Chapter 03: Garden of Monsters - Part 02

Max's group continued with the hunt during the day, the other groups focused on staying close to the entrance and this generated a smaller amount of monsters available to the adventurers.

This fact practically forced the group to go deeper into the Jardim dos Ventos and as they advanced the number of monsters remained the same, but as they advanced, the groups of monsters focused on the strongest, thus making it difficult to eliminate them.

They realized that in the garden there were not only cataloged monsters, but even so they dropped magic stones that served

As time passed, it was already mid-afternoon and the sky was cloudy, little by little the number of adventurers who had gone out to complete the same challenge was decreasing in the region at the bottom of the garden.

The young people had already killed a group of mud golems that were creatures with humanoid form that modified the terrain in their favor and hit with stones, in addition to some small magical elves that were now much more dressed with remnants of intelligence.

All the clashes intensified, but in the end they didn't cause injuries bigger than bruises, everything seemed to be going well even facing monsters a little stronger.

At the end of the afternoon, the group gathered to count the points they had obtained since the beginning of the day and stopped under a tree.

Johnny who was collecting the points counted the several fragments of golems, ears and hats of goblins along with several other points of monsters that they had hunted.

The archer would stop by the tree and mumble.

"We couldn't catch any monsters from 50 points upwards, we should have taken advantage of those that were at the beginning."

"Difficult, of those groups, many must not have been approved."

It was the spearman who commented as he grumbled counting the points, Max and Karen's gazes turned to him and the axman questioned.

"Why do you think that?"

The counting continued, but he would soon stop and write the number he was on the floor, so that he could stop and speak.

"Lots of adventurers must have stayed at the gates waiting for those who went to get the points, there is no rule against stealing from those who went hunting after all."

"Pretty dirty on the part of those who want to join the guild, should these guys really be accepted?"

Again it was the archer who spoke with her arms crossed and Johnny's response was silence, but soon the countdown ended and he said.

"Counting everything quickly, we have a little over 220 points."

Max approached after hearing the count and spoke with a smile.

"Holy shit, all those dots? But we need more anyway, how much time do we have anyway?"

"Until tomorrow afternoon, right at the beginning. Shall we hunt at night?"

The instant he spoke, a few drops of rain began to fall and gradually increased in frequency.

Soon the group felt the drops along with the temperature dropping, Max raised his hand to feel the rain as he spoke.

"I don't think the weather will let go easily."

With a long sigh the axeman showed a disappointed expression, but soon Johnny laughed as Karen spoke.

"Let's look for a shelter, otherwise we're at risk of getting sick and hunting with the flu is a bad idea."

Everyone in the group agreed with the suggestion and they ran towards the forest while they gradually felt the drops increase.

The rain wet their bodies even if they used the trees to try to protect themselves, but in the end it would be useless and so they continued on their walk.

Time passed and in the middle of the race, soon the archer noticed something and pointed.

"A cave, come on."

Seeing little by little the shape of the cave in the middle of the rain, the group quickened their pace and entered the cave to protect themselves from the rain.

Their steps echoed through the thin layer of water that was on the floor and as soon as they entered they saw the extension of the cave for very little.

The little light outside showed the end of the site a few meters away, there was nothing inside but stalactites and stones with the floor slightly damp from the rain that dripped from the top of the cave.

The young people entered the cave and approached its end, confirming that there was a wall and could see that the rain did not enter the cave, despite running a little.

"Sounds like a good place."

Johnny commented as he ran his hand over the walls and floor, noticing some dampness, but also some dry corners.

Max smiled and spoke.

"Well, no one should be hunting at this hour and it's going to be dark soon. Let's rest here and go back to hunting as soon as dawn breaks, that way we'll earn a few more points. What about?"

Hearing the axman, Karen and Johnny gave a slight smile as they nodded in agreement.

Taking some pieces of branches and wood from his backpack, little by little the spearman started building a fire while Max went to the cave exit to watch.

Karen took her hand to her arm that was slightly reddened and soon she was grumbling.

"I will never fight near you again."

That phrase made Johnny frown and speak.

"Damn it, don't you ever forgive? You are an archer, why were you so close?"

"Huh?"

The two looked like they were going to start an argument, but from the beginning of the cave they listened.

"Hey! Are you really going to fight in a cave? Can't you guys get along just a little bit?"

Both archer and spearman stared at each other, looking irritated, but soon the archer walked away while Johnny went back to making the fire.

Seeing that, Max smiled and saw Karen approaching with her arms crossed to watch the outside.

She looked clearly annoyed, but the axman just smiled and said.

"You guys have been fighting since you were young, when are you going to start getting along?"

In the end the archer just turned her face away and the spearman huffed irritably, but for Max it was something much more ordinary.

Everyone had known each other since childhood and many times the two were fighting with Max in the middle in an attempt to appease, but the next day everyone was together.

Soon a light glow illuminated the end of the cave and the two looked back, seeing Johnny in front of a bonfire that little by little raised fire with his breath.

With fire building, the spearman smiled and spoke.

"And thus, fire was made."

"Shut up."

Karen grumbled as she approached the end of the cave being accompanied by Max who kept a smile on his face.

Soon the group gathered their supplies of dried meat and pieces of bread so they could eat around the fire.

Everyone ate and felt the tiredness hitting their bodies, after a whole day of hunting, they seemed to be just asking for a long rest.

Johnny would lie down by the fire and stretch his arms out while Karen leaned against a wall.

Max kept stirring the fire so the fire could stay lit and he talked.

"This bonfire will allow us to have a peaceful night at least, this cave was a find."

"I wish I had lit this fire with one of my bombs, but maybe someone hugged it to get hurt again..."

He spoke with a smirk on his face and Karen listened, turning her face slowly with a clearly annoyed smile as she said.

"That crap wasn't even useful for killing monsters, much less for something useful like that. It amazes me that you know how to do anything right."

Like a chair reaction, Johnny looked on with the same smile as a vein stood out in his forehead showing anger.

"At least this pump of mine knows what it's for, unlike anyone else."

After the sentence, the two stood up and Max said again.

"Hey, guys..."

But soon the spearman interrupted.

"If it wasn't for Max and my genius bombs, that monster would have hit you and in the end you complain to your heroes."

"Heroes? You played that crap that bothered me more than it helped."

"Then I should have let that bug get you."

Gradually the discussion heated up and the two spoke louder to the point of echoing through the cave while Max raised his hands saying.

"Calm down guys, it's over."

However, the two continued.

"If that's the help you can offer, you should stay home and not come in the way of anyone who really wants to be an adventurer."

"Adventurous? Someone who only brings a bow and arrow to a hunting mission wants to be adventurous? Do not make me laugh."

All the screams continued to echo and Max screamed.

"HEY! STOP IT-"

The scream was silenced by a loud sound of a step that echoed in the cave, Johnny and Karen also widened their eyes in silence hearing another step soon after.

All sound around them had been drowned out by the rain and all they could hear was a heavy breathing noise followed by thunder.

The team looked towards the cave entrance and saw a huge silhouette, they were more than two meters standing at the cave entrance, she was holding a large hammer with sharp points, she seemed to be panting and salivating with anger or hunger.

Everyone in the group was completely paralyzed by the presence of the monster even without seeing its face through the darkness of the cave, but soon a flash lit up the place, they saw the gray skin, deformed muscles with a protruding belly, a single red eye and a horn on its head. revealed that the group was in the presence of a monster they had never seen before.

The threat was now real and they realized that they were in front of a difficult monster to face even by the most experienced adventurers.

At the entrance to the cave was the Cyclops, the one-eyed monster.