As they entered the cave, Emrys noticed that the air became damp.
The entrance was a huge opening in the rock, and the darkness surrounded them as they walked into the cave. He shivered slightly as he found it hard to see what was in front of him.
The only sound he could hear was the gentle dripping of water, echoing off the walls.
As they went deeper, a soft, blue-green light started to glow from the walls. This lit up strange symbols carved into the rock.
Emrys thought that it must have been the broken beasts crystals. They were mostly found stuck in walls of caves and only miners were allowed to mine them.
The symbols seemed to be some sort of map, leading the hunters further into the cave.
Emrys couldn't help but feel a strange power in the air. He shivered again, wondering what was ahead and what beasts they might face.
The level E leader's voice echoed off the walls as he called out, "Alright, let's rest for a bit. We've got a long way to go, and we don't want to exhaust ourselves before we even find the beasts."
Emrys sighed down deeply. He was relieved to drop the heavy equipment to the ground. His shoulders were already aching from the weight.
As the E ranked hunters settled in, some of them glanced over at Emrys, their expressions slightly softer than before.
Jax, the lanky hunter who had spoken up earlier, nodded at Emrys and said, "Thanks for speaking up back there, Emrys. You are not so useless after all."
The leader, however, just grunted and turned away, his expression still stern.
In the hunting ranks, the ranking system was not just an alphabet, it showed their strength and power.
Level A hunters were the strongest and those hunters have fought King tier beasts and higher level beasts.
It was ranked from Level A to Level F and that explained why Level F Hunters were at the bottom of the barrel.
The leader was one level higher than level F and so he saw a weak hunter like Emrys as a good-for-nothing.
He kept it in mind to scold Jax when they got back home as he couldn't bear to see his younger brother converse with a weakling.
Meanwhile, Emrys thought about the possible beasts they might encounter in the Shadowfell Grotto cave.
He had a feeling that Akira's gear, which he had snuck out with, could be useful. He had her short sword, a leather tunic, and a small pouch containing healing potions and he was even fortunate enough to find some smoke bombs.
Emrys thought about how he could contribute to the hunt. He could only hope that this hunting mission would pay off as he needed the money to pay for her hospital bill.
She had been diagnosed with a chronic heart disease three weeks ago, but the doctors were refusing to provide treatment unless a payment was made.
His gaze fell on his short sword, thinking to himself that it might be useful against the shadowstalkers if he could get close enough.
He could also use the smoke to disorient the Glimmerwings, if they were to come across one.
However, in a case like this, one could not guess the type of the beast they would come across.
There were thousands of intermediate beast species in the world and Emrys could only hope that they came across a no-so-powerful beast.
He glanced around at the others, who were all lost in their own thoughts.
Jax, the lanky hunter, seemed to be studying the symbols on the walls, trying to decipher their meaning.
After a few minutes of rest, the leader stood up, his voice echoing off the walls. "Alright, we have had enough rest. Get up on your feet, teammates, it's time to slaughter some beasts before they find out about our unwelcome visit."
The group nodded and stretched their arms in exhaustion before putting on their gears and armor.
Emrys also picked up his mother's equipment, feeling determined. He was ready to prove himself and to show the others that he was more than just a weak, F-rank hunter.
As they ventured deeper into the Shadowfell Grotto cave,the crystals which were providing a faint light disappeared and darkness surrounded them.
Suddenly while Emrys was searching his bag for a touch, a beast emerged from the shadows.
The Magmabane was a hulking intermediate beast. It had eyes that glowed like embers, and its very presence seemed to ignite the air around it.
"Fire elemental!" The leader shouted, as the Magmabane unleashed a powerful flame from his mouth that threatened to engulf them.
Emrys instinctively reached for his sword instead, throwing away the idea of finding a torch since the magmabane emitted enough light for them to see.
He kept himself in a fighting stance and prepared to fight.
But a sly grin spread across the leader's face and he said, "Ah, Emrys, sit down, boy. Let us show you how it's done."
His tone was laced with mockery, and Emrys flashed him a look of frustration. "What do you mean? I didn't come here to carry equipment, I came to fight beasts too."
The leader chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you think you can. But this is a fight for real hunters, not F-rank novices like yourself. Sit down, watch, and learn."
The others snickered, and Emrys' face burned with embarrassment. He reluctantly sheathed his sword and stepped back, forced to watch as the others prepared to face the Magmabane.
Maybe it was a good thing after all, he could find out more about the intermediate beasts while the others fought and whenever the beast gets weak enough, he would land the final blow and get ten percent of the shares when they get back to the guild.
He watched as Jax and the others formed a semi-circle around the beast. The leader nodded to them with a grin. "Alright, let's show our pathetic F ranker how it's done."
The leader gave the order and they charged at the Magmabane, their blades flashing swiftly. Even Emrys was unable to keep up with their moves.
The difference between level E rankers and Level F rankers seemed to be much bigger than he had originally thought.
As the battle continued, it soon became clear that the Magmabane was no ordinary beast. Its molten lava body seemed to absorb their attacks, and its flames grew stronger with each passing moment.
Jax stumbled back, his sword arm burned. "Ahh! It's too hot!"
The leader's grin also turned into a snarl, he shouted, "Keep fighting! We can't let it win! "
But it was too late. One by one, the hunters fell to the ground, gnashing their teeth in pain.
Emrys watched as they writhed in agony, their screams echoing in the cave.
The Magmabane appeared over them, its ember eyes glowing with a killing intensity. It raised a molten fist, ready to deliver the final blow.
Emrys got tired of watching. He knew he had to act fast, but the leader's words still stung. Was he really just a useless F-rank novice?
Shaking the thought away, Emrys remembered his mother's gear and the smoke bombs in his pouch. Maybe, just maybe, he could turn the tide of the battle.
He grabbed a smoke bomb and tossed it at the Magmabane, hoping to make its vision blurry and gain an advantage. But the beast had a better sight than humans and most basic beast so the smoke seemed to have little effect.
A deafening roar shook the cavern, and the intermediate beast pushed the smoke aside with its molten fist.
The leader, still lying on the ground, coughed and groaned. "Emrys, you F rank novice...you'll never...defeat it..."
Emrys ignored the leader. He drew his mother's sword, and approached the Magmabane with his heart pounding in his chest.
"You're right," Emrys said, his voice steady. "I won't defeat it with tricks and bombs. But I will defeat it with my sword to prove to you all that I am not a weak F rank novice!"
After saying that, Emrys charged at the Magmabane, his sword flashing in the dim light.
The intermediate beast roared again, its flames growing higher in anticipation of the battle.
The two clashed, Emrys' sword striking the Magmabane's molten body with a shower of sparks.
The beast retaliated with a mouthful of flames, but Emrys dodged before it could get to him.
For a moment, it seemed like he might actually stand a chance. But the Magmabane was too strong, and soon Emrys found himself on the defensive side. He struggled to avoid the beast's crushing blows.
The leader who still lying on the ground, watched in horror as Emrys fought the Magmabane. He realized too late that they had underestimated the beast's power. It was no ordinary intermediate beast, it had strong elemental abilities.
"Guys, we need to get out of here, now!" the leader yelled, his voice hoarse from the smoke and his injuries.
As the others nodded their heads in agreement, another creature emerged from the shadows, its eyes fixed on the hunters.
The leader's heart sank as he saw the creature's massive size and twisted body.
"It's an intermediate Devourer," the leader whispered, his voice trembling. "We can't defeat both of them. We have to retreat, now!"
The other hunters, still recovering from their injuries, stumbled to their feet. The leader pointed at Emrys, still fighting the Magmabane. "Leave him! He's our only chance to escape! He will serve as a distraction."
The hunters hesitated, but the leader's words were laced with desperation. Wanting to save their lives, they turned and fled, leaving Emrys to face the Magmabane and the Devourer alone.
Emrys, who was still clashing with the Magmabane, didn't notice their betrayal. He was too busy trying to survive.
The leader and his fellow E ranked hunters ran as fast as they could, not daring to look back. It was obvious that Emrys was doomed, but they also had to save themselves.
Emrys fought with every ounce of strength he had. His movements had greatly improved from years of training with his adopted father, Kian, a renowned hunter.
Since he was a child, his father had taught him how to dodge, how to anticipate his opponents' attacks. Emrys wasn't perfect, but he was good enough to avoid the Magmabane's flames and the Devourer's crushing blows.
As he clashed with the beasts, Emrys remembered his father's words: "A true hunter doesn't just rely on strength, but on strategy." Emrys used every trick his father had taught him, from feints to false retreats. He dodged the Magmabane's flames and struck back with precision.
This was the first time he was fighting two intermediate beasts at once and it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to avoid their attacks for long.
The Devourer moved closer, preparing to attack.
Emrys launched himself at the Magmabane, his sword raised high. Memories from twelve years ago flashed before his eyes and he remembered how an intermediate beast dragged his mother away.
Even as a child, he was able to know what was going on and the anger which he felt twelve years ago resurfaced. He wanted to kill every intermediate beast on earth and so he became even more determined to kill the two beasts.
The Magmabane swung its molten fist, but Emrys dodged and countered, his sword slicing through the flames. For a moment, it seemed like Emrys might actually win against the beast.
But the Devourer struck from the sides, its massive body slamming into Emrys with a great force.
Emrys' body flew to the hard walls, his sword slipped from his hands and he found himself gasping for air.
He struggled to get back on his feet, his body bruised and his knees weak. The Magmabane and the Devourer approached and Emrys couldn't help but curse them through gritted teeth.