"Greetings, greetings, how might I appreciate my guests?"
Everyone stays still. No movement, no trembling, no shuddering, not even blinking, just still. For the host was a 'man' who stood fifteen meters in height, who's limbs were stretched and shattered to match such a height, and who's smile reached around his skull to smile again.
The smile stays while he talks, "Now, now, now, this is no way for guests to act. Come come, sit down and let rest your weary bones and aching muscles."
And like that, a table and chairs manifests in front of him, tiny in comparison to his massive form.
We look at one another, seeing the apprehension in all eyes. Seok makes the executive decision to walk towards the new table. He's three meters ahead when Seung goes, followed by Iseul, Seong-Jin, and I.
We all sit at separate spots on the blank table, five seats in all. Seok at the head, Seung next to Iseul, and Seong-Jin next to I.
Once we're all seated, the Giant speaks, "Good, now I can do the entertainment. For my first trick, I need everyone, to take a finger and place it upon the table, it can be any finger."
That sounds bad, really, really bad. I look at Seong-Jin next to me, and he has a deep fear in his eyes. I go to ask him something when a sudden dread so powerful that it nearly stops my heart, takes place. All of my movements and thoughts are stopped, my very self fearing this dread.
Once my thoughts and movement turn away from speaking, so too does the dread stop. I gasp for air, taking herculean breaths in. Once stable, I just, just put my left ring finger on the table.
Everyone else eventually makes their decision. Once all fingers are on the table, the 'man' speaks, "Is this your final decision?"
Everyone at the table nods, including my own.
"Then that is your choice.", and as if those words were a trigger, the finger placed upon the table is cut off. Not at the base, the knuckle, but instead where the webbing connects.
The pain is immediate, but not bad. Sure, my finger has just been cut off, but it's not like an arm, a leg, a fucking plexus, or something like that. Though from Iseul's and Seong-Jin's scream, not everyone has gotten used to pain.
Seung is by far the least bothered, which is nice but also kinda sad thinking about it.
Smiley, I'm just going to call him that, starts to talk again, yippee, "Oh no, it appears my trick was too far, I'm sorry. To rectify this disgrace, I Must treat you all. You may stay here until your injuries are healed. How unfortunate that this has occured."
It's with that line that a *Slam!* is heard from the table. To be precise, my spot at the table. Everyone, including Smiley, looks at me. My comrades with fear for me, and Smiley with a unconcealed joy.
"Why the Fuck, are we here?"
His smile slightly flickers, "Watch your Tone, guest. As a Host, it is my duty to make sure you're all cared for. Are you spitting in my care?"
Though my fear grows with every moment of staring, I stay true, iron-willed. I stare into his eyes, "Yes, yes I am."
His smile disappears and in its place is a far, far more terrifying visage. Countless scars that speak of battles fought and won little his lips. Everyone gets up from the table and draws their weapons.
Smiley glares at us with sickly yellow eyes. I respond with a glare of my own, Wodao in place for a great strike, blade over and behind the shoulder.
Tension rises like the ocean, nearly suffocating us in its cold embrace, before finally, finally, Smiley smiles.
"Good, guests, you know when to stand up. Sorry for the finger, it'll be regrown in due time. Though, before you leave, battle one of my dogs. I'm sure his death will greatly empower one of you, and the feat alone will bring glory to your guild."
Our leader responds, "I'd much rather simply leaving instead."
"Do as you please, though the Crimson One is staying with me if you leave."
That stops Seok's plan. He plants his feet, lowers his hips, and gets us into formation. Smiley's smile gets even larger, now covering his entire face like a paradox given form.
"Then I shall enjoy this."
Smiley gives a gentleman's bow and in his place is a three meter long hound, cloaked in a black, cancerous hide.
I don't know its name, but Seok does as he calls out, "It's a Black-Hound, everyone into formation A."
We follow his command and get into the arrow like formation with Seung at the fore, me the left barb, Seok the right barb, Iseul the shaft, and Seong-Jin the feather.
The Black-Hound charges ten meters in a second, and is right in front of me. It's only now, that it is in front of me and ready to lunge, that I realized I didn't snap seven times.
My shoulders, hips and everything that can, shift so the blade is swung across the horizon. The blade get stuck in the Hound's teeth which yanks it, slipping the blade out of my hand. I try to move back to avoid its attack, but that means nothing in front of its speed.
The Hound lunges and time slows down, not due to Gi, but due to life. Memories past and present start rushing through my mind. The times I spent at school, at work, with my friends, with Ryung and Hana, all come rushing back to me.
Once the memories are done and I'm in the present once again, the Hound's teeth are in front of my face, when it's suddenly hit from the side.
An ice spike penetrated its side, sending it far away. Far away meaning nothing to it. I look back and see Seong-Jin grinning while chanting another spell.
My foot lands and plants, my body lowers until my other foot catches up and it too, is planted. Like a Great-Oak I stand tall.
My finger snaps once, the Hound has skid to a halt. Second snap, the Hound has started running. Third snap, the Hound has reached halfway while dodging Seong-Jin's fireball, only getting slight burns. Fourth snap, I can see the drool dripping from its open maw. Fifth snap, I can see the hate in its eyes. Six snap it's lunged and is ready for my throat. Seventh snap, Crimson aura forms around my body, guarding like a great armor. The last thing I see of it is the fear in its eyes while my body twists and my left hook lands, sending it flying over to Seung.
She brings her right knee to just above the ground and braces her shield with her right arm.
The Hound slams into the shield and a sickening *Crack* resounds through the Ballroom. The hound falls limp to the ground, or at least the hind legs and tail are limp, the front legs and maw are still out for blood.
Seung's left arm falls while her right is raised, sword in hand, and is driven into the Hound's heart, silencing the Beast.
It squirms for moments more before finally succumbing to its fatal wound. Seung stabs it three more times just to make sure, before looking to me with a thumbs up. I give her a thumb up back with my right arm as the left as been thoroughly destroyed by that last punch. Dog skulls are surprisingly hard.
I look to Seong-Jin and give him a thumbs up which he returns in kind, barely exhausted from the ordeal. I give him a nod before looking at both Seok and Iseul. I thought they would be sad or upset they weren't useful in the fight, but they were instead, smiling. That makes more sense, now that I think about it.
Seok goes over to the corpse and wordlessly starts dismantling it. Safe to say, a LOT, of blood stained the ballroom floor. Due to the ballroom's sacrifice, we got some good loot like its core, its brain, tongue, organs, the whole shebang.
Once we're done, the hound, and the blood, disappear and in its stead is Smiley who smile is smiling more than ever. "Good, good, you killed it, though it is sad the Crimson One didn't land the final blow. You may all leave, I do hope you enjoyed the, entertainment. I sure did"
With those words, we're teleported outside of the Labyrinth who's doors have receded into the Earth. I look at my left hand, at the missing ring finger, and ask the question I hope everyone was thinking, "Can we heal this?"