CH 13: Uncertainty

The now quiet road that led to a town was now indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. Gardens once looked after and trimmed to perfection were now rough and overgrown, returning back to their chaotic natural state.

Many doorways still stood tall and in some cases it was one of the few things left of a home. But most doors were completely gone and only remnants of rotten wood were left behind. Clothing, home appliances and other belongings were left lost and broken outside some of the homes. They were of no use to anyone anymore.

The road is now littered with debris and remnants of the disaster that struck the area. The sound of crumbling buildings and broken glass echoes through the silent street. The narrow alleys that once led to hidden courtyards are now blocked by rubble and abandoned vehicles.

The town that was once a growing community of hundreds of families was now a forgotten remnant of a time long passed. Were it not for the occasional bird call the only sounds in this town was that of the wind. The sounds of market vendors, playing families and a loving community were no more.

The once-beautiful hanok houses are now mere shells of their former selves, providing little shelter from the harsh elements and the danger that lurks in the shadows. The once-beautiful gardens and courtyards are now overgrown with weeds and vines, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the desolate street.

A town that was once the pride and glory of Korea, was turned into a new pride and glory by the various animals that lived here. Mutated birds, cats, dogs and all sorts of rodents had all taken their spots.

A group of Korean people, dressed in monochromic clothing, trudged through the ruined landscape, their faces grim and determined. Buildings lay in ruins around them, their broken walls and shattered windows testifying to the violence that had swept through this once-thriving city. The air was thick with smoke and dust, and the only sounds were the crunching of their boots on broken pavement and the occasional distant roar of some unseen danger.

They had been searching for their friend for days, since his sudden disappearance. As they moved through the ruins, they kept their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of their missing friend. They called out his name, hoping that he might hear them and respond. They searched abandoned cars, rummaged through rubble, and climbed over debris in their desperate quest.

They also invaded and harassed members of the System. Beat up a couple of guards and some Gods...but they never killed anyone, so it's fine. They're just desperate you know.

Despite the bleakness of their situation, they remained united and resolute. They knew that they had to find their friend, no matter what the cost. They shared food and water, taking turns keeping watch during the night, and offered each other words of encouragement when morale flagged.

A woman with short black hair, looked at the brick roads solemnly. Her white tainted cloak fluttered in the wind, dramatically. A fly buzzed by and her bloody hand, aggressively swats it away. Killing it. Crushing it. She spits on the ground and her face slowly morphed into steel grey anger.

Heavy footsteps, trudge behind her and she turns around to look. Her friends walk towards her with tired and jaded eyes. The woman grits her teeth.

"Any clue as to where that dungeon is?!" she yelled.

"No. Not yet, Soo..." a bulky, brow haired man said. His expression turning grimmer than before.

She turns around to see her group of friends following behind her. Covered in black sludge.

She racked through her hair as she remembered their meeting with a low level Goddesses...

"Make thy way to Samcheongdong Gil-Road with haste, and seek the sacred scroll," spoke the woman, uttering words with an ancient tongue. "For there thou shalt find a dungeon of great peril, and its guardian shall make thy flesh tremble with fear."

Her words carried a weight that chilled them to the bone. They could sense the urgency in her voice. The dangers that laid ahead were very real, and they knew better than to ignore her warning, for it would court certain doom.

"Take heed, good traveler," she continued, her eyes fixed upon them with an intensity that gripped the soul. "For the guardian of the dungeon is a powerful being, and it will not hesitate to destroy thee if thou art not prepared."

The warning was clear, and they could feel the gravity of her words upon them. The path that lay ahead was treacherous, and they knew that their survival would depend upon their wits and their strength.

With a sense of foreboding, they set forth upon their journey, the words of the ancient woman echoing in their mind like the toll of a funeral bell.

Soo's lips thinned. 'Was she lying? Just to get away?'

A man in black walked over, a scar ran down his brow and chin. His black eyes were dull and lifeless. He stopped in front of her and stared at her.

"What?"

"I heard something..."

Suddenly, at the corner of their eyes they saw a 10 Ft demon coming out of the shadows. Its frame is large and their eyes looked at them like fresh meat.

"You can handle that..." she said dismissively. Knowing her scar faced companion could handle it without trouble.

The demon marches towards them slowly. Its skin is an unnatural shade of charcoal gray, and it is covered in thick, scaly plates that seem to shift and writhe as if they have a life of their own. Its body is powerfully built, with bulging muscles rippling beneath its skin, and it moves with a predatory grace that would send shivers down their spine (3000+ years ago).

Its head is long and pointed, with razor-sharp fangs that glint in the dim light. Its eyes are deep-set and gleam with a malevolent intelligence, burning with a fiery glow that seems to penetrate your very soul. Its nostrils flare as it sniffs the air.

"Or maybe not?"

"No I can handle it. Just find the dungeon. It's got to be here somewhere." he clipped.

The demon's hands are massive, with long, pointed fingers that end in wickedly sharp talons. Each step it takes sends a shockwave through the ground, and its breath is hot and fetid, carrying the stench of rot and decay.

"Yeah, yeah~. C'mon guys! The great Yoo Joonghyuk's got this!"

The group lazily spreads out and the man with a giant sword, only looks at it with blazing determination as he prepares to fight.

Although annoyed by Soo's remark, he didn't act upon his anger. He'll do it later.

With lightning speed, the demon charges towards the man, its talons extended and ready to tear him apart. The man dodges the attack with ease, sidestepping the demon's massive frame and delivering a swift blow to its side.

The demon roars in pain, but before it can retaliate, the man is upon it again, striking with a flurry of powerful blows. Each punch lands with a sickening thud, and the demon staggers back, clearly surprised by the man's strength.

The demon lashes out with its claws, but the man is too quick, ducking and weaving as he continues to pound away at his opponent. He lands a final, devastating blow to the demon's midsection, and it collapses to the ground with a thud, defeated.

The man stands over the fallen demon, his chest heaving with exertion. He wipes a bead of sweat from his brow and looks down at the demon with mere indifference. As if it was nothing but a mere bug under its foot.

He turns around, reuniting with his group. The woman, Soo grinned at him with pride and sarcasm.

"Woo-hoo! Yoo Joonghyuk wins again~! Couldn't have done it without you~!" she said with a catty expression.

The man's face was twisted into a scowl, his eyes flashing with barely-contained fury. Every muscle in his body was tense, as if coiled like a spring, ready to lash out at any moment. His jaw was set, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

"Han Soo Young..."

He radiated an intense energy of annoyance and frustration, and it was clear that he was seething with anger. Every movement he made was sharp and jerky, as if he was barely restraining himself from unleashing his rage on the world around him.

The lady with short black hair gulped.

Joonghyuk's voice was gruff and filled with an underlying growl, and his words were punctuated with exasperated sighs and angry snarls. His words came out in short, clipped bursts, as if he was struggling to keep himself from shouting.

Despite the tension and anger that seemed to emanate from him, there was a sense of underlying sadness in his demeanor. It was as if his anger was a cover for the hurt and disappointment that he was feeling deep down, and that he was struggling to express.

Han Sooyoung noticed it and so did everybody else.

Kim Dokja was nowhere to be found and even after they've invaded every center and interrogated every God and dokkaebi they could get their hands on...They didn't know where he was and were even shocked to find out he was gone.

Ink black poison, stained their hearts and souls.

Anxiety, fear, anger...they didn't know what to feel.

It was just like all those years ago, where he disappeared for years and KimCom were unsure if he would ever come back.

However, at least then, the Gods were aware; now their unaware. That Goddess is an expesion though. That is, if they find her words true.

Now at the entrance of the dungeon

As the group came closer to the dungeon's entrance, they couldn't help but feel uneasy. The apocalypse had decimated the entire globe, and this dungeon was no exception. The entryway was partially collapsed, and the area around it was covered in big stones and other debris.

It appeared as though the dungeon had been abandoned for decades because the air was heavy with the smell of rot and neglect. Two enormous stone pillars that were at least ten feet tall each stood in front of the entrance. They appeared to have been slowly eaten away by nature because they were covered in moss and vines.

Dark and ominous, the entryway itself had a small opening that led down into the dungeon's interior. The ceiling was so low that the adventurers had to duck their heads to avoid hitting it, and the walls were constructed of rough-hewn stone.

Stepping inside, they noticed that the dungeon's floor was littered with dust and other objects, as if no one had been inside for a long time. Ancient runes and symbols that were painted on the walls appeared to glimmer somewhat in the low light.

The silence was deafening, and the air was chilly and moist. The sole sound was made by their footsteps resonating off the stone floor. Kim Com were aware of the danger they were in because the darkness ahead seemed infinite.

With their weapons ready, Kim Dokja's Company snuck through the dimly lighted dungeon.

The dungeon itself was dark and foreboding, with cold stone walls and twisted corridors that seemed to go on forever. The purple fire at its center gave off an ominous glow, casting strange shadows across the dungeon floor. The air was thick with the stench of decay and danger lurked around every corner. They had only one thing in mind: kill the guardian; find the scroll; find Kim Dokja.

A gigantic beast with razor-sharp teeth and claws came into view as they rounded a curve, its eyes gleaming with an unfathomable intensity.

When Kim Dokja's Company launched their attack, the creature's thick hide was barely scratched by their blows. The gang was knocked back and sent sprawling to the ground as the monster retaliated with a fierce strike. Yoo Joonghyuk, who had been following, hurriedly moved forward to confront the monster.

The beast had a genuinely terrifying appearance; it was easily twice the size of a grown man. It towered over them, standing at least 16 feet tall, with bulging muscles rippling beneath its scaly skin. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and its razor-sharp claws dripped with acidic venom.

The creature's abilities were no less terrifying. With a flick of its tail, it could send its foes flying through the air. It could breathe out a noxious gas that made it hard to breathe, and it had the ability to regenerate its wounds at an alarming rate.

Yoo Joonghyuk set off a barrage of swift, accurate attacks while gritting his teeth. The dungeon trembled as the monster lunged its enormous claws at him while yelping in fury. Yoo Joonghyuk skillfully sidestepped the onslaught, making his motions almost too quick to notice, and then delivered a crushing blow to the monster that sent it reeling.

Yoo Joonghyuk was supported by Kim Dokja's Company as the monster prepared to unleash another attack, their weapons glistening with a ferocious force. They unleashed a synchronized attack as a group, leaving the monster dazed and dazed. Yoo Joonghyuk then delivered the fatal blow with one more, strong blow.

The creature staggered back, stunned, and the fighters seized their chance. They pelted it with arrows, hacked at it with their swords, and struck it with all the fury they could muster. Finally, with a final roar of rage, the creature fell to the ground, defeated.

Kim Dokja's Company exhaled with relief as the beast collapsed to the ground. However, they still had to locate the Black Dahlia's scroll, so their work was not yet complete. They searched the prison, which had walls covered in throbbing purple veins and an oppressive brimstone odor. They eventually got to a huge stone door. When they opened the door, they discovered a scroll perched on a pedestal and the words "Black Dahlia's" carved into the door.

The scroll was old and weathered, with delicate calligraphy written in black ink. It was wrapped in a thin layer of purple cloth, and at the center of the dungeon, there was indeed a large purple fire burning, illuminating the room in an eerie, otherworldly light. As they unrolled the scroll, they saw the words "Black Dahlia's" written in elegant script.

As they looked at the scroll, they weren't sure how to react. Whether it is anger or relief that they at least found something? However, a clue is a clue. Regardless of how useless it may seem now. Whatever this "Black Dahlia's" that the scroll spoke of, it better be useful or Kim Com will hunt that Goddess down despite the danger their in now.

...

It's been an hour since they got out of that dungeon.

The group huddled together, their faces etched with anxiety and fear. They had been on the move for weeks, their journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland marked by hardship and danger at every turn. But it wasn't the threat of the apocalypse that weighed on them the most - it was the absence of their friend.

Their friend had gone missing weeks ago, and despite their best efforts, they had been unable to find any trace of him. The group felt a sense of dread that was palpable, as they wondered what had become of him and feared the worst.

Supplies were running low, and their spirits were even lower. Impatience gnawed at their nerves, and they were all too aware of how little time they had before the next threat emerged. Each passing moment brought new worries, new fears, and new reasons to doubt their chances of survival.

Yes. Survival.

Their desperation to find Kim Dokja triggered an unforeseen event.

The wrath of 64% Gods.

Due to their initial actions...most of the Gods...64% of them...are on a bloody hunt to find them...even going as far as leaving their posts...just to find and kill them.

Their prides were shattered and they feel humiliated.

Even so, Gods aren't dumb enough to leave their posts. They'd easily be conquered and loose their title as God.

Their too prideful and paranoid to do that but they did.

Ashborn and Hades are doing their best to hold them off (Sometimes going as far as killing and wiping the oppositions squadron of the map).

It's very clear what's happening now.

War.

A war is happening.

It's not just any war, that's for sure, because everyone is involved.

This is just the beginning and the ones at the center of it all is Kim Com.

It's not just about finding Kim Dokja now.

It's surviving too.

Although, surviving is something their good at but it's a different matter when 64% of the Gods are after you. Literally.

At their current resting spot, their conversations were marked by tension and urgency, as they debated the best course of action and tried to plan their next move. But every plan felt incomplete without their missing friend, and the uncertainty surrounding his fate only made their situation more dire.

The constant strain of their situation had left them feeling hopeless and defeated, their once-bright hopes for the future now reduced to a flicker of dim uncertainty. They had seen too much devastation and too little hope to believe that things could ever improve, and the weight of their collective despair was almost too much to bear.

Yet despite all of this, they clung to each other, their bonds forged in the fires of adversity. They knew that the only way they could hope to survive was by sticking together and supporting each other, even in the darkest of times. And so they pressed on, their hearts heavy but their spirits unbroken, determined to find a way to persevere in the face of an uncertain and unforgiving future, and to find their missing friend no matter the cost.