Nightmare cave

Xin and Belial trudged through the dense forest, cutting their way through the sea of orc soldiers that blocked their path. Despite their tireless efforts, the mission had taken its toll on their bodies, as exhaustion began to set in. Their faces glistened with sweat, and their muscles screamed with each strike of their weapons.

As the night drew near, Xin and Belial started their journey back to camp, hoping for a moment's rest. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for them. While navigating through the forest, they encountered a hazardous patch of quicksand that sent them plummeting into a dark and ominous hole.

Coming to their senses, Xin and Belial exchanged confused glances, unsure of how they had ended up in this dark and unfamiliar place.

"Are you okay?"

Belial asked, noticing Xin rubbing his head and looking disoriented.

"What happened..?"

Xin asked, rubbing his head as he tried to shake off the grogginess.

Belial sighed,

"I think we fell into a quicksand and ended up here, wherever 'here' is."

Xin dusted himself off and went to retrieve his weapon, but his movements froze when spotting a creepy spider crawling up the blade. Terrified, he let out a sharp cry. Throwing himself into Belial's arms for protection.

"THERE'S A SPIDER, BEL!"

Belial couldn't help but roll his eyes at Xin's reaction, letting out a sigh before dropping him back onto the ground.

"You're scared of spiders? Come on, man, we need to find a way out of here."

Eyeing his weapon with caution, Xin grabbed his axe and held it at arm's length, as if expecting to find another unwanted surprise on it.

"Those little things are scary, man."

"You're just overreacting,"

Belial said, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Now let's go."

With their weapons at the ready, Xin and Belial ventured deeper into the cave, Despite the creeping darkness and sense of unease that hung in the air, they persevered, driven by their unwavering determination to escape.

As they moved deeper into the cave, the echoes of whispers and murmurs filled the cave, causing Xin and Belial to tense up. Their grip on their weapons grew tighter as they exchanged nervous glances, each step forward feeling heavier and more ominous than the last.

The deafening screech made Xin and Belial's blood run cold. They whipped around, their weapons at the ready. In the dim light, they could make out a horde of goblins with glowing eyes racing towards them, sending a shiver down their spines.

The goblins' frenzied charge seemed almost robotic in nature, their eyes glowing with an unholy fervor. Xin met them head-on, his axe slashing through the air as he shattered the ground beneath them, causing them to stumble and fall in a disorganized heap.

Despite the danger that lay ahead, Belial and Xin pushed deeper into the cave, their minds set on completing their mission no matter the cost.

Belial and Xin stumbled upon an ancient door that sparked their curiosity. Belial used his dark powers to try and blast it open, but the door remained stubbornly shut.

"Step aside,"

said Xin confidently as he raised his axe. A surge of clear energy flowed through his weapon as, Xin brought his axe crashing down on the ancient door, unleashing a powerful shockwave that reverberated throughout the cave system.

Belial, frustrated by Xin's brute force tactics, soon found a broken key lying on the ground.

"Maybe if you stop trying to brute it out, you would think for a second,"

he said, holding up the key.

Xin scoffed.

"So how are we gonna go in with a broken key, genius?"

Belial's focus intensified as he channeled his energy into the key, levitating it and using it to create a perfect replica of the door's lock. After a few seconds, he waved his hand and a keyhole formed on the door. He inserted the key struggling for a moment before finally opening the door with a loud, grating sound.

With cautious steps, Xin and Belial entered the room, only to trigger a trap as Belial stepped on a hidden stone. Arrows flew out from both sides of the wall, but Belial's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the first and catch the second.

"Be careful, this place could be crawling with traps,"

warned Belial.

"As if we haven't already noticed,"

said Xin, rolling his eyes.

The stone beneath their feet pulsed with an eerie red light, and within seconds, the room was teeming with ferocious monsters. Though Xin and Belial were well-prepared for battle, the sheer number of creatures seemed overwhelming.

The two struggled to hold their ground.

This was unlike anything Xin had ever encountered, not even in his darkest dreams. He was accustomed to facing a few foes at a time, but this was a whole new level. Despite trying to remain calm, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his palms slick with sweat, and his grip on his axe faltering.

Belial was holding his own against the onslaught of monsters, but he could see that Xin was struggling. He knew he had to do something to help his friend, or they would both be killed. Belial quickly identified a weakness in the monsters' formation and signaled to Xin, pointing out the gap that they could exploit.

"Xin, over there! We can break through!"

With Belial's guidance, Xin charged forward, his axe swinging in a wide arc. The monsters were momentarily stunned by their sudden assault, giving the two combatants a moment of respite. Belial was right behind Xin, his sword glinting in the dim light of the room.

Their initial attack had caught the monsters off guard, but it was only a matter of time before they regrouped. Before long, the creatures were closing in on Xin and Belial once again. Xin was starting to tire, his swings becoming slower and less powerful. Belial could see that his friend was on the brink of collapse.

"Xin, get back! I'll hold them off!"

Xin retreated slowly, his heart heavy with guilt, but he knew that he had no other choice. He retreated, his axe hanging limply at his side, watching as Belial took on the monsters single-handedly. He was a skilled fighter, but even he couldn't hold out forever.

Belial's voice rose above the chaos of battle as he yelled at Xin, hoping to catch his friend's attention amidst the sound of clashing weapons and snarling monsters.

"XIN, GET OUT OF HERE! IT'S A TRAP!"

Despite Belial's best efforts, Xin couldn't hear his friend's voice over the chaos of the battle. As they fought, a wall made of the same material as the door rose up, separating the two combatants. Xin found himself on one side near the front door, while Belial was on the other. It was an unlucky twist of fate that left Belial more vulnerable and isolated.

Left alone, Belial couldn't help but worry about Xin's well-being. He took a deep breath and raised his sword, feeling his dark energy coalescing around him as he prepared to face the hordes of monsters alone. His heart was pounding in his chest as he braced himself for the next wave of attacks.