9 Golden Dungeon

"Azuma-kun?"

Haru worriedly asked.

Behind her were the shadows of a dark tunnel, it was shrouded with too many bushes to be noticed at first. But when Azuma saw those wide cold eyes staring down at him, he was stunned speechless.

It was a bloodied human face, with an eerie piercing gaze.

The person was gone in an instant.

"I think…" Azuma rubbed his temples, "Someone is injured, let me check it out."

Haru followed him inside the tunnel.

There was a trail of blood along with pieces of broken equipment that came in their way every once in a while.

But above all, there was a strong stench hanging in the air– like rotten leaves, toxic water, and the revolting scent of something that could make the stomach twist with unease.

Chomp.

Chomp.

Chomp.

Azuma's lips twitched in disgust. Why was someone eating under such rotten stench? The first level was harmless but still carried its own horrors.

A dim glow seeped out in the darkness of the tunnel, the warm light was coming from a chamber inside the left wall.

Chomp.

The stench became overwhelming.

Haru whispered a curse under her breath as she and Azuma both took out their masks and placed them over. The metal spread out and wrapped around their mouth.

"I will go first," Haru frowned as her one hand rested on the gun.

A gun was thrown out of the chamber, dripping with blood.

The air felt frozen as a cold tremor went through their hearts.

Azuma tried to suppress his shivering fingers but he couldn't, he cautiously reached out for his knife when a hand came out from the chamber. Its fingers twisted in odd angles before it clenched the gun and took it back.

Chills went down their spine.

A trickle of blood trailed down Azuma's nose.

He roughly wiped it off and took out his knife. The small blade of steel glinting slightly before he dashed towards the chamber.

Just as Azuma was about to enter the place, a small wince made him glance back.

Haru had fallen on the ground. She gave him a firm nod and urged him to go up ahead and not worry.

There was no time to spare, Azuma entered inside.

But he felt like he had caught a glimpse of something scarlet around her legs. It couldn't be blood, then—

Azuma froze.

Inside the chamber, Misaki was coughing on the ground, her body stiff and marred with countless cuts. She was trying to say something but her voice came out in distorted whispers.

"What happened?"

Azuma asked, rooted on the ground. There was no beast he could see and yet something about the air that hung in that chamber, caused his whole body to slowly go numb.

Misaki staggeringly rose on her feet, her eyes closed as if she was trying to control pain and her fingers, Azuma noticed, were twisted in odd angles.

A cackled voice ripped from her throat, like nails hissing over cold marbles as she tried to speak.

"...A–A….Azuma… kun…?"

Azuma's face darkened and he quietly left the chamber.

Haru was about to enter but he took her hand and led her in the opposite direction. With wide eyes, she tried to protest but his pace only increased.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded.

Azuma glanced at her and the horror in his eyes made her flinch, "There is no hunter in there, it's a monster!"

"But we saw someone!"

"Yeah, that's the monster—"

"You're making no sense!" Haru exclaimed.

Azuma glanced at her with a serious gaze. She had saved and sewn him. It was only his responsibility to do the same and he knew there was something greatly wrong with that chamber even though he didn't understand it.

"Can you trust me?"

Haru's eyes subconsciously glanced at the big patch of band-aid on the side of his, "No."

The two of them knocked against something hard and stumbled back.

It was Raptor, along with a couple of other hunters. He didn't seem to be in a good mood, glaring down at Azuma as if the other person had committed a grave sin.

"Why are you running?"

Haru rolled her eyes, "I don't know."

Azuma was not sure how to explain so he explained everything from seeing Misaki to her monstrous cackle. He insisted that that thing was not a human and definitely not something they should approach carelessly.

"Bullshit."

Raptor scorned and stormed towards the chamber along with half a dozen hunters and Haru. Azuma had no choice but to follow.

This time, he properly saw the place.

There were small fireflies scattered around the chamber, filling it with warm golden light. It is embraced by unknown vines and bushes, scarlet moss, and untouched statues of gods with an eerie perfection.

Eight giant statues were lined around the circular chamber, none of them carried eyes but as soon as Azuma entered that place, he felt like everything present in there was watching him, sensing his every breath.

He felt heavy.

Just like he had felt last time.

There was no sign of any injured person, nor was there any monster. In between the space of the statues, there were small sections shrouded with vines. Something silver glistened behind one such place.

But the light didn't reach those parts, Azuma couldn't see anything properly.

He felt a small tug on his jacket and glanced to find Haru clutching his sleeve with a pale look. She had her head lowered, biting lips tightly.

"...there is no blood," she whispered, "not even a single stain."

"Look! I found something!"

A hunter called out and pointed at a stone tablet. There were some ancient unknown characters engraved upon it. He hopefully continued as hunters surrounded him curiously.

"I am sure there is something written about a treasure! The dungeon has to have something precious, and maybe we will find something much more valuable!"

No one could read the language.

The hunter tusked his tongue, blaming the government for only having three official languages and not focusing on the others.

They resumed looking around.

"Eh cobwebs."

"Stop staring at the statues."

"They won't just move around and start attacking you."

It was then.

BANG.

Everyone jolted at the sound, the words of doubt has only begun to surface before they were all suffocated back in silence.