In the dark interior of a cave-like passage, Mister Heights and the rest of the Hunter could be seen, having just stepped through the gates into a C-rank dungeon.
Mister Heights switched on the torch in the middle of the specially designed suit, ordering the rest to do so.
The passage, once shrouded in darkness, had now been illuminated enough to walk through.
****
"We've walked far, haven't we?. Shouldn't we have come across some monsters by now?".
"That's right, this place seems weird."
"It gives me the creeps."
In front, Mister Heights suddenly raised his hands to signal for silence.
"Huh? What is it?"
"There is another path."
Hal and the rest of the Hunters quickly rushed forward
"Huh, it's true."
Just as Mister Heights had said, there was an entrance in the walls of the passage, but what was surprising about it wasn't its existence but the extremely weird energy coming from it.
Mister Heights quickly gathered the Hunters to address them.
"As you all know, a gate won't close unless the dungeon's boss is killed. Now, because we haven't even killed a single monster, not to talk of the dungeon's boss, we can't leave this place."
"So whatever is inside that cave, we have to take it down."
When everyone failed to reply, he continued
"Besides, if we fail to clear the gate, they won't be a pay, and I'm pretty sure we are all in need of that money, am I right?" he said with a slight smile.
"That's right, I need the money to take Sheila on that date," Jason thought.
"I can't live here without gaining anything."Hal also thought as he clenched his fist.
And with that, the sound of agreement could be heard going around.
"Alright then, let's head in"
Hal steeled himself as they walked in. Inwardly he was worried, almost scared. The level of energy coming from that cave was truly terrifying.
He took a glance around him and could see the worried look on the faces of other Hunters around him.
Now normally, he would never try to take on any unnecessary risk cause he could not do so.
However, he had a younger sister to take care of.
'She would be going to college by Summer and I've no money saved up.....'
Therefore, he simply had to risk it.
"Ahh!"
Someone suddenly let out a shocked gasp from ahead.
"what's that?" Someone asked, and they all rushed forward...
And then they could all see it.
The bodies of dead monsters could be seen strewn all about.
"what could have caused this?" someone asked
As they moved further ahead, they could see more bodies scattered everywhere.
They continued walking till they got to a free space where icicle shaped like rocks could be seen protruding from the surface of the roof of the cave.
"Woah, what is this?"
A huge pile of metallic scraps in the form of a hand chair could be seen. It slightly looked like a throne.
"what could probably have done this?"
"Who knows?"
As everyone was busy looking at the weird chair, no one noticed the humanoid bat-like creature hanging upside down on the tip of a rock protruding from above, except Hal, who was at the back of all the Hunters
"Everyone, look, up there!" He shouted
"Huh?"
Before anyone could react, the bat-like creature flew down at an incredible speed and used its blade-like wings to cut down the head of a Hunter.
"K, kayak!"
Hunters could be heard screaming their heads off as they watched the body of their fellow Hunter powerlessly fall to the ground.
"Everyone gather around." Mister Heights quickly composed himself and called out to the hunters.
After gathering around, they all held their weapons and looked around in fear as the bat-like monster continued to fly in the air.
After some while it landed and let out a loud screech.
"Krrrcch!!"
It was a humanoid-type monster, which was in the advanced class but had a lot of scary energy coming off it.
Enough to send a cold shiver running down the spines of the hunters.
It all clicked now; all those dead monsters they had come across earlier must have been killed by this monster in front of them, meaning it was an advanced class monster, but one with the potential to evolve into a King class.
"Everyone, listen, that monster is an advanced class monster, currently on the last stage of evolving into a King class, meaning it's at its weakest." Mister Heights said.
As expected of a Hunter with five years of experience, he was acting pretty collected.
"If we give it our all, we might just manage to get out of this alive," He said
The Hunters, still shaken up by the death of their comrade, didn't seem to register what he had just said.
"It's our only chance of survival," He said again.
Survival.
That one word was enough to make the Hunters tighten their grips on their weapons and prepare themselves for a battle that would determine their fates in the nearest future.