This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

The time passed, and two hours after midnight, the moon was the only source of light in the jungle. On the ground beside a dead mutant hyena, John was kneeling on the ground panting.

After taking a deep breath and exhaling, John yanked the half-sword out of the hyena's body. His body ached from head to toe; the strain of fighting through the night was evident in every movement. Blood, sweat, and dirt clung to his body as he stood over the beast.

The once-sharp blade was now filled with cracks and scratches. Small wounds could be seen all over his body. All the arrows he had broken and splintered, and the bow was damaged. With a grunt, John stood up after checking the creature's lifeless form for any signs of movement.

"The last one… I hope." John muttered; his tone was flat with a clear sign of fatigue.

 There was not a single sound in the forest now except some rustling of leaves. The usual sounds of birds and animals were now completely absent. His senses were heightened, even in his exhausted state. He scanned the area, making sure there were no other threats lurking in the shadows.

 John wiped the sweat from his forehead, glancing at the broken sword hanging loosely in his hand. It was pretty much useless now; the edge dulled and filled with dents from the constant battles. He had pushed himself and his equipment to their limits.

'But I'm not done yet.' He couldn't afford to rest, not until he was certain there were no more mutant threats around the dungeon. He took a deep breath before surveyed the forest. He couldn't sense any other mutants nearby but he still kept his vigilant.

Slowly, he made his way through the forest—searching for any sign of movement. Any hint of anything slipped past him. His legs felt heavy and his arms even more so, but he forced himself to continue. He couldn't let any mutant remain; it wouldn't be safe for normal animals, people, or even the members of BMI who would come to clear the dungeon.

After what felt like eternity of surveying the forest, John finally allowed himself to relax. 'It is over. The surroundings are safe now.'

 As he made his way back to the road where he'd parked his car, the distant sound of engines caught his attention. Trucks and cars were approaching. He sank in the car chair, drinking water and eating an energy bar, while tracing the cars with his eyes.

In a few seconds, the cars parked at the side of road. John had already eaten the energy bar by the time. The support staff disembark from the trucks and one of them came ot John, asking, "John, right? Sorry for bothering you while you rest but we need to retrieve the mutant animals bodies and we need you to guide us to there."

After giving a heavy sigh, John get out of the car while feeling his body screaming to rest. "Come with me."

Before going far, from a car like his four people came out and headed his way. They were Zak, Joe, Maxwell, and Toby.

"Wait a minute, John!" John stopped on his track and looked back at Toby, who called him. John frowned as they came close, sizing the group.

Zak extended his hand for a handshake as he asked, "You are John? You were the one who discovered the dungeon?"

John shook his hand, replying, "Yes and yes. Who are you?"

Zak and Joe introduced themselves before asking, "Can you lead us to Dungeon Portal?" John, we need to clear the dungeon as soon as we can."

 "Only you four will clear the dungeon?" John eyes norrowed, looking at them as if they were bunch of idiots.

"Yes, we are sufficient to clear it." Joe interrupted, raising an eyebrow, feeling John belittling them.

John's face turn solemn. "Are you sure you will attempt to clear the dungeon with only four? This is an elite dungeon, you know that, right?"

 Zak shook his head. " We know. We already made a decision. Just lead the way."

After an intense stare at each of them, John let out a sigh. "Follow me. I will lead the staff first to collect the mutant bodies, and when we are close, I will lead you to the dungeon."

One by one, each body was put in a black bag as staff placed the coordinates on the map and gestured for John to continue. John led them to different locations, and each time the staff member alerted the other staff to the body coordinates before continuing in their journey.

Toby and Maxwell were looking at different mutant animals in shock and curiosity, as it was first time seeing mutant animals. Joe and Zak, however, saw mutants many times and didn't care. What they cared about was the dungeon itself.

Finally, after an hour of walking, John deviated a little to lead them to the dungeon portal before continuing to guide the support staff to the other carcasses.

Seeing them standing before the dungeon talking, his eyes lingered on Toby and Maxwell for several seconds before walking away with the support staff.

After another hour, he showed all the places of the fights he took and the mutants bodies. Returned back to the car, John slumped on the car back seat as he closed his eyes.

After a minute, he was already falling asleep from exhaustion. John didn't know how many hours passed before the support staff knocked on the glass of the car. "Sir, we finished loading all the mutant animal bodies.

Shielding his eyes from the sun with his hands as he opened them, John yawned and scratched. "Mhm. Wait, I will drive the car behind you on the way back."

He splashed some water on his face from the water bottle he had before hopping in the driver seat and driving behind the trucks. John's mind wondered, feeling uneasy for Maxwell and the group as he drove.

"I hope they would be okay. If the mutants are this strong, I'm afraid the dungeon's monsters would only be stronger. "