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How long had it been since they fell into the Rift?

Without light coming in, it was impossible to know exactly, but it felt like about two days.

Regan and Haniel continued deeper into the maze-like tunnels of the Rift, repeatedly killing hybrids, fighting, and gathering.

If asked whether they had only been advancing for two days, that wasn’t the case.

They say the reason deserts are beautiful is because they have oases? Though the modifier “beauty” seems completely unrelated to Rifts, there was something similar to an oasis there.

Surprisingly, in the middle of the twisted, winding paths, there was a clearing that didn’t match the name “Rift,” where they could rest.

Others might not know, but Haniel could clearly guess the purpose of this clearing.

“This seems to be a safe zone.”

“…I can’t believe such a place exists.”

Clearing. Rest. Safe zone. Does this make any sense inside a Rift?

For Regan, it was a succession of astonishments.

The concave space hidden between the cave walls was a perfect shelter for the two of them to lie down and sleep or rest.

A space that truly deserved the name “safe zone” as Haniel called it.

Moreover, the safe zone was not just a good space for resting, but also seemed to be outside the recognition range of the hybrids.

‘They cannot see this place.’

A safe zone discovered when the hybrids were attacking earlier.

When Regan and Haniel, moving urgently, accidentally stepped into the safe zone, the hybrid’s reaction confirmed such speculation.

The moment they entered that space, the hybrids that had been charging with the momentum to cut off the man’s neck suddenly acted as if the two had disappeared, looking around in confusion.

It was clearly a sign that they couldn’t recognize this space itself. Whether by ‘pheromones’ or smell.

Though they couldn’t completely relax in this situation of being trapped in a Rift, what could be better than being able to regroup and rest, even temporarily?

But if there was something concerning… it would be the fact that Regan also couldn’t recognize this space until Haniel pointed it out.

Not knowing that Haniel possessed abilities granted by the system, Regan couldn’t help but feel uneasy, but ultimately, the two were able to lay their tired bodies and spend the night in the safe zone.

“Here, these are cabbage and potatoes I harvested before. Let’s make camping stew with them.”

“What is camping stew?”

“You put in various things… and keep boiling until it tastes good. A hodgepodge, you might say.”

“It sounds similar to what I used to eat when I went on missions.”

Thanks to the ingredients and cooking utensils packed tightly in her inventory, they didn’t have to worry about going hungry.

The hodgepodge… camping stew, boiled with potatoes, cabbage, onions, and large chunks of meat that Haniel had harvested herself, was surprisingly delicious, and as with all the food she made, a strange power welled up from the moment of eating.

And on top of that, the fruits she brought out saying, “We should have dessert too.”

“Oh? Regan, try this. It’s well-ripened.”

“Could this fruit possibly be a cherry? It’s as big as your fist.”

“That’s just how the cherries at my home are. It’s not even genetically modified, but they started growing that big at some point. So you always have to be careful with your head when passing under the trees! Especially the orange trees.”

“Hmm. Your head, maybe. Not mine.”

“What? Come on. Are you now… oh, you really are that tall? Huh.”

“Even if I were shorter than the tree, there would be no Sun Wolf who couldn’t dodge a single falling fruit.”

“Don’t be so confident. The fruits in my orchard sometimes seem to understand human speech. Don’t dismiss them, only say nice things to them.”

“Fruits that only listen to your kind words… I never thought I’d envy trees.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

Who could say this was a conversation between people spending the night in a Rift?

Just listening to their exchange, it sounded like campers passing the night leisurely.

It was a moment that felt so unreal that even Regan, who was participating in the conversation, felt bewildered… but in truth, this sensation had visited him quite frequently since he began staying by Haniel’s side.

The feeling that the surroundings had instantly become a peaceful world.

Haniel’s territory, peaceful, regardless of the outside world teeming with all kinds of ugly deaths and sorrows.

But Regan never imagined he would feel that sensation not only within Haniel’s territory but also inside a Rift.

“Lie down here on the sleeping bag. The pillow is here… oh.”

“I don’t need a pillow.”

After having meals and resting in the safe zone, they spent the night lying on the sleeping bag Haniel had prepared.

Regan transformed his body into a wolf form as large as a house and lay down slightly in a position to protect his mate, while Haniel leaned her head against the wolf’s belly.

“So fluffy… ahhh…”

Grrrr. Regan too let out a satisfied sound from deep in his throat at the presence of Haniel buried in his belly.

‘But why is Regan so hot?’

She had such a thought at the heat that felt like entering a hot bath, but soon fell fast asleep… and when she woke up, their journey delving deeper into the Rift continued.

The deeper they went into the cave, the more frequently the Rift hybrids appeared.

Wanderers, Flesh Chunks, Grave Robbers, or flesh pieces stitched together so oddly they could hardly be called living beings.

For unknown reasons, many of them had beautiful faces, and sometimes there were those with thick fur that seemed to be mixed with ‘Hume.’

If there was one commonality among the hybrids of numerous forms, it was that regardless of their appearance or what other instincts they possessed, they all desired to take Haniel.

Regan, his face completely soaked in blood, swung his claws again.

Slash! The shell of a hybrid covered in countless spines shattered like a crab shell after a few strikes, and grayish fl*id burst out. As the monster that lost its life sprawled on the floor, something embedded between the joints of the shell was revealed.

It was the arrows and axe that Haniel had shot.

“Phew…”

Haniel wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her hand.

As Regan had said and as she had felt during the initial battles, her crossbow and axe couldn’t deliver a fatal blow to these creatures, but there was nothing wrong with attacking multiple times.

The numerous Rift creatures that Regan and Haniel had killed on their way here.

The man seemed to feel great aversion to her trying to join in the dangerous combat, but in the end he couldn’t break her will, and somehow the battles that Haniel had joined were now creating a pattern as natural as flowing water, to the point where even Regan was amazed.

Like just now, while Regan dealt with hybrids rushing at him or Haniel first, she targeted those outside his attack range. She made as many of them stagger as possible, and Regan, exploiting the openings, finished off the slowed ones.

Haniel also nimbly caught gaps that Regan hadn’t paid attention to and threw her axe or shot arrows.

It was, so to speak, a harmony of ranged DPS and melee DPS.

A combination of just ranged and melee DPS. If this had been a game on Earth, anyone seeing it would immediately sigh and feel deep concern about such a combination, but surprisingly, the two were achieving unbelievably good results for their first time working together. Especially considering that Haniel was practically a complete novice in combat.

The fact that they had made it this far was proof of that.

However, there was a problem…

‘It seems like these crazy monsters get stronger the deeper we go.‘

With monster fl*id splattered on her, looking like she was covered in spoiled soy sauce marinated crab, Haniel rubbed her face vigorously.

The golden light leading ob e ‚Rift‘s core‘ rippling in Haniel‘s vision.

Following that marker, she felt they were getting closer ob e center ob e Rift where its core was located.

But the maddening point was that the deeper they went into the winding Rift, the stronger enemies appeared.

The more they killed, the stronger ones they defeated, the next ones were two or three times stronger.

Judging by the increasingly distinct light, they seemed obssessed getting closer to their goal, but wasn‘t this a bit too much?