Pain started seeping into every muscle of Leonar's body as the adrenaline wore off, and soon he could hear the murmurs of the others, groaning in discomfort after the fall.
Some complained openly, only adding to the tension in the air.
"Calm down, everyone!" said the leader of the group, raising his voice to cut through the general grumbling. "They'll probably send a rescue team soon, as soon as they deal with those worms up there."
Leonar felt a sense of relief at this, but a pessimistic-looking guy scoffed and muttered,
"I wouldn't count on it. The guild always skimps when it comes to people like us. They've probably already written us off as dead."
His words landed like a bucket of cold water.
'No, that can't be true. They'd definitely check to make sure we're okay!' Leonar thought, refusing to believe what the man had said.
For a few seconds, the group was awash with a sense of discouragement. But the leader wasn't about to let that negativity take over.
"Look, I've been working here for months," he said, crossing his arms and looking each of them in the eye, "and although the guild's pretty… thrifty, I don't think they'd abandon us that easily."
The group seemed to calm down a bit at this, and Leonar forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to convince himself of the same.
'I can't die here… if I make it out of here, I'll quit this job and get back to using my ability at the casino. All I need to do is survive…'
Memories of nights in the casinos played across Leonar's mind, reminding him of the thrill of the games and his consistent wins.
When his ability was active, he could see beyond what other players considered sheer luck.
On each card or machine, flashes of color would appear that only he could see, guiding him to make the best moves.
When he looked at a card, Leonar would see his ability illuminate the back with a subtle green tone if it was a card that could help him win, while red would appear over a card, warning him of a losing move.
The slot machines, too, revealed themselves to him. He could approach one, and while others relied on hunches or took blind risks, Leonar could see a green glow on machines about to pay out, helping him avoid the yellow or red ones.
But here in the dungeon, this was the first time he'd experienced being surrounded by so much 'yellow'. The only exception was the people around him, who remained green.
'What a headache,' Leonar concluded.
"Alright, now," continued the leader, looking around the cave, "who here can walk without too much trouble?"
As the leader spoke, Leonar surveyed the place again.
They were surrounded by damp, rocky walls, and in the distance, he noticed several tunnels branching off in different directions.
There was also a mysterious metal door, marked yellow, which he'd seen after activating his ability.
"I think we should check out those tunnels," someone suggested from the back.
"Yeah, but who knows how many monsters might be lurking in there," commented another.
Leonar reached for his weapon, but found only emptiness.
'You've got to be kidding me…' he thought, realizing that his gun had disappeared at some point during their fall into the water.
He scowled, cursing silently over having lost it just when he'd need it most.
"Alright," announced the leader, trying to grab everyone's attention. "Let's take a vote. Here are the options: Stay here and wait for help, explore the tunnels, or see what's behind that door. Vote for what you think is best."
Most nodded, and tension rose again as they began voting.
"I vote to stay here," said an older man with an injured leg, breathing heavily.
"I'm staying too," added another.
A woman in the group raised her hand.
"I vote to explore the tunnels… maybe we'll find a way out."
'There was a woman here?' Leonar thought, realizing he hadn't noticed her until now.
"Exploring sounds good to me too," said a young gatherer, shrugging.
"Check out what's behind the door," said another, looking at the rest with a mix of curiosity and fear.
Leonar hesitated for a few seconds but finally made his choice:
"I'd rather stay here. There's still a chance rescue will come..."
At the end of the first round, the votes were divided.
Three wanted to stay, four wanted to explore, and four wanted to open the door.
The leader scratched his head and sighed.
"Alright, we need a tiebreaker. Those who voted to stay, pick between exploring or going to the door," he said, looking at them seriously.
One by one, those who had voted to stay made their decisions.
This time, Leonar chose to explore the tunnels, knowing that his vision would help him find the safest path.
"I vote for the door," said Damian with a half-smile.
In the end, the vote was six to five, with the majority opting to investigate the metal door.
Leonar let out a nervous laugh and muttered to himself,
"Are they crazy...?"
Damian clapped him on the back, still smiling.
"That's what makes it fun, right? Come on, just relax a little."
'Weren't you the one who was scared before? Damn… if only I'd left when my ability came back…'
As everyone prepared to move towards the door, Leonar felt a chill as he watched them try to pry it open.
Slowly, and with a synchronized push, the door began to open, and to Leonar's surprise…
What was inside was something none of them expected.