Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday-Chapter 299: Abyssal Gorge (II)

"This place... it's wrong. It feels alive." Grace finally spoke the words in a whispered voice.

What she didn't say was that it just not only felt alive, but also aware.

The previous raids had been dangerous, but nothing had felt like this. Something really powerful was down below, something that should have remained buried.

Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to turn back, but she had never been one to run.

She took a deep breath and pushed aside the unease. "We go in. We clear the area. And we get the hell out." She addressed the warriors as she turned to face them.

The warriors immediately braced themselves, getting ready to enter the danger zone. And yet, there was no denying the heaviness that was present I the very air surrounding them. Even the strongest among them seemed tense as their eyes kept flickering warily toward the abyss.

All this didn't go unnoticed by Grace. "Do you all want to return? If you are not ready then we can head back to the headquarters immediately. I won't make you all fight a battle you are too afraid to face."

For once, she kept her voice a little warm to not make it sound like she was reprimanding them for the fear they were feeling at the moment.

"We will follow you down, Master Grace." It was the leader of Team A who spoke, only to be followed by nods from the rest of the warriors.

Grace let out a small sigh and nodded her head. If they were ready for the hunt, then there was no need to waste any further time.

"Then let's get done with this."

The path leading down was narrow. It was carved from jagged rock, with crumbling edges that threatened to send them plunging into the darkness below.

They moved carefully, their each step deliberate.

Mist thickened as they descended, curling around their legs like grasping fingers. The further they went, the heavier the air became. It was filled with an oppressive pressure that made it hard to breathe, but the oxygen infused suits kept them safe.

After descending for about ten minutes, they finally started hearing the sounds. It was the familiar low, guttural, and inhuman sounds that belonged to the Monster Beasts.

Grace's grip tightened around her energy sword as she noticed a shadow moving through the mist. She signaled for the team to get into position, and barely a moment later, the first creature lunged.

This one was a Class 4 Monster Beast. Its grotesque form was a twisted mix of reptilian scales and razor-sharp appendages. As it burst through the fog, its six crimson eyes locked onto Grace, and it let out a shriek that made the warriors flinch.

But Grace was long prepared, she met its charge head-on, sidestepping just in time to avoid the swipe of its massive claw. With a swift strike, she slashed through one of its limbs which caused dark ichor to spray across the rocks.

Right at that moment, the other monsters decided to make their appearance. There were six at first, but then they grew to ten, and more.

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The battle erupted in chaos.

Davian moved like a blur and sliced through flesh with precision. The warriors unleashed gunfire, trying to take down the monsters from distance.

"Focus on their weak points!" Grace shouted as she drove her blade upward, piercing through the skull of a lunging beast. It screeched and cunvulsed for a moment before landing on the ground motionless.

Minutes turned to an hour as the warriors fought with everything they had. Blood was coating the rocks, even staining the mist a sickly crimson. But even as they pushed forward, the creatures kept coming.

They were being herded.

Davian was the first to notice. "Grace, they are not just attacking, they are leading us deeper!"

Her eyes narrowed as realization hit. This wasn't just a nest of beasts. Something was controlling them. Something wanted them to go further.

And they had no choice but to face it.

Their path eventually opened into a massive cavern deep within the gorge. There were stalactites hanging like jagged teeth from above, and strange bioluminescent plants were castinb an eerie glow over the landscape. There were also pools of dark liquid dotting the ground, and each one was bubbling ominously.

That's when the Class 5 Beasts emerged. There were two of them.

These both were towering creatures, each at least ten feet tall. And their appearance made the warriors hesitate as they had never taken down a Class 5 Monster Beast before.

"Continue with long-distance attacks, and look out for sneak attacks." Grace commanded the warriors who immediately moved to do as they were told.

With that, Grace and Davian took charge of taking down the two monsters. The first creature lunged at her with terrifying speed. She barely managed to dodge before its claws shattered the rock where she had been standing.

Davian flanked the second, his daggers finding the gaps in its armor. But its hide was too thick and his blades barely left a mark.

"They are stronger than we thought!" he growled, rolling away from a deadly swipe.

Grace ducked under the beast's next attack and drove her blade upward with all her strength, straight into its eye. The blade was not only carried her power, but also different kinds of poison that were lethal to these monsters.

The creature roared, and started thrashing violently, but she didn't let up. She twisted the blade deeper until the glow in its eye flickered out.

One down.

Davian took care of the second, using his speed to land multiple blows until he managed to sever its head in a single strike.

With the two monsters down, the place fell into a silence which only lasted for merely twenty seconds.

The ground trembled and the air shifted around them.

A deep, resonating growl echoed through the cavern, vibrating through their bones, making everyone freeze.

[Warning: A Class 9 Monster Beast is here.]