I used combat cooking after a few seconds and quickly tried to think of something I could do.

I didn't really want to kill him, I had just saved him.

I could lie, say I'm leaving for...for the coast, wait that's not believable. Anyone with a brain could see that I was heading towards the frontlines.

I could ask him not to say anything, but he may just agree to get away from me and later bring his friends back, he seemed fairly appreciative but I have a large bounty.

Then I could just run away, that's really simple actually. It'll leave him confused and with any luck no one will believe him and just think he got hit by some passing player's illusion magic that helped him out.

I'll just run away as soon as the skill finishes. I go and tweak my battle tarts recipe a bit, the soul kitchen has been a big help in bringing it along, I'd say it's almost done.

As planned I had eaten a handful of skittles in a rush even if only two actually take effect and get the heck out of there. Specifically into the grass.

I keep running and escape the lion's roaring and sounds of adventurers screaming as I eventually come to a stop about five minutes after I got out of hearing distance. I paused to catch my breath and focus on my surroundings. I had run across a couple monster, particularly nature ones, and either cut through them with my spatula or kept running.

It seemed I was in the clear as I walked on, eventually finding a chest behind an invisible wall maze. Took me about 10 minutes to complete in and another 10 to get out but it was worth it. I had gotten both an uncommon apron and a common pair of rubber boots for my class. The apron had a skill for increasing my weapons damage when fighting the living so it worked well for this dungeon.

I kept walking and eventually realized I didn't see any areas without tall grass. I jumped up to make sure of this and for seemingly miles around me there was only a couple trees in this large patch of tall grass. I wanted a higher view with more stable applications so I went towards one of the trees. It was guarded by a level 45 plant monster so I ran away to another tree. This one was just a tree and I climbed up pretty easily. 

Looking around I saw that I was wrong in my assessment, there was a flatter patch of grass to the right of where I had come. I had just not been able to see it over the tall grass since it was farther away.

I ran over to it to keep away from the plant monster and saw that it was a circular flat area with a portal spot like to escape the dungeon. I had had enough of this dungeon and was ready to head out. I put my hood farther up to ensure that I would not be recognized and activated it.

I felt my body suddenly disappearing before reforming with a momentary blindness. When I opened them I was confused because it looked like I was in a different spot but with the same small patch of short grass around the portal exits. 

I tried again and this time there was no blindness, I hadn't moved at all this time.

Crap, I used a trap portal.

I was sent to some random part of the dungeon, hopefully on a higher floor but very likely a lower one. I needed to be very careful until I found a monster I knew about. Only then would I know if I was in the clear. The max number of floors I could travel from my knowledge was 5, although there was a theory that there were larger ones. Ones that didn't have survivors. Five floors in this dungeon meant that I could be seeing B rank monsters, ones with triple digits of levels, beings that could wipe smaller towns off the face of the kingdom.

Tension ran across my body as I walked. I walked slowly, barely breathing.

I kept low as I walked, trying to not be spotted while keeping every single perception skill I had on. I had no sense enhancing treats yet as a very poor oversight so I walked with two speed enhancing treats in my hands. 

After an hour I had yet to run into anything and I was starting to have a feeling that I was being watched. Whether that was true or not it was unusual that I had not seen a monster yet.

I continued through the grass.

After another hour of not seeing anything I was beginning to get bolder, I walked normally while not trying to be particularly noisy and yet stretch out a bit. 

After another hour I started thinking of what Denny had turned into, a shadow raptor.

I had read up on them further after I got into the city with a book of monsters I purchased from a merchant. Known to first play mind games with their prey they were among the best hunters of their level. Being able to hide in shadows made them nigh impossible to spot at night without high level perception skills and even then the warning generally came when they were finally making their move.

I suddenly turned as I thought I heard something hitting the ground softly. I saw nothing and even when I jumped above the grass I saw nothing. Even so I went in the direction I thought I heard the sound.

Shadow raptors generally ran solo but were willing to work together for greater pleasure in their victim's torment. They had sharp claws that were their main weapons, the more attuned to the dark element would wrap darkness over their claws for more power, sharpness, and length if their life was threatened. They seemed to enjoy taking their victim's arms and legs with their regular claws should they be weaker than themselves although they were by no means opposed to stalking higher leveled players. 

I heard a couple of the previous sound. The ground being hit by a footstep like a player's. I walked faster towards the sound, hoping to find someone to point me in the right direction.

The sound was gone for another couple seconds before they began at a frequent pace, mostly perpendicular to where I was.

It was said that the shadow raptors could manipulate darkness and their own throat to make almost any sound. Some even having high leveled vocal skills along with acting ones. Their real steps muffled by the shadows they walked through.

They were closer now, just out of sight. I raised my hand closer to my mouth in anticipation.

I then heard a scream.

Quest 'AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH' has been given by ???

I shoved those treats in my mouth so fast and jumped so high I was almost at the same height as when I looked from the tree when I realized that I had been pranked by GC.

I was so freaked out I lost which direction the footsteps were in when I landed and was greeted with silence.

I wasn't about to get jump scared again, I was really angry at GC now.

I spat out the speed treats and switched them for fire sticks, lighting at least 15 of them before scattering them in all directions. I ate two zap sticks and yelled in anger.

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THAT"