"Sooo, where do we even find this bastard?" Dante asked, sharpening his sword.
"I think I have a clue," the Doc replied, pointing at the forest to his right. "There've been reports of people going missing south of here. Folks say there's a shady shack no one dares to go near."
"Aight, that's where we headin'. Conrad, get packin'."
Conrad quickly gathered supplies from the villagers. At first, they had treated him and Dante with suspicion—like they were monsters. But now, they had become family. No more soldiers terrorizing them, but the threat of the ex-lieutenant still hung heavy.
---
Conrad and Dante trekked through the thick southern woods, eventually finding the shack.
"Let's just charge in," Dante said.
"Don't be an idiot," Conrad replied. "You've still got an injury, and you're talking about rushing in like some reckless fool."
"Man, this cut ain't nothin'. I ain't stupid. But fine, we'll be more cautious. Let's go and smoke this bastard. Then we can live happily ever after."
Conrad sighed but couldn't help but smile at Dante's carefree attitude, despite being two years older.
Conrad picked up a dagger outside the shack and kicked the door open. The place was empty.
"Huh," they said in unison.
They scoured the shack, finding strange maps, runes, and diagrams of severed bodies scribbled with unsettling symbols. They emptied the entire place, moving every piece of furniture, but found nothing else... until they lifted the carpet.
"Trapdoor," Conrad muttered, eyes narrowing. "This is shady."
"I guess we go down then. What else is there to do?" Dante said, heart pounding.
They carefully lifted the trapdoor, trying to be as quiet as possible. If anyone was down there, they'd hear them if they rushed in. They dropped down and found themselves in a dark, dungeon-like space with skulls and bones scattered across the floor.
Suddenly, they heard mischievous cackling and the sound of footsteps—short, heavy, and clumsy.
"This place is massive," Dante whispered. "We might need to split up. You go left, I go right. If something bad happens, shout 'bananas,' and I'll reply with 'oranges.'"
Conrad hesitated but nodded. They needed to cover ground, so they split up.
---
Conrad pressed forward, and soon found a campfire surrounded by strange, green creatures.
'So that's the goofy laughing,' Conrad thought, 'Goblins.'
He threw his dagger, hitting one square in the head, killing it instantly. The others shouted in a language he didn't understand, drew their swords, and charged at him.
Conrad spun, punching one goblin hard enough to break its ribs. He grabbed its limp body and swung it into the horde, taking down several at once. His instincts took over as he moved with deadly precision, cutting through the goblins with ruthless efficiency.
Afterward, he retrieved the dagger and pressed forward, knowing his strength was more than enough to handle whatever came next. He came across a small creature—half-dwarf, half-something else—that immediately bit the dagger in half. Furious, Conrad grabbed its leg and slammed it into the ground.
Then, in the distance, he heard a scream. It made his blood run cold. The ex-lieutenant must've been experimenting on the missing people. Conrad pushed forward, encountering a massive five-meter-tall creature carrying a club, grunting loudly.
'Definitely a troll,' Conrad thought. 'And it's dumb.'
He quickly formulated a plan. He attacked from the shadows, throwing the broken dagger at the troll's eyes, then grabbed the club and swung it with all his might, crushing the troll's skull.
Carrying the club, he ventured deeper. Eventually, he found a door to a well-lit room. Blood spattered across it—fresh blood. He listened carefully.
"Bananas, bananas, bananas, Conrad, help me."
'This idiot,' Conrad thought. 'Why didn't he shout louder earlier?'
He broke the door open with the club and found the ex-lieutenant—a slim figure wearing an eye patch on his right eye, a purple robe, tattoos on the left side of his face, and a ruby ring on his left index finger—standing over Dante, who was lying on the floor... missing his left leg.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" The ex-lieutenant sneered. "Another child playing hero." He pointed at Dante. "Come to save this one?"
"DANTEEE!" Conrad shouted, charging forward.
The ground shook. The ex-lieutenant stumbled but held his ground, breathing heavily. His left eye began to bleed as he stepped back.
"WHO ARE YOU?! Do you have the power of—AGHHHH!" The ex-lieutenant grabbed Dante and held a knife to his neck. "Take one more step, and I'll gut him. I swear."
Glowing runes appeared behind the lieutenant, opening a swirling portal. The ex-lieutenant backed away, dragging Dante with him.
"COME BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" Conrad roared, but it was too late. The lieutenant stepped into the portal, disappearing with Dante.
---
Hours later, Conrad woke up. His head ached, and his body felt like it had been tossed around. The last thing he remembered was chasing the ex-lieutenant into the portal.
He stood up, disoriented, and saw the sky. "What? Where am I? I was just in a dungeon..."
He looked around—he was on a beach. A black sea stretched out before him, the sand littered with trash and debris.
He bolted upright, his heart pounding. "DANTEEEEEEEEE!"