The Immortal Nightmare [5]

 "Miss Samantha!"

 When the captain uttered her name, everyone turned to her, their eyes pleading for her to read the writing. But Miss Samantha did not move.

 No one dared to say anything, so the captain intervened, awkwardly scratching his head for asking her to do so, saying, "Samantha, please, can you read these runic writings for us?"

 After Miss Samantha heard the gentle request from the captain, she thought for a moment, sighed, and looked at him carefully before saying, "Alright, but when we return, you'll have to take me out to eat at a restaurant in exchange."

 When the captain heard this request, he nodded and agreed, saying, "Alright."

 With a satisfied smile, Miss Samanatha approached the massive pillar and began reading the rune inscriptions.

 Her eyes glowed with fiery red light as she read aloud to the party, "To those who seek the ancient legacy, they must fulfill the condition to unlock the artifact by answering this riddle…"

"The riddle is as follows: It is the beginning that guides any being to anything... and also the final void that awaits if they lose it. What is it?"

 After she finished reading the runic riddle, the glow in her eyes faded, and she returned to normal. She looked at the captain and said, "It's just instructions to obtain the artifact by answering this riddle."

 The captain and the party pondered the riddle. The first to answer was Mr. Joe, who said, "Is it soju?"

Hunter Elijah Parker sighed and thought to himself that this man only ever thinks about drinking. Then he replied, "No, it's not soju."

 Everyone continued thinking about the riddle but couldn't find the answer. Noah Nightshade, who was carrying a large backpack, paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "Sir, could the answer be life and death?"

The captain thought for a bit about this answer, then said, "If it's life and death, then the more precise answer is the soul."

Miss Samantha nodded and approached the stone orb once again. She opened her mouth to answer: "The soul."

 As soon as she spoke the word, the light surrounding the stone orb vanished, and it began to descend slowly. She reached out her hand, grabbed it, and handed it to the captain.

 The party examined the stone orb closely, realizing that they now possessed something of great value.

Whoosh-! Swoosh-!!

 Just as they were preparing to leave, something unexpected happened: the door they had entered through suddenly slammed shut, and thick black smoke began to rise from underneath it.

 The smoke slowly took shape, transforming into a strange creature. Once fully formed, it resembled a human but was slightly taller, about two meters or more.

 The creature gazed at them and began to move toward them slowly.

Someone shouted, "What is that thing?!"

Another responded, "It seems to be an abomination-like kaiju!"

 As they watched the creature, it seemed to be trying to say something to them. One of them wondered, "Could this be the dungeon's guardian?...No we've already killed it."

Swoosh-!!

 But before they could understand what was happening, the creature began moving toward them again, triggering fear and confusion.

Roar-!!

 The entire room shook from the terrifying and bone-chilling roar the creature emitted. 

 The hunters, who had been holding their composure until that moment, fell to the ground, overwhelmed by the deafening roar that rang through their ears. 

 The pain in their heads was intense as if the creature's scream had pierced their brains, leaving behind a horrible headache.

"Gghhh...!"

"Ughhh...!"

"Arghhh...!"

 The creature's roar continued for long minutes, intensifying the pain in their ears and heads. When the creature finally stopped roaring, it remained standing, staring at the hunters, as if enjoying their suffering.

 The captain got up from the ground, shaking his head to clear the dizziness caused by the roar, and began assessing the situation. 

 His ears still throbbed with pain, but his focus remained on the creature. It stood before them, as if waiting for something.

Whoosh-!

"You damned monster, take this!" Suddenly and without warning, one of the party members charged at the dark creature. Blood poured from his ears like a fountain as his face contorted in agony.

 Clink-!!

 When his sharp sword struck the creature, everyone thought the monster was dead. But in an unexpected instant, the creature's hand moved with astonishing speed, piercing the hunter's body and crushing his heart.

 Death was sudden and shocking, leaving the hunters deeply shaken.

"What was that?," Hunter Elijah Parker asked anxiously, his concern evident as he looked at the captain, seeking answers about this terrifying monster.

 "I don't know. I've never heard of a creature like this, resembling a human yet made entirely of thick black smoke…," the captain replied worriedly. "But judging by the aura it emits, I'd say it's either rank (E+) or (D-). I doubt it's rank (D) or higher, given the relatively weak energy it radiates."

 However, not even this strange occurrence could erase the looming reality they faced: a monster far beyond the dungeon's expected rank.

 Hidden dungeons like the one they were in were notoriously unpredictable, and there were old stories—rare but terrifying—of hunters encountering creatures that shouldn't exist within a dungeon's normal rank.

 The hunters knew the dungeon was supposed to be a top-peak of one star-ranked threat, semi-challenging and within their abilities. But the creature before them was something else entirely.

"It's rare," the captain had explained before they entered the dungeon, "but sometimes, these hidden places house monsters and beasts stronger than the dungeon itself.

 They're anomalies, creatures that don't belong but appear anyway. They're usually rare—one in thousands of dungeons, but if you find one..." He hadn't finished the sentence.

They had been incredibly unlucky. The odds of encountering a creature higher than a dungeon's rank were astronomical. But here it was, towering over them, ready to annihilate the entire party.

 The creature was likely a rank-(D) or even higher, a level they weren't remotely prepared to face. 

 Normally, a party this size wouldn't even step into a dungeon with a rank-(D) creature, let alone engage one without proper preparation.

 Now, the hunters were stuck in the worst scenario possible, their luck having run out at the worst possible time. What should have been a routine challenge had turned into a living nightmare.

The Kaiju, still recovering its strength from the attack, was getting ready to strike again. It was evident now: this was no mere dungeon guardian. It was an apex predator, and they were nothing more than prey.

 As the captain studied the creature, silence filled the room. The monster moved slowly after striking the hunter, as if healing its wounds through the black smoke rising from its body.

 It seemed to be waiting for something, stirring even more unease in the hearts of the hunters.

 The captain began formulating a plan to deal with the creature. 

 After careful thought, he concluded that the monster was not just a dungeon guardian but was protecting the room from any attempt to steal the artifact. 

 Its role was to prevent anyone from leaving the room with it.

 "Listen carefully!" the captain commanded. "I don't know where this creature came from, but it's not friendly for sure. It seems it won't let us leave with the artifact without a fight."

" So if we want to get out of here, we'll have to defeat this creature."

 Everyone nodded, confirming their readiness to fight. The captain then explained his plan, "I'll be in the front with Hunter Elijah Parker, and we'll face the creature head-on."

 "The rest of you will split into two groups, two on the right and two on the left. We'll attack it from all sides at the same time."