Chapter 1

It was noon almost dusk; 5 figures were slowly manoeuvring their way through a dungeon. Its passageway stretched ahead, leading deeper into the labyrinthine maze. The walls were rough and uneven, with occasional water dripping from cracks in the ceiling, creating a faint echoing sound that amplifies the sense of isolation. The floor is worn and uneven, making each step treacherous.

As the group inched ever closer towards, the end, they were eventually greeted with a creature both fascinating and repulsive in its appearance. Towering at over six feet tall, its hulking reptilian body is covered in rough, scaly skin that glistens with a sickly green hue. The skin is mottled with patches of decay and oozing sores, giving off a putrid odour that permeates the air around it.

"That's a lizardman" one of the group members whispers.

"Isn't this supposed to be a Rank F dungeon?" a woman with a staff asks.

"I guess the energy readings were wrong, this means we're going to have to give it a try!" a man with a longsword on his back says, "Everyone into position!"

The group grab their weapons and bar one. A boy no older than 17 watches everyone rummage around in awe as he readjusts the oversized bag on his back.

"Hey kid, we may not survive this one which means you're going to go down with us so use this and aim well" a man holding a dagger says as he pulls out a pure black short sword from his waist.

"No way, if you guys die, I don't stand a chance!" the boy rejected.

"In normal situations that would be true, you aren't 18 yet so you haven't awakened" the man with the longsword says "But it's different here, the lizardman will know you can't escape if you fail to kill him and he won't see any weapons or armour on you, so he will toy with you. Let him"

"Plus, this is only if we die" the other group member said as he unhinged his shield and slammed it loudly on the ground "I have no intentions of dying!"

ROAR!!!

The lizardman screamed as he charged towards them. Ray quickly accepted the short sword and hid it behind his back.

The shield bearer charged towards the lizard and bashed his shield into his fists but was sent flying instead.

"Cast debuffs!" the longsword wielder screamed as he replaced his comrade and engaged.

As the fight went on, it became obvious they were losing, other than the healer, all of their armour was cracked and on the verge of destruction.

Despite their best efforts, the group found themselves overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of the monstrous lizardman. One by one, their defences crumbled, and their strength waned. The healer, desperately trying to keep everyone alive, struggled to keep up with the mounting injuries.

The woman with the staff, sensing the impending doom, chanted an incantation, summoning a powerful burst of magical energy. But before she could release it, the lizardman broke through their defensive line and struck her with a swift, devastating blow. She fell to the ground, motionless, her life force nearly extinguished.

"No!" they screamed.

Seeing their comrade fall, they fought with renewed ferocity. The man with the longsword, fuelled by a mix of determination and rage, delivered a series of vicious strikes. The lizardman punched the sword sending it flying into the shield bearer turning his shield to dust.

Both men looked at the lizardman confused as it proceeded to quickly swing its arms down on their heads. Their blood splattered out all over the cold concrete floor as the lizardman's hands flattened their bodies.

In a desperate attempt to turn the tide, the man with the dagger lunged forward, aiming for a vulnerable spot on the creature's hide. But he miscalculated his timing, and the lizardman swiftly retaliated, punching forward and ripping through his stomach. He gasped for breath, his life slipping away as he collapsed to the ground, leaving only Ray and the healer standing.

The healer, her hands trembling, cast a desperate healing spell on herself and Ray. She knew that their chances of survival were slim, but she refused to give up. As the lizardman closed in, its eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure, she grabbed Ray's leg.

"Listen to me, Ray," she said, her voice filled with urgency. "You must survive. You are our last hope."

Ray's eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to protest, to fight alongside her, but he knew deep down that her words held truth. Reluctantly, he nodded, his resolve hardening.

With a burst of energy, the healer stood up and charged at the lizardman, diverting its attention away from Ray. She used her remaining strength to cast a powerful spell, unleashing a barrage of destructive magic. The lizardman roared in pain, momentarily stunned by the onslaught.

For a moment, it seemed like she might prevail, that they would overcome the odds stacked against them. But fate had other plans. The lizardman, wounded and enraged, unleashed a final, devastating attack. Its claws tore through the air, finding their mark on the healer's unprotected body.

The healer cried out in agony, her life force draining rapidly. With her last breath, she

whispered to Ray, her voice filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I couldn't... save them... or you..."

Tears welled up in Ray's eyes as he watched the healer slump to the ground, lifeless. He stood alone in the desolate dungeon, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his fallen comrades.

Overwhelmed by grief and loss, Ray sank to his knees in despair as the lizardman man slowly walked over with the blood of his comrades dripping from both its hands…