26
Cursed Dungeon, Where Are the Monsters?
"The phone was disconnected around 8 a.m. I managed to access the footage from a nearby security camera. Look, is that her?"
A video was displayed on a screen, showing Lúcia walking right in front of the convenience store. After the video advanced a bit, a car blocked the camera's angle, and when the car moved away, Lúcia had disappeared.
"Damn, she was kidnapped. Why would anyone do this?" Alex clenched his fists and cursed.
"Can you see the car's license plate?"
He enhanced the footage quality, but it still wasn't possible to see the car's plate. However, this time it was possible to see that there were two men, but unfortunately, their faces couldn't be seen to feed into the facial recognition program.
"Focus a bit more on that store; I think I see a camera over there."
Félix followed Alex's suggestion, and a camera could be seen.
"Can you turn on the footage from that camera?"
Félix shook his head in denial.
"There's a dungeon portal at that location; I won't be able to access the camera remotely from here. I need you to go there."
"All right, I'll go," Alex said, rising from the chair he had been sitting in the whole time.
"Your Majesty, take my car. It's not a royal carriage, but it will serve the purpose," Félix said with a playful smile, trying to cheer Alex up a little.
***
Alex got out of a sports car that stopped right in front of a crowd waiting for the brave hunters to emerge from the dungeon like noble heroes.
Seeing the commotion and agitation of the people, Alex was astonished. A portal was a dangerous placewhat would all these people do if the monsters somehow escaped from the dungeon? If Alex were a primitive being, not a hunter, he would have stayed far away from a portal.
"My young man, this is a restricted area. You cannot go beyond this point."
A police officer controlling the crowd stopped Alex from proceeding along the path he was taking.
"I'm from the Hunters' Association," Alex said, taking out his card and showing it to the officer responsible for security at the location.
"Sir, please follow me this way," the officer guided Alex to another agent from the Hunters' Association.
Alex exchanged pleasantries with the other agent and explained the reason that brought him here. Then, he contacted Félix through the communicator.
"Félix, what do I do now? Part of the store was swallowed by the portal."
"The portal's radiation is creating interference in the network. Your Majesty must get a bit closer so I can connect to the network through the device I gave you. This will create an open channel in my internal network."
"All right, I'll enter through the back."
Alex broke a window and entered the store, taking the device that glowed with a green light.
"Very well, Your Majesty, I've got the signal. Wait a few seconds so I can download the security footage."
After a minute, Alex spoke again.
"Your Majesty, I have the complete material. You can return now…"
Most likely, Félix furrowed his small brow before asking, concerned.
"Your Majesty, where are you? Why did you disappear from my map? And why is the signal so weak?"
Alex silently cursed before responding through the intercom.
"I think I'm inside the dungeon."
Félix laughed loudly before speaking sarcastically.
"Your Majesty, you must have a thing for dungeons. You haven't even completed a month since your awakening, and you've already invaded your third dungeon."
"Félix, what do I do to return? I don't see any portal I can use to exit."
Alex sighed, annoyed. He still had to find his kidnapped sister, and here he was, inside a dungeon.
"Your Majesty, you don't have any return stones with you, do you? Or do you?"
"Félix, you must be joking, right? How could a novice even have an item that valuable?"
"Then Your Majesty will have to complete the dungeon to return. This dungeon is dangerous; it's better for Your Majesty to join the members of the Blue Spirit guild. If you go alone, Your Majesty might end up dead."
Before Félix could say anything else, the connection was cut. Alex aimed the camera attached to his tie and chose a random direction.
***
In front of Tiffany, a huge arch in the shape of a portal opened. From within, she felt a cold breeze carrying the scent of wild nature, accompanied by a metallic hintshe could swear it was blood.
She pressed the bow against her chest, the sword at her waist, feeling the atmosphere becoming heavy. For some reason she didn't understand, the surrounding forest made her feel afraid.
Rouke passed through the first portal. He was very large, like a walking block of metal. He was the captain, the leader appointed by her sister, and his voice was imposing, quite deep for her taste.
"Everyone pay close attention and remember your training. Any failure here will cost the lives of your companions, and most importantly, maintain silence." Having said this, the fifty hunters fell silent.
Behind Rouke was Liam, four magical orbs floating around his body, emitting a bluish glow. The sound produced by his ability made Tiffany's hairs stand on end.
Next came Bren, who seemed very vigilant, his eyes scanning the forest, attentive to every branch.
"This forest seems too calm for my taste. I wonder what hides behind these trees?" he murmured, almost no one hearing him speak these words.
Sarah, the healer who was closer, replied while walking slowly, "Focus, Bren. Don't forget you're here to teach the children."
Lastly, to complete the formation of the leaders, there was Daniel. Apparently, he had a light build and carried a short spear. He had a smile that Tiffany didn't like.
"If the forest is dangerous, then all the better for me. I mean, we can find a lot of resources, right?"
Tiffany stayed behind, surrounded by hunters who treated her as their young mistress. It was irritating, but she had to endure it.
Lately, she had been in a bad mood about everything, because the other day she had seen Alex again when she went to the Hunters' Association with her sister. She was terrified of that man.
The forest around them seemed completely dead, with no sign of life. Tiffany felt as if the forest could be watching them, and a monster could jump out at any moment.
The expedition advanced for several minutes, but they found nothing. By this point, they should have encountered some monsterswolves, snakes, and much morebut the forest seemed silent.
Tiffany noticed something strange. She looked at a branch of a tree and saw something unusual: there were birds as stiff as stones. Even dead, they didn't fall; it was as if they were part of the tree.