Axel feared the consequences of his request, but at present, saving a life was more important.

'Fenrir is the only one who can bring us out of this place alive!'

'I've wasted so much money to get her to our side. I can't lose her so easily!'

'Her power is a blessing as long as she's on our side. We can't miss out on this opportunity!'

Such thoughts and excuses formed in his mind. Slowly, the scales balanced out, making his decision to save her firm and unchangeable.

"Do it!" he commanded. "I won't go back on my word!"

[You said it, contractor~!]

The next moment, a new quest appeared for only a brief instant, not even giving Axel time to read its contents. It blinked in and out of existence.

[

Quest: Reviving the Great Wolf Fenrir!

Requirements:

- Fix Fenrir's broken soul

- Contractor will listen to all of Navi's commands during the process

- All costs will be shouldered by the contractor

Rewards:

- Energy Drink x1

]

"..."

Axel swore he saw something strange on the quest screen, but it vanished too quickly for him to be sure. He didn't have time to double-check either.

[Alright, let's begin!]

Navi spun mid-air before striking a pose like a star on the dance floor.

[First, ensuring our safety! I'll be making an underground hideout and using various protection amulets to veil our presence!]

The Humvee disappeared, returning to Axel's inventory. At the same time, a small, inconspicuous hatch appeared on the ground where the Humvee had stood. The hatch felt strange—even as Axel looked at it, it felt as though it wasn't really there at all.

[Now, go down the hatch and enter. I've prepared all the items and tools needed for the witch's sacred Soul Forging Ritual~!]

'So you knew about the witch's ritual!'

Axel growled inwardly.

However, he couldn't waste time getting angry.

Shaking his head, he lifted Fenrir into a princess carry and turned to Nina, who remained confused. To her, Axel looked like someone who had suddenly gone mad, talking to something nonexistent. She couldn't see or hear Navi, after all.

"Nina! Open the hatch and follow me down there! Everything you need for the Soul Forging Ritual is down there!" he explained quickly.

"Y-Yes!"

How did Axel know the ritual's name, or what was needed? And how did he prepare all of it in an instant, without her even explaining what she required? The questions lingered in her mind, but she dared not delay.

Time was of the essence—a life was literally hanging in the balance.

Following Axel's instructions, she pulled the hatch open, allowing him to enter. After ensuring he was already down there, Nina followed, closing the hatch behind her.

After going down a long set of stairs...

"W-What the hell is this place...?"

What greeted her was a wide chamber.

It was the size of a single room, with a king-sized bed in the center. A table stood off to the side, lined with various items and tools—everything she would need for the ritual.

The walls were lit by mysterious glowing stones, releasing a faint purple-pink glow that added a certain raunchy atmosphere to the space.

"Nina!"

"Ah!"

She snapped back to her senses when Axel called out to her.

Fenrir was already lying in the middle of the bed, ready for the ritual. All that remained was for Nina to begin her work.

'This isn't the time to be distracted!' she thought, clapping her cheeks strongly.

Gathering her focus, she ignored the pink-hued atmosphere and concentrated on the task at hand.

With practiced movements, she grabbed the necessary tools and mixed the ingredients into a bowl, carefully grinding them into a paste while issuing instructions to Axel.

"First, remove all her clothes. We need to draw runes over her body."

"Got it."

Axel didn't hesitate.

He touched Fenrir's damaged blouse, storing it back into his inventory. He did the same with her pants, which disappeared moments later.

Axel saw Fenrir's naked body once more. Much closer and clearer this time.

Perfectly proportioned, as if carved by the gods themselves.

Still, he didn't dare lose focus. Right now, saving her mattered more than anything else.

"Huh?"

The next moment, he heard the sound of clothes rustling.

Turning toward Nina, he froze.

She was stripping—removing all her clothes. Her smooth, pristine skin shone under the dubious lighting Navi had chosen.

"N-Nina?!" Axel gasped.

Nina, however, remained focused. She cast aside her shame for the moment, keeping a straight face—though her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"This is necessary, Sir Axel. While I will draw runes to help rebuild her soul, someone must guide the fragments together first. That's why I need to draw the runes on my own body."

Axel felt convinced, yet also felt that he shouldn't be watching.

Still, his eyes couldn't help but follow the alluring brush as it swept across Nina's body.

Across her forehead and flushed cheeks. Down her slender neck. Over her budding chest, to her navel. Along her thin arms and long legs. Even around her thighs and shapely buttocks.

Axel felt his body heat up just watching.

"Huh? Wait… that smell—smoke?"

Only then did he realize Nina had already prepared something else before that. She had burned a mixture of essences meant to stabilize the space and anchor the soul—a kind of spiritual incense.

"Sir Axel, please help me."

Once Nina finished painting the runes and lines across her body, she crawled onto the bed, holding the bowl with the brush still inside.

Axel immediately understood what she needed.

"Tell me what to do," he said.

Nina nodded, placing a hand on Fenrir's body. It was rapidly losing warmth, growing colder by the second—a sight that made her frown.

"I need to paint runes over her body. Please help by holding her up."

"...Got it."

Axel didn't hesitate. He moved behind Fenrir and lifted her frail body as instructed.

Nina began without another word.

One hand moved steadily with the brush, drawing complex runes with extreme precision. Her other hand traced supplementary details—thick lines, circles, and curves. She was working two functions at once!

Seeing this, Axel could tell she was doing everything possible to shorten the preparation time and increase the ritual's success rate.

At the same time, he steeled himself, pushing aside distracting thoughts.

Thoughts about how soft Fenrir's body was, how smooth her skin felt, and so on.

[Alright, now… time to listen to my commands~!]

Just as the preparations neared completion, the hateful penguin finally spoke up.

Axel was about to glare at him when—

"Huh?"

His chest thumped loudly in his ears. His body grew hotter with every passing second, as if he were having a high fever.

And finally—

His little Johnny stood proud, roaring to have a go!

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