MOBA Game Apocalypse-Chapter 76: The "Dungeon" Boss

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The "Dungeon" Boss
"Hero!"
The women’s voices echoed through the dimly lit room as soon as they saw Adam emerge from the stone stairs. Adam was a little shocked at how loud their voices were and how they called him a "hero".
He didn’t like that at all, but just nodded at them as he approached. They were inside a large storage room—crates and trash pushed against the walls, making space in the center where all the women were huddled together.
Their eyes were redder now, clearly from crying moments before he arrived. They were also fully clothed now. The clothes were completely covered in blood, but none of them really complained at all.
They were fully clothed now, covered in blood that wasn’t their own, but none complained, of course.
Adam approached them slowly, scanning each face to check if they were alright. He was clearly tired, but he didn’t show it at all to them.
"How... are the clothes?" he asked quietly.
"Great," the oldest woman said quickly, her voice still hoarse. "They’re... wonderful. We’ll... honestly take even towels. This is... this is the first set of clothes we’ve worn in... in a while."
The other women nodded eagerly, tugging at the fabric like they couldn’t quite believe it was real. The women didn’t ask where the clothes came from, but they all knew where it came from—how could they not?
They’ve ingrained these clothes in their minds since these are what the smugglers wore.
Adam’s eye twitched at their words, but he calmed himself and nodded. Just how long have they kept these women locked up and terrorized?
Adam wanted to ask them, but it was better for all sides if he didn’t.
"Did... you kill all of them?" the older woman asked, her voice a bit muted as she glanced at her clothes.
"No," Adam said quickly. "The... authorities will deal with them."
"What?!" Another woman screamed and stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists.
"You should’ve killed them!" she shouted, her voice cracking from pleghm. "After everything they did to us, after what they—"
"Hey, stop it," the other women whispered and gathered around her, reaching for her arms and hugging her.
"But... but..."
"I’m... sorry." Adam approached, and the woman instantly calmed down when she saw the gentle look in his eyes.
"The smugglers will get what’s coming to them," he said softly. "For now, our priority is leaving this place and to get you out of here."
He then glanced at the little girls. "To get them out of there."
They’re already fine, Adam. Let’s explore this place and—
"Are all of you good to walk?" he asked the group, completely ignoring his thoughts.
They all calmed down and nodded. Even the younger girls followed, but the youngest one of them, however, was dead asleep against the wall.
"Candace..." The woman who had screamed for the smugglers’ deaths approached the little girl, but Adam raised his hand and sighed.
"Let her sleep," he said gently, kneeling beside the unconscious girl. He carefully lifted her onto his back, securing her arms around his shoulders. "It’s okay. Should we go?"
Adam nodded to the women and quietly made his way to the door. Before opening it, however, he let out another sigh and looked back at them.
"Cover the girls’ eyes."
The women didn’t ask questions, only gulping as they followed his order. Some pulled fabric over the younger ones’ faces, others positioned themselves to block their view.
Adam opened the door and stepped out. The smell of gunpowder hit them instantly.
It was... chaos.
This entire time, they were actually below an old manor, or at least that was what they thought it was. It was hard to tell with all the blood splattered across every surface.
Shattered furniture littered the floor—overturned sofas, broken spotlights, a cracked television screen. There was even a pool table.
This was Susan and the smugglers’ hideout. To think... they were all just lounging here and even having fun while the women below suffered everyday.
The women looked around, and then looked a teach other as they noticed something amiss.
There was all this blood, but the smugglers were nowhere to be seen.
As they walked across the ruined manor, they saw the answer. A large staircase led up to the second floor, and sprawled across the numerous steps... were the smugglers—all naked.
That confirmed where their clothes had come from. But something else caught their attention. The smugglers had twisted bones and unnatural angles to their limbs, but surprisingly little blood around their bodies.
And they were all clearly alive.
So where did all the blood scattered across the manor come from? Of course, that was where their curiosity ended as they continued to follow Adam.
"Khrr?"
But soon, they all turned their heads toward a particular noise that whispered to their ears.
"What... what was that?" one of them whispered. Adam raised his hand, gesturing for them to quietly follow behind him as he approached where the noise came from.
And as they reached the back of the large stairs, the women all gasped and covered their mouths.
There was a cage there, and inside was a giant rat with unnaturally long limbs—around the size of a motorcycle.
The women’s terrified expressions didn’t last long, however, when they saw the giant rat whimper and back away from them; almost ramming its body on the bars just to try and distance itself.
It... was scared of them.
"Oh no..." One of the younger girls covered her mouth as she approached. The oldest one of them tried to hold her, but could hold onto her before she stood right in front of the cage.
"It’s... hurt."
The little girl whispered as it looked at the fear in the creature’s beady eyes. For her, this giant rat wasn’t a monster at all, no.
And it wasn’t only her—the women behind her looked at the creature with pity. After all, they’d already seen what true monsters looked like... and it wasn’t this.
This creature was the same as them. Terrified, alone.
"Is that the dungeon boss?" one woman asked hesitantly.
"Most likely," Adam replied.
"Should... should we put it down?" someone else asked.
"We should..." Adam nodded, but then shook his head as his voice lowered.
"...But we can’t."