The Basilisk’s Wrath

Everyone was filled with fear the moment they saw what was happening in the dungeon, they were not sure what they were going to see next but it was clear to them that they were not in a C-ranked dungeon and they were in something greater than that. 

"Stay together, the last thing I want is to lose anyone out of fear or anything like that. So please don't falter and stay close to each other." Hank was giving orders to make sure that there was no way for him to lose any of his squad members. 

Darius was filled with fear but he clung close to the team, they had seen the writing on the altar that said prove you are worthy. But then no one understood what they were going to be facing in the dungeon. 

"How on earth did they mark an Uncharted as a C-ranked dungeon?! We might be in a bloody S-ranked dungeon." Jean spoke up, he was scared to his witts. Darius could see that everything he had said earlier was different now and he was scared for his life. 

"I have a daughter and son out there. I do not want to lose them. I don't want them to wake up and not see their father," Jean said in a scared voice. He was not scared because of the dungeon, but he was scared that his children would not have a father. 

Darius's mind went to Lena immediately. If he was not there to make sure that he took care of her bills, it meant that she would be alone, and the sickness would slowly eat her up. 

'I don't want to die here, no not today. I want to make sure that nothing is going to happen to Lena I want to be with my sister for many more years and I want to make sure that there is no way I would think of dying here." Darius looked around, it was clear that something was lurking in the dungeon's shadows. 

Everyone was prepared to fight, but then they heard a roar coming from the left side of the dungeon, they turned to look at it and what they saw was one of the scariest sights a hunter would see. 

They were like a million pairs of them, and they were staring right at them. 

Hank knew that his men were filled with fear and there was no telling what they would do next. "Stand strong men, whatever that is, it will not give us the chance to think of a way to kill it. From that creature, we can give a clear evaluation of what we are dealing with here." 

Out of the shadows something came walking towards them, the ground shook as the creature took each step. It came out to show its face, and what the men saw was enough to make them stand down and quit the fight. 

"It can't be, if that is here then it means that we are standing in an SS-ranked dungeon. There is no way for us to even make out of here alive!" Jean panicked, he was looking at the monster that crawled out of the shadows and he could see that it was not something that they would want to face.

"My heavens, may the almighty be with us," Hank said as he held his battle axe firmly knowing he was going to be facing something only the big dogs of the warrior society were meant to face. 

The creature that crawled out of the shadows was a Gorgotia Baslisks, a beast that they had recorded as a country-level threat. It was known to be one of the scariest things to walk the face of the earth since the day Dungeons appeared. 

It was in the books of Dungeon monsters and it was written there that no matter what happens and it's the greatest warrior that runs into it they should know what they would do to make sure that nothing was going to make them engage it alone. 

"Don't run! They sense fear and it would kill you if you make a slip-up." Hank ordered, he was not sure what he was going to do to make his squad not make a mistake and make the creature go for them. 

"This can't be happening, this is not happening! How in the world is a Basilisk here?! This was meant to be a C-ranked dungeon with creatures like goblins and trolls not a country-level monster!" Jean was shaking all over his body, he was not sure what he was going to do anymore. 

Darius turned to see Jean, it was there that he learned that even those who proclaim that they are the strongest in the face of a monster like that lose all the will to fight. 

The basilisk was looking at them, although it was a blind creature it was something that no one would want to face. The basilisk let out a terrifying growl that was strong enough to shake the entire dungeon. 

The squad looked around to see they were not entirely alone, creatures were nesting on the roof of the dungeon. Hondra Bats, were A-ranked monsters and they could be handled if they were four or five, but there was a cauldron nesting right above them. 

The growl from the basilisk woke them from their sleep and they began pouring down like they were going on a rampage, like orders from the basilisk they began attacking the squad. 

"Oh shit! Don't let anything make you move close to that Basilisk, it will kill you instantly. We can take on the bats," Hank began waving his axe, taking down multiple bats. 

The mages in the squad began using fireballs to destroy them, Jean and the other warriors were taking them down too. Darius was left to gather the crystals that fell from the bast as they were slain. Everything seemed to be going their way and they were sure that they were going to be making it out of the dungeon with their lives intact. 

But then, Jean turned to look at the Basilisk it was like the creature was taunting him. It seemed to be calling him to come and fight. 

"All that is left is to kill that bastard!" Jean drew his sword, covered himself in flames, and began running towards the basilisk with rage. 

"Jean don't! That thing will kill you!" Hank tried to stop him but it was too late, it was like Jean was being drawn to the Basilisk. "Shit, he is going to mess this up," 

Jean was not listening to anyone, he was going to kill the Basilisk like he said and he was going to do it alone. "I will kill this thing and we will be on our way, there is no way we are going to let this kind of thing hold us back," Jean froze right in front of the Basilisk, it was like he was turned to stone. 

He was immobile and everyone could see that he was not moving in any way. "What is going on? Why can't I move my body?" Jean felt petrified, he was not sure what happened but he was sure that he could not move a part of his body to do anything. 

"Foolish mortals," A voice rang through the dungeon, it was scary and ominous. The squad looked around to see if they would see anyone. 

"You waltz into the dungeon thinking that you were dealing with weak creatures. This is where you die!" 

They turned to look at the basilisk, it was then that they realized that they were dealing with a creature that was not going to be easy to escape from. 

"Did that thing just speak?! It can't be monsters who don't speak the human tongue they can't do that can they?!" One of the mages was scared when she heard the basilisk speak, they had all learned that monsters don't speak or feel any emotions hence they are creatures that should be killed on sight. 

But in front of them was something that made everything they learned look like shit. Jean had been trying everything in his strength to make sure that he would be able to move his body but there was no response and he was stuck there. 

"Foolish humans, you all will have to understand that you are in my domain now and you will." The basilisk was cut short, the mages began firing at it. The fireballs hit it, but it was ineffective. They were looking at the basilisk as it looked at them intensely. 

"Behaved just like your kind does, don't worry I will take care of it!" The Basilisk let out a loud growl, and the mages fell to their kneels their eyes were bleeding and they were coughing out blood from their mouth. 

Two of the warriors tried to charge but before they could reach the creature they lost their heads instantly. The others saw what happened and it dawned on them that they were not going to be walking out of that place unscathed. 

"Don't engage! Stand back!" Hank ordered, he was too overwhelmed to move, he looked around to see that he had come into the dungeon with nine people but then they had lost five in an instant. 

He looked around and everything seemed to be happening a bit too fast for him to even understand what he was doing. He didn't notice when the Basilisk sent its tail towards him. 

"Captain look out!" 

Hank turned and was prepared to block the hit but then someone jumped in to stop it. It was Darius, he took the blow from the basilisk right into his groin, and blood gushed out of his mouth. 

"What in the world are you doing?! I could have blocked it! Why did you have to stand in the way?!" Hank was looking at Darius, he was shocked that the boy who was seen as the weakest was the one who even thought of doing something like that. 

The basilisk took its tail out of Darius, it hissed violently making the dungeon shake more. "I will have fun with this mortals," 

Darius fell to one knee and he was looking at Hank, he handed him a bag filled with mana crystals. "I know I will be dead weight for you and the others, so why don't you look for a way and take the others out of here! Please if you do make it out please help me pay for my sister's medical bills." 

Darius looked at the Basilisk, he might have been a weak warrior but he knew more of creatures like that than anything and he knew that the basilisk didn't like when anything would stand up against it. 

"Take the remaining part of the squad and run Captain! I will take care of this thing." Darius pulled out a dagger, he was not going to be standing there to hold them back.. 

Hank couldn't say anything, he was shocked that the warrior he had labeled the weakest was the one buying them time to escape the hell hole they had entered. Hank looked around and he saw they were left with only two mages, one healer who was badly wounded, and then the last warrior. 

He turned to see that Jean was already dead, he carried the healer and began moving towards the exit. 

"Argh!" 

Hank turned to see Darius trying to fight the basilisk but was being tossed around the dungeon. He wanted to help him but then if he did his sacrifice would mean nothing. Hank was about walk away when the basilisk let out another roar making the place to shake. 

"You are not escaping here alive! I will make sure that you will all die and there is no way you will be able to walk out of this alive!" The basilisk was distracted for some time, Darius gathering the last of his strength ran towards the creatures face and then he threw himself towards it stabbing it on a soft spot. 

The Basilisk felt the pain, it turned back to Darius to see the young man his face all bloody and his weak body shaking from all the charges he had made. 

"You little one, do you think that would save you from me?" The monster taunted Darius, it was intrigued by what he had in mind when he threw the stone.

"Your fight is with me, not them!" Darius said he threw a rock at the basilisk. He managed to enrage it, the creature hit Darius back towards the altar where he landed shattering all his bones. 

"Foolish human, you think that you could have done anything if you were given the chance? You are a weak being and you will die here!" The basilisk moved towards Darius, it was about to kill him. 

Seizing that opportunity Hank and the others managed to escape the dungeon. Darius was left alone there with the Basilisk. 

"Your friends are gone and you will be dying for nothing foolish mortal." The basilisk taunted Darius, it had crawled up to him. "Tell me mortal, what did you think you would gain if you stayed here?" 

The Basilisk taunted Darius as it slithered close to him. "Or maybe you thought you would get a saint's praise?" 

Darius could feel his life fading slowly, he was not sure that he would be able to survive anything else. He couldn't do anything about the monster's taunts. 'At least they will be able to help Lena. I will die without any regret. Lena, I wish you the best in life." Darius began closing his eyes. 

Out of nowhere, Darius heard a voice in his head, 'You have been dimmed worthy. Do you accept to be the host of the Great Ashran? Yes Or No?' The voice sounded like that of a video game character and it was ringing in Darius's head. 

"What in the world is this? Can't a fellow die in peace these days?" Darius asked as he slowly fell into death's embrace. 

"You have ten seconds to decide, Yes Or No?" The voice said one more time, Darius didn't know what or where it was coming from but he knew that there was no way he would be able to so he did the only thing he thought he could do. 

"Yes I accept, I mean what is the worst that can happen," Darius said before closing his eyes. 

{Host found, the body being analyzed and protected!} the voice said before a huge beam of light flashed, pushing the basilisk back. 

"What? No way! It can't be. How on earth is he being chosen as the host of the great one?! This can't be happening!" the basilisk yelled as it crawled back into the cave it had emerged from. 

The cave kept shaking as Darius's body was levitating in the air, he was unconscious but it seemed like all his big wounds were being healed slowly. 

{Notice: Host Healed!}