Everyone looked at Sora.
Kaneki's, Dolores' and his team couldn't believe the development of everything.
Jin didn't want it to be true. Heller helped him stay standing.
Ivankov quickly pointed his gun at Sora.
Sylgard and Arkon stayed motionless, trying to go to protect their Master, but Sam, Newt, and Fredric were blocking them with their weapons prepared.
Before Ivankov made his move, Viktor stepped in front of Sora, blocking him from his brother's gun aim.
"Viktor, what are you doing? He is the Master the System informed every hunter and adventurer. He must be stopped," Ivankov said with his cold voice.
Viktor looked at his brother in silence.
Sora didn't understand Viktor's actions but knew that he could get into problems.
After some minutes in silence and without movement, Viktor said something that left everyone froze on their spots.
Ivankov's expression changed completely. He slowly lowered his gun. That made Arkon and Sylgard relax a bit, which the other hunters appreciated because they could feel that those two shadows were at least level thirty while they were still approaching that level.
"Sora, do-do you have something to do with what is happening?" Jin asked in a serious tone.
Sora looked at his big brother's eyes and smiled.
The smile was something beautiful to see. Everyone blushed a bit, more the ones that were girls (and Kaneki), even Ivankov was surprised to see that kind of smile in a boy.
Sora didn't smile a lot because of that motive. Rose told him to be careful.
Jin continued looking at his eyes and saw the change in Sora's look. Something behind appeared from nowhere and grabbed him from his throat.
It was a corrupted vampire!
It tried to bite him in the neck but then, a long sword slid through the vampire and it became dust causing Jin to fall to the floor on his knees.
Sora quickly went to check on him and then a grateful looked appeared on his pretty face.
The target of his gaze was a beautiful redhead vampire with a black tight suit. She smiled back at Sora and then put her attention to Jin. She quickly approached him and smelled his neck. Everyone, including Sora, held their breaths. They thought that she was going to bite him in place of the other vampire, but she only smiled showing her long fangs to every person present.
"Your smell is delicious..." she purred, "I would like to have a taste, but my King and the Master might get me killed if I bite anyone present," she let go of Jin and bowed her head in acknowledgment to Sora, who, like everyone, let out a breath.
"He is waiting for you," Julieth told Sora.
Ivankov then aimed at her with a strange look in his eyes.
Julieth noticed him and carefully watch for any indication that told her that Ivankov was going to fire.
Then, one by one also noticed what Ivankov did: Julieth's and the other vampire's looks were different. The latter had a more gray ash skin and a crazier look, while Julieth showed signs of being rational and her skin was just pale.
"I know, I think it's time to go, right?" Sora sighed, he looked then at Ivankov, "I suspect there is no penalty in your mission in case you fail, right?"
It was now the turn of Ivankov to be in the spot of everyone's gazes. Viktor looked surprised like everyone.
"Your guess is correct," Ivankov answered calmly.
"I see... well, I'm leaving," Sora made a signal to Sylgard and Arkon who faded in the shadows and appeared next to Julieth.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Viktor yelled at Sora when he began walking towards Julieth and the two shadows.
"To meet someone powerful that needs my help, just remember that inside this dungeon not everything is what it seems," Sora said those final words before Julieth grabbed him from his arm and they faded in the shadows.
The hunters and students stood motionless, while Ivankov received a message from the System 30 seconds after.
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You've failed the mission to catch The Master!
No penalties will be taken.
🐾🐾🐾
Ivankov chuckled, gaining the attention of Jin and Viktor who were still paying attention to his movements and expressions.
"Just that he got in contact with the Vampire King," Ivankov told them, "We need to go now, I don't know what will happen now that The Master and that monster are together."
*********
Sora, Julieth, and the two shadows, Arkon and Sylgard, appeared in a wide space with columns and a throne at the end of the room.
"It's good to finally meet you, The Master. Julieth spoke good things about you and also warned me about your young age. I expected to be an adult, but I never would guess it was a kid," a low but soft voice said.
Sora looked at the throne without any expression, he felt that he was being looked through.
*********
"Sora is The Master?" Dolores couldn't believe what was happening.
Jin, Heller, and Kaneki were also shocked and devastated. Ivankov kept his cold gaze on Viktor, who seemed just sad, but not shocked.
"We need to go and inform the higher-ups about our discovery. Also, Ivankov is correct, we need to leave this dungeon as soon as possible. I think that the few changes are not only because the portal is soon closing, but that The Master's appearance is also related," Jin pushed the matter about Sora and his identity back into his mind.
He knew that they have more serious problems right now than trying to understand what was happening.
Ivankov nodded in approval. He was surprised at how mature Jin was showing to keep the teams together and safe.
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The event is coming to an end in 6 hours 20 minutes 04 seconds!
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Another message from the System appeared telling everyone how much time was left until the event ended.
"I thought it would abruptly end once The Master was with the Vampire King..." Ivankov muttered silently.
Only Viktor heard him, but said nothing,
It was not the place nor the time to have a conversation with his brother, knowing that Ivankov wanted to ask him some questions regarding his earlier actions.
Everyone quickly began to follow Jin through the different tunnels trying to find their way out.
During the journey, they found night creatures and shadows fighting between themselves. It was a strange sight, also a new one.
For the past three years, no one has ever seen nor reported that kind of activity between the monsters.
Jin and the other hunters suspected that these were the changes that the Master brought with his identity revealed.
"Look! Those shadows seemed different!" Heller pointed out one group of shadows that was fighting with three werewolves.
Everyone looked in that direction and noticed the characteristics that Heller saw.
The shadows were melting, and their eyes were a white shadow instead of yellow. Suddenly, a smell hit them and make some of the youngsters puke and get sick.
"This odor is like putrefaction," Ivankov commented covering his nose.
He, like the rest of the hunters, was accustomed to that kind of smell, but something felt incorrect in that specific smell. The teens weren't standing anymore, and the healers tried to heal them.
"Priests and the ones who have purifying abilities, try using the purify effect," Ivankov instructed them.
It was obvious he had more experience than Jin, Heller, Newt, and the rest of the hunters.
"This is the first time I see something like these," Jin helped the young hunters to stand again.
"It is apparent that we are witnessing an update after some years," Ivankov declared solemnly, "We have to leave the dungeon now, we don't how the update might affect the dungeon and its monsters."
Ivankov, Jin, Viktor and the others gather together and began their search for the portal.
After some turns and fights, where they witness monsters fighting monsters that have a corrosive substance coming out of yellowish blisters. It was sickening sight. Many of the youngsters gagged, but control the impulse because of the need of moving quickly to the exit.
Finally, they found the portal.
No one could believe what they saw there.
In front of the portal was a barricade with advance hunters who were helping the students to leave, however they were also checking the students' bodies before allowing them to cross the portal.
Also, other half of the hunters, including the ones in charge of the groups of students were battling monsters with the same yellowish blisters.
"Look! That monster has a human appearance!" Dolores pointed with her finger at a monster in front of one of the hunters that specialized in hand to hand combat.
Everyone looked, and Heller and Sam recognized the torn fabric of a uniform.
"That thing has a student's uniform!" Sam exclaimed.
Ivankov saw the same on another four humanoid monsters, and remembered the moment Jin was going to be bitten.
"Everyone, listen carefully. Don't get bite by any of the monsters and concentrate to reach to the barricade," Ivankov commanded and everyone nodded they understanding.
They quickly began to approach the barricade.
One of the hinters stopped them.
"We need to check you are not bitten, also, which is your team number," the hunter went to the point and began the checking.
"We are teams number 6, 8 and 14," Jin answered and then received a surprised look from the hunter.
"What happened?" Heller asked after noticing the look.
"Sorry, we were told that four teams went missing and lost communication with. We found one and then you appeared with the other three missing groups," the hunter explained.
"And which is the one you found?" Jin asked.
When Ivankov saw the expression in the other hunter's face, knew the answer.
"Those humanoid monsters are the fourth team that went missing…" the hunter exhaled sadly.
Everyone went silent.
"CAREFUL!" Suddenly a shout was heard behind them.
Ivankov quickly turned.
There he saw a student that was bitten and began to transform.
"Attack!" Someone yelled.
Ivankov looked at his brother with a raise brow.
Viktor smiled, aimed his gun and fired.
The student was dead before the transformation ended.
"Everyone is clean, you can leave through the portal," one of the hunters called to the ones guarding the portal.
"They were the last team, retreat! We are leaving before the dungeon is closed!" Another hunter yelled to everyone and began to retreat to the portal.
Before crossing the portal, Viktor saw someone smiling to him from the darkness. It was beautiful smile, but he knew from who it was.
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The event is coming to an end in 0 hours 0 minutes 04 seconds!
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