The four made their way to the level 5 beasts' region, a dark and spooky cave that seemed to lure them to their doom.
Even Rudr, who had suggested searching for a higher-level monster, was beginning to feel uneasy as they approached the ominous entrance.
"Don't tell me you are feeling scared now," Rose asked, glancing towards him.
"W... Who is scared. I am not, haha I can't wait to kill that rat." Rudr replied.
"Rat?" Deimos asked while raising his brows.
"The level 5 monster is Ratmorph inside the cave," Alan replied.
"This fucking ratshit again!" Deimos cursed in his mind.
"So how are we going to distribute loot? Let's settle that first," Rudr said.
"Whatever will drop, we will do stone, paper, and scissors as usual and will divide equally among each other in case more than one item drops," Rose replied.
"But this guy will not be included in that; it's his first day, and I bet he will be useless. I will not share the loot with him."
"Me too," Alan agreed with Rudr.
Rose's gaze turned to Deimos, a hint of concern etched on her face.
She didn't want him to feel left out, she wished to be closer to him instead of being stuck with the other two idiots.
However, she knew that she had to stay with them for the time being.
After all, Deimos was only at level 1, and she had doubts about how helpful he would be in combat.
"Haha, don't worry about me, guys. I am happy to gain some exp.
"You guys can have all the loot you want."
"This guy is not as bad as I thought," Rudr thought.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's hunt the rat monster." Rose said it with some energy.
"Lead the way, Rose. We will be your bodyguard," Alan said, thumping his chest a little with his hand.
"Yes, you all are real gentlemen. Follow me,"
With that said, Rose led the group to the cave's entrance, with the other three members following close behind.
Their eyes were drawn to the sway of her hips as she walked.
That's not what real gentlemen do, but *sigh* anyway, let's continue...
When they entered the cave, the air turned chilly, sending shivers down their spines.
The darkness was almost suffocating, but the crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling of the cave gave off a faint glow, providing some visibility.
However, the stench of blood and corpses made their stomachs churn, and they had to cover their noses to bear it.
"This smell, After this, I really need a good bath," Rose commented.
"How about we all go to the hot springs, Rose?"
"Good Idea! Why don't you join as well, Deimos?"
Rudr snotted after hearing that.
"I will be happy to tag along,"
*growl*
Their chitchat was shattered by a monster's growling, forcing everyone to jump to attention.
The group noticed it was approaching closer as the growls became louder.
Finally, their eyes fell on the massive level 5 Ratmorph monster, towering over them like a horse.
Although it resembled the smaller Ratmorphs they had previously encountered, this one was significantly larger.
It had razor-sharp claws, a pointy tail, and fangs that were longer and sharper, capable of piercing through anything. The mere smell of its breath was enough to make them nauseous.
[Name: Ratmorph
Level: 5
Grade: Common
Health: 150/150]
"Get ready, guys!" Rose shouted as she quickly drew her saber from her waist.
Alan did the same as he summoned his big-ass hammer out of nowhere.
Rudr's hand movements became more intense, and his eyes began to flash a vivid blue. He appears to be entering spell-casting mode.
Deimos stood in the back of the group, his grasp on the staff strong. His gaze darted around, taking in his teammates' motions as they prepared for the approaching combat.
"Good luck guys! I will help you from the back," he shouted loudly.
The level 5 Ratmorph monster vanished in an instant, its motions becoming too fast for the human eye to follow.
It circled around the group, preparing to attack from any direction, leaving behind only blurry afterimages that made it hard to locate.
Suddenly the monster struck out with its sharp claws towards Alan, who reacted quickly, blocking the attack with his hammer. However, the force behind the blow was so strong that Alan was dragged back a few steps.
The Ratmorph creature charged once more, desperate to kill its prey.
Just as it was about to land a fatal blow on Alan, a crescent-shaped slash of wind sliced through the air and struck the monster, leaving a deep gash.
[-30]
The monster let out a loud screech as greenish blood oozed from the wound, but it quickly regained its composure and resumed its attack, dashing around with incredible speed.
Rudr's hands moved in an elegant pattern, and little rocks began to erupt from the dirt beneath their feet. They levitated in the air for a split second before slamming into the creature, showering down on the monster.
The level 5 monster easily avoided Rudr's boulders and closed in on him, causing Alan to sprint towards it in order to intercept it.
Realizing that Rudr would be in danger if the monster got too close, Rose unleashed a barrage of wind slashes to deter its approach.
However, the monster proved too agile for her attacks and managed to get within striking distance of Rudr.
The level 5 monster was just inches away from Rudr, preparing to attack him, when a hammer flew into the air and landed with a loud thud on the monster's head. The blow slowed the monster's onslaught, allowing Rudr to escape to a safer distance.
[-50]
Deimos had observed from the rear as the hammer emitted a faint glow when Alan hurled it at the monster.
"It did more damage than a wind slash when Rose attacked. What was it?" He asked in his mind.
[Mana coating]
"hmm…
The monster shook its massive head, its frenzied eyes fixated on Alan.