torch in his hand sputtered, casting a flickering glow on the oppressive darkness inside the cave. Zhang Hao vented his frustration, curse words flying from his lips. "Damn it, what kind of hell hole is this?" he grumbled after expending the last of his patience. He leaned against the damp, cold wall, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "If I'd known it'd be this bad, I wouldn't have taken the job in the first place."

He'd signed up for a quick buck, but now? He was deep in some god-forsaken cave with barely enough light to see his own hands shake. The reward money from the Mercenary Guild had sounded good on paper, but the reality was a whole different story.

Zhang Hao sighed, the sound swallowed by the thick silence of the cave. He took out his water skin, though it was more than half empty now. He took a long drink, the cool water barely soothing his chapped lips. He thought back to the guildmaster's cheerful tone when he'd accepted the mission. "Easy money," the man had said with a grin, patting his shoulder. Easy? This was pure hell!