The Age of Horrors

Basil and his master continued to delve deeper into the cave, where darkness surrounded them completely. They soon began to hear a distant screeching sound, gradually growing louder. Suddenly, glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, exuding a murderous intent.

Having grown accustomed to the dark, Basil knew how to use his senses to detect enemies. As the creatures approached, he turned to his master and said, "It seems like wild beasts this time. Their size isn't much different from the bats, though, either in appearance or number."

Basil readied himself and charged at the swarm of creatures, only to find that they were massive rats. As soon as he reached them, countless rats lunged toward him. Fortunately, Basil had gained experience from battling the bats, which were far worse than these rats. He used his newfound skills to strike down any rat that came within his attack range.

These rats were incredibly fast, and their powerful jumps added to the force of their bites. If they managed to sink their teeth into flesh, it would tear the skin right off. Basil knew this well, so he avoided their bites and, whenever he found himself surrounded, he retreated to gain distance before resuming his attack, killing each rat one by one.

It took him half an hour to finish off the swarm. He had to defeat them individually. Afterward, his master continued deeper into the cave, and Basil followed.

"You made the right choice by avoiding their bites," his master said. "These creatures are known as 'Gnawing Rats.' Even a small bite would have paralyzed you, leaving you helpless as they devoured your flesh. Though weaker than the bats, they compensate with their potent venom that causes instant paralysis. Let this be a lesson: When you encounter a new enemy, gather enough information before recklessly attacking. I won't always be here to help you, so remember that well."

"Understood," Basil replied, cold sweat running down his face.

They continued their journey, encountering other monsters along the way, though none were as dangerous as the previous ones. Basil defeated them easily.

The two eventually arrived at a wide area, not as large as the one with the Deep Bear. There, they found several creatures that resembled wild dogs but looked more like hungry hyenas with relatively thick fur. Their numbers reached nearly a hundred, and their growls echoed through the space around them.

This time, before Basil could act, his master gave him some advice.

"Be careful. Don’t fight them all at once. If more than five surround you, retreat and come up with a plan. If they gather around you, escape. The important thing is to never fight them in a group. These creatures are called 'Crushing Dogs,' known for their large pack attacks. When they pass through an enemy, nothing is left behind."

After his master finished, a ball of light illuminated the area, and he used wind magic to tear down the surrounding walls, saying, "Use the fallen stones as you see fit. I've given you a hand, but the rest is up to you, young Basil."

"Understood, master," Basil responded.

As they spoke, his master had set up a barrier around them that the Crushing Dogs couldn’t penetrate. When the master finished speaking, he dropped the barrier, and the dogs immediately attacked with ferocity. Basil sprinted toward the fallen stones at the side, with the dogs chasing him in unison.

Basil moved quickly around the area, hurling stones at the dogs with great force. The dogs he hit died instantly, not only due to the impact but also because the stones were aimed directly at their heads.

As more dogs fell, the remaining ones hesitated. Basil seized the opportunity, lifting a boulder twice his size and hurling it toward the pack.

Seeing the massive boulder about to crush them, the dogs scattered in all directions. Basil pursued the smaller groups, swiftly eliminating them with powerful kicks that shattered their skulls. By the time he was done, he had killed half the pack.

Noticing the dogs regrouping, Basil retreated and hid behind the rocks again, trying to mask his presence. The dogs, relying on their keen sense of smell, soon found his location and charged at him furiously. Basil had been using a strategy that nullified their advantage of numbers, slowly whittling them down with stones. When he found an opening, he would strike, then retreat whenever he risked being surrounded.

When Basil realized the dogs had discovered his hiding spot, he hurled the boulder he had been hiding behind at them. This time, however, they didn’t scatter but split into two groups to avoid the boulder, continuing their pursuit. But Basil had anticipated this. He quickly darted behind more stones, gaining distance before resuming his attack, crushing their skulls one by one.

He continued this tactic until only ten dogs remained. Basil leaped into the middle of the area and called out, "Master, I want to fight them all at once. With their numbers reduced this much, it shouldn’t be too dangerous now that I know their fighting style."

His master nodded in approval. Basil dashed toward the remaining dogs, and they charged at him in return. As he neared them, Basil targeted the last dog in the group, crashing down on its skull and crushing it. He then spun around, delivering powerful kicks to the two dogs at the back. The other dogs couldn’t stop in time, allowing Basil to eliminate three of them in one move.

The dogs quickly changed direction and rushed toward Basil again. He sidestepped to the right, grabbing more stones and launching them at their heads, killing two more instantly. He then rushed forward, kicking one dog in the middle, sending it flying to its death.

"Seems his intense training is paying off," the master said to himself. "If he weren’t a jungle boy from the start, I wouldn’t have given him such grueling training. But since he spent most of his free time exploring the forest, he developed enough physical strength to endure it. His curiosity saved him. Hohoho."

Now only four dogs remained. Basil stood before them and confidently said, "Come at me." The dogs, of course, couldn’t understand his words, but they could sense his mockery, which enraged them.

The four dogs rushed at him, their tongues hanging out, jaws wide open. Basil stood still, eyes closed, waiting for them to come close. When they thought victory was theirs, their defenses down, Basil suddenly opened his eyes. In an instant, he slammed his fists down on the two dogs on either side and leaped into the air, smashing the two in the center with his knees, killing all four at once.

His master, impressed by how Basil handled the situation, clapped. "Well done, young one! You've improved greatly. Your physical abilities and combat intelligence make you a genius in battle. Keep it up."

Basil smiled, then collapsed onto his back, exhausted.

"Rest well. When you wake, we’ll eat and continue on our journey," his master said. But by the time he had finished speaking, Basil was already sound asleep.

A few hours later, Basil woke to the smell of delicious food cooking over a fire. He jumped up and ran to his master, asking for a bowl. As he devoured the food, he exclaimed, "Oh, this is so delicious! You’re an amazing cook, master. What did you use to make this soup so tasty?"

His master replied, "Gnawing Rat meat and some herbs. What? Did you like it that much?"

Upon hearing the word "rat," Basil involuntarily spat out his food. "Didn’t you say they had a strong paralyzing venom, master?" he asked.

"Don’t worry, I removed the venom. They may look ugly, but they taste great. Just imagine they’re delicious rabbits and keep eating."

Following his master's advice, Basil forced himself to keep eating. Though difficult at first, the delicious flavor helped him get over the thought of eating rats, and he soon got used to it.

After they finished their meal, his master removed the light orb again and said, "Let’s move on." The two left the cave and continued their journey. On their way out, they were attacked by bats once more, but Basil quickly smashed their heads and pressed on. They encountered more creatures, such as 'Plowing Porcupines,' 'Flying Carnivorous Squirrels,' and 'Long-Armed Frogs,' but Basil handled them easily, having gained substantial experience in fighting monsters in the Deep Valley of Darkness.

As they walked, Basil asked his master, "Master, why didn’t we explore the other caves and instead headed straight for the bear’s cave?"

His master replied, "Because it’s not time for you to enter them yet."

Basil was surprised by his master’s words and thought to himself, "Not time for me to enter yet? Does that mean I’m not ready? Could there be another creature here stronger than the Deep Bear?"

After spending so much time with his master, Basil had learned to understand him a little better, often grasping the meaning behind his words without needing further explanation.

His master glanced at Basil, who seemed deep in thought, and smiled.