The sound of footsteps echoed through the narrow, cave-like passageways as the group navigated the winding path. They had chosen to follow the middle route, guided by Argus's decision.
Along the way, the walls were adorned with glowing crystals filled with evolution energy. Arlo, taking on the role of the group's porter, quickly and efficiently mined the valuable resources without slowing down their progress.
"That's an experienced porter for you... he gets the job done quick," Argus muttered, glancing over his shoulder at Arlo. "Maria mentioned it had been over half a year since you last visited the Hunter's Association. Were you working as a miner during that time?"
Arlo, who was gathering the freshly mined ore and placing it in his carrier's bag, looked up at Argus before lowering his gaze in shame.
"N-No, I was a shut-in..." he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
A deafening silence followed as they were all shocked by his confession.
"Seriously?" Argus asked, surprised as he looked back at Arlo.
"Seriously..." Arlo confirmed, his head hung low as he walked dejectedly.
Arlene, who had been walking ahead of Arlo, glanced back at him with a mischievous grin, as if looking down on him. An angered vein flashed on Arlo's forehead, but he remained silent and ignored her.
'Argh, well, this reaction is about what you'd expect, so I can't complain...' Arlo thought to himself, resigned to their judgement. 'Still, I should've just came up with a lie…'
Sensing the awkward tension, Argus attempted to change the subject. "W-Well... uh... oh right, isn't it strange how we haven't encountered any monsters yet? Even though there are so many resources here."
Labyrinth monsters were known to gather around energy crystals, yet despite the abundance of crystals they had gathered, not a single monster had appeared.
"Yeah, it's been very quiet," Alexander agreed, his brow furrowed in concern. "Normally, we would've encountered some by now. Something feels off."
"I-I'm getting a bad feeling..." Liam commented nervously, his voice trembling with unease.
Arlene, unfazed by his concern, reassured him, "Aren't you always getting a bad feeling? We'll be fine."
With that, the group pressed on, their focus sharpened by the potential dangers that might've been waiting ahead. As they continued down the path, a glimmer of light began to emerge at the end of the passageway.
Upon reaching the light, they found themselves standing before a grand temple, its appearance nothing like the cave they had just traversed.
Two interconnected bridges formed a cross, their surfaces made out of concrete. The ceiling soared high above, its top barely visible from their vantage point.
Below the bridges was a dark abyss, its depths unfathomable and seemingly endless. However, the group's attention was quickly drawn to the center of the bridge, where two monstrous creatures awaited them.
At first glance, the creatures resembled massive serpents, their bodies covered in dull grey scales. Their heads were triangular, with slightly elongated snouts and mouths filled with sharp, venomous fangs.
But these were no ordinary serpents. Their size dwarfed the humans by two or three times in both width and length and from their upper bodies, a pair of bat-like wings extended outwards.
As soon as the monsters spotted the group, they shot forward, their wings propelling them through the air at alarming speeds.
Reacting quickly, the group assumed their battle formation. Liam took the lead, his shield raised and ready to defend. Argus and Alexander flanked him, their weapons poised to strike. Arlene brought up the rear, her bow drawn and aimed at the approaching threats.
"Winged serpents... they're troublesome." Argus called out as the monsters closed in. "Liam!"
"I-I'll stop them," Liam responded, his voice wavering but determined as he stepped forward, his shield braced for impact.
In a matter of seconds, the two monsters were upon them, their gaping maws ready to devour the group whole. However, their advance was abruptly halted as they crashed into a large, glowing barrier that materialized in the air, taking the shape of a shield.
[Defence Manipulation: Large Shield.]
As the two monsters collided with the shield, they were knocked back, creating a momentary opening. Seizing the opportunity, Argus and Alexander darted in, their weapons flashing as they nimbly slid beneath the monsters, slashing at their underbellies in the process.
The monsters roared in pain, their blood splattering against the floor before they lunged at the two who attacked them.
[Wind Manipulation: Wind Step]
Alexander stepped back, the air around him propelling him backwards and away from the monster's lunge.
Argus, on the other hand, remained at the front, nimbly dodging to the side to avoid the serpent's bite. He countered with another slash to its mouth, further injuring the creature.
The wounded serpent pulled back, but its companion continued its assault, lunging towards Argus with its venomous fangs bared. Argus kicked off the body of the injured serpent, using it as a springboard to backflip away from the second monster's attack.
Despite missing its initial strike, the second serpent persisted, thrusting its mouth forward in an attempt to sink its fangs into Argus. However, Argus swiftly avoided each attack, swaying from side to side while slowly retreating backwards.
The injured serpent soon joined the fray, both creatures focusing their attacks on Argus. Yet, he continued to evade their strikes with ease, his movements fluid and precise.
"[Foresight Manipulation: 1 second]," Argus whispered, his eyes glowing as they darted left and right.
Arlo watched with awe. "He's taking them both on his own... Isn't he only C-Rank?" he muttered, impressed by Argus's display of skill.
Taking on two winged serpents of such size was no small feat, especially for a C-Rank hunter.
"Yeah, but that guy can't get hit by something like that. He can see their movements clearly before they even make them," Arlene explained as she steadied her aim. "That's his ability, future sight—"
Her words were cut short as she released her arrow, sending it whistling through the air, leaving a trail of electricity and blue energy in its wake.
The arrow seemed to miss its mark, passing right by the two creatures.
'She missed? No, wait..!' Arlo thought, his eyes widening in realization.
"[Wind Manipulation: Wind Current]." Alexander whispered, his voice barely audible.
Arlo watched as the arrow passed through an invisible air current, turning in mid-air and heading straight for the creature's mouth, precisely where Argus had cut.
The moment the arrow pierced the serpent's mouth, Arlene flashed a smile.
"Nice assist, Alex—" she began, but her words were cut short by a sudden beep.
In an instant, the arrow exploded, releasing a bright blue electric shockwave that tore the serpent's mouth and head to pieces. The creature's lifeless body collapsed onto the floor, its death instantaneous.