Chapter 26：The Swordsman and the Archaeologist's request.

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Warning! This chapter has some really bloody scenes. I tried to tune it down a bit but I'm not sure how successful I was ;p Read it at your own risk XD

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My name is Igor, swordsman and leader of the rank B party "Mountain Hunters". The other party members are Celty, our pretty mage, Robin, the elegant archer with ponytail and Marks, one of the best Shield warriors I had the pleasure to work with.

Two month ago we were hired to escort Jun, an archaeologist, to some ancient ruins located in the East Forest Mountains. Although the job would take 5 months in total, the pay was good and we didn't expect to fight any monster ranked higher than C, so I thought it was a good change of pace to us who are always risking our lives.

As expected our travel was quite easy and except for a few goblins and other lone E rank monsters, we didn't meet any danger. That is, if you can even call rank E dangerous...

It took us two months to reach the village near the ruins. There we checked the equipment one last time and resupplied our food and water.

When we talked with the village chief, he told us some ruins had been found almost forty years ago when he was still a kid. He also told us that an old monk had killed the monsters inside and sealed a dungeon entrance as well.

I thought it was a pity they had sealed it. Such dungeon located in the backwoods was bound to give us a great harvest. For a second some evil thought of unsealing the dungeon passed through my head but when I looked back at the village around me I gave up the idea as I didn't want to feel responsible for the village's wipe out.

After hearing repeated warns from the village chief to be careful, refused his offer to have some hunter guide us and promise to not touch the seal, we left the village and started climbing the mountain.

A three hours after starting climbing I regretted our decision... we were completely lost. T_T

We should have found a crossing some time ago, I don't know if we still didn't reach it or if we passed through it without noticing. Betting on the first option, we kept climbing the mountains for another hour. It was then that we found a cave.

Thinking the cave was the ruins entrance, we organized our party in a single file and proceeded inside.

The cave was wet and there was a bit of miasma smell leaking out. It was exactly according to the description we received, so our confidence in having found the correct place rose up, and we ended up lowering our guard as we knew the right place was not dangerous.

Unfortunately that was our downfall. From a hole in the wall, suddenly a giant centipede jumped on the archaeologist. We only noticed the monster as it had already bit Jun and was blinding him using it's body as a rope.

I reacted as fast as I could and cut the giant centipede with my sword, freeing Jun, but unfortunately he had already being bitten and the only way to save him was with an antidote we didn't have. Having no better option in hand I ordered the party to retreat, but unfortunately it was too late.

From both sides a dozen centipedes start sprouting from the walls, surrounding us. I ordered Marks to break through toward the exit, carrying the injured Jun. Meanwhile I did my best to hold them back, slowly retreating with Celty and Robin.

Celty started casting a strengthened fire bomb spell, the most powerful area spell she knew. Robin did his best protecting Celty's back while I took the ones in front.

Finally the spell was ready and she aimed to throw it but just as she started making her move the wall on the side opened up and a massive Giant Centipede jumped out of the hole tacking Celty and reflecting the magic spell. The reflected magic spell hit the entrance ceiling bringing the whole thing down. Marks who was just below it only had the time to throw Jun out and be buried alive.

The entrance was closed, Celty had just lost her right arm, Robin had been hit by the crumbling rocks and hurt his leg, and I was still fighting the Giant Centipedes in front of me. The situation was going from bad to worse.

The Massive Centipede finish eating Celty's right arm, turned back to her again, as if choosing which part to devour now. Celty took her grimoire with the left hand and tried to cast some spells, but the pain from losing an arm and the lack of practice with the left arm were acting against her, making it impossible to cast even the most basic fire.

Seeing the Massive Centipede aiming for Celty, Robin jumped in front of it in despair using his own body to try to stop it. Unfortunately it was not enough and he was pressed against Celty and the wall, making a terrible bloody mess.

I had finally freed myself just in time to see it happen but unable to stop it. Furious, I jumped on the back of the Massive Centipede and used all my strength to stab it with my sword. The sword pierced through the thick shell of the Centipede and her blood flew everywhere.

My bad luck didn't end with just my body bashing against the wall, a pointy rock wall hit my spine making me lose all feeling on my legs.

Bleeding and unable to run away, all I could do was watch it's ugly face slowly approaching me as all strength left my body.

As I closed my eyes accepting my death, I could only pray for Marks and Jun whose fates were unknown to have better luck then me.