A young man was frantically running through the dark cave, with only a sword in hand with chips and cracks in it. He was bruised and battered, his young face stained with dirt and blood. Fear was cruising through his blue eyes, with tears flowing down from them. Several parts of his armor got detached from his body, revealing torn clothing inside and his skin filled with cuts.
Behind him, a crowd of small humanoid black colored monsters were chasing him, wearing big, crazed smiles on their wrinkled faces. Their stomachs are bloated, and their feet and hands are too big for their bodies. On their dark skin, pores about the size of a small seed were seen, with black juices oozing out from them.
The young man would never have thought that a supposedly easy dungeon run would turn out this way. A few hours ago, he was even eating with his father, joking that he better not cower in the face of the monsters.
They entered the dungeon as a six-man party. The purpose is to slowly train him so that he would get used to facing monsters in a dungeon.
He went in with his father's party. He was not supposed to join today. His father was against the idea, but he insisted. He said that the other uncles told him that the dungeon they were entering today is a D-ranked dungeon, the lowest type of dungeon. Facing his son's eager eyes, the father gave in.
There were supposed to be no casualties. The run was supposed to be easy. However, the truth could not be any worse. His father's full party, who are basically his family, was now all dead, with their bodies torn apart. He even saw one monster holding an arm, biting it crazily. He didn't have any idea whose arm it was.
He wished it was just a terrible nightmare and that he would wake up soon. However, the truth was laid in front of him, and the reality was harsh.
It was not a nightmare. His father is dead. And he was about to join him.
As he ran, because of the darkness, he failed to see a stone sticking out. He tripped and fell, causing his sword to be thrown away. Fear and nervousness peaked in his mind. The monsters were closing in, and he was filled with despair. His feet refused to move, his body betraying his mind.
The crazed laughter of the monsters filled his ears, making his whole body tremble. The monsters neared.
He grabbed the ground, and dragged his body. However, it feels as though his body was as heavy as a mountain, and his arm was too powerless to even budge it.
He looked back and saw them. He despaired. Memories came crashing through his mind. How his father used to cook for him. How he swung his swords day and night, hoping to one day join his father. How the uncles bought him many foods. All of them were good memories. At that moment, he felt that it was okay if he died today. He was already blessed enough. He got a loving father and good uncles.
Time seemed to slow down at this very moment. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
However, faces of his father and his uncles surfaced in his mind. The way they shouted in fear, begging the monsters to stop. The way their limbs were torn one by one. The way his father threw himself in front of the monsters just so he could get away. He felt an emotion that he had never felt before. He wanted to get revenge. He wanted to kill all these monsters. He wanted to rip out their eyes, cut their tongues, and pluck their teeth. He felt angry.
However, he also felt something. Powerlessness. Unable to do anything. At this moment, one thought crossed his mind.
I want to live…
He refused to give in. He opened his eyes and forced his body to move. Powered by his will, his legs moved. Trembling, he stood up barehanded.
However, he did not even raise his head yet when a hand swept through the air and hit his cheek. The force was so great that it threw him a few meters away.
His body limped on the ground. He could not even open his eyes, let alone move his fingers. He felt utterly powerless. He could not think properly. However, one thought keeps on replaying in his mind.
I can't die yet…
His body may have given up, but his mind refused to surrender. His body went numb with pain.
The monsters closed in, grabbing his body. They ripped what remains of his armor. Then his clothes. However, he did not feel anything. Even as the nails of the monsters dug on his skin, drawing blood.
At this moment, he finally felt something. However, it was not pain. It was hotness. He felt his heart burn, as if a fire was lit inside him. He heard something. It was the sound of chains breaking. The next moment, smoke started gushing out from his body, making the monsters pause with confusion.
Suddenly, his strength came back. As if a river were no longer clogged, his whole body started feeling alive, more than ever before. He slowly stood up, his body oozing out white smoke.
This caused the monsters to back away. He opened his eyes, revealing his blue eyes now glowing brightly in the dark. Whatever change was happening in the young man's body, he did not know. Only one thing was in his mind: to kill these wretched monsters.
He dashed forward with immense speed, so much faster than he usually was. Unfamiliar with his new strength, he slammed into the body of a monster.
Splat.
The collision sounded sickening. Blood burst out from the body of the monster as it flew backward, folded, and mangled.
The young man did not care, not when the blood was smeared on his naked body, nor when some of it entered his mouth. He just looked at the other monsters around him, which caused them to back away, feeling fear for the first time.
He grabbed the nearest monster by the neck, by which the monster frantically swung his arms and feet. However, it was for naught. The young man was simply too strong.
The young man then threw the monster on the ground, bursting its body. He then ran towards the other monsters, killing them one by one.
He ripped their limbs and heads and even split the torso apart. What he could not do before, and wished to do so badly, he was doing now.
The monster ran away, but he chased them all with his immense speed. He was more like the monster there, and the little creatures were like some helpless lambs.
He spared no one.
He killed them all.
Soon enough, silence filled the dark cave. The young man was standing, his whole body filled with the blood of the monsters, with some of their insides even hanging. White smoke kept on oozing out. Suddenly, as if out of gas, the smoke stopped gushing. He then fell on his knees, his mind blurry.
He only knew that he managed to avenge his father and uncles. The glow in his eyes faded out as he slowly closed them. The unimaginable strength of his body left him as he tipped forward and lay still, his consciousness fading as darkness pulled him under.