"There is something controlling the beasts causing them to exhibit power above normal," Kaelen said.
"Thank you." Doran's voice was rough but clearly less hostile. He walked toward Kaelen and dropped a small sack on his hand.
"Our healer is over tasked at the moment," he said. "Use that to heal yourself."
That's when he noticed the cut on his hand probably from the beast's claw.How had he not noticed it?
"No need for this, it's just a small cut."
"Take it, it's a token of appreciation."
"Really…
As he was about to speak someone beside him cut him off, a young man although his clothes were old they were cleaner than the rest.
"Just take it, the captain is feeling guilty for thinking you were useless."
"What are you saying Fleone do you want a beating." The captain shouted and grabbed the young man and rubbed his head and Kaelen noticed his ears were slightly red. He chuckled slightly.
"I will keep it, I accept your apology."
"What apology." He murmured but did not deny it.
Kaelen smiled, this group reminded him of his first time in a dungeon he was eleven years old and his teammates were thirty and above. They looked down on him at first then slowly got used to having a child in their team and even allowed him to do things. They all liked to rub his head, it made him invest in hair product due to the fear of going bold.
The thought made his heart burn with nostalgia, a mix of happiness and sadness at the same time.
As they moved forward, the system flickered one more time:
[Warning: Gate structure does not match known C-rank configurations.]
[Anomaly Detected: This gate was not naturally formed.]
[Conclusion: This gate was created. Or altered. By someone with significant resources.]
[Recommend: Extreme caution.]
They reached the first marker without further incident. The hunters set up a defensive perimeter, their movements mechanical
Kaelen sat apart from them, his back against the wall, and closed his eyes.
And then…
The hum spiked.
His eyes snapped open. The corridor was unchanged, the hunters were still at their positions, the darkness still pressed against the edges of their torchlight. But something had changed. Something was different.
He stood, his hand moving to the knife, his senses stretched to their limits.
Doran noticed this and stopped what he was doing becoming alert the other's followed.
The system flared:
[Warning: Third anomaly signature spiking.]
[Source: Unknown. Location: Unknown.]
[Note: This signature does not match any known gate phenomena.]
Kaelen turned, scanning the darkness, looking for something. And then he saw it.
In the shadows at the edge of the torchlight, something moved. Something tall, something still. Something that had been watching them since they entered.
And the system flickered one final time:
[Connection Network Expansion Detected]
[New Node: ???]
[Distance: 15 meters]
[Title: ??? (Awakening Pending)]
[Note: This node is connected to the gate's instability.]
The thing in the shadows stepped back and was gone.
"What was that?" an awakener asked.
"Should we go after it?"
"Sit still," Doran said, "it is very powerful, let's avoid it."
"That beast is not in any of the notes," Fleone said opening a huge book that looked like it would break apart any second.
He then opened an empty page and drew the beast, this shocked Kaelen alittle. Even he had not seen the beast that well.
"That's his power." Doran said. "As long as a beast is near him he can see its figure and sketch it."
"That's quite helpful."
"Yes it has helped us a lot."
Kaelen's gaze lingered on the page, although the lines were quick and rough he could make out the creature's outline.
It stood in an odd position with it's head tilted like it was listening. For some reason just looking at the Image made a chill crawl up his arms.
"No eyes?"
Fleone didn't look up his charcoal pen sketched faster now darkening the hollow where the beast's eyes should have been.
"This is the image I get," he said rubbing his forehead smudging abit of black on it. "When I try to remember it's eyes my head starts to ache, like pressure pressing against my head."
"Can I see the drawing?" Kaelen asked as Fleone was about to close the book.
Fleone handed the book over and immediately the hum that had low became loud almost causing him to drop the book. It was not like any of the other hums it was sharp and grating.
Kaelen tried to move his eyes away from the sketch but it was like his eyes were locked there. Then the hum became a pulse that slammed into his senses his head was buzzing for a moment all his senses could pick up was the hum and the sketch of the beast. Then suddenly darkness, in the darkness he could see a figure moving then something locked its eyes with him.
[Initiating emergency protocol]
[Extraction of host of the ???Abyss]
"Hey!" Doran's voice came and he felt like a connection that was being formed had shattered.
He looked down at the book and noticed the once hollow eyes were now filled with predatory eyes. Doran clearly saw it cause he shut the book and handed it to Fleone with a tight jaw.
"We are moving."
Just then a distant roar was heard flowed by endless footsteps.
Doran exhaled slowly and unsheathed his sword.
"Formation."