24

Until now, Delroz had never made physical contact with Banteon, even while being close to him. Startled by the sudden touch, Banteon stared directly at Delroz.

Before he could say anything, the vibrations grew stronger. Stones began falling, and their path was completely blocked as the ground beneath them gave way. Instinctively, Banteon grasped Delroz’s hand tightly.

“…!”

He could feel the thick arm around him tighten, holding him more securely.

As the ground crumbled, Banteon’s body plummeted downward.

---

Drip. Drip.

Water droplets fell into a puddle. Through the blurry vision, Banteon could faintly make out stalactites and stalagmites formed by the limestone-laden water.

His entire body felt stiff and sore, as if he had been through a rigorous physical ordeal. His mind struggled to recall why he was in such a place. Slowly, memories of the moment when the mine began to shake violently, causing him to fall, started to resurface.

“….”

So, this must be somewhere beneath the mine. Unlike the stifling, dry air of the abandoned mine, the air here was fresh. There was a damp, earthy smell, and beneath his hand, he felt something soft.

Damp, cool, and soft…

Soft? Banteon’s eyes flew open at the realization. When he lifted his head, he found himself staring directly into a pair of eyes that had been watching him closely.

“You’re awake?”

“What is this…?”

The “soft” sensation he felt was Delroz’s thigh. He had been lying on Delroz’s leg, with Delroz’s large jacket spread beneath them. Shocked by the situation, Banteon quickly sat up.

The sudden movement made his head throb painfully.

“Ugh…”

“Careful. You might have hurt your head.”

“Where are we?”

“The bottom of the mine. The lowest level.”

Banteon looked around, taking in his surroundings. As Delroz had said, they were in a large, naturally formed cave. The dim light filtering in from somewhere allowed him to make out the details of the space. The ground beneath his hand was damp, covered in moss, and the stones were slippery.

“What happened? Are the others safe?”

“They’re probably fine. More importantly, are you hurt?”

At Delroz’s question, Banteon checked himself over. Despite feeling as though he had been beaten and his senses dulled, he didn’t notice any specific pain.

Looking up, he saw the large hole from which they had fallen. Considering the height from which they had dropped, it was remarkable that he was in such good condition. As much as he hated to admit it, Delroz had likely protected him during the fall.

Even though the ground had collapsed, Delroz could have avoided falling. It was clear that he had intentionally stayed with Banteon, ensuring they both ended up here together.

“Why so quiet? Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Even though he felt a sense of gratitude, Banteon found it hard to express it openly due to their complicated history. Despite his curt response, Delroz didn’t seem to mind, nodding slightly. He then stood up, brushing off his clothes and stretching his body. It was surprising how unscathed he appeared, considering the height from which they had fallen.

As Banteon tried to assess his own condition, he noticed that the glove on his hand was torn, exposing the skin of his palm. The gloves had a guiding-blocking effect, but now, between the ripped fabric, he could see his bare skin. He recalled grabbing Delroz’s hand with this very hand as they fell.

The more he thought about that tense moment, the more his expression hardened. There was no mistaking it—his bare hand had touched Delroz’s body. And when he regained consciousness, he was lying on Delroz’s thigh.

‘Did he realize?’

Banteon sighed inwardly as he tried to stand. He wasn’t sure how long he had been unconscious, but his body, stiff and uncooperative, didn’t move easily. He gripped the wall for support as he rose, but as soon as he put weight on his left foot, a sharp pain shot through his ankle.

“Ah!”

The pain, like an electric shock, radiated from his foot and ankle, causing him to wince in pain. He bit his lip to endure it.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I twisted my ankle a bit.”

Of all the places to injure his ankle, it had to be in the middle of this vast cave. It wasn’t a good situation, especially with limited visibility. His brow furrowed in frustration.

Seeing Banteon’s distress, Delroz clicked his tongue softly and approached him, bending down on one knee. Without warning, he grabbed Banteon’s ankle and examined it.

Without hesitation, Delroz tore the lower part of his shirt. Though the action exposed his well-defined abs, he didn’t pay any attention to it as he tightly wrapped Banteon’s ankle, securing it from the sole of his foot to the ankle with expert precision. Once he was satisfied that the ankle was immobilized, he stood up again.

“…Thank you.”

At this point, even Banteon found it hard to withhold his thanks. Despite Banteon’s polite expression of gratitude, Delroz’s expression remained unchanged.

“Weakling.”

“Given the height we fell from, it’s not surprising,” Banteon added in a slightly bitter tone. Considering how far they had fallen, just injuring his ankle seemed like a lucky outcome.

But Delroz glanced up at the opening above them, then shrugged indifferently. Of course, for a monstrous person like him, such a fall would be nothing.

Banteon slowly surveyed their surroundings, trying to grasp the situation. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but considering his clothes were still dry in this damp cave, it couldn’t have been long.

The hole above was an endless black void, the diameter wide enough that it was fortunate only the two of them had fallen. The height was unfathomable, but Banteon thought Delroz might be able to scale the cave walls and climb back up. Shaking off his wet clothes, he braced himself and stood up.

“Let’s climb out of here, then.”

“Climb out?” Delroz tilted his head, as if he had heard something strange.

“We can’t stay here. The others must be worried, and we need to rejoin them quickly.”

With the strongest fighter separated from the group, it would be hard to guarantee the safety of those left behind. Judging by the fact that no more debris had fallen, it seemed the mine hadn’t completely collapsed yet. They needed to return before any unexpected monsters emerged.

Despite the obviousness of Banteon’s statement, Delroz’s face twisted in displeasure.

“Don’t talk nonsense. How do you expect us to climb up there?”

“Wouldn’t it be possible for you?”

“That’s if I were alone.”

Banteon tilted his head in confusion at Delroz’s response. Delroz’s physical strength was undeniably exceptional, but his other abilities, especially his telekinesis, were also highly rated. He could demolish and move entire buildings, so carrying one person while climbing shouldn’t be a problem.

“I’m not that heavy.”

“It’s not about the weight. You’re like pudding. How am I supposed to carry something like that up?”

Pudding? Banteon frowned at the unfamiliar comparison.

“If you get even slightly bumped against the walls, you’ll probably get crushed. What are you going to do if you get hurt climbing up that narrow passage?”

“A few scrapes aren’t a big deal.”

Delroz was treating him like a child. And getting a bit scraped up while climbing wasn’t something to worry about. But Delroz’s frown deepened.

“Where do you get the confidence to treat your body so carelessly?”

His voice carried a hint of frustration that he couldn’t quite hide.

“I’ve noticed this before—you’re always putting yourself in danger. You volunteered to join the hunting party and insisted on being at the front? Do you think monsters will just avoid you because you’re so precious?”

“Other people do the same thing.”

Delroz’s eyebrow twitched in irritation at Banteon’s textbook response.

“You could just stay somewhere safe and comfortable, like a noble should. From what I’ve heard, you don’t even need to be in a place like this.”

Was he being sarcastic? Or was it a genuine question? It was hard to tell. They were speaking the same language, yet Banteon couldn’t discern Delroz’s intentions.

As Banteon stumbled, trying to balance his weight on his injured ankle, Delroz grabbed his wrist firmly, not just holding him steady but ensuring his palm made significant contact with Banteon’s skin. Banteon looked up at Delroz, puzzled by the gesture.

Delroz’s golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness of the cave. The restless red energy that had been swirling around him calmed quickly. Despite the clear change, Delroz’s expression remained the same. He didn’t seem surprised, which confirmed Banteon’s suspicion: Delroz had already figured out that Banteon could guide him. When their eyes met, Delroz smiled fiercely.

“It works well, doesn’t it?”

“When did you find out?”

“I wasn’t 100% sure. But you felt different from the others. I started wondering why I kept thinking about you, a man, so much.”

“….”

“It became clear when I caught you just before you fell.”

The distance between them, already small, seemed to close further. Banteon wanted to step back, but his back was against a massive rock, leaving him no room to retreat.

“As cliché as it sounds, it was like stars exploded in my eyes. I couldn’t think of anything else while we were falling.”

Delroz’s gaze was straightforward, devoid of any deceit. The intensity of it made Banteon uncomfortable, causing him to turn his head without even realizing it. He thought he heard a faint chuckle.

“For some reason, you’re the only one I can guide with right now.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“You’re right about that.”

Delroz shrugged and continued.

“You might not mind since you’re into men, but I’m not thrilled with this situation.”

Who was the one really holding back? Banteon swallowed the retort that threatened to slip out. Delroz seemed to be voicing the very thoughts Banteon wanted to express.