The hunters cautiously move through the passageway, the air growing hotter with each step they take toward the light at the end. Rosh, along with the other porters, follows behind them. The heat isn't the only thing making Rosh uncomfortable, the further they advance, the more an inexplicable sense of dread gnaws at him.
As they near the passage's end, Rosh suddenly stops in his tracks. His heart pounds in his chest, and beads of sweat form on his forehead.
Jalad notices him lagging and turns back. "What's wrong, Rosh?"
Rosh hesitates, the unease in his gut intensifying. "I… I feel like there's something… something dangerous up ahead."
Jalad chuckles softly, trying to reassure him. "Don't worry. This is just a D-rank dungeon, and our leader is a C-rank hunter. They can handle whatever's in there." He claps Rosh on the shoulder.
"Come on."
Rosh follows. They soon exit the passage into a large room, its walls glowing with crystals that bathe the area in an eerie light. In the middle of the room stands a creature that makes Rosh's blood run cold.
It stands on all fours, its body resembling a massive dog, easily twice the size of an adult man. It has two heads, and a long, thick tail. The creature's dark skin seems to absorb the light, while green flames flicker and erupt from its body, casting ominous shadows on the walls.
Hank shouts, "Everyone, in position."
The hunters immediately snap into formation, their faces tense, and tanks tighten their grip on the shields.
The monster charges with terrifying speed. The ground shakes with each step it takes.
The tanks brace themselves, but the monster slams into them with such force that the ground beneath them cracks, and one of them is knocked to the ground, barely conscious.
Hanks, without hesitation, dashes forward, signaling the dealers to follow. They move in sync, attacking the monster with a flurry of strikes. But the monster, with a single sweep of its massive claw, sends them flying back, their bodies hitting the ground, winded and bruised.
Just then, a barrage of water bullets and sharp thorny vines shoots through the air, aimed directly at the monster. But the heat radiating from the monster is too intense for their spells to withstand. The water bullets evaporate mid-air, turning to steam before they even make contact, and the vines wither and burn to ash as they near its searing flames.
Dealers, seeing the attack fail, charge at it desperately.
Hank takes a deep breath. "Mana sword" he mutters, and instantly, mana bursts towards the sword, forming a layer of energy over it.
With a fierce shout, He attacks with all his strength. The monster, undeterred, meets them head-on. Its tail lashes out like a whip, knocking the dealers off their feet.
Hank, gritting his teeth, swing his sword with all his strength, severing the monster's tail. The monster let out a monstrous roar and the green flames around its body flare up violently.
Hank notices the change immediately.
"Mages, shield now. Dealers, fall back." He commands his voice tight with urgency.
The monster launches jets of green flames from both heads. The mages strain to hold their shields up, their faces pale with fear and effort. The healer heals the dealers in the back.
Rosh, standing in the back, watches in horror. His entire body is trembling and his heart pounds like a drum. Suddenly, black mist begins to seep from its body.
The monster freezes just as it looks at the mist, and stops the breath attack abruptly. Its eyes narrow as it looks at Rosh, as if the monster is locking onto him.
It roars and the green flames around its body flare even higher as its body slowly puffs up, growing larger.
Everyone's faces drain of color as they see the monster, now even more massive, charging straight at them. Just then, a single haunting voice voice rings in Rosh's mind.
"Run"
Without thinking, Rosh bolts to the side, running as fast as his legs can carry him. sideways with all his might. Tears blur his vision as he thinks of Aunt Jareen and Clara.
"I have to live... I have to sury... Aunt jareen... Clara."
The monster, ignoring the rest of the team entirely, charges after him with relentless fury.
Seeing their chance, Hank shouts, "Last chance, give it your all."
Hank charges, even with deadly wounds, using mana sword. The Mages, trembling with fear and exhaustion, begin chanting, pouring every last bit of their magic into one final attack.
Hank targets the monster's back leg, striking with all his strength and severing it. The mages unleash their spells- a massive water ball and a large, thorny vine with a pointy end. The attacks land on the monster simultaneously and create a thick fog that envelopes the monster.
For a moment, everything is still. The team holds their breath, their eyes fixed on the fog, hoping, praying the monster is finally down. But as the fog slowly clears, their hearts sink. The monster is still standing, wounded but far from defeated.
The hunters are lying down, unable to even move, waiting for death.
The monster approaches Rosh, opening its jaws wide. The black mist around him begins to flow in the monster's mouth. The hunters watch in horror, their faces twisted in helpless terror.
But then, something strange happens. The monster's body begins to convulse. Its growls turn into pained snarls. The green flames around its body, flicker and die, replaced by an eerie black fire that consumes its body.
With a final, ear-splitting roar, the monster's head swells grotesquely before bursting apart, black flames and blood spraying across the room. The hunters stare in stunned silence, their bodies trembling with fear and exhaustion, and the lifeless body of the monster collapses to the ground.
Rosh lies on the ground, gasping for breath, his body shaking uncontrollably. The hunters, though relieved, are left with a deep, unsettling fear.
What had happened was beyond anything they had ever faced.
After the monster is defeated, the group takes a short break, their body aching and breaths heavy. The healer moves between them, tending to their wounds, though she can only manage to heal them partially given her exhaustion.
Hank, wiping the sweat from his brow, looks around at the weary faces of his team. "We'll abandon this raid. Does everyone agree?" he asks, his voice firm but laced with concern.
Everyone nods in agreement.
As the porters begin dismantling the monster, Hank approaches Rosh.
"What did you do, Rosh?" Hank asks, his tone serious and searching.
Rosh, startled by his question, quickly responds. "Nothing, I was just running for my life," Rosh replies.
Hank studies him with suspicion. "Are you sure you didn't do anything?"
"Yes," Rosh insists, his voice steady. "How could I have done anything? I mean, how could I even defeat something like that?"
Hank studies him for a moment and then sighs. "Okay, go and help the porters."
As Rosh walks away, Hank mutters to himself, watching him closely. "The monster wasn't damaged enough. It just stood there with its jaws open, but didn't attack. And then, suddenly, its head exploded… Was that just a coincidence, or did he do something?"
Rosh works on the corpse, but his mind is elsewhere, replaying the event that just transpired.
"I think I heard a voice just before I ran. It told me to run. Or maybe I was just hearing things."
As he works on the monster's corpse, Rosh feels a strange sense of familiarity wash over him—just like before. "Huh," he murmurs, pausing in his work. "I feel like there's something in here."
His hands sift through the remains until he finds a small black stone, almost hidden in the creature's flesh. The stone seems to pull at him, drawing his attention in a way he can't quite explain. He picks it up, turning it over in his hand, but there's nothing outwardly remarkable about it.
"What are you looking at, Rosh?" Jalad asks as he notices Rosh staring at the stone.
"Look," Rosh says, handing out the stone to him. "I think I found something interesting.
"Jalad examines the stone briefly before shrugging. "There's nothing special about it. It's just a stone."
Rosh takes the stone back, frowning slightly. "Nothing special? Then why is it attracting me so much?" he wonders silently, slipping the stone into his pocket."
Shaking off the strange feeling, he returns to work, though the stone remains a persistent presence in the back of his mind. Once they finish collecting what they can from the monster, the group quickly heads outside, eager to leave the dangerous portal behind.