Chapter 29
As the group stepped into the cavern, a low growl rippled through the air—deep, guttural, and oddly wet, like bones grinding inside a throat too wide. From the shadows, creatures began to emerge.
They were roughly humanoid in shape but twisted beyond recognition. Standing at about six feet tall, their bodies were made of sinewy flesh barely held together by torn black skin that looked more like burnt leather.
Patches of bone jutted out along their backs and shoulders like malformed spikes, and their arms ended in elongated claws each finger curved like a rusted sickle.
Their eyes—if you could call them that were milky white slits, glowing faintly beneath cracked, skull-like faces. Some had no eyes at all, just gaping sockets that leaked black steam in slow, writhing trails.
Instead of feet, their legs ended in jagged stumps fused into the stone, yet they moved with disturbing speed, their every step echoing like thunder in the cavern.
And worst of all? They didn't growl. They didn't snarl. They laughed a distorted, high-pitched cackle that sounded like glass shattering underwater.
The sound reverberated through the chamber, crawling down their spines like a swarm of cold insects.
Zen, noticing the beasts, quickly activated his inspect skill.
{Inspect skill activated}
{Name: Wraith Gorgers}
{Rank: D}
{Essence: None}
{Description: The Wraith Gorgers are lesser dungeon guardians rumored to have once been Reavers who failed too many missions and whose souls were absorbed by the dungeon itself.}
'Huh? Former Reavers? What's going on? Is this even possible at all?' Zen thought as he turned, eyes narrowing.
Already, Zarin had leapt into the cavern with reckless eagerness, while Aria stood at the far back, her bow drawn and an arrow nocked.
Rina… well, she stayed further behind. Healing was her role, and her anxious fingers twitched, ready to cast the moment anyone fell.
Meanwhile, Ryker sat lazily at the edge of the rocky entrance, tilting his head as if the fight were nothing more than a street performance.
"So you're just going to lay here and not help him?" Zen asked, glaring at the sleepy young man.
"If you feel so eager to help, then do it yourself. Otherwise, keep quiet and enjoy the show." Ryker replied as he rubbed his heavy eyes, spinning his longsword lazily on the ground beside him, the blade screeching faintly against stone.
"I'll show that sleepy clown I don't need his help." Zarin scoffed as he noticed two of the wraiths darting toward him. His grip tightened around his sword, jaw locked in determination.
For D-ranked beasts, they moved alarmingly fast. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of him. Clawed hands slashed down with deadly speed, cutting through the air.
Zarin sidestepped one strike with practiced agility, then caught the second blow with his sword, sparks flickering as the steel met the beast's claw. He shoved it back with a harsh kick to its chest, sending the creature staggering.
The second beast lunged in the same breath, claws tearing through the air. Zarin spun, meeting it head-on, his blade catching the blow with a violent clang.
The impact pushed him backward several feet, his boots grinding hard against the stone floor as his heels dug deep.
CACKLE!
Zen didn't need to turn to know another was coming. That laugh, warped and slicing through the cavern, gave it away.
But instinct made him glance back anyway just in time to see a wraith hurling itself toward Zarin from above, arms spread wide like some skeletal bird of prey.
"Damn it…" Zarin muttered through clenched teeth, panic flashing across his eyes. He ducked another slash from the first wraith and tried to leap back, but its claws raked across his shirt, tearing fabric and grazing his skin.
CACKLE!
The second wraith descended from above with terrifying speed, shadow looming over him. Zarin spun, sword snapping upward, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
And then—
SWOOSH!
An arrow whistled through the air, and in the blink of an eye, it slammed into the beast's head, throwing it out of the sky just in time for Zarin to focus on the wraith he was locked in battle with.
It was perfect timing, for as he spun around, he caught sight of the wraith's claws tearing toward him. He leaned back sharply in a desperate attempt to avoid the strike, but the talons still managed to graze his cheek, leaving a burning crimson trail across his face.
'Damn it! It would really help if I had an essence. There's only so far my fighting skills can take me,' Zarin thought as he went toe to toe with the snarling creature. 'Being a D-rank Reaver sure isn't helping matters here.' He quickly leapt back, narrowly avoiding another swipe that aimed for his neck.
With a sharp pivot, he circled around the wraith, his sword flashing as he delivered a clean strike. The blade cut deep, and in an instant, the wraith's head tumbled from its shoulders. Zarin stood heaving, chest rising and falling as sweat dripped down his brow.
"See… I didn't need your help," he said breathlessly, turning toward Ryker—only to be met with a crushing kick from another wraith that sent him sprawling across the ground. Ryker's amused chuckle rang out.
"You sure about that? Yawwnnnn!"
"Focus on fighting them one at a time. I'll assist with arrows," Aria commanded sharply as she pulled her bowstring back and loosed arrow after arrow in rapid succession, her movements steady and precise.
'She's really skilled with a bow. Did she have training in the real world, or is it some hidden skill the game provides?' Zen wondered silently, his eyes fixed on the fight as he analyzed every motion.
After Zarin dispatched the first wraith, the battle shifted. He steadied himself and ducked beneath another savage swing, then surged forward like a coiled spring, his blade driving through the wraith's gaping maw.
With a grunt, he kicked the lifeless body aside, sending it crashing into another oncoming foe. Before he could move in for another strike, two sharp arrows pierced the second wraith cleanly, dropping it instantly.
"Good job, my beautiful baby girl," Zarin said with a grin, raising a shaky thumbs-up.
"Call me that again, and the next shot is going through your head. Trust me, I won't miss," Aria replied with a small, devilish smirk that made Zarin's throat go dry.
"Look out!" Zen suddenly shouted a warning, but it was too late. Zarin turned just in time to see a wraith's claws slicing toward his throat. His heart pounded as he froze, realizing he couldn't dodge in time.
'Shit! There's no way I'm blocking this. I'm done for,' Zarin thought as terror jolted through him.
Then, the wind howled violently. A voice echoed, commanding the air itself.
"Wind Veil: Bull Thrust!"
BAM!
The atmosphere exploded with pressure, and a deafening impact followed. A massive hole tore through the wraith's abdomen, the force ripping its body apart before it could even scream. The beast crumpled lifelessly to the ground at Zarin's feet.
"Yo… you… you are welcome. Yawwn!"