The Era Of Hunters

'Am I really going to die here?' Benji thought as he closed his eyes to accept his fate. 'I can't believe I died to a D-rank monster!'

As he waited for the last attack, Benji noticed that nothing was happening so he opened his eyes only to see the monster falling dead beside him.

"Get up," the captain said to him.

"C-captain," he stammered as he got up. The pain on his back was eating him but he could not continue to lie on the ground.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have come around," the man said. "Well, I hope you don't die on us."

"I..." Benji paused as he had nothing to say. He watched the captain leave to go meet with the others. 'I'm really useless'. He thought with clenched fists.

"Hurry up, will you!" The captain yelled out to him.

"O-okay!" He replied and began to follow them once again.

Benji struggled to keep up with the group, his back throbbing in agony with every step. He couldn't believe he'd almost died from a D-rank monster. What would happen when they faced stronger foes? The shame and embarrassment still lingered, making him wonder if he was truly cut out for this.

As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, the air grew thick with the stench of mold and decay. The group trudged on, their torches casting flickering shadows on the walls. The sound of dripping water and creaking wooden beams echoed through the corridors, making it seem as though the very dungeon itself was shifting and sighing around them.

Suddenly, the passageway opened up to a massive cave. The group halted, stunned. A cave wasn't supposed to be here, nestled within the dungeon's depths. The sudden appearance of this vast, cavernous space left them all breathless.

"What the...?" One of them trailed off, the boy's eyes scanning the cave's entrance. His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he feared awakening some ancient, slumbering beast.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. This was unexpected, and they didn't know what to make of it. Benji felt a shiver run down his spine as he gazed out into the darkness. What secrets lay hidden within this cave?

"We can't just leave it unexplored," Matt said finally, his voice firm. "We won't let the elite hunters have all the glory. We're going in."

Benji felt a surge of trepidation, but he steeled himself. He wouldn't hold the group back. They'd come this far together; he wouldn't let his own fears drag them down.

"Are you sure about it, Matt?" The captain asked Matt. "We don't know what's lying in there, waiting for us. It's better we return and let the elite hunters check it out."

Matt scoffed. "You are weak! If we let those elites hunters in here, they will not only take over the spotlight, they will take everything gotten from defeating the monsters and I can't let that happen. I have a family, my wife should be in the labor room right now, about to give birth to our third child, I can't afford to lose now. Tom here's a sick mother, he needs money for that. Benji's got piles of debts to pay and a sick sister to take care of, he needs money to get all these things done, and you expect us to return empty-handed? No! I can't do that."

Benji stared at Matt with wide eyes, he believed the man to be a selfish person who cared only for himself, who would have thought that behind those outward appearances lies a compassionate heart.

Not only Benji reasoned with Matt, others as well and before the captain could object, everyone had already taken the man's side. The captain has no choice but to tag along.

With Matt now leading the way, they cautiously entered the cave. As they descended a winding staircase, the air grew cooler and damper. The sound of dripping water echoed through the cavern, and the smell of saltwater and seaweed filled their nostrils.

At the bottom of the staircase, they found themselves standing at the edge of a vast underground lake. The water stretched out into darkness, punctuated by the occasional flicker of bioluminescent creatures. The effect was mesmerizing – as though they'd stumbled into an alien world, hidden beneath their own.

Benji's eyes widened as he took in the breathtaking sight. But what caught his attention were the intricate carvings that adorned the walls – massive marine creatures with twisted, nightmarish forms. The level of detail was astonishing, as though the carvings had been crafted by skilled artisans rather than the rough, unrefined hands of ancient civilizations.

"By the gods..." Matt breathed, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water. "What kind of place is this?" His eyes roved the cavern, drinking in the sights and sounds.

"Uhm, Matt, do you think we should continue?" A girl asked him.

As they stood there, the sound of gentle lapping of the water against the shore created a sense of tranquility, a stark contrast to the danger and uncertainty that lurked within the dungeon. The group's initial awe began to wear off, replaced by a sense of trepidation and uncertainty.

"Yes," Matt replied. Something within him urged him to move forward. "We need to be careful though," he added, his voice low and cautious. "We don't know what's down here."

They all nodded, their eyes scanning the darkness. They could feel the weight of the water pressing down on them, the silence oppressive.

"Let's move forward," Matt said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Stay sharp, everyone."

The group nodded, their faces set with determination. They moved forward, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they made their way around the lake.

As they walked, Benji noticed that the carvings on the walls seemed to be telling a story. The marine creatures depicted in the carvings seemed to be moving, as though they were swimming through the stone itself.

He pointed this out to Matt, who nodded thoughtfully. "I think you're right," he said. "These carvings might be more than just decorative. They might be a map, or a warning."

Benji's eyes widened as he looked at the carvings in a new light. What secrets were hidden within the stone? And what lay at the heart of this mysterious lake?

As they continued around the lake, the air grew colder and the darkness seemed to press in around them. Benji could feel the weight of the unknown bearing down on him, and he wondered what horrors lay hidden in the depths below.

Suddenly, Matt stopped, his head cocked to one side. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

Benji listened, and soon he too could hear the sound of rushing water, growing louder by the second.

"What is it?" Benji whispered, his heart racing.

Matt's face was grim. "I think it's a waterfall," he said. "And I think we're about to find out what's on the other side."

As they walked on ahead, theu came by a massive waterfall with a body of water underneath it that seemed to have no end.

"This place looks fascinating," the girl breathed and everyone else agreed with her.

The view before them was beautiful, difficult for them to take their eyes off but behind this beautiful waterfall lied something far more dangerous than they could ever imagine.

"I see a cave behind the waterfall, let's go take a look," Matt said and the group nodded.

They had been blinded by the beautiful sceneries before them that they forgot that they were still inside a dungeon, a place filled with dangers and uncertainties.

As they round the waterfall, they arrived at the entrance of the cave and went straight in. Inside the cave was a tunnel surrounded by a thick cloud of mist.

"What do we do next?" Benji asked Matt who seemed to have trouble deciding their next action.

As Matt stared into the tunnel, he felt uneasy but a decision had to be made. "I'll go in to have a look, you all should stay here."

Benji didn't know if it was a good idea but he didn't speak and watched as Matt headed towards the tunnel.

Matt went through the cloud of mist and seconds later he showed up again. Seeing him, Benji and the rest were quite relieved because they were initially scared.

"It's sa—"

Before he could complete the word 'safe' a large mouth appeared from behind and shared him into two.

No one saw it coming... It happened in a matter of seconds and before anyone could react, Matt was gone. Only his blood could be seen splattered all over the place.

The mist disappeared and a colossal sea dragon emerged from the depths of the tunnel. Its body was a majestic serpentine form covered in green, sturdy scales that glistened like polished jade. Two curved horns protruded from its forehead, glowing with an eerie red light that seemed to pulse with an inner fire. Rows of razor-sharp fangs lined its massive jaws, dripping with venomous saliva that seemed to corrode the stone beneath.

The monster's eyes swept its gaze across the group, weighing and measuring them with cold, calculating interest.

As the group froze in terror, the monster unleashed a deafening roar, causing the cave to shudder and tremble. The sound waves alone seemed to knock Benji off balance, sending him stumbling backward.

"This is bad, we have to leave here—"

Benji said but his words were abruptly cut short the moment the sea began to attack the group. People's hands, feets, and heads were seen flying across the tunnel with blood raining down. These were D-rank hunters, people far more stronger than Benji and the boy watched in terror as their body parts were scattered all over the place. He knew he couldn't stay there any longer, he needed to hide or he'll end up dead.

'The tunnel!' he thought and suddenly made for the tunnel. The monster was busy with other group members so it wouldn't notiya small-sized human like him. As he ran with his might, he finally arrived at the end of the tunnel, a throne room with an empty throne at the end.

"Welcome human, to the throne of liberty," a voice which sounded neither feminine nor masculine said the moment Benji stepped into the room. "Your test starts now!"