Chapter 4: The Dungeon's First Blood
As they entered the dungeon, an eerie sensation crawled up Ronan's spine—something about this place felt different, unnatural. He wasn't the only one affected. Even the more experienced hunters in their group seemed unsettled.
Among them, Hikaru grumbled, gripping his sword tightly. "Tch, I only have three kills so far… I need to step up."
The atmosphere thickened. Strange murmurs echoed through the dungeon halls, a rhythmic chant in a language none of them recognized. Everyone froze. Piggy, the most cowardly of the group, whispered, "D-Does anyone else hear that?"
They turned sharply—no one was there.
Then, out of nowhere, something slammed into Piggy. He screamed as he tumbled across the stone floor. A sharp whooshing sound followed, and before anyone could react, more invisible strikes landed on them.
"Gah—what the hell is this?!" Ronan gasped, clutching his side as something unseen hit him with bone-crushing force.
Luna, sharp-eyed and battle-hardened, narrowed her gaze. She focused on the movement of dust and flickering shadows. "It's an invisible ghost." Without hesitation, she pulled out a dagger coated with special enchantments. A quick slash through the air, and thick, black blood sprayed onto the ground. A grotesque, translucent form briefly flickered before vanishing completely.
Ronan exhaled, heart pounding. He had yet to land a single kill, yet the others around him had already taken down several enemies.
Before he could dwell on his frustration, the ground trembled. A horde of monstrous kangaroo-like creatures thundered toward them, their muscular legs ready to crush anything in their path.
Hikaru cracked his neck. "What a joke," he muttered before lunging forward. His sword glowed as he sliced through the incoming beasts, their blood spraying across the dungeon walls.
Ronan, however, froze as one of the creatures landed in front of him. Its glowing red eyes locked onto his, and it moved—fast. He barely managed to dodge its punch. Fear gripped him, but he retaliated, swinging his sword wildly. The blade met flesh, slicing through the monster's thick hide. It fell dead at his feet.
He did it. He landed his first kill.
But there was no time to celebrate. The battle continued, and one by one, they slaughtered the kangaroo beasts. Piggy, as expected, cowered behind Wood.
As they regrouped, Luna glanced at Ronan's arm. A small scratch bled onto his sleeve. "You got hit?"
"It's just a scratch," Ronan muttered.
Luna frowned. "If their punches land, your body gets poisoned."
Ronan's stomach dropped. "Poisoned?! Why didn't anyone mention that?!"
She sighed, pulling out a medkit. Without waiting for his permission, she bandaged his wound tightly. "Don't let it happen again, idiot."
Deeper into the dungeon, they came across multiple pathways. One was a long, eerie corridor, another led to a spiral staircase, and the last—a hole in the floor.
Luna took charge. "We'll split into teams. Hikaru, you're with me. Wood, Minjun, Olivia—you take the right path. Piggy, you go with Ronan."
Ronan blinked. "Him?"
Piggy immediately clung to Ronan's side, trembling. "Y-Yeah, let's just stick together, okay?"
Before Ronan could protest, the others had already disappeared into the darkness.
Reluctantly, Ronan and Piggy moved toward the downward tunnel. As they carefully stepped forward, a bat suddenly screeched from the ceiling. Piggy panicked, shoving Ronan forward—right into the hole.
"AHHHH!"
Both of them plummeted into the darkness below.
—
Meanwhile, Wood, Minjun, and Olivia cautiously advanced through their assigned path.
The silence was unbearable.
Then, without warning—
A large, scaled hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed Minjun.
Crack.
Before he could even scream, the creature crushed him in a brutal grip, blood spraying onto the walls.
Wood and Olivia froze in horror as the monstrous lizard-man emerged, its massive jaw lined with razor-sharp teeth.
"MINJUN!" Wood yelled, his hands trembling as he drew his sword. He lunged, but the lizard grabbed his blade effortlessly, snapping it like a twig.
Wood stumbled back, eyes wide with terror.
The lizard's gaze shifted to Olivia. Without hesitation, she raised her bow and fired. The arrow struck its arm, but the monster barely flinched.
Realizing the hopelessness of their situation, Olivia turned to Wood. "Run."
"What?"
"I SAID RUN, DAMN IT!"
Wood hesitated for a moment too long.
The lizard lunged, sinking its claws into Olivia's arm, ripping it from her body. Blood splattered across the cold stone floor. She screamed in agony, but before she could do anything else—
Chomp.
The lizard bit into her skull, silencing her forever.
Wood, drenched in his friends' blood, finally snapped. He turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his breath ragged and his mind shattered.
The dungeon had claimed its first victims.
And it was far from done.