The barely audible sound of drops barely touching the cold stone floor pierced the silence that reigned in these gloomy, moldy, and dirty old tunnels. Various parasites scurried restlessly through the labyrinths of burrows and cracks, searching for food.
Step...
Step...
The echoes of these steps, unhurried, like the ticking of an old clock, slowly and steadily spread along the old walls. Suddenly, around the corner, a light appeared — dim, like a blind eye in the dark night. It spread, filling the space, illuminating the darkness and flaws of the old copper pipes that had long needed repair or replacement — who would know now?
As they navigated through these pipes, two figures appeared. The first figure was tall, slightly lanky. In its hands, it held a simple lantern, and despite its awkward exterior, it skillfully and silently maneuvered through the narrow passages, like a lynx gliding through the shadows. The second figure was half a head shorter and, despite its efforts, moved much more awkwardly, making a lot of noise, sometimes hitting various protrusions with its new boots.
This continued for several minutes until, finally, the smaller figure, hesitating noticeably, closed the distance and, in a barely audible baritone, said:
— Günter... I'm not complaining, but... could you, if it's not too much trouble, still tell me where and why we're going?
The young voice echoed through the tunnel, but in response, there was a deadly silence.
Slowing his pace, Günter turned his head and, casting a sidelong glance at Lucian, said:
— Speak quieter. He turned away and, raising the lantern higher, walked forward.
— I think you already understood that we are going hunting. Deep in these stinking labyrinths lies a nest of ghouls. Last night I killed two individuals, but due to... certain circumstances (got hit on the head), I missed the third creature. Our task is to track it down and kill it before it changes its nesting place.
— Got it... But can I ask one question? — Lucian's muffled voice quietly echoed.
— Speak.
—... Who are these ghouls anyway?
Hearing his words, Günter abruptly stopped. Fully turning to Lucian with a puzzled look, he asked:
— What do you mean?
Also stopping and looking at Günter's face illuminated by the dim light, he continued:
— Um... Just what I said... I have no idea what you're talking about.
— No... You mean... at all?
— Yes, — answered Lucian, looking at the man's shocked face.
Staring into each other's eyes, they continued to stand there until Günter turned again and headed deeper into the labyrinths after ten seconds.
"I suspected he was somewhat strange and definitely not local, but to not know about the existence of monsters... This..."
Immersed in his thoughts for ten seconds, he spoke again:
— Should I tell you from the perspective of an ordinary person or from the perspective of a hunter?
"Is there a difference?" — Lucian thought fleetingly before saying:
— Give me both versions.
Günter paused slightly, rubbing his chin covered with fabric.
— Well... From the perspective of an ordinary person, ghouls are disgusting monsters that came to our world from the disgusting depths of the underworld to devour innocent people and tarnish innocent souls, taking them with them to hell, condemning them to endless suffering that even the most perverted mind cannot imagine. By the way, that's what they think about almost all monsters.
— How poetic... — Lucian said in surprise, following through the confusing tunnels and delving further and further with him.
— Indeed! When you drink, you can compose even more than that, — Günter replied with a note of sarcasm in his voice. — And from the perspective of a hunter, ghouls are just animals. Yes, they look unpleasant, have poison, physical strength far superior to an ordinary person, an excellent sense of smell, and so on. But, in essence, ghouls, and many other "monsters," are just ordinary predators.
— But not all, right? — Lucian said, slightly ducking to avoid hitting the pipes above.
— Right. Among all the disgusting spawn, there are those who can play with thousands of human lives, and like small children, they often break these "toys." — After these words, Günter's face grimaced for a second.
— For example, which ones?
Hearing the question, Günter glanced at the young man and, after a second of silence, said:
— Parasites.
— Parasites?
— Yes. Disgusting creatures. Without a host, they do not pose much danger, but once they find a body... All that's left is to pray.
During the story, Günter's face seemed to become more and more grim, full of disgust.
— Are they that dangerous? — Lucian asked, raising his eyebrows.
— Well, imagine... You live in a tiny village, deep in the forest. Despite all the difficulties, you live a fairly calm life. And suddenly, on a sunny day filled with the beautiful symphony of birdsong, a few of your acquaintances fall ill. Nothing particularly unusual, right? Another day passes, and a few more people get sick. With each day, the number of sick people increases, each of them suffering from fever and vomiting blood. With each day, it gets worse for them, many develop an itch that drives them half mad. People tear their skin into shreds in a feverish attempt to relieve their condition. Days, weeks pass until the first infected begin to change. Their bodies mutate, becoming unrecognizable, and from the incredible pain, their minds gradually break. And finally, merging completely with the creature inside them, they turn into disgusting, terribly distorted beings.
— Sounds... terrible.
— Indeed, — said Günter and, after a dramatic pause, continued: — And the worst part is, there's no escape. The only way out is to destroy all the infected, and since no one can know for sure who's infected, the entire village will be cleansed.
In response to what he heard, Lucian could only remain silent.
— Although, it depends on the specific parasite... — Günter continued, slightly shrugging. — But in any case, this information is of no use to you right now.
With a light wave of his hand, Günter seemed to indicate the end of the conversation and, speeding up his pace, headed forward.
The two men walked further and further, through the darkness. As they descended, the tension hidden deep within Lucian's soul continued to grow. With each turn, it increased, slowly but surely, like poison, exhausting his mind. Occasionally, when some rustling came from the depths of the tunnels, it almost caused panic. The only thing that comforted Lucian was Günter's unflappable appearance. After all, if he moves so confidently through this labyrinth, it means he knows his way around it. At least, Lucian hoped so.
Suddenly, after rounding another corner, Günter abruptly stopped. Lucian almost bumped into him but managed to slow his steps. They both stood in tense silence, as if catching every sound coming from the depths of the labyrinth.
— Did you notice something? — a barely audible whisper came from behind Günter.
—... No, just recalling the way ahead, — he replied nonchalantly.
Lucian just stared at him in surprise.
After this little pause, they continued their way. About ten minutes of wandering later, they finally reached a large room where many tunnels intersected.
— From this point on, be quieter. They have pretty good hearing, — Günter said, looking around the familiar room.
— Got it... But I'd still like to know what exactly my role is? Do you have any plan?
In response, Günter gave him a surprised look.
— Didn't I tell you?
— No.
— Ahem, well, I guess I should drink less before work... So, what's your role... Ah yes, you're the bait.
— What?!
— Why are you surprised? I told you about the "specificity" of this job, and from my question about your running speed, you could have guessed.
— But... But...
— Don't be afraid! — Günter interrupted his attempt to protest with a pat on the shoulder, — I'll be nearby and help if something goes wrong. Besides, the ghoul we're looking for is wounded, so everything's fine, — Günter said cheerfully.
— Oh, and also, take this, — he pulled an elegant stiletto from a thigh sheath and handed it to Lucian. — Sorry, I can't give you a firearm, but this is better than nothing, right?
Handing over the weapon to Lucian, he headed towards the passage straight ahead of them.