Daniel, with Wendy in his arms, and also Lis who was almost naked had now run and sneaked into the cave. The lighting around them was obtained from the stone that gave off that yellow glow. The light was dim enough to make some of the highest points of the cave invisible, but it was enough to help keep their vision clear.
All that squeaked was gasping from them. While occasionally looking back if the monsters in the kitchen returned to the front, they continued with their footsteps as fast as they could.
Finally, they were able to reach the exit from the cave, which was very wide and the brightest of all the passages because it seemed that there were some extra yellow natural stones used for lighting.
Lis leaned her back against the cave wall, calming her gasping breath. Her sweat had already penetrated her skin.
Meanwhile, Daniel looked outside to check. In the courtyard, the cave looked safe. All the monsters were not visible there, thus making the place that was like a market now looked like a vast garden in a large palace. It's just that the garden was filled with protruding stones that could hurt your skin if you touched them.
Daniel also thought of Lis. She was not wearing footwear, her condition was like an ancient human, only more beautiful and smarter. So it must have hurt her leg and maybe a little blistered. This made Daniel even more obliged to speed up his escape.
"It's safe outside. Let's move!" Daniel hissed very softly. He was in the lead, correcting Wendy's body position behind his back then correcting the position of his backpack in front of his chest. He turned down Lis' offer to help carry his backpack because it might not be a good idea. Daniel had to keep his weapon in his hand, and that could only happen if he kept his backpack in his arms.
Daniel's legs often staggered when walking because of Wendy's weight on his back, not to mention the terrain that he had to pass was very steep with rock outcrops that had different textures. Not to mention this pungent scent of sulfur, which started to make him dizzy.
After about fifty meters they stepped, Lis also groaned. She complained that the soles of her feet were no longer strong enough to use for walking because the stones below hurt her skin quite a bit.
Daniel could understand that because until now his hands still felt the heat after crawling over these rocks to sneak up. It's just that the condition of his hands was not as bad as Lis' feet. Daniel didn't know how to solve this problem, other than just asking Lis to be more patient.
"Hold on a little, Lis. Soon we'll be able to reach the portal doors." If usually Daniel would be laughed at or ridiculed for saying about portals and things like that, then not this time. Lis obeyed Daniel and took him very seriously. The only reason was that Lis has already seen this world, and she would become another human who could testify out there. Hopefully, Lis wouldn't be considered crazy if she told about her experiences when she was kidnapped by monsters.
They walked again with Daniel who was always stumbling and Lis who was always moaning in pain. Her condition was poor but Daniel had nothing to help her.
Now their eyes were able to grasp the gate of the monster lair with great clarity. At first, when he was at the exit of the cave, the gate was faintly visible in the distance because the position was quite far. Daniel encouraged Lis again and then pointed at the gate, "Come on, Lis. That's the gate. Come on, strengthen your legs. We can go out. Come on!"
Once again Daniel confirmed Wendy's position behind her back. Then he decided to tie two of Wendy's legs so that they curled around his body. After succeeding, Daniel grabbed a crowbar from inside his backpack. This was just a precaution if only ...
"Oh, little mice? Where are you going?" A voice emerged from behind, a roar that boomed like a mountain rock that had fallen into an avalanche.
Suddenly Lis and Daniel turned their heads, and their faces suddenly turned pale when they found the monster that had entered the kitchen now has come out.
"How could it be…." Daniel gasped and was speechless. He should have been able to hear the monster's feet pounding but he didn't, and somehow it happened.
On reflex, Daniel ran, carried Wendy, and almost fell over several times. Lis screamed and followed Daniel. The pain from her blistered leg felt like numbness.
The monster laughed then he walked casually and was able to reach the two people. But he still hadn't done anything, he just stood as if enjoying the fear of his prey.
Meanwhile, right in front of the cave exit, two monster figures suddenly appeared, as if they had risen from the ground. One of them was the fake Mr. Parkin monster. Daniel could recognize him from his one big eye like it was swollen and about to burst. He drew closer to Daniel with unreliable movements but a face of great hunger.
"Dan? I never thought you could reach this portal. I do see something different from you but I didn't expect it to be this great. Now I am more certain that you are storing the essence of the universe in your body." The fake Mr. Parkin who was currently in the form of a twenty-meter monster now bent slightly, blowing smoke from his mouth that was like sulfur.
Lis staggered drunk.
His two friends nodded happily. "So he is the legend? Who had destroyed our civilization in the past? And now he's born as a child with a stupid weapon in his hand?" asked one of the monsters who was currently standing next to the fake Mr. Parkin. His body was rather slender, with a cube-shaped arrangement of stones attached.
Then the monster behind spoke up, "If it's true we have to hurry before the others see. With that core we can become very strong, then we can overthrow the power of Brok. It seems like he's still weak anyway, so that's fine." The dust of the feet sZ like an earthquake that shook the ground. It was the footsteps of the monster behind.
"I don't understand what you mean. I don't have the core of the universe, so you mistake people for it." Daniel was quite brave. With his body, he seemed to be fixing a stance along with the broken crowbar that he was currently holding tightly. Lis snuggled up to Daniel, cowering a little scared.
Laughter roared in the sky, and it belonged to the three monsters who surrounded him. The fake Mr. Parkin lifted Daniel's body, making him float in the very high air. Then he leaned Daniel's body close to his face as if he wanted to investigate further.
"I saw it. We were predators originally, and I could see that. Even if you don't have it it will not hurt me to kill you. I still like fresh meat." The fake Mr. Parkin opened his mouth wide, then pushed Daniel and Wendy into his mouth. Below them, Lis was already screaming and running.
Along with that Daniel strengthened his resolve. He knew he would survive. Surely the fighters will help him, or maybe Sam. So he needn't be afraid.
Daniel's body bounced and had landed in the mouth of the fake Mr. Parkin with Wendy's body exacerbating the landing. A moment later the mouth almost closed until finally, Daniel decided to act. He then beat the mouth of the fake Mr. Parkin until it made him moan and vomit Daniel again.
Anger was painted on the face of the fake Mr. Parkin, as Daniel's body slammed down and fell on the rocky ground pathetically. Daniel groaned, feeling some of his broken bones and the lacerated parts of his internal organs.
As he was busy groaning and feeling pain all over his body, with Wendy who had slipped from her arms and was now bouncing far away in a dark corner, Mr. Parkin's clawed hands jerked from above and nearly crushed Daniel's body.
***