Clug.
"Hahaha~! The rewards from today's commission were great! Drink up, boys."
A man covered in brazen scars from head to toe, his spiky beard jutting out like a weapon of its own, slammed his feet onto the table, shaking the mugs and spilling foam.
"Quiet down, you drunks! You're gonna scare off my customers again!"
From behind the counter, a towering woman barked, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel. As tall as a giant, with black shoulder plates barely visible beneath a curtain of pitch-black hair, she kept scrubbing her shot glasses like she'd seen this a thousand times. Oddly enough, her cute maid outfit fit perfectly with the hulking shoulder armor.
The clouds slowly darkened, turning from a milky white to a muddied grey. Rain fell, causing the people outside to scatter around in a hurry to seek shelter. In contrast to the liveliness inside the tavern, there were far fewer people on the streets.
Creeeaked
Worn out by the years, the old wooden doors open with a slight creaking to reveal a man no older than his twenties. With slightly long wet bangs covering his face, drenched in the rain, one could tell that behind those bangs, hid his desperate face. Yet none dared to approach him as he slowly walked up to the counter.
"That's him, the one who always dragged his feet at the adventurer guild."
"Ashur the pitiful. I don't think I'd be able to even show my face around here if I were him."
"I heard his parents abandon him on the streets when he was less than five years old because they couldn't afford it."
Whispers and gossips spilled out from all around but the man did not as much as blink for he carries a different purpose with each step.
"Kid, maybe it's about time you quit adventuring."
The tavern lady said to the young man as she stared into the young man's eyes. In her thoughts, she feels sorrow and pity for such a young man who seems to have lost all hope and only carries himself with pain and regret. But she also knows better than to underestimate him as he has survived for a long time in this jungle.
"...One flagon of mead, Lisa."
Ashur glossed right over Lisa's kind warning with his empty eyes staring right into her soul. Annoyed by Ashur's attitude, Lisa felt that her words would only fade away, unheard and unheeded.
"Urgh, whatever."
Drowned by the sound of Liza throwing the stuff all around, Ashur was lost in thoughts. The poor young boy looked miserable, having only fulfilled small requests like sweeping the backyard of an old granny or helping a kid find her lost cat.
"Kid, quit sulking. You're gonna make my beer taste sour."
A loud, rowdy voice came from behind Ashur, the same voice that always caused nothing but trouble for the tavern owner.
"Old man Hagan?"
Thud
The old man's palm struck Ashur's back with the weight of an ogre. Something inside him lurched – he could feel his inside shifting around. Ashur barely managed to stop himself from coughing out his guts.
As he turned to face the old man, he was greeted with a smile, one that should bring warmth but instead brought him fear.
"How about this? The gargoyle's eyes have received an investigation request from the adventurer guild to find the missing appraiser who recently went to test the difficulty of the dungeon of the north, the Cataclysm."
"Boss, why are we trying to make things difficult for ourselves? The request already seems hard enough as is."
A man with a black patch covering his left eye; a skinny build; carrying a small danger by his waistline, strapped to his belt. In contrast to him sits a pretty lady just across the table. Her skin is silky smooth but pale and her face shows that she takes perfect care of her skin despite the rough environment of her line of work. Her pointed ear shows that she was one of the many species besides humans that work in this line of work, an elf.
While the madman continued to show his dissatisfaction at their boss's decision, the woman stayed quiet as if there's nothing in the world that could hold her breath.
"Enough, even if we're not gonna bring him. We still need someone to carry our luggage right?"
The old man's reasoning was firm and his aura was fierce. No one dared to question his decision.
Meanwhile, the person in question didn't even utter a word since he could tell that Hagan had plans to ask for his thoughts. However, despite being swept by the flow he felt gratitude towards the old man who had lent him this chance to explore a dungeon he wouldn't find in his lifetime.
For the first time in a long time, Ashur grinned and repeatedly thanked Hagan so much that Hagan backed away in disgust.
After such excitement bloomed in his chest, he was ready to welcome tomorrow – but sleep never came. He lay still, eyes open and heart beating loudly in the dark.
The sound of early morning dew was drowned out by the loud grunt edged in determination, he swung down – steel shrieking through the air.
"Training early again?"
Carrying a basket of freshly baked bread, Lisa walked just right by Ashur, taking notice of his swordsmanship. Lisa sighed heavily at the sight in front of her.
"If I don't, I'll never be able to fight monsters."
"But you're gonna be a porter."
"I know."
These exchanges from Lisa may seem harsh but they were the truth. And Ashur knows it better than anyone himself. However, for the sake of his goal, he will never stop training.
"Well, don't wear yourself out yet, you got a big day ahead of you."
To Ashur, someone like Lisa who was kind enough to give him a place to stay in the ink was like family. In his heart, he knows better than anyone that Lisa simply wants the best for him.
"Thanks."
Clip Clop Clip Clop
The sounds of the horse jogging filled the road as a caravan was being pulled.
Swallowing his breath, Ashur takes a good look at the people around him. They were all at least B-ranked adventurers with Hagan being the leader and an A-rank close enough that people say his strength is equal to an S-rank adventurer. To his left was Elarion, the elven beauty, and to his right was Mirek, the mad dog.
Both of which were names he only heard through gossip and discussions inside the adventurer guild but to actually sit just across them was different.
The first to break the suffocating atmosphere was Hagin as expected of the leader of such a rowdy yet fierce group.
"Say, what do you all plan to do with the obtained commission fees? After all, this time, the money is quite a huge sum. Even when divided."
"You're already thinking of the rewards? You're a scatterbrain like always, captain. For all we know, this request could prove to be quite dangerous."
Surprisingly, it was Elarion who responded to Hagan's bragging.
"Hah, if you're scared, you should've just said so. I knew you would run and tuck tail the moment you were scared."
As if adding fuel to the already tense atmosphere, Mirek joined in. Ashur could only watch without uttering a word for fear of worsening the situation. And so, the caravan grew loud until they made it to the dungeon gates.
"Quiet everyone, we're here."
As Hagan's words ring through the caravan, silences follow. "So this is the respect that a captain commands.", Ashur thought.
"Get into formation, everyone. Mirek, you lead the front with me and guard the vanguards with 20 men. Elarion, you stay in the back with Caedric and provide us cover and support. And Lyssia cast buffs on us vanguards and heal any injured. Porters and other supporters should stay in the center. With this, we're moving in."
Hagan was truly a charismatic leader, able to draw strength from his team and command others to the best of their abilities. Despite that, Ashur couldn't help but feel excitement and also unease.
The inside of the dungeon only darkens the further they go. With only so many lamps to lighten the place.
"Is this your first time in a dungeon?"
A kind-looking girl said to the trembling Ashur. She had worn a church uniform with a necklace that bore a cross symbol around her neck.
"It's okay, you're in safe hands."
"I heard you got forcefully put in by our captain, allow me to apologize in his stead."
A handsome young face bearing crimson eyes politely bowed to Ashur. His hand holding onto a grimoire that seems to bear a significant importance.
"Y-you don't have to–"
Ashur couldn't understand his demeanors as Ashur was only here as a porter, so for such an important figure to apologize in such a manner to him was unbelievable.
"No, it is only right."
"Fufu, stop teasing him, Caedric."
"I'm not, Lyssia. I'm being truthful to him."
"Please stop. I-I get it, I accept your apology."
The wind in the dungeon moved unnaturally — not in gusts, but in pulses, like breath. "Ashudh… vohrn kael… sssrrn-thaa…"
It scraped against their ears, just below understanding. Not words — but almost. As if the dungeon was trying to speak, but its tongue had long rotted.
"Did you hear that?" someone whispered.
"It's just the wind," Mirek snapped, though his hand hovered closer to his dagger.
"Stop."
Hagan's voice was sharp. Everyone froze.
Something was ahead, kneeling, it's back to them.
Hagan's signaled Mirek before slowly moving in on it. Slowly their feet take them closer to the thing.
"It's a corpse."
Caedric spelled out from the backline, as a mage he's able to read the life force of living things once they're in his range.
"It's the appraiser's corpse. Something must've happened. Everyone keep your guards up."
Hagan sounds the alarm for caution, after all the appraisers from the adventurer guild are strong enough to protect themselves. Only an S-rank monster could've done something like this.
"Awhhh, monster, monster!!"
One of the other porters inside the middle of the formation screamed at the top of his lungs while pointing at his own party.
Before anyone could calm him down. He freaked out and ran through the formation towards where they came from.
"I'm done, I'm going home–"
Chop
Before the poor man could finish his words, something big snatched his head with a loud crunch. Only his headless body was left standing before shortly falling to the ground.
"Everyone, stay in formation. The monster is trying to split us up."
Hagan's voice came from the front and immediately people moved into place. Although it was dark and hard to see their enemies or what it looked like. They seem ready, at least from Ashur's eyes.
Yet… nothing came, for now, that is. The dark cave sings a haunting melody for the adventurers. Some are nervous, others terrified but with their steadfast leader, they believe they can conquer anything.
Thud
"There!"
Hagan charges at the source of the noise. "RRRHK-kkkrrr?", the monster wallowed loudly as its body was impaled with 10 swords.
Soon after, the noise stopped.
"Something's not right."
Hagan murmured in his beard while thinking, "Is this really the monster that took down the appraiser?"
"Something's coming. A lot of it is coming!"
Caedric voice of distress made it to the front line. Quickly, the vanguards charge and continue to assault the monsters in the front.
"Die, trash!"
A joy born out of madness, that voice could only belong to Mirek.
Ashur could only stay in the backline, helping Lyssia look after the wound. As a non-combatant, he doesn't want to be a burden to others.
"Thank you for helping me carry the wound, Sir Ashur."
The kind maiden voice bears an inking of healing words that would lighten anyone's heart. Even in a situation like this one.
"Not at all, it's the least I can do."
Seeing the vanguards attacking at the front with swords, and the backline providing fire support urged Ashur's heart to jump onto the battlefield, but he himself knows that he's lacking.
Ceadric's steps slowed. His crimson eyes scanned the darkness ahead — then swept to the rear.
"…Wait."
His voice was barely above a whisper, but something in its tone made Lyssia turn.
"What is it?" she asked, instinctively shifting closer.
"I felt… No. Something's off. The flow of mana—"
Shhk.
A tearing noise, piercing his chest. Blood slowly poured from Ceadric's mouth, spilt onto the floor.
"How did it get past my mana detection?"
Ceadric's breath hitched. His mouth opened — but no words came.
Lyssia covered her mouth, her eyes threatening to spill tears, morphed by horror as Caedric's grimoire slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a muted thud. A black spike jutted clean through his chest from behind, twitching like the limb of some grotesque insect.
Before anyone could scream, the thing behind him — still half-melded with the shadows — ripped itself free, dragging his body into the dark.
"CEADRIC!"
Lyssia's voice echoed loudly through the cave's hollow insides, reaching all the way to the front line.
His silhouette vanished, leaving only a trail of blood glistening in the flickering lamplight.
Gone.
As Ceadric, the mage in the group, chaos was bound to ensue the whole party.
"Protect the backline at all costs!"
Hagan roared from the frontlines. They had already lost their mage—if the priest fell next, the party would plunge into true despair.
But it seemed that fate was not on their side.
"Hagan!"
"I know!"
Mirek was slowly wearing out—and he wasn't the only one. All the vanguards were. At first, the monsters were few and scattered, their strength manageable. But now, hell poured from the gaping abyss beyond their reach. There were too many. The frontline was slowly being overwhelmed.
As everyone was slowly starting to panic, Ashur's thoughts scattered. "What should I do? I-it's falling apart. I can't die here. Run, I need to run.'
"...ur, .Ashur, Ashur!"
The maiden voice snaps Ashur out of his thoughts. Her eyes show her true scared self yet she looks as calm as a warrior determination despite her fable build.
"Right."
Ashur who has now regained control over his head scans through the surroundings.
"There must be something I can do."
Amid the terror, the young man's eyes scan the battlefield where only blood spew, be it allies or enemies.
"Something please…"
The maiden could only bite her lips as she tried her best to heal the injured, but there were just too many.
Shhk.
"Dodge!"
Ashur yelled with his heart out as soon as he heard it. His ears were able to pick up the quiet noise on this messy battlefield.
Saved by Ashur's shout, the maiden felt gratitude towards him but was terrified at the hand fate had dealt her.
"The noise, it's the noise. The monster makes noise whenever it attacks!"
This was a saving grace, but it was far from a solution in this hell.
"It's coming to the left. Now the right"
However, Ashur's calls saved many and few as the stealthy monster continued its rapid attacks. However, quite a large amount still falls to the horde of monsters onslaught from the front.
"Take out the sneaky bastard first! It must be their leader."
Hagan issued another command from the front, these many were already enough trouble as is. If they want a chance at survival, they have to deal with the one in the back first.
"Behind you!"
Ashur was still giving warning calls to those around him, it came right behind Lyssie this time but she couldn't react in time after being tired out by the relentless healing.
Ashur jumped in front of her and pushed her away, his arm sliced by the monster.
"AGRHHHHHH."
"Your arm."
The maiden tears soiled the dry dirt. Her face filled with sorrow and guilt.
But the monster did not give them any time to rest, striking with a heavy downward blow that would pierce Ashur's heart.
Clang
"You're finished, monster."
Hagan had rushed to the backline, leaving the front to Midek and the rest of the vanguards. Thanks to his hasty instinct, he was able to narrowly save Ashur and Lyssie while cutting off one of the monster's arms
"SKREEEEE—!!."
The monster shrieked, stopping all movements but Hagan knew better than to stop now. He firmly grips his axe and pulls a downward swing, dealing another heavy blow to the monster. His other hand wielded a spear that pierced right through with seemed to be the monster's eyes.
The monster looked for an opportunity to scurry back into the darkness but a blinding light hit its pupils.
"Radiant Flare!"
The maiden was smart, casting a spell to block its vision.
The tides were finally turning, in this pit of despair, things were looking up.
Lyssia stood tall, continuing to interfere with the monster's attack, when suddenly–
Her visions turned upside down, she saw numerous others die and fight to live from an aerial view, she saw Hagan slowly coming to a hilt and she finally saw the world upside down with Ashur's eyes seeming like they were on the verge of a breakdown.
"Lyssia!"
She was decapitated – monsters rushed from the frontline, her body slowly falling and hitting the ground with a thud. Her expression on her face was not horror or fear but rather surprised.
But fate was cruel to the boy, not giving him time to grieve for the monsters continued to pour onto the backline, slaughtering all and those remaining.
"Where is Mirek?"
Ashur ran towards the frontline, holding Lyssia's head as he searched through the battlefield. The back was being ravaged so there was no hope to go deeper into the dungeon.
Ashur's eyes caught it first — a figure sprawled unnaturally across the cracked stone floor, half-hidden beneath a collapsed beam. Mirek.
His armor was shattered, dented from brutal blows, pieces scattered like broken promises. One gauntleted hand lay outstretched, fingers curled as if still grasping for a weapon that was no longer there. His face was pale, eyes staring blankly into the cavern's black heart, frozen in a silent scream.
A dark stain bloomed across his chest — a deep, cruel wound that whispered the finality of death.
"Curse it!"
There was nowhere left to run, the monster dominated all and fear had settled inside Ashur's heart.
"Damnn it!"
Hagan was still facing the wounded stealth monster, with the light blinding its eyes gone, its attacks became swifter and stronger. Even causing Hagan a lot of work and the monsters that were slowly surrounding them did not give him time to rest.
"... I have failed as a leader, but at the very least, I will take you to hell with me!"
Hagan charged at the monster with the remaining of his strength, dealing damage to the wounded monster. Even when the monster's insect-like limp pierced his chest he did not stop.
Hagan broke off its other limp and continued to charge ahead. The monster, with its two main weapons gone, could only use its tentacle-like appendices to block Hagan's fast stead attacks. It was a battle of attributes between the will of a man and the endurance of a monster.
However, the monster was not alone.
Shlk.
Death was the last thing on Hargan's mind, his eyes were filled with regrets and waves of anger. The countless monsters that have also now destroyed what remains of his party had pierced Hargan's body all over, leaving him like a porcupine. Hargan spear was so close to piercing the monster's chest, just inches away from its heart.
"NOW"
Ashur ran up from behind with a shortsword that pierced right through the stealth monster.
"–hkk!"
The monster screamed in agony before flinging Ashur against the cold hard cave walls. Knocked by the impact, Ashur had his breath taken away from him. His surroundings slowly fade away.
"No… I need to… kill… it."
The last thing he saw was the wounded stealth monster slowly approaching him before his eyes closed.
"Ngh!"
Ashur awoke with his body leaning against the wall. Lights shining on his face. His mouth draws shallow breaths as he gasps for air.
"How… did I get here?"
Then bang, the memories of his party's death and the horrifying monster flashed in his mind.
"Urgh, I need to… tell everyone about this…"
Confused by the situation but driven by determination and fear, he slowly picks himself up with two healthy arms.
"Strange." He thought
"I remember my right arm being cut off…"
He also showed no signs of wounds, perhaps there were even more changes. But for now, his goal was–
"The village, I need to tell the villagers."