1 PROLOGUE (1/2)

In a stone chamber deep within the earth, hundreds of disfigured humans and trolls laid on the cold floor. Their swords, clubs, and hatchets drowned in a small pool of black blood.

Drenched in the stench of death, some men finally gave out, throwing up the contents of their stomach while others fell on their knees—hopelessness and fatigue in their eyes. They had raided the dungeon for three hours without rest, and they were lucky to survive the massacre.

Meanwhile, those who still had strength helped in pulling the ropes. They dragged the headless body of a giant riddled of arrows and spears away from a cavern's tunnel-like entrance.

”That chieftain troll took out half of our troops, sir. A minute or more and all of us would have been dead if not for your heroic dive,” a kneeling short-haired woman clad in a chain mail said. A bright green circular orb floated between her hands, closing the wounds of the man before her.

A burly man with unkempt black hair grimly wiped the purple blood from his long sword while waiting for his injuries to fully heal. ”How many are left of us?”

”Aside from the two of us and that man,” she said, her eyes trailed with contempt on the cloaked figure standing near the giant's corpse, ”three hundred tired soldiers, sir.”

The man nodded his head with weary eyes. He captained the expedition and arrived at the island with ten thousand strong men. Now, there's barely any left of his troops.

”I'm okay now,” he said, ”fools, what are you slacking for? Get those asses working and help clear the entrance!”

With wobbly knees, most tried their best to stand up while the rest did not bother anymore—some closed their eyes with a sigh, others with a smile. They no longer bargained with fate.

Every survivor counted, but the number dwindled without a fight.

”Maybe, it's time to give up, sir,” the woman said.

The captain tightly closed his eyes. He sighed as his nose flared. ”No one's going home as long as the treasure inside that cavern is not in my hand! Do you understand?”

The woman squirmed as she nodded her head.

”S-Sir, have you noticed that man there? He just stood on all our fights and did nothing. What's his part in this hunt?” she said.

”Hm. He's here for whatever lurks inside that cave,” he said. ”Hey, dragon hunter! We saved you a bucket of sweat as agreed. Now do your part and scout the cavern!”

A pair of blue eyes stared daggers at the captain before disappearing inside the cleared entrance.

”That scum! Does he really think he's special?” the captain said. He disapproved of the dragon hunter's participation, but because of the king's behest, it left him with no choice.

After a minute of waiting, a blue light sparked inside the cavern.

”It's the signal! Light the torches and move the weapons!” the captain said. He led the remaining two hundred plus soldiers as they marched in single file to enter the narrow cave.

One by one, they entered the cavern. It was vast. The collective light of their torches was like a lit match stick in a coliseum of darkness.

”I can smell its rage. It's coming!” the dragon hunter said. He raised both of his hands, and a ball of blue flame came into life.

The blue light crawled into the curtain of darkness, slowly revealing the hidden things ahead. Something glistened.

”Gold!” said a soldier. The wandering eyes beneath his helmet twinkled.

The captain hushed him with a glare. He then mouthed something, and the soldiers discreetly moved into formation—a hundred swords and shields in front, twenty archers at the rear, and the remaining members manned the five ballistas. Their strength renewed by the promising loot before them.