"Whoa!" The three exclaimed in unison as they caught sight of the inside of the dungeon.
It was their very first time stepping into one, and excitement sparked in their eyes.
Vivian, though he had read countless novels and comics about dungeons, had never seen one in reality.
Now, standing within its depths, he finally understood the allure.
The dungeon was cloaked in darkness, yet faintly lit by crystal-like stones embedded in the walls.
They glowed softly, like lanterns in the night, casting shifting shadows. It was exactly as Vivian had always imagined.
"Guys," Asmit said, breaking free from his surprise. His voice carried both eagerness and determination. "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" Vivian and Subha shouted in unison, excitement gleaming in their eyes.
"Then let's go and hunt down some monsters." With that, Asmit drew his spear from his subspace ring, the weapon glinting under the crystal light.
Subha followed, pulling out his own spear, while Vivian unsheathed the sword he favored, gripping it tightly with a hint of pride.
After drawing their weapons, the three of them began walking forward.
No monsters had appeared yet, but they kept their guard up, eyes scanning the dimly lit passage.
Before long, the road ahead split into two. They stopped in their tracks, exchanging wary glances.
"Hey, where should we go?" Vivian asked, tightening his grip on his sword.
"Hm…" Asmit hummed thoughtfully, his gaze shifting between the two paths.
After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and pointed to the one on the right. "We'll go this way."
"Okay," they nodded without any hesitation as if they both had been thinking of taking the same road.
Not long after, a chill ran down Vivian's spine. His intuition flared, something was there. He stopped abruptly, raising his hand.
"Guys," he warned in a low voice, "there are monsters… hmm? Five of them."
Subha's eyes sharpened. "Which way?"
"They're coming from the right," Vivian replied, steadying his breath.
"Alright. Take your positions, guys," Asmit commanded.
At once, they formed up.
Vivian stood in the middle, sword at the ready, while Asmit and Subha planted their spears firmly at his sides, forming a protective formation.
The glow of the dungeon crystals shimmered against their weapons as they braced themselves for the coming clash.
"Here they come," Vivian warned, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Moments later, five hulking creatures emerged from the shadows.
They resembled grizzly bears, but each one was nearly twice the size, their eyes glowing blood-red.
Instead of soft fur, their bodies were covered in sharp, bristle-like spikes that caught the crystal light ominously.
'They look intimidating…' Vivian thought, glancing toward Subha and Asmit.
For a moment, both of them only stared, faces stiff with confusion, until cold sweat began sliding down their temples, their eyes widening in shock.
'Hm? Why are they so shaken?' Vivian wondered, finally asking aloud, "Hey, guys, why are you so shocked?"
"Huh…?" His sudden question snapped them out of their trance. They looked at him, still stunned.
"They… they aren't intermediate monsters," Asmit muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Then?" Vivian asked, his confusion deepening.
"They're upper-intermediate level monsters," Subha revealed grimly.
"So?" Vivian asked, still confused over their reactions.
Honestly, he was confident he could take down all five monsters alone if he wanted to, so their shock felt strange to him.
"What do you mean, 'so'?" Subha snapped, his voice tight.
"The professor clearly said we'd encounter intermediate monsters. But these—" he pointed at the hulking beasts—"are upper intermediate level monsters. And this is only the start."
"Hm…" Vivian finally understood their unease. "Alright. We'll think about it later. For now—let's kill these guys."
He glanced at the monsters drawing closer, then asked calmly, "Want me to get rid of them all?"
"No, not all of them." Asmit's tone was firm as he raised his spear. "You handle the two coming from the side. We'll take the three charging from the front." He gestured with his finger.
"Fine with me." Vivian agreed, stepping forward toward the pair of bear-like creatures. He paused briefly and asked, "Ah, by the way… what are they called?"
"They're called Grizzles," Subha answered grimly, tightening his grip on his spear.
"Grizzles, huh?" Vivian muttered the name under his breath as he advanced toward the two beasts assigned to him.
The Grizzles noticed his approach, their blood-red eyes locking onto him.
"ROAR!"
Their deafening bellows shook the dungeon walls as they charged, saliva dripping from their maws.
Their eyes blazed even brighter, filled with primal hunger.
"If they weren't like this," Vivian thought out loud, with a smirk on his face, "they'd make fine teddy bears."
In the next instant, he lunged forward, leaping into the air as his sword flared with aura.
Chikkk!
The blade pierced into the shoulder of the first Grizzle just as it swung its massive arm like a mace.
"Tsk." Vivian clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He had aimed straight for the heart, but the beast twisted at the last instant, taking the blow in its shoulder instead.
'So… they can react, huh?'
Before he could press the attack, a shadow loomed.
The second Grizzle was already upon him, claws extended, ready to rip him apart.
Vivian didn't flinch.
His grip tightened on the sword still buried in the first Grizzle's shoulder.
With a sharp kick, he drove his boot into the beast's chest.
Crack!
The Grizzle let out a deafening roar as it was hurled backward, tearing the blade free from its flesh.
Its massive body slammed into the dungeon wall, stone and dust exploding from the impact.
On the other side, the second Grizzle lunged, but Vivian was already moving.
With a clean, horizontal swing, his sword carved through the air.
Shhhkk!
The creature's forearm was severed in a single stroke.
"ROAAARRR!"
The Grizzle let out a cry-like roar, stumbling back in agony.
Clutching its mangled stump with its remaining arm, it staggered, blood spraying across the stone floor.
"Oh? You guys have red blood too?" Vivian tilted his head, genuine surprise flickering across his face. "I thought it would be green… but I guess it can't be helped." He sighed, as though disappointed. "Well then, let's finish the job."
In the blink of an eye, his figure blurred and vanished.
Chikk!
Before the pitiful monster could react, Vivian's sword cleaved cleanly through its neck.
Thud!
The head hit the ground, followed by the heavy collapse of its body.
Vivian calmly wiped the blood from his blade, turning his gaze toward the first Grizzle.
The beast was clutching its wounded shoulder, its red eyes trembling with fear as it stared at him.
"Now, now," Vivian said almost mockingly, stepping closer. "Don't look at me like that. You came here to kill me first, so you should've been prepared to die too, right?"
Again, his figure vanished.
The Grizzle flinched, trying to stumble backward, but it was already too late. Just like its kin, its head was severed in a single stroke.
Thud.
The body toppled lifelessly onto the stone floor, joining the second in silence.
"The job's finished," Vivian muttered, sheathing his sword as his gaze shifted toward where Asmit and Subha were supposed to be fighting.
'Hm?'
Just as he bent down to collect the mana stone from the Grizzles, something struck him.
There was nothing.
No presence from the three Grizzles.
No presence from Asmit or Subha.
Vivian's expression darkened. Abandoning the corpses, he bolted down the path toward their direction, his footsteps echoing against the dungeon walls.
"What the hell…?" he whispered, a chill crawling down his spine.