The Evalonian Cavern, South Edanis.

  "We've arrived." I stopped, pivoting to face my squad. "The conditioning is over. This is your first live-fire hunt."

  Hoiler and Patrice practically vibrated with eagerness, treating the deadly cavern like a playground. Kenny stood near the back, his knuckles bone-white as he gripped his spear, his hands trembling violently. Mathilda, however, was dead silent. Her sharp eyes were already sweeping the perimeter, tracking the disturbed gravel and deep gouges in the dirt near the cave's entrance.

  " This time, we operate as a single unit." I pulled a folded parchment from my pouch. "I pulled a live bounty straight off the central guild board."

  The squad's collective breath hitched.

  "Wait, we're taking a real contract right now?" Hoiler asked, the excitement faltering in his voice.

  "Yes. It’s an official guild bounty. But don't worry, it’s a surface cave, not a dark anomaly."

  "But, sir... we haven't even received our field licenses yet."

  A grim smile touched my lips. "We don’t need standard licenses. Agon made us Cave Crawlers. The normal rules no longer apply to men who are expected to die in the dark."

  "So, what is the target, mister Ramond?" Patrice asked, dropping the heavy head of her battleaxe into the dirt.

  "An Alpha Werewolf. The local rangers tracked it to this specific cave system."

  Mathilda’s breath caught in her throat. "An Alpha? Sir, that is a Vanguard-grade mission."

  "It is."

  "Sir, none of us are Vanguards," Hoiler protested.

  "You’re absolutely right, Hoiler. And none of us are Masters, either. But when we descend into the dark caves next week, we will be expected to slaughter Master-level threats." I let the harsh reality hang in the air for a second.

  He stared down at his boots, swallowing hard. The rest of the squad shifted uncomfortably, the gravity of their new profession finally crushing their arrogant optimism.

  I dropped to one knee, dragging a finger through the loose gravel to sketch a tactical diagram. "To survive the threat that outclasses us physically, we have to outclass it tactically. We will utilize a strict diamond formation for today."

  They crowded around, staring down at the shapes in the dirt. "W-why a diamond, sir?" Kenny stammered.

  "Because a lone Alpha without its pack is a desperate, highly intelligent ambush predator," I explained, tapping the points of the diamond. "It won't meet us head-on. It will stalk us, waiting for a blind spot so it can pick us off one by one. The diamond prevents flanking. If it engages, the formation seamlessly collapses inward, trapping the beast in a crossfire. Furthermore, the Evalonian caverns boast wide subterranean chambers, we have the space to utilize it."

  "I understand," Mathilda chimed in, tracing the lines with her eyes. "If the Alpha lunges at the vanguard, the left and right flanks pivot inward to surround it, while the center moves up to cover the gap. Meanwhile, the rear guard can detach and flank it from behind. Right?"

  I looked up at her, genuinely impressed. "Good."

  "So, who takes what position?" Hoiler asked, gripping his hilt.

  "Mathilda takes point. Kenny and Patrice hold the flanks. Hoiler, you have the rearguard."

  "Hold on! Why the hell is Mathilda on the frontline?!" Patrice objected, her protective instincts flaring. "She’s a squishy archer! I should be at the front!"

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  I stood up, brushing the dirt from my knee. "Alright, Patrice. You, Kenny, and Hoiler. Look into the cave and tell me how many branching tunnels there are."

  The three of them turned, squinting into the suffocating, pitch-black abyss.

  "We can’t see a damn thing, sir," Hoiler muttered, squinting harder. "It’s just pitch black."

  I didn't look away from them. "Mathilda. How many?"

  "Three distinct branches, sir. The middle one slopes downward."

  I raised an eyebrow at the protesting trio. "Do you understand now?"

  Patrice’s jaw dropped as she looked at Mathilda in sheer disbelief. Mathilda simply looked away, her cheeks flushing.

  "Don’t panic. I am taking the center," I said, checking the buckles on my vambraces. "If the Alpha attempts a frontal blitz, I can instantly swap with Mathilda and parry the impact. Any other questions?"

  "Wait, aren't we going to light torches?" Patrice asked, reaching for her pack.

  "Leave them," I ordered. " If we light torches, the harsh glare will ruin our night vision. It creates a small bubble of light but renders everything outside of it completely invisible. We need to rely on our bare eyes and let them adapt to the dark. We’ll keep a slow pace at the start.”

  I drew my dagger, the steel hissing softly against the leather scabbard.

  "Any other questions?"

  "No, sir!"

  I chuckled, turning toward the abyss. "Good. Let’s go hunting."

  *

  As we walked slowly into the cave, the air grew unnaturally dry. A strong scent of soil lingered heavily in the atmosphere. Within seconds, my eyes adapted to the dark. The jagged rock formations clinging to the walls and ceiling became visible, and the treacherous, uneven terrain beneath our boots grew clearer.

  Weird. There are no tracks. Not even a single patch of mold. The rocks are completely dry, indicating there are no living organisms thriving near the entrance.

  I looked at Mathilda taking point in front of me. Her head subtly darted around, observing the spacious cavern. She threw a glance over her shoulder, a deep frown creasing her forehead, validating my own suspicions about the cave's condition. I gave her a curt nod and signaled with my fingers to continue moving forward.

  When we reached the branching paths, Mathilda immediately dropped to a crouch. I signaled the rest of the squad to get low.

  Mathilda raised her hand, using her wind magic to cast a subtle, silent breeze down the far-right tunnel. Barely a minute later, the draft ruffled her hair, returning to her from the left branch.

  I see. The right and left tunnels are connected, and there’s no trace of the Alpha inside them.

  Mathilda signaled that our only choice was the middle branch, which sloped deeper underground. I closed my eyes for a moment, flaring my nostrils to catch any subtle scent of the beast, but the dry smell of the soil overpowered everything else.

  It’s no use. We need to proceed with extreme caution.

  I tapped Mathilda’s shoulder, and she cast her breeze down the middle branch. A few minutes later, she turned around. She pressed her palms tightly together, then slowly drew them far apart.

  I see. The deepest part of the cave is a massive, spacious chamber. I nodded to her.

  We slowly descended the middle path. As we entered the deeper section, my eyes locked onto the pitch-black space. The air here was heavy and stagnant, though the smoothed rock walls showed traces that it used to be damp.

  We fanned out into our formation, walking slowly into the center of the expansive area. The oppressive silence amplified everything. The squeaking of leather as Kenny and Patrice gripped their weapons tightly. The heavy, ragged breathing from Hoiler behind me.

  Suddenly, every muscle in my body coiled tight. My eyes frantically swept the shadows.

  Weird. This is very weird. I can’t feel its presence at all.

  Slowly, Mathilda turned her head toward me. I met her gaze. My eyes widened when I saw her frown deepen, her teeth gritted in sheer terror.

  A sudden, freezing chill ran down my spine.

  Above!

  In a heartbeat, I dropped my dagger, pivoted, and violently wrenched the massive battleaxe right out of Patrice's hands. I hoisted the thick steel haft horizontally above my head.

  BAMMMM!

  The heavy handle clashed against a monstrous, plunging palms, stopping scythe-like claws mere inches from my face. But the beast didn't just rely on physical weight.

  Suddenly, a violent vortex of magical energy ignited within the monster's palm.

  My blood ran cold. No fucking way! That's not an Alpha Werewolf! It's a Moon-lurker!

  "Scatter!" I roared.

  The team frantically scrambled backward, putting distance between us just as the magic detonated.

  BAANGGG!