Unknown creature

Even though they hurried, Daniel and his group didn't manage to return to the area where the goblins' dungeon was before sunset. Fortunately, John had a lot of experience while moving at night without using a single light source. Despite the fact that there was no moon that night, he led his son and ten other survivors back to the area.

They thought they would be attacked several times by monsters, but not a single creature appeared, probably because it was too dark for them, or it was because that territory belonged to the goblins. In any case, they were confident that they could survive the attack of most monsters now that they had some weapons that strangely made them feel more powerful.

It was around midnight when Daniel left one of the sleeping tents. Since they couldn't create a campfire because that would reveal their position, he was covered from head to toe with a single blanket. Although he was exhausted, he couldn't sleep knowing that Ryan was inside the cave fighting alone… the same was happening to Mia, who was looking at the dungeon's entrance, hoping to see a sign of Ryan leaving the place.

"He is alive, don't worry," Daniel sat beside Mia and then whispered. "If that weren't the case, goblins would be leaving the dungeon at this very moment."

"I know…" Mia said while he was hugging her knees. "I was just thinking about how he looked at us early. I could never have imagined that Ryan could feel and show so much hate toward someone. He looked at us as if…"

"As if he was serious about exploding my head with a magic arrow," Daniel forced a smile. "Well, you always knew that he was an intense guy… but he never showed that many times because it was easier for him to just smile at about every single thing. In any case, you can solve things with him. You just have to explain it."

"I wonder…" Mia showed a self-deprecating smile. "I lost my mother and got depressed. I tried to drink away my sorrows, and then… we ended doing something that cannot be undone. Meanwhile, Ryan lost both of his parents at the same time and then saw us and what he did? Nothing. He just decided to take some time alone."

Daniel lost his mother when he was just ten years old, so he could understand how Mia felt when her mother died of a heart attack. She never met her father, so he tried to help her, but then ended up drinking too much, and then they slept together and did the deed. Mia didn't even tell Ryan what happened because he just had graduated from college and found a good job. He was happy, and she didn't want to end his happiness. Her intentions were good, but she messed up along the way.

"After this incident, I understood that I'm not a good person," Mia said. "After thinking for a while, I concluded that he wouldn't understand me because he had both of his parents and had a normal family… it was just an excuse, of course, but it was my own stupid way to react to it. Ryan never did a single thing that made me angry or sad. If anything, I can only remember him being understanding and supportive even when I faced small problems… I took that for granted and became spoiled, and because of it, we are in this situation while the world is ending…"

"Still… you should talk to him," Daniel said. "There is no explanation for what I did, but perhaps you can at least make him stop hating you. Ryan is a good guy. We know that."

"… I will try, but I don't think he will hear someone who can't look at him in the eye," Mia said.

"Then, just look at him in the eye," Daniel said. "That is a problem easy to solve."

"I'm not you, Daniel," Mia said. "Maybe you can live with the image of Ryan's eyes full of hatred, but I can't."

"… That isn't easy for me either, you know," Daniel said after sighing, "But as I said, there is no explanation that I can give him, but you can. Regardless, he probably won't stay in this place for long. So, you have to make up your mind as soon as you can. Anyway, it would be best if you slept for a while. Tomorrow is an early day, and father will want to explore that dungeon the very moment Ryan appears. Although you are improving, you still need to increase your accuracy… now that I think about it, Ryan taught you how to use a bow, right? Maybe we should buy a bow like the one Ryan has."

"The one he is using belonged to his father," Mia said. "The other is too weak and probably won't be of any use on my hands. I'm still inexperienced… a crossbow would be a better option, but I think it will be more expensive. Regardless, even if I try, I don't think that I will be able to fall asleep."

Daniel sighed when he heard that. He also wouldn't be able to sleep in that situation., so he decided to keep Mia company. Time passed slowly since nothing happened after several hours. Still, both of them managed to keep themselves focused because now and then, they would hear the squeak of a pterodactyl crossing the skies. It was weird for them to obtain a skill without doing anything, but thanks to the location, darkness, and their lack of movement, they fooled all monsters that passed nearby and learned the skill Stealth.

In the end, they had to stay awake until sunrise to see any sign of movement coming from the dungeon. Both Daniel and Mia knew that his father had trained Ryan to be a hunter, but they still couldn't believe that he could spend the night in a monsters' nest. Regardless, they opened their eyes widely when they saw a monstrous figure covered in blood and dirt from head to toe, leaving the dungeon.