AZ51
Finally emerging from the endless swamp, Azaroth led the tired squad to a secluded mountain cave. Without pause, he summoned a vast plasma shield over the entrance.
Within its protective dome, the hunters collapsed in exhaustion. Cool mountain air soothed their aching muscles and parched throats.
Jinwoo and the healers rushed to tend the others, using the respite to restore lost vitality.
Grateful murmurs greeted full water skins and restorative energy bars.
"Haa~ his shield can block the attacks but the soothing wind can pass through~"
"Yeah, with him being in our guild, we will surely reach the top guilds of the world!"
Awed whispers also spread regarding Azaroth's seemingly limitless power. His magic shield shimmered with purifying light, restoring both spirit and strength.
As their leader, every move he made was precise and calculated, as if he had been training for this moment his entire life.
While others rested, Gina discreetly stole glances at their leader in conversation with Kihoon. Handsome features and sculpted physique smooth hair, powerful skills, and a good heart.
She found herself contemplating about how spending a day with him would feel like…
His presence alone was enough to instill confidence and determination in each of them.
All too soon, five minutes had passed in the soothing shelter of Azaroth's shield. Refreshed and raring to push on, the hunters rose as one.
Even after such a short respite, they felt renewed strength coursing through limbs and will. The elite squad was not so easily defeated, it seemed.
Again, they were all high-ranking hunters, 5 minutes of rest was enough for them to feel good not to mention the healers and energy snacks by Jinwoo also helped.
From their mountain perch, a gaping cave entrance yawned below. Strange movement drew their eyes towards it.
Lizardmen and beasts fled in disarray, panicked shrieks and roars rising over their stampeding forms. But what could inspire such absolute terror in hardened denizens?
"Now that I look at them without panic... They seem somewhat out of it" One person said doing the loose screw emote of Toji.
"Yeah, it's like someone is ordering them or making them lose their minds..."
The hunters exchanged wary glances.
Even Azaroth gazed intently, a calculating look replacing his usual serenity.
"Yeah... Something has these creatures in a frenzy..."
"Should I check that cave out?" An assassin class hunter asked Azaroth.
" Nah, let's just stay together and remain alert - we may face an unexpected boss monster, I don't think your camouflage will work on an A-rank boss." he cautioned.
Without further discussion, as one unit they began the trek down the steep slope.
As they cautiously approached the mouth of the cave, the squad huddled together, their eyes scanning the darkness ahead.
Suddenly, a group of lizardmen came bursting out in a frenzy, their panicked footsteps echoing off the walls.
The squad remained hidden, relieved that they had not been noticed by the fleeing creatures.
Once it was safe to enter, Azaroth motioned for them to follow and they crept silently into the cavern.
Torches flickered along the walls, casting eerie shadows across the vast expanse inside.
The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and stale water.
A collective gasp arose from what greeted their eyes. Lizardmen's bodies which appeared to be female lay collapsed everywhere, unmoving as if drained of all life force with some fluids coming out of their.... Holes?
In the center stood an abomination. A towering mountain of glistening slime, easily three or four stories tall.
Weaving within its translucent mass was what appeared to be a crystalline crown glowing a sinister shade of red. As it writhed, an unearthly light pulsed in rhythm.
The slick, slimy creature extended its writhing tentacles, each one pulsating with a sickly green glow. Inside its transparent body, several naked lizard girl's figures writhed and moaned, their bodies being penetrated by the probing appendages.
The stench of decay and corruption filled the air as the creature continued to drill through the holes of the helpless beings outside its body, feeding off their life force with a disturbing hunger.
"Wa..."
"..."
"...."
"The fuck is happening here...?"
Everyone including Azaroth looked at the scene with wide eyes...
"Hentai Slime" A cute voice sounded
Everyone looked back to see the person who said that only to find Yum-Na innocently looking at them through her lazy eyes.
♣
♣
♣
The scene shifted to a sprawling metropolis on the west coast of the United States.
In California's arid hills.
A towering dungeon entrance loomed.
Emerging from its gates came a storied hunter alongside The Berserkers Guild's new strike team of 12 people, accomplished raiders known across the nation for their previous b-Rank raid.
Leading them was a man distinguished by his white hair, blue eyes, and muscular physique clad in white and red armor.
He looked like he was in his late 20's or at most early 30's, but this man was more than 45 years old.
"I think the new team is doing great, Master Lucas"
A happy voice of a young ma came from behind.
Lucas (MC's father Lucas Morningstar) turned to look at the silver-armored individual who was his right-hand man in dungeon raids, named Jack Richerd.
"Hmm... I think they need more training, they took too much time to defeat the mobs inside," Lucas paused for a moment, "Add more supplements to their diets, prohibit anyone from eating junk, and increase the intensity of their training." He said.
Jack's eyes widened, "But they were just a B-Rank dungeon squad a month ago, and considering this was their 1st A-Rank dungeon raid—"
"Did I stuttered?"
Lucas' this question made Jack pause.
"No sir, I understand." Jack quickly apologized.
Lucas didn't say anything further and got inside a sleek black SUV, Jack following close behind.
As the vehicle pulled away, Lucas gazed out the window broodingly.
Lucas was training the new batch of strike squad, he was as always giving his job of training hunters his all.
Pushing them to the limits but giving them precise diet and sleep as their instructing officer was his way.
He has been pretty busy in the past two days.
But now there was another pressing matter to attend to.
Thoughts turned to his son Azaroth, whom he hadn't seen in many years....
Although the Guild Master gave him 1 week of leave to go and make amends with Azaroth, he can't find a way to go and confront him....
He had been so busy doing his 'job' that he had forgotten to give time to his family, he almost abandoned them for... *sigh*
He is not a good man in the slightest, he knew what he was doing would break his home but nonetheless, he did what he did...
The time his wife broke down in front of him begging for his attention, he had simply looked away with a scoff just to see his pathetic son trembling from behind the room's gate.
Time goes back...
15 years ago,
in the bucolic hills of California, the Morningstar family were a household name commanding vast wealth and influence. Though no dungeons had yet emerged, their lineage was steeped in prestige.
It was during this time that Lucas, in his youthful prime, first crossed paths with Norma Selner - daughter of the renowned fortune teller who advised the region's elite.
(Norma Selner- The fortune teller black lady of Federal Bureau of Hunters, US. Image)
Norma's father and Lucas' were close friends, well, Norma's father was close to every elite family because of his fortune-telling being 90% accurate every time.
But, he knew the Morningstar family better than any other families and was friends with them. So when the elder seer had a profound vision one night, he felt duty-bound to share its implications.
Within his dreams came premonitions of a child born between Lucas Morningstar and the daughter of Choi Hok-in, Korea's most powerful businessman. This progeny, he foretold, was—
The son born would rise to fame and glory, changing the world through his exceptional talents.
So after a long range of propositions and businesses, he was arranged with Azaroth's mother.
But—