The cold limestone cave, which should have been quiet and dim on that rainy day, was suddenly filled with groans of pain. The stench of blood from twenty wounded men inside mixed with the fresh scent of petrichor drifting in from outside.
The men's burly bodies were covered in large scratches and bite wounds. They leaned weakly against the cave walls, anxiously waiting their turn to be treated by the three unfamiliar youths their young boss had unexpectedly brought.
"Prioritize the ones who have a higher chance of survival," a girl said in a weak voice as she saw Kairav approach one of the most critically injured men lying on the cave floor.
Kairav stopped in his tracks, staring at her in disbelief. "What do you mean? Can't you see he's dying?" His voice was a mix of frustration and astonishment.
Holding her bandaged arm, the girl replied firmly, "His chances are slim. Save those we can still help," she reasoned, her tone cold and pragmatic.
Kairav's patience snapped. "If you can't help, stay out of the way!" He shot back, his eyes flashing with anger at Trisha Sajani, a 23-year-old girl from the Bentala Kingdom whom he'd just met.
Trisha snorted in annoyance, leaning back against the cold cave wall, but Kairav ignored her. Kneeling beside the dying man, he opened his medical kit and examined the large scratch wound tearing into the man's abdomen. Panic crept in as the man's breathing became labored, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Kairav turned toward Baron, desperation creeping into his voice. "Baron! Your parents are genius doctors. You must know how to deal with this, right?"
Baron scoffed at the flattery, wrapping a bandage around another man's leg before standing and walking over. "My parents are geniuses, not me," he grumbled.
He placed two fingers on the man's neck, searching for a pulse. After a few tense seconds, he shook his head. "He's dead. No need to argue with her," he said flatly, glancing at the fresh wound. "It was too severe."
Kairav checked for a pulse himself, hoping Baron was wrong. But when he found none, he sighed heavily.
"I told you," came Trisha's voice, laced with sarcasm. "You were just wasting time."
Kairav exhaled slowly, suppressing his frustration. Before he could respond, Baron erupted. "What's her problem? We should let them rot here for all I care!" he snapped.
Kairav placed a calming hand on Baron's shoulder. "Go help Gavin with the others. I'll handle her," he said quietly.
Standing up, Kairav moved toward Trisha, the only woman in the treasure hunting group. When he stopped in front of her, he spoke with a cold, measured tone. "Were you really attacked by coyotes?"
A sly smile spread across her face. "Didn't I tell you earlier?" she replied with feigned innocence.
Kairav shook his head, his annoyance growing. "No, you're lying. Coyotes wouldn't leave wounds like these unless they were the size of cows," he said with a sarcastic edge. His words were echoed by Gavin, who chimed in from across the cave.
"Yeah, you're all armed. Rifles, axes... and your men are no lightweights. What gives?" Gavin said, frustrated, as he roughly cleaned a large bite wound on a man's arm, earning a groan from his patient.
Kairav turned back to Trisha, arms crossed, his glare hard. "The archaeological team from the Bentala Kingdom, working with ours kingdom, supposedly researching Mount Arjuno? Do you really think I'll believe your lies so easily?"
Trisha's expression hardened. Kairav continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If there's a joint effort between our kingdoms, where are my people? And why is it that every single one of you speaks Nusantara with a Bentala accent?"
He took a step closer, his smirk deepening. "I saw the ruins on my way here—untouched. If you were archaeologists, you'd be dying to investigate them," he said. "No... you're treasure hunters ..."
Trisha's eyes blazed with anger, but her lips twisted into a cunning smile. "Well, aren't you thorough," she hissed.
Kairav's expression remained cold. "And you've got some nerve to smile after getting caught doing something illegal in someone else's country."
The sound of metal scraping against rock echoed through the cave as the treasure hunters, still able to fight, grabbed their rifles and axes, readying themselves for violence.
"Looks like the dogs you saved want to bite now, Bro," Baron quipped from his spot against the cave wall, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.
Gavin tossed his bandages aside, grabbing his rifle. "Bet they pull this kind of thing all the time," he said angrily, standing and aiming his rifle at the treasure hunters.
Kairav's mind raced. Outnumbered and outmuscled by the twenty burly men, a fight would surely end in disaster. He fought to hide his growing anxiety as Trisha stepped closer, smirking at his unease.
"Speaking of illegal... aren't you and your friends doing the same? Climbing this mountain without permission?" she whispered.
Before Kairav could respond, Baron cut in with a bored expression. "His father's the Grand Counselor. Even illegal is legal for him," he said nonchalantly.
Trisha raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kairav again. He crossed his arms, exuding pride in his status.
Hooowl... Hooowl...
A long, piercing howl suddenly echoed from the forest outside the cave, and every head turned instinctively toward its source. The once tense but controlled atmosphere in the cave grew heavier, suffocating, as if the walls themselves could feel the imminent threat.
The treasure hunters froze, their eyes wide with panic. The familiar, bone-chilling sound caused their already wounded bodies to stiffen further, the pain in their scratches and bite marks seeming to multiply with the resurgence of fear.
Some of the men gripped their weapons tighter, their knuckles white, as the deep-rooted terror from their last encounter overwhelmed them once again.
Kairav, confused, looked around at their fearful faces. "It's just the coyotes. Why are you so scared?" he asked, baffled.
Suddenly, one of the treasure hunters—a bearded man—shouted in terror, his body shaking uncontrollably. His axe slipped from his hand as he screamed, "It's coming! It found us!"
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"Quiet!!" Trisha snapped suddenly, her voice trembling with frustration and panic. Her face betrayed her growing fear, though she tried to maintain control.
Kairav, sensing something strange, moved closer to Trisha and forced her to spill the truth. "What's going on?! Tell me!" he demanded.
"Miss! You should tell them. Didn't they say they were cryptozoologists? Maybe they know how to deal with that thing!" Juna, the largest man in the group, urged, his voice filled with desperation.
Trisha's panic deepened, her normally cunning demeanor cracking under the pressure. She had no way out, and, with no other options, her ego finally collapsed.
"On our way to the summit, we were ambushed by a pack of coyotes. Among them was a creature with the body of an adult man but the head of a dog, covered in black fur," she explained.
A dark-skinned man named Dion, trembling with fear, chimed in, "Nearly half of our team was devoured by that thing. It ripped open their chests and ate their hearts. Some of us escaped, but our more advanced weapons were destroyed and left behind."
"We don't have any proper defenses left. That creature must have already picked up our scent!" he added, his voice thick with terror.
As soon as Kairav heard the description, a cryptid came to mind. "From the details, it must be the leader of the coyotes, the 'Howling Dog Monster'," he stated confidently. "Right, guys?" he asked, turning to his friends.
Both Baron and Gavin nodded in agreement.
Trisha frowned. "The Howling Dog Monster?"
Kairav nodded again. "Yeah, also known as the Asu Baung. It's a type of cryptid that usually lives in the mountains. As you described, it has the body of a human but the head of a dog, and it leads packs of coyotes."
Hoowll ...
The eerie howl echoed closer, sending a fresh wave of tension through everyone.
Dion, his fear intensifying, rushed over to Kairav. "Do you know how to kill it?!" he asked, hoping for a reassuring answer.
Kairav rubbed his chin, deep in thought. After a moment, he responded, "With the weapons we have, it's unlikely we can kill it." The hope drained from everyone's faces. But then Kairav continued, "However, we do have a chance to escape."
"How?!" Trisha demanded.
"By avoiding the light."
***
The silence gripped them as they ventured deeper into the cave. There were no bats hanging from the ceiling, just the sharp stalactites dripping water, creating a small, clear pool surrounded by stalagmites below.
The beams of their flashlights cut through the still darkness, illuminating the natural beauty of the cave. For a brief moment, the group was captivated by the sight, forgetting their fear and pain.
As the others marveled at the scene, Baron seized the opportunity to whisper to Kairav with a serious tone, "We should leave them and continue on our own. We just need to follow this cave to reach the forest." He pointed to a dark passage on the other side of the pool.
Kairav sighed heavily, clearly frustrated. "It's too risky. Even if we leave, those coyotes will instinctively track us down. If we don't deal with this now, we'll become their next meal," he explained bluntly.
He patted Baron's shoulder, trying to reassure him. "Trust my plan. I've thought it through."
Baron sighed, resigned to the situation. He knew from experience that convincing Kairav, known for his stubbornness, was near impossible.
Kairav turned his attention to the muddy ground beneath their feet, shining his flashlight at the thick puddle. "I think this is the right spot," he said, drawing everyone's attention.
Trisha, frustrated and impatient, approached him. "What are you planning?"
Kairav looked at her and revealed his plan. "Killing that creature isn't easy, but we can escape. Although it's half-human, half-dog, the Howling Dog Monster can't see in the dark, unlike normal dogs."
"It also has poor hearing and smell. That's why it relies heavily on the wild dogs to hunt, especially at night or in dark places," he explained, addressing the group as they hung on his every word.
"So, if we kill the coyotes, we'll disable the Asu Baung's ability to hunt in the dark. That will make us safe, as long as we stay hidden in this cave. Then, we can escape when night falls. We'll leave at night, when the Asu Baung is completely blind and unable to track us in the darkness."
The group stood in silence, weighing Kairav's plan. As they pondered, Trisha pointed out a flaw. "What about its sense of smell? You said it has a poor sense of smell, but it can still track us, right?"
Calmly, Kairav shone his flashlight on the mud beneath them. "We can use this mud. It'll help mask our scent," he answered.
Gavin, busy with his camera, added, "Plus, it's pouring outside. As far as I know, rain can wash away scent particles and cover weaker smells with its own."
Kairav nodded in agreement.
Juna, still unsure, stepped forward. "So, what's your plan? Are you sure you can kill those dogs without attracting the monster's attention?"
Kairav didn't answer Juna. Instead, he turned to Trisha. "You have infrared goggles, right?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"How many do you have left?"
Trisha furrowed her brow, trying to recall. "About ten, I think. We lost some gear when we fled."
Kairav's expression grew serious. "Good. If you agree with my plan, give the infrared goggles and rifles to the best shooters. The others can hide."
Trisha stared at him, deep in thought. She wasn't sure about his plan, but she didn't have a better one to offer.
Hoowll ... Hoowll ...
The howls echoed again, this time reverberating through the cave's entrance, signaling that their doom was drawing near.
Dion hurried to Trisha, pleading with his eyes. "Miss, please, let's follow his plan ..." he begged, panic overwhelming him again.
With no other choice, Trisha nodded at Kairav. "I'm in."
Immediately, Kairav turned to the group. "Cover yourselves in as much mud as you can. Hurry!"
The group frantically scooped up the wet mud, smearing it over their bodies. Some were so paranoid that they rolled in the mud until they were completely covered, looking like they were coated in peanut butter.
Kairav, already covered in mud, quickly approached Trisha, who was still applying it to her skin. "Gather all the infrared goggles and rifles," he ordered.
Trisha and Juna hurried to collect the equipment from their bags. Meanwhile, Kairav and his friends readied their rifles and infrared goggles.
Once they were prepared, the trio found spots to hide and set up their shots. Gavin climbed onto a large rock near the pool and lay flat, while Baron and Kairav crouched behind a tall stalagmite.
From his position, Kairav angrily called out to Trisha, who was still busy organizing her men despite the howls of the approaching creatures echoing closer.
"If you've decided who's going to shoot, then hurry up and get everyone in position!" he snapped.
"I get it!" she shot back, trying to suppress her frustration as she hastily handed rifles and infrared goggles to the nine men she had chosen.
Soon after, she and her group began scrambling to find the best spots to aim at the targets that were nearing.
Meanwhile, those without any assigned tasks were told to hide behind large rocks that could shield them from view.
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