Revenge to be taken out

Raphael burst into the guild reception, his face twisted with anger and veins bulging from his neck. He slammed his fist onto the desk, causing the receptionist to raise an eyebrow. "Good day, madam!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. "I'm offering a whopping twenty-thousand Dara bounty on two ferocious monsters that are terrorizing the central dungeon down the street!"

The receptionist sighed and rolled her eyes. "But sir, at this time of the year?"

"Yes, at this very moment!" Raphael roared, his face turning red with fury. "These beasts almost killed most of our comrades, and they've massacred countless innocents down there!"

The receptionist looked skeptical. "I mean, that's just typical of the central dungeon, but okay. Please fill out this bounty form for me."

Raphael snatched the sheet of paper from her hand and began to furiously scribble in his details. "Who is the bounty for?" the form read. "Red Unique Goblin & Smaller Unique female goblin. Payment amount: 10K Dara each. Party Level recommended: 7+"

"Do you really think ten-thousand Dara is enough to hire a level 7 party?" the receptionist asked.

"Well, it will have to do," Raphael muttered through gritted teeth. "This is all I can spare after saving for fourteen damn years."

He finished filling out the details and handed the paper and 20,000 Dara to the lady, pressing his bloody thumbprint onto the parchment. "Okay, thank you, sir. You can now hang it up on the board," the receptionist said, pointing to the bulletin board.

Amelia, Raphael's friend and fellow guild member, watched him skeptically. "Are you sure about this? We managed to help the injured victims, and they should recover quickly."

"You don't understand, Amelia. If those monsters remain there, no one can explore that dungeon. We know very well that the monsters won't be discovered until the end of this king's tournament," Raphael explained, storming out of the guild.

"But what about the risk? You saved that money for so long," Amelia called out, following him.

"That's why I'm offering this bounty. And if we're lucky, we'll find a brave party willing to risk their lives for some quick cash," Raphael said, his voice determined.

Suddenly, a small voice interrupted their conversation. "I mean, no one could die anymore if they just died."

Amelia jumped at the sound, turning to face the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" she asked, her eyes scanning the dimly lit alley.

"You have to promise me you won't say anything to anyone. Come in here, come on, hurry," the voice urged, giggling.

Raphael and Amelia hesitated before stepping into the dark alley, where a small figure in a cloak stood waiting.

"It's me," the figure said, giggling. "I'm Lord John. I overheard you talking and wanted to know what was going on."

Amelia looked surprised. "Lord John, what are you doing here?"

"I really wanted some candy, so I snuck away from Ms. Margaret, my nanny. Then I got some candy. Who knew they gave away candy?" Lord John said, giggling. "So what are y'all mad about?"

Raphael and Amelia exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

"Lord John, this is nothing you should worry about. You need to stay innocent," Amelia said, squatting down to his level.

"Oh, don't worry, ms. I may be a child, but I believe I'm able to do anything an adult is capable

"Yea, but still-" Amelia began.

"Stop right there and stay here for a minute. I'll be right back." Lord John interrupted.

He ran away, leaving Raphael and Amelia standing there in the Alley. They tried chasing after him, but he was too fast, out running them and disappearing into the streets. After waiting for ten minutes, he popped back up.

"Can't believe they were giving away free swords. Alright, I'm ready for you two, to show me who yall are talking about." Lord John said, lifting his short sword.

"No, we aren't going to show you the bounty you will get hurt." Amelia said. "And did you steal that sword?" she asked

"It's only stolen if they know it's stolen." Lord john said with a grin. "Now show me!"

"No, we will no-," Amelia said

"I will," Raphael said, cutting off Amelia.

"Alright, cool! Show me the way, big man!" Lord John said, walking past Amelia to Raphael.

Amelia grabs onto Lord John's wrist. "No, he is not showing you the way we are leaving this up to the adults. Anyways we need to take you back to your nanny. She is most likely having a panic attack because of you." Amelia said.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"How come? So many people are dead and are in horrible condition right now, but the moment someone offers their help, you deny it. You said it yourself, 'how many more people will walk down there and die to that thing I'm offering help, so let go," Lord John said, pulling away from her grasp.

They began walking to the central cave, a few blocks away, "I'm coming too! Yall going to need my healing ability." Amelia said, running to them.

As they enter the cave, the smell of blood flooded Lord John's nose, causing him to go blue with disgust "What is that smell?"

"Well, that's blood Lord John. You wanted to help us so come on." Raphael said

As they navigated through the winding, labyrinthine caves, the stench of death and decay permeated the air. The walls were lined with the remnants of both monsters and humans, their lifeless bodies scattered across the muddy floor. As they delved deeper into the first floor of the cave, an eerie silence enveloped them, as if the very darkness was alive and watching their every move.

Descending the spiral staircase to the second level, Raphael led the way with Amelia by his side, while Lord John trailed behind, trembling with fear. A frigid wind blew up from the depths below, causing John to shiver uncontrollably. The other two adventurers were draped in warm leather, but John's silk and cotton clothing provided little protection from the cold.

Before entering the second floor, Raphael huddled down to John's level and spoke with a grave tone. "I will cast a spell to protect us, but we must remain vigilant. The monsters on this floor have sharp claws and powerful strikes. Blunt force can negate the effects of our defense magic, causing internal damage and tearing our skin apart. The claws of these creatures can puncture our defenses with enough pressure or repeated strikes in the same spot. We must be careful."

John, who had been cowering behind Raphael, scoffed and brushed away his hand. "I'm not scared," he muttered, trying to hide his fear. "It's just the cold and the smell down here."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "That's why we wear thick hide," he retorted, before leading the way into the second level of the cave.

As they stepped deeper into the cavern, the sounds of bloody screams and footsteps echoed throughout the tunnels that branched off in all directions. Each path was as narrow as a baby's fist or as wide as an adult's arm span, and the sounds that emanated from them were strange and unsettling.

"Thankfully, we haven't been ambushed yet," Raphael said, glancing around warily.

"Again?" Lord John asked, his voice quivering with fear. "Does this happen often?"

"Quite frequently," Amelia chimed in with a smirk. "A few weeks ago, a horde of over 160 goblins and an orc snuck up on our party as soon as we entered. It took us half an hour and more than 30 spell casts to defeat them."

John's eyes widened with disbelief and fear. "Really?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Raphael chuckled. "Don't worry, Lord John. You're supposed to be great, the son of the Demon Lord Slayer, Pope John, and the mighty Diana. We believe in you."

Lord John's voice trembled as he spoke, his words heavy with the weight of his sorrow. "Yes, that's what everyone says," he began, his voice choking on unshed tears. "My instructor, my nanny, the butlers, castle guards, angels... they all have such high hopes for me." His voice trailed off as he took a shuddering breath, his eyes glistening with unspoken pain.

"But they don't know how I feel," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I have grown up in this place, surrounded by adults who can't possibly understand what it's like to be me. Every time I try to talk to them, they just talk about their old lives, their friends, their families... things I will never have. I am alone, so terribly alone, in a world full of people who can't see my pain. Everyone here is perfect, no matter how they lived or died, and I am the only imperfect one." His voice broke then, and he buried his face in his hands, the tears finally spilling over.

Lord John's shoulders shook as he wept, his whole body wracked with the intensity of his emotion. The tears streamed down his face, leaving a trail of glistening drops on his pale skin. He lifted his head, his eyes red and puffy, and gazed out into the dimly lit abyss towards Richard and Amelia.

"Hey dont worry little buddy. We didnt mean it." Amelia said walking up to Lord john with wide open arms.

Lord John's heart sank as he heard Amelia's words, feeling them like a knife twisting in his already aching heart. He lifted his head slowly, tears still streaming down his face, and looked at her with a mixture of sadness and anger in his eyes.

But before Lord John could say anything, the cave was filled with a low growling sound that sent shivers down his spine. He turned to see a massive, dark shape emerging from the shadows, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light. His heart pounding in his chest, Lord John's eyes widened in terror as he beheld a grotesque monster with sharp, jagged teeth, red skin, and razor-sharp claws. Its fetid breath washed over him, and he could feel the monster's hot breath on his face.

The monster's claws dug into Lord John's skin, causing him to scream in agony. He kicked and struggled against the creature's grip, but it was too strong for him to break free. The monster roared triumphantly as it carried Lord John away, deeper into the dark, foreboding cave.

"Lord John!" Amelia and Richard yelled as he got carried off into the dark.

"Richard!!" Amelia yelled.

"Right, I'm behind you! Begin casting now!" Richard yelled with power, his voice booming through the cave.

Before they could make it a few steps, a deep growling voice was heard from the deep darkness, making the air tremble. "Why... Why do you humans keep coming down here!?" The voice asked with malice and fury.

"We have come to kill you, the monster that injured my friend!" Raphael yelled, his voice ringing with conviction. "Amelia, come on, it's time to show us your new ability."

"No!!" Lord John yelled, his voice filled with anger and determination. "I'll show you all that I'm not my father's clone but someone stronger. I will show you all someone greater than my father," he said under his breath, his eyes flashing with resolve.

"I am just getting started!!" John blared out in anger as tears fell from his face. He could feel his power surging within him, an unstoppable force that threatened to consume him whole.