208 Sage

Karla turned toward Surgit. Her hair had changed color. It was wet and slick from the beast's blood. Her face was smeared too. A fat chunk of meat was stuck beneath her eye.

She wiped it away then smiled at the hunter. Her pearly white teeth were a great contrast to the thick blood that covered her from head to toe.

"I owe you one," she said, breathing heavily.

Surgit didn't return her smile. He was looking at her arm, frowning heavily. Karla noticed his troubled look then looked at her own arm.

It was still furry. Sharp claws extended all the way to her knees. It looked as though it was retracting, but the transformation was slow.

"What's happening to me?" Karla whispered. Her eyes fixated her beastly arm. Her chest heaved, panting as she struggled to keep her composure.

"Don't panic. I've had this issue before. Only I'd slain many beasts before reaching your stage," Surgit replied. He tried to sound comforting, but his words only amplified Karla's distress.

"What do you mean it happened before?" she asked in a hysteric voice.

"Later," Surgit dryly cut in. He sniffed the air then turned to the door behind him. "There's more trouble beyond this door."

Karla opened her mouth to speak, but only a cry of pain came out. She shot a sharp look at her arm and saw it retracting. Soon enough, she was back to normal.

After she finally calmed down, Karla looked at the door Surgit was observing. "It smells worse than ever in there," she complained, holding her fingers to her nose.

Surgit pricked his ears. "I hear splashing in the distance. I think I know what lies ahead."

They went through the door, Surgit holding his sword on one hand, and a torch on the other.

Karla followed closely after him. She was holding her Saif and a pistol.

The door led them to a narrow tunnel, which branched off left and right. Surgit, using his nose as a compass, pointed to the left. "Through here," he said in a confident tone.

Karla raised an eyebrow at him. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"The strongest beasts have the foulest scent," he explained then rushed through the narrow tunnel.

Karla let out a frustrated sigh then hurried after the hunter. "Why are we looking for the strongest beast again?"

Surgit grunted. "They guard the lever to the door. If we don't open the door, we can't go deeper into the dungeons."

The tunnel led them to some kind of sewers. A wide river of blood welcomed them. The putrid smell of blood and rotten flesh made Karla dizzy. It was difficult to breathe in there. Surgit brought the cloth he kept by his neck to his mouth and nose.

Karla, not enjoying this advantage, had to fight to breathe clean air. Inhaling deeply, she almost fainted. The smell had invaded her entire being, making her head turn and her eyes roll to the back of her head. She had to slap herself to stay focused.

Oversized rats, twice the size of the hunters, roamed the bloody river. Their heads tilted from one side to the other as they rubbed their front paws, much like a fly before departing.

Karla winced at the sight. The rats were also emitting eerie clicking sounds that made her hair stand on end. They turned to look at the hunters and screeched.

Surgit was upon them in no time. He cut the first rat open and, without bothering to check if it were dead, turned to face the next one. He cut them all to pieces as Karla watched from a fair distance, too astonished to come to his aid. Surgit was moving so fast the rats couldn't keep up.

All Karla could see was Surgit's torch, dancing between the rats. He'd cut those closest to him and burn the others that tried to blindside him.

In fact, Surgit didn't need her help. He quickly dealt with the rats then turned to Karla. He brought his finger to his mouth, urging her to stay quiet. He beckoned her forward, and Karla obeyed.

Surgit led her to an old, rotten cart. Barrels and boxes were stacked above, thick blood dripping from the cracked planks. Only after they hid behind it did Surgit point out the lever at the other end of the room.

"I've never seen something like this…" Surgit whispered.

Karla frowned. She looked at the lever once more. This time she paid more attention to the beast guarding it. It looked like a man, only twice the height of the people she was used to. It had long disheveled hair that extended to its hips, covering the entirety of its upper body.

"What's that thing it's holding?" Karla whispered.

Surgit shrugged. "It's too dark to know for sure. By the looks of it, I'd say it's a corpse."

"Why cradle it like a child?" she asked.

"Only one way to know... " Surgit handed the torch to Karla. "I'll try to sneak up on it. If it detects me, I'll be relying on your support."

Karla shook her head. "I'm better and sneaking around. You stay put." She handed the torch back to Surgit.

Perhaps it was because of the torch's flickering light. Perhaps it was because of their loud hissing, but they caught the beast's attention. They heard a deafening screech that sounded like a fox being flayed alive.

Then they heard rapid splashing sounds. By the time they turned around, they saw the beast standing before them. It wailed at them then began thrashing.

The corpse it was holding flailed at lightning speed. Karla got hit in the chest and rolled on the bloody river, away from the beast's dangerous weapon. Surgit slammed against the old cart. Barrels filled with blood and sinew fell over his head, drowning him in filth.

He stood with extreme difficulty. The room spun before his eyes and his knees shook. He couldn't even hold the sword straight, let alone figure out where the beast stood.

Surgit closed his eyes and tried to rely on his other senses. He heard rapid splashing noises heading his way, then a low grunt. He ducked just in time to avoid the corpse the beast had swung at him.

He dashed forward, but his knees faltered. He fell, face first into the blood and mud. Then he felt a heavy object slam on his back.

He bounced like a ball. As his body flew upwards, the beast hit him once more with the cadaver. Surgit's back slammed against a wall, air bursting through his mouth and nostrils. He slowly slumped down as though he was a sticky dummy falling to the floor.

At that stage, he could only see fog and blurs before him. He saw a shadow run toward the beast. The monster fell on its knees, wailing. Then its head flew in the air, blood trailing behind it. He heard rapid footsteps approaching him. Then Karla came into view. She fumbled in her pockets and injected him with a blood vial.

Surgit, regaining his strength and wits, saw the huntress grinning at him. "For once, it's my turn to save your life," she said with a happy tone.

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