As Arya and Dera approached the mouth of the cave, Dera couldn't shake an uneasy feeling gnawing at him. Finally, he broke the silence.
"Hey, Arya, I noticed you were pretty relaxed coming here. What if a Venom attacked us on the way?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Arya gave him a calm smile, lifting her hand to point at the sky. "It's because of this."
Dera tilted his head, squinting up in confusion until it dawned on him. "Wait… does that mean…?"
"That's right," she nodded. "Venoms disintegrate the instant they're exposed to sunlight. It's one of the few things that have given humanity a sliver of hope against them."
'So that's why Mr. Park was always so strict about me staying out after dark,' Dera thought, realizing he knew almost nothing about these creatures.
"Arya, can you tell me more about the Venoms?" he asked, a bit hesitant.
"Of course," she replied. "There are only two sure ways to kill a Venom: sever its head with a special blade or let sunlight burn it to ash."
She continued, her gaze turning serious. "The finned Venoms have a distinct round core on their chests, marking their rank. Some have even developed ways to conceal their fins, making them harder to identify."
"Their rank?" Dera echoed.
Arya nodded. "Yes, the more fins, the smarter and deadlier the Venom. Finned ones control the finless Venoms, which are mindless beasts — they're the ones we encounter most. "
Dera's eyes widened as memories of the creatures flashed through his mind. 'Those finless creatures couldn't speak… and that two-finned Venom was able to control them,' he recalled.
Arya's face darkened. "And most finless Venoms are… humans who've been bitten and transformed. Even some finned ones were once human."
Dera's heart sank. "So… my brother?"
She placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "There's still a chance he's being held as a hostage, but... if not… he's likely…" She didn't finish, but her expression said it all.
'Yeah..it's either he'd already been eaten or worse, been transformed into a venom' Dera thought.
Finally, they arrived at a gathering spot outside the cave. Twelve others stood waiting near a pulsating blue portal, marking the cave's entrance.
"Ah, Arya! We were starting to think you wouldn't make it!" Sir Ike, a seasoned hunter from the Flame Clan, called out. He was a rugged man in his forties, with the battle scars to prove his ten years of Venom hunting. He held the title of Grade 4 Hunter, the highest among the group.
"It's good to see you too, Sir Ike," Arya replied. "And as promised, I brought a Potter. This is Dera."
Among the fourteen, nine were hardened Venom Hunters, while the remaining five — Dera included — were Potters, tasked with excavating Aura crystals.
"Hey, isn't that…?" Udeh, a Grade 3 Hunter, whispered.
Mara, a female Grade 2 Hunter, leaned in. "Is he some kind of skilled Hunter? Why is he here as a Potter?"
Udeh smirked. "Skilled? Hardly. He's from the Chi clan, famous for being the weakest — no Aura whatsoever."
"Really?" Mori, another Grade 3, raised his brows in disbelief. "A Chi without Aura? That's a… shame."
Their whispers cut through the air, reaching Dera's ears.
"Hey, knock it off!" Sir Ike reprimanded, shooting Dera an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about that."
Dera forced a wry smile. "Ah, haha...It's alright. I'm used to it." he replied, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Right, let's move out!" Sir Ike commanded. As the group readied, Dera hoisted his backpack full of digging tools, potions, and essential herbs for emergency treatment.
Stepping into the Grade 2 Venom Cave, Dera felt the air turn icy, as though a cold hand gripped his spine. He froze, unable to take another step. It was his first time entering a Venom cave, and the darkness felt deeper, more oppressive than he'd ever imagined.
Sir Ike noticed his hesitation. "Don't worry," he said, offering a reassuring smile. "The first time's always rough, But remember, you're not alone here. We'll keep you safe, just like all the other Potters."
Arya leaned in, her voice low. "In a Venom cave, the party always protects two people: people like you and me, the healer and the Potter."
Dera clenched his fists, a surge of frustration bubbling up. He wanted to be strong enough to defend himself, not be someone else's responsibility.
"KIEEEEK!"
A bone-chilling screech echoed from the depths of the cave, snapping everyone into alertness as they drew their blades.
The farther they went, the darker and colder it grew, swallowing them in shadow.
"Mori, we need light" Sir Ike ordered.
Mori raised his right hand, and with a sharp phum, an orb of bright light erupted, casting the tunnel in an eerie glow.
"KIEEEEEK!!"
The screech sounded again, louder and closer this time. Everyone held their breath, muscles tense, as they waited for the creature to emerge.
Then, with a sudden vhoom!, a Venom lunged from the shadows, its fangs glinting in the light as it bore down on its target… Dera.