Inside a cave on a certain part of an empire, a young man sped past the boulders with a girl on his back. It was like a scene where the hero protected the girl from the wicked monsters that tried to hurt her.
“Time is of the essence, we need to get out of this place fast. And find out what happened to me.”
Hei Long kept running, glancing at his back to see if the girl was fine. However, much of his concern was unnecessary. Lily slept like a log on of his back. Although she’d put a smile from time to time, he remembered the time when he’d first saw Lily smile—the very first time. The glimpse he caught made him think that being stuck in this dark place wasn’t so bad.
“It keeps on coming back,” he said.
He became dumbfounded because of the new sensation that he had not felt for so long since his parents died.
Hei Long grabbed his chest and pounded it, confusedly said.
“What is this feeling?”
He glimpsed at the girl on his back; he was so enchanted that he forgot that he was transported to another world.
“What is this feeling, it hurts.”
After a few hours of running, he’d noticed something weird was happening inside the cave. He said, “I’m running in circles here, and if this continues to happen… I’ll be stuck in this place… with her.”
He stopped running and started to look around for a corner, or a place where they can rest for a while. He believed it would futile to navigate this maze-like place. No, this place was definitely a maze.
“I will just wait for her to recover, and have her navigate this place out,” Hei Long said.
….
Dragon forest, Champion Country, Solar Continent.
It was already afternoon, and the dusk’s sunlight covered the entire forest. Outside the cave, many people were on patrol, they seemed to be waiting for someone, or something to emerge out of the cave. A middle-aged man with a warrior’s clothes stood near the cave without moving, his hands were subtlety shaking as he stared at the cave. Facing the man’s back, thousands of warriors awaited his orders. He faced them with his hands cupped behind his back. His voice was deep and rough, that the men could hear it loud and clear. “Men! Check the perimeters of the Dragon Cave. If anyone of you spots a monster… Kill it! We all cannot afford to be careless, so kill the monster silently—if you can—and don’t let it cry for help. Also, avoid making the old beast of the forest go awry.” He paused and looked around his men, with his raging eyes. “Do you get me? If you bunch of morons mess this up, I will let you patrol this cave for your entire life as a soldier of the empire! Do you get me?!” The poor soldiers’ spine turned cold, but they still answered in unison. “Yes, sir!”
“Say what? I didn’t hear you!”
“Yes! Commander!” the thousand soldiers’ eyes turned savage.
“Well, we will play a game,” he said. “What do you think about it, soldiers?”
“Yes! Commander!”
“If anyone of you could kill a monster, cut its right ear.”
Every ear that you collect will be exchanged for one silver.”
“Furthermore, for those who can kill the most in this mission. His
Majesty promised to reward that person with [Grade D] Ability. So, get your lazy asses moving!”
The soldier became restless when they heard the commander said that “the King will reward those who can kill most of the monsters in this mission.” For the soldiers, who loved their King, meeting him would be an honor that would be engraved into their family’s history. Even after their death, it would still be an honor of the highest order. The ability, however, could literally change their lives. From a commoner to being a noble, it wouldn’t be hard if they gained a stronger ability. Having an ability in the kingdom symbolizes honor, and power of the family, so if a household has a person—who gained an ability by training, or a much rarer one which was being born with it—with such an ability. They would be sent to the elder’s assembly to be assessed to know what grade the ability they had. And if a person’s ability fell into the category of the lower tier, then that person will become a noble in-name. However, if it goes beyond the lower tier and becomes a middle tier ability, then that person will either become a count or duke and so on, depending on his ability’s grade. In the kingdom, strength and intelligence had always been the bases of having a higher position in life.
The commander looked at them with his demonic eyes, which could probably even send the strongest lower-tier beast trembling with fear if they look at it.
“Do any of you object?”
“No, Sir!”
“Then, what the hell are you all standing there like a group of lethargic people, are all you dumb? Aren’t you supposed to be killing those beasts out there?” He looked at them once more, and shouted, “Scram!”
The sudden change of attitude of their commander left them dumbfounded in the field, a young man around the age of 18-20 came forward to their commander and bowed,
“Sir, why are you anxious?”
“Oh,” when the commander saw that the young man came forward and tried to ask him—the commander—a question, he almost shouted at him for questioning his authority. Until he saw the one who spoke to him was Mark Gonzales, the 3rd son of Duke Gonzales. He calmed down his fiery attitude, but he didn’t directly answer the young man, and instead, he faced the soldiers. “We are currently looking for the 1st princess, cause if the princess cannot be found today. Our heads will be served in a hot plate in front of his majesty.” He turned his gaze at Mark, who had a pale appearance, and said,
“Lad, will you still ask me? What I’m getting worried for?”
“This lowly one will not question sir again,” Mark said. “But what are we supposed to do right now, sir?”
“Just follow my plan and we will eventually go through this predicament, and enjoy some fine drink after.” the commander said. “Soldiers, since we are in the same boat we need to help one another, or else we’ll be buried together.”
“United we stand, united we fall!” they cried.
The soldiers crazily shouted this phase repeatedly until they slowly disperse to look for their ‘1st princess’ in the forest.
“The morale is high,” said the commander. “Good!”
……..
I kept on glancing at the young man’s back, but because I knew how things worked in a dungeon, and it was also fundamentally dangerous to distract another’s concentration when fighting against these stacks of monsters, which could probably surround us in any seconds if anyone of us gets distracted. But still, he should have asked me if I’m okay, like what a handsome gentleman should do. Humph! This man is a no-no!’ she coquettish grumbled inside her mind, before involuntarily stomping her foot to the ground— mentally— like an anxious child would do if they’re anxious.
“But he’s strong, stronger than me!” the girl had a yearning look on her face when she saw how the man defeated the gigantic Minotaur barehanded, “But such a cry-baby, minus points! Hmph,hmph”
Unexpectedly, when she thought, how she acted back then, her complexion began to turn red like a ripe cherry ready to be pluck.
“But, what a handsome man, it would be great if he were my fiancé, unlike that brainless noble brat who keeps on irritating me…” Her thoughts were disarrayed when a fascinating voice reached her ears,
“Lily, are you hurt somewhere? I can carry you on my back if you like.” Such a gentle voice would melt anyone’s heart and mind.
…….
Seeing that Lily was daydreaming, Hei Long decided to make sure, if she is okay.
“You look pale.”
“N-n-no, I can still walk, I-I will tell you if I can’t walk any farther. So you can rest assured.” She looked like a scrambling lamb when she tried to answer—which Hei Long found so lovely.
He genuinely smiled at her.
“You don’t have to be polite to me,” he said. “I’m just an unintelligent man, did you know that all I know is how to fight and nothing more…”
When Lily saw him smiled at her for the first time, her pouting heart began to soften, and as to why it happened—she did not know. All she knew was that his smile could melt even coldest heart of hers— he was like the sun, which illuminated her world when everything seemed to be hopeless and dark. Lily wasn’t able to reply verbally, though, she voluntarily nodded her head while savoring his radiant smiling face.
Hei Long knelled in front of Lily as he spoke in a gentle manner,
“Come, I’ll carry you all the way outside.”
“Why are you so good to… okay~ I’m also tired but since you’re so earnest. I’ll give you this honor to carry me.”
Hei Long could only scratch his head when he heard this, and smile at her before picking her up on his wide back.
After a few minutes, Hei Long asked,
“Lily, I’ve been circling around this cave, why can’t I find the exit of this place?”
“This isn’t an ordinary cave?” She spoke to him seriously, “this place is a dungeon, where monster are commonly summoned to block adventures in going farther down. The farther you go down, the stronger the monster you’ll encounter.”
“Ohh,” Hei Long absorbed what she had said to him, and asked her a question.
“Where are the monsters in this dungeon, why haven’t we encountered one after we finish the first wave of them?”
“That is also what I’m thinking right now, where are those monster? We’ve been walking in circles.”
“Thomp, thomp,”
As the loud treading sound reverberated across the dungeon, Hei Long and Lily suddenly found out, that the things they were looking became a horde of monsters!
Lily’s facial appearance turned pale, her hands were subtlety shaking—she was scared. Hei Long grasped her hands, and told her while he smiled, “You don’t have to be afraid, I’m here. We just have to find you a place where they cannot see you.”
Lily shook his hand, and thought that he was turning crazy, “Are crazy how can you face those monster, and what right do you have to order me to hide?”
Hei Long spoke with a very icy tone, “Then do you want to die with me?” he stared at Lily, whose hands were turning cold, and spoke gently, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You hurt your leg, and you’re exhausted. You cannot even fight the weakest of them—much less, all of them… You just need to hide behind me.”
“I insist, I will fight with you, whether you agree or not. I am a noble with a noble heart. So how could I just stand there and watch you suffer alone?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking, but fine.”
Seeing that Lily was a girl hard to please— Hei Long could only helplessly shake his head, letting out a sigh. “However, you have to use your bow and quiver, use them to cover me… Wait! Are you proficient on using it?”
Lily stared at him, like looking at an idiot, “Yes! In our empire, I am rank seven of the top 10-bow user, Lily the Sharpshooter,” she glanced at him, who had a question mark on his face, and said. “Haven’t you heard of me?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“W—what! You haven’t? Where did you come from then?”
“…” after a long pause, Hei Long answered with a bitter smile on his face.
“I don’t know… I was already here when I woke up, then you came.”
“Never mind, you don’t have to lie if you don’t want to.” Lily continued after she looked at the surrounding,
“I can’t see well here,”
She looked at Hei Long with a genuine gleam in her eyes.
“I can see everything in this dark cave.” Hei Long said.
“Y-you could actually see?” she asked. “I-I thought you were just lucky enough to not encounter any walls on the way here. But, to think that you could see through the dark like some dungeon monsters—remarkable.” Lily came back to reality and shook her head.
“No! It’s unbelievable!”
Hei Long ignored Lily who had been having her own serious discussion with “herself”, which was rather normal for a person who and ‘would’ encounter Hei Long, the son of the Great Tree. While Lily was having a debate with herself, Hei Long had decided to dig a hole beside the wall where they’re having their rest. Tapping the wall, he tried to find if there were a supple wall nearby. When he touched something smooth like water, he asked Lily beside him.
“What’s this? What kind of wall is this, Lily?”
Lily woke up from her contemplation, walked beside Hei Long, and touched the wall.
“This is the “holy” wall of the dungeon—the resting point.” She smiled and cheered merrily, “A resting point, a resting point.”
“Ohh,” Hie long poked the wall, and his hand went inside, he asked, “what is a Resting Point?”
“A resting point is a special place inside the dungeon— a lifesaving place. It’s a place where you can recuperate endlessly, and considered to be a treasure vault by many.”
“Ohh,” Hei Long said, “good. Since we’re tired and exhausted.”
Lily said, “Let’s go before the monsters get here.”
Cheering excitedly, Lily subconsciously grasped Hei Long’s hand hard and went inside.
When the monsters arrived, the earth trembled as flocks of gigantic beast searched the area, where they disappeared.
A 4 meter-long wolf-like beast sniffed the ground. Having found nothing in the area in questioned, it started to howl. Then the other beast followed. Shifting from time to time, the beasts’ eyes were red and maddened.
