight, which highlights weak spots on enemies for a short time.”

  Kael raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have any crazy offensive skills?”

  Raphael chuckled, a little bitter. “Apparently not. But I can control the battlefield. Maybe slow them down, give us some breathing room.”

  “Fair enough,” Kael said, tapping his dagger hilt thoughtfully. “Alright, here’s the pn: I’ll be our main damage dealer—get in, get out. You focus on controlling them with your light and tether skills. Keep the goblins from swarming us. When the boss shows up, we’ll use Radiant Insight to find its weak points, and you can use Luminous Ward to shield us when things get too chaotic.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Raphael said, feeling the first spark of confidence in his chest.

  Kael gave him a thumbs-up. “Let’s do this.”

  They stepped through the barrier together.

  Instantly, the world shifted.

  The Dungeon was like stepping into a dream—dark, silent, humid. Trees grew sideways. Mushrooms glowed with blue fire. The sky (if it could be called that) was a misty bck void speckled with floating motes of light. Time felt warped here. A wrong step could loop you back to the start. Some Dungeons were nature-themed, others like cities swallowed by magic. This one was… haunting. A mix of jungle ruins and alien geometry.

  Raphael could feel the weight of his skills, a sense of readiness that he hadn’t felt before.

  A sudden ding echoed in his mind. He checked his screen.

  [Quest Objective: Clear the Dungeon and defeat the Goblin Warlord.] Rewards: 500 XP, Dungeon-exclusive gear, and a chance for rare loot.

  Raphael turned to Kael. “Looks like we’re in for a fight.”

  Kael smiled. “Aren’t we always?”

  The first wave of goblins appeared. They darted through the underbrush, their glowing yellow eyes scanning for movement.

  Kael crouched low. “We take the left fnk. You focus on the ones coming straight for us. I’ll circle around.”

  Raphael nodded and readied his Runic Light.

  The goblins spotted them.

  Raphael threw the orb of light. It flew through the air, hitting one goblin square in the chest. The light exploded on impact, momentarily blinding the creature and sending it stumbling back. The others howled in fury.

  Kael dashed forward, bdes drawn, and sshed through two goblins in a blur of motion, his Bde Dance leaving them in shreds.

  One goblin broke off and lunged at Raphael, brandishing a jagged knife. Raphael blinked, using Seraph’s Flicker to dodge the attack. He teleported behind the creature and quickly activated Celestial Thread, tethering the goblin in pce.

  Kael was already there, finishing the goblin off with a clean stab to the back.

  “Well done,” Kael called, turning to face the remaining enemies.

  Raphael wiped the sweat from his brow. “Thanks, but don’t get too cocky. We’re not done yet.”

  Just as he spoke, the ground trembled, and a low growl echoed through the trees.

  The goblins had been calling for backup.

  More appeared from the shadows—bigger, more vicious. These goblins were armored, their weapons glinting with dark magic. The air seemed to thrum with power as they encircled the two, cutting off escape routes.

  “We’ve got company,” Kael muttered, eyes scanning the new foes.

  Raphael gritted his teeth. “I can’t control them all at once. We’ll need to take them down in waves.”

  “Got it. Focus on the ranged ones, I’ll handle the melee.”

  The battle intensified. The goblins rushed in, their movements fast and erratic. One hurled a javelin toward Kael, but the Rogue was already gone, Shadow Veil cloaking him in an instant. The javelin passed through empty space, and Kael reappeared behind the thrower, taking it out with a swift stab to the neck.

  Meanwhile, Raphael kept the crowd at bay with his Runic Light. Each orb that hit a goblin sent them reeling, but they kept coming. He used Luminous Ward to shield himself from a blow that could’ve taken him down, the barrier crackling as it absorbed the damage. He flung out Celestial Thread, binding one goblin to a tree, slowing its movement enough for Kael to finish it off with a rapid flurry of strikes.

  The st wave of goblins came, and Raphael was beginning to feel the strain. His mana was depleting fast, but he pushed through. He unleashed a final Runic Light, blinding several goblins and giving Kael the opening he needed.

  “Now!” Raphael shouted.

  Kael didn’t need any more prompting. With a deadly Bde Dance, he cut through the remaining enemies. The st goblin fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

  Raphael dropped to a knee, panting, sweat dripping down his face. Kael stood over the defeated goblins, breathing heavily but clearly unfazed.

  “Damn, that was close,” Raphael said, wiping his brow.

  Kael smirked. “That was fun. A good warm-up.”

  Before Raphael could respond, the air trembled once more, and a deeper growl echoed through the Dungeon.

  The Goblin Warlord appeared.

  The massive goblin towered over them, its cleaver gleaming with dark magic. The Warlord’s glowing red eyes fixed on them with palpable hatred.

  Raphael’s heart raced. “Here we go…”

  Kael was already in motion, sprinting to the Warlord’s fnk. “We’re doing this fast. I’ll get in and out. You keep its attention.”

  Raphael nodded. “Got it.”

  The Warlord swung its massive cleaver, narrowly missing Kael. Raphael cast Luminous Ward just in time, shielding Kael from a follow-up blow.

  “Focus on its legs!” Raphael shouted, activating Radiant Insight. The Warlord’s weak points lit up in a faint blue glow—its knees and left shoulder were vulnerable.

  Kael nodded and darted in, stabbing at its knees with precision. Raphael threw another Runic Light, hitting the Warlord in the face. The creature staggered, momentarily disoriented.

  Kael wasn’t slowing down. He sshed at the Warlord’s left shoulder, the poison from Poison Toxin working its way into the wound. The Warlord howled, swinging its cleaver wildly. Raphael teleported with Seraph’s Flicker, using Celestial Thread to anchor the Warlord in pce.

  With Kael’s quick strikes and Raphael’s control, the Warlord finally fell, its massive body crashing to the ground.

  They stood over the fallen beast, panting, their bodies covered in sweat and dirt.

  Kael was the first to speak. “That was intense.”

  Raphael ughed, a little out of breath. “You can say that again.”

  They approached the Warlord’s body, and a glowing chest materialized beside it. Raphael went to open it but stopped as Kael got closer.

  “You take the first pick,” Kael said, gesturing to the chest.

  Raphael blinked, surprised. “You sure?”

  “Yeah. You did the heavy lifting with the control. Go ahead.”

  Raphael opened the chest. Inside was a gleaming silver ring, set with a sapphire gem. He held it up, inspecting its strange aura.

  Ring of the Seraphim’s Grace Increases mana regeneration by 20% and grants +100 Mana Points.

  “Nice,” Raphael muttered, feeling a wave of relief as his mana reserves stabilized. This ring would make his skills st much longer. It felt like a perfect fit.

  Kael peered over his shoulder. “Not bad. I’ve got something for you too.”

  Before Raphael could respond, Kael leaned in unexpectedly, brushing his lips against Raphael’s cheek in a quick, light kiss. It was over before Raphael could even process it—just a fleeting, intimate gesture. The warmth of the kiss lingered on his skin, and for a moment, Raphael felt his heart race, a strange fluttering in his chest. He wasn’t sure how to react. Kael’s casual demeanor only added to the confusion, leaving Raphael wondering if it had been a simple moment of camaraderie... or something more.

  Kael straightened up, grinning as he examined the contents of the chest. “You did all the hard work. You earned it.”

  Raphael blinked a couple of times, trying to shake off the lingering sensation. He cleared his throat, not trusting his voice right away. “Right, thanks,” he finally managed, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.

  Kael raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he pulled out a pair of sleek boots and a shimmering cloak from the chest.

  Shadowstep Boots Increases movement speed by 20% and grants a short teleportation ability every five minutes.

  Ethereal Cloak Increases stealth by 50% and reduces noise from movement.

  “You get all the good stuff,” Raphael teased, feeling slightly flustered but trying to py it cool.

  Kael grinned. “You need to catch up.”

  They shared a ugh. After a brief moment of silence, Kael extended a hand. “Hey, if you ever want to team up again, exchange numbers?”

  Raphael hesitated, his thoughts still a little scrambled from the unexpected kiss. He pushed the thoughts aside, not wanting to overthink it. There was something about Kael that made him want to spend more time with him. Maybe it was the chemistry they had in the dungeon, the way they worked together so seamlessly. Or maybe… it was something else entirely.

  “Yeah. Sure,” Raphael said, pulling out his phone and exchanging contact info.

  As they exited the dungeon, the world outside felt less real, somehow. It was like stepping back into a different reality. The contrast between the high-stakes chaos of the dungeon and the calm of the real world felt jarring. Still, Raphael couldn’t help but feel that something had shifted in him. Something had been unlocked.

  And maybe, just maybe, that was more than just the dungeon’s loot.

  [End of Chapter 2]