Lair of the abyss

(POV Noir)

I stalked the caves heading to where the strange presence was.

(This is intriguing these auras they're stationary but rampant at the same time… they are strong as well I must be careful.) I thought as I slowed my approach making little to no sound.

As I crawled toward the presence I spotted a bright green light oozing out of an opening not too far from me.

(Well this is it… Better prepare for the coming battle…) I thought as auras of varying types and colors surrounded me.

With my empowered state, I shrunk my body down to the size of a pear to not draw attention.

I slowly made my way to the opening with caution as I felt even more faint auras.

I peered inside and instantly my body quivered with fear at the scene before me.

(What… What is this… Thing…) I thought as I stood rooted in place

(POV Cyrus)

I followed Dwayne around the cave following him with hast and worry.

(What is Noir in danger from?! We are near the rotten veil so Vaal-hazak… Girros… Legiana… hell maybe even Kirin are all possibilities!) I thought as I rushed after the speeding rock.

Suddenly Dwayne stopped and looked around with an unsure expression plastered onto his rocky face.

"Is this the last place where you were with him?" I caught up to him and asked as I looked around clueless as to where Noir was.

He nodded with worry in his eyes.

"Lyra where is Noir…" I ask her with worry.

<This should lead you to him!> Lyra said with worry as an incomplete map like panel of the cave opened in front of me.

"Dwayne follow me!" I shouted as I ran toward the black slime with a hast and a living rock following me.

Then after a minute of running, I find Noir far away from me in a shrunken state trembling before a grotto that glowed a green light.

"Noir there you are! Where's the danger!" I shout at the scared Noir.

The black slime turned to me before slowly pointing inside the crevice with his shaking claws.

Me and Dwayne halted our movement for a moment before we rushed forward expecting the enemy to attack our dear mimikyu at any given moment.

"Dwayne use wide guard and cover Noir I'll attack the…enemy…" I looked inside the cavern and immediately dropped my axes to the ground.

"Wha…What…in…the…actual…fuck…happened…here…" I said as I looked at the behemoth of a beast in front of me.

Before me in this absolute carnage of a battlefield, a dragon with milky black hide lay dead coiled with the corpses of hunter's men and woman alike littering its domain.

{Image}

"Lyra this thing if I recall correctly this thing is a Namielle right…" I say as I pick up a broken longsword.

I moved in deeper with curiosity and caution leaving the duo behind rooted in place "Lyra when did you say humans went extinct in this world?".

"How the hell has this thing not decayed even the bodies of the hunters are well preserved." I say as I examine the body of a hunter missing an arm in Pukei-Pukei armor.

{Image}

< It's probably due to the slimy substance the creature secretes. It's basically an anti-decay agent but don't let fire near its very combustible. The dragon must have covered the entire place with it before it and the hunters died.>

"Guess that explains this…" I say as wipe my hand on the floor in turn covering it in a transparent white sludge.

I flick my hand removing the sludge as I made my way to the 65 feet long elder dragon.

"Now what's so important that you guarded it even after death…" I say as I start climbing the back of the coiled beast and peering inside.

"…I guess this is why they say a mother's love is eternal…not that I ever had one…" I say as I look down at a large green pond filled with life and three jet black eggs laid at the center.

One hour later…

I sat in front of the lake massaging my face as the counter went down.

^Du…^

^Yu…Ku..^

The two nudged me with a scared expression on their face.

I looked at the two and gave a slight smile as I embraced the two with a hug comforting them from the horrors they saw.

<3…2….1 The call is ready Cyrus.> I hear Lyra say as a panel opens up with the feed of a familiar office and person.

"Hey, Cyrus!" I hear Darrius's cheerful voice come through as he positions the camera towards himself.

<Howdy Lyra Cyrus how's life treating you two?> I heard Nexus's western tone.

"Life has been… hectic to say the least and it's going to get even more after this call…" I say in a tired tone.

"Eh? What happened to you? You look like you faced an elder dragon man!" he sarcastically remarked.

"Well, I kinda sort of did face one…" I say as I have flashbacks of all that happened in the past hour.

"Hahaha, you finally grew a funny bone!" He then noticed my expression.

"… You kidding right?" I hear him say with uncertainty and nervousness.

<Right?...> Nexus chimed in.

"I'm dead serious and I-." I was cut off.

<"BOI WHAT THE FUCK!"> The cheerful duo instantly became shocked.

"The hell were you thinking facing an elder dragon with two baby beasts!"

"You could have called me and I could have helped you 2v1 it!"

(How the hell do they know about those two-… right Lyra sent them that video) The two continued to berate me for a full minute before I could speak up.

"Both of you shut the hell up you scared away the little ones." I calmly tell them as I look at the closed tent that contained the shy duo.

"Oh uh sorry!" Darius apologized.

<You still haven't answered me, are you guys ok? Do you need any medical assistants?> Nexus worriedly asked.

"We're fine but I want to make a deal with you Darrius it will benefit us both you more than me actually." I said seriously.

"Oh, another deal! Is it another monster for me?" I hear him say in a giddy tone.

"I think it best if I let you in on my situation first…" I then began narrating everything up until I woke up from the coma leaving out where I am for a reason.

"A Deviljho huh…" He said as I crossed his arms and sat down on a chair.

"Is it revenge you want in exchange for the monster corpses?" I hear him say.

"No it'd be a waste of time, I want to hire you." I said in a serious tone.

"Hire me? You mean like a commission?" He said confused tone.

"Similar but more long term, you'll help me in exploring this world. You get to choose your work hours and when we kill a monster or find a corpse you will get 75% of the body after I loot 25% of it. Every time we get a profit selling materials and monsters alive or dead 35% of the Sp will go to you. If you have anything to change about the deal you may change it now." I laid out the deal.

"…Are you serious how the hell does that benefit me more than you!" I hear him shout.

<Yeah you are trying to scam us or something we aren't dumb!> Nexus agreed with him.

"I understand your anger but I still got two more things to say if you don't like the deal." I got ready to seal the deal.

"That being?" He questioned.

"You've played monster hunter with me numerous times so I shouldn't have to explain what I'm about to say" I paused and took a deep breath.

"I will allow you to use your necromancy on an elder dragon corpse I have and I have found an entry point to the rotten veil and if my memory serves me correctly isn't their two corpses of Dalamadur in the rotten veil." I laid out my cards with a victorious grin.

<Checkmate bitch!> Lyra playfully shouted.

To be continued next time…

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