Brave Hearts
1488 Words
In the dark interior of the cave-like passage, the group of Hunters stepped cautiously through the gates of a D-rank dungeon.
Mister Heights, their leader, activated the torchlight embedded in the center of his specially-designed suit and ordered the others to do the same.
One by one, the beams of light flicked on, revealing jagged walls and the long, narrowing tunnel ahead.
"Stay alert," Mister Heights said firmly. "We proceed in formation. No one wanders off."
Despite walking for what felt like an eternity, they had yet to encounter a single monster.
Their boots echoed on the stone floor, each step feeding the growing tension in the air.
“We’ve walked far, haven’t we?” Hal said nervously. “Shouldn’t we have come across something by now?”
“Yeah,” Jason added, glancing around.
“This place feels... off.”
“It gives me the creeps,” another Hunter muttered.
Suddenly, Mister Heights raised his hand, signaling for silence.
“What is it?” someone asked.
“There’s another path,” Heights said grimly.
The group quickly gathered around. Just as he said, there was a smaller opening carved into the side of the cave wall.
But what caught their attention wasn't the path itself, but the energy pouring out of it—a dark, eerie aura that twisted the air around it.
“We can’t leave until the dungeon boss is dead,” Mister Heights reminded them.
“And so far, we’ve seen no monsters. Whatever’s in there, we have to take it down.”
He looked at each Hunter seriously, then added, “And remember, no boss kill means no pay. I know we all need that money.”
Jason brows squeezed into a frown as he thought of his upcoming date with Sheila.
Hal himself clenched his fists, remembering his younger sister, who’d be heading to college in the summer.
He had no savings, nor backup in preparation for her expenses.
So, he also made up his mind to proceed forward, attacking despite the quite obvious strange odds.
The others murmured in agreement, their expressions steeling with courage .
With one final nod, Mister Heights stepped into the path, the rest following behind him at full alert.
The air grew colder, as they progressed deeper, and with it Hal’s unease only grew.
The ominous energy thickened around them like fog. Every Hunter had a wary look in their eyes.
Then...
“Ahh!”
A startled gasp echoed from ahead.
“What is that?!”
Littered across the cave floor were the mutilated bodies of monsters—beasts that should’ve been their enemies, already dead.
Torn apart, limbs shredded, their bodies scattered as though something far stronger had already torn through them.
They walked further, cautiously, until they arrived in a wide, open cavern.
Jagged icicle-like rocks protruded from the ceiling, and in the center sat a towering structure of twisted metal—shaped like a throne.
“What is this place?” someone whispered. “Who could’ve done all this?”
Then Hal, trailing at the back, looked up—and froze.
“Everyone, look! Up there!”
Hanging upside-down from the tip of a protruding rock was a creature—humanoid in shape, with long, bat-like wings folded around its body like a cloak. Its skin shimmered like dark stone, and its eyes glowed crimson.
Before anyone could react, it dropped.
Swoosh!
In an instant, it sliced through a Hunter with one sweep of its blade-like wings, his head hitting the ground before his body even knew it was dead.
“Ka-Kayak!” a Hunter screamed in horror.
“Form up! Get into position!” Mister Heights barked, quickly regaining his composure.
The rest of the Hunters gathered, trembling and afraid, their weapons drawn.
The monster hovered in the air for a moment before letting out a bone-chilling screech.
KRRRCCHHH!!
It wasn’t just any monster. It was humanoid in form, and strong—too strong for a D-rank dungeon.
Its aura was dense, overpowering. It felt extremely deadly. It was extremely deadly.
Mister Heights narrowed his eyes. “That thing... it’s an advanced-class monster.” he started..
“Ahh!”
“W-what??”
Gasp escaped from the mouth of the Hunters.
They couldn't fathom how they had managed up with such bad luck.
He continued, “But it’s evolving—trying to become a King-class. That means right now, it’s unstable, and thus vulnerable.”
His experience showed in his composure, even in the face of death.
“If we give it our all, we might survive this.”
The word survive echoed in Hal’s mind. For humans, survival in moments like this was a primal instinct—a reflex.
KRRRCCHHH!!
The monster launched itself forward, signaling the start of a brutal battle.
Mister Heights charged in, raising his axe. He brought it down with force—but the monster was faster. It dodged and backhanded him across the cavern.
Jason rushed in next, yelling as he swung his broadsword. Again, the creature danced around his strike and drove its claws into Jason’s shoulder.
“Ahhh!”
He was flung away like a ragdoll.
Long-range Hunters unleashed volleys of arrows and magical blasts.
The monster flew circles around them, avoiding everything with terrifying precision.
Then it dove, spinning like a drill with its wings wide.
Two Hunters screamed as their bodies were cleanly sliced apart, falling in halves to the floor.
Freya, standing beside Hal, fell on her behind, eyes wide in terror. A yellow puddle formed beneath her.
‘She must have been scared out of her wits,’ Hal realized. ‘She peed herself…’
“Freya! You have to leave! Run!”
“I—I can’t—!”
“You must!” he urged. “We need help. If you go, maybe—just maybe—someone out there can save us.”
After a moment of trembling hesitation, she nodded and staggered away, back toward the entrance.
‘At least she might survive,’ Hal thought grimly. ‘She saved me so many times… I can’t let her die here.’
He turned back just in time to see Mister Heights rejoining the fight, blood trickling from his mouth, rage burning in his eyes.
“AAAHH!”
With his shield raised, he charged and slammed his axe into the monster’s wing.
RIP!!
The wing tore clean off, and the monster let out a pained shriek.
It swung at him, but Heights raised his shield, taking the blow and retaliating with a strike to the monster’s leg.
The rest of the Hunters joined in, pummeling the creature with all they had. With one wing gone, the monster could no longer fly. It staggered under the onslaught.
“Die, you friggin’ bastard!” Mason shouted, his voice unstable due to the fear rooted in his heart.
The only thing keeping him— and the rest of the Hunters moving, was the pure rush of adrenaline due to the need to survive.
They thought they were winning, as the monster seemed weakened, cornered.
But something felt wrong.
Hal, who was at the back, not engaging in the heated battle, was the only one with a head clear enough to think.
His brows furrowed, then widened in horror. ‘Wait, something doesn’t feel right!’
And then it hit him.
Rage mode.
A monster on the verge of death always entered a frenzied state—its most dangerous form.
“Everyone, get away from it!” Hal shouted.
But it was too late.
The monster exploded into motion, faster than anything they’d seen before. Two Hunters barely had time to scream before their heads were on the floor.
The rest froze in horror. They’d all forgotten.
Rage mode.
Before anyone could act, it struck again, impaling a Hunter in the stomach, lifting him off the ground. With a savage s***h, it split him open. His insides spilled onto the cavern floor.
Seconds. That was all it took.
No one could react fast enough.
At the end of the day they were just desperate humans grasping at a thin straw of survival, in front of a crazed, raging monster.
The monster lunged again—but this time, Mister Heights intercepted it with his shield. They collided like two freight trains.
BAAMM!
He was flung across the room, smashing into the ground hard enough to form a crater.
Hal clenched his crazily trembling jaw. Heavy drops of sweat streaking down his face.
“I might be weak,” he said, drawing out his short swords. “But I’m no coward!”
He gritted his teeth, before charging in alongside the remaining Hunters.
With great trepidation, Hal the famously known Hunted Hunter, steeled his nerves, as he joined the fray of crazed monster, and desperate humans, his heart roaring louder than the screeching beast.
He might not have been the strongest Hunter, but he wasn't going to die weak!
- Writer
