Versatile: Alternate World

The cave I was in is big but I can easily tell that it was artificially expanded and not a natural size. It was like it was mined by someone for years but I can also tell that some parts of the wall seemed to be just chipped off just very recently. It doesn't even look like it has seen little signs of being there for a few years already. It's just recently done I guess.

I started exploring the place and I can easily tell that this was a man-made cave and not a cave that originally existed in the wild. Someone intentionally made this cave and dug it out until this place was formed.

"Someone was so dedicated that this individual created a cave out from scratch. I don't even know how long before this place was finished," I continue to examine every thing I see.

"What? This place was made from scratch? Isn't that pretty much a trouble and too much work to do?" Lucia seemed confused.

"Yes, you are right it is time consuming but I doubt people even bother how long before they managed to finish it. Unless they are passionate enough to do it or they just have too much free time. Still, even though this is a man-made cave, it managed to almost fool me and I might even think it was a cave that he just discovered and used it as his own place."

The cave is big and designed intricately so I continue exploring into the deeper parts.

So far, the most I discovered here is that the person living here is a hunter. If the guy who I try to defeat only for my ass get handed off him was the hunter, he is a natural survivor in this hellish place.

Soon, I arrived into the deepest area where I saw that it serves some sort of a little prison. The bars that are made to stop anyone from escaping a prison were not made from metal but instead made from thick bones. Very thick bones. It doesn't even qualify as bars anymore, more like pillars. And its not designed to confine a human as it has a big enough gap for humans to get through. More like it is designed to confine monsters instead. Giant Monsters.

"You shoulnd't get too close there, kid. If you don't want to be squished flat by the monsters that is."

A voice of someone echoed behind me, stopping my advance to get close to the prison. And just like that, a loud roar echoed all around the cave causing some rocks to fall down from above. Then, a loud bang shook the thick bones that acts as the bars to the prison. Although it was not broken or removed from where it was put, the loud bang shook the surroundings easily. I pulled out my Versatile Weapon in response.

"You can't fight them. Either you die or get eaten by them. That is the main outcome you will face against them so keep your distance from those prisons."

I turned to look at the one speaking and I instinctively brandish my weapon to him.The one speaking is none other than the person whom I fought earlier. He is still as lively as ever and he doesn't have any wounds in his body. He is not wearing a shirt right now so I can easily see if his injuries persisted and seeing that even the arm I severed earlier did not even leave a single mark that indicate being cut off,

"Hey, hey. I know that we fought earlier but I am not here to kill you alright? Put down your weapon and let's talk it out like men we are. I am not so heartless to do that and I only tested you earlier if you are strong enough to survive this hellhole."

"You tried to kill me earlier! There is no way I will easily trust you!" I pointed the sword at him.

"Even if you threaten me, you can't defeat me in any way kid. You would rather be dropping that hostile attitude of yours rather than keeping it up like that. You will just be dying in my hands if you provoke me any further kid. I am just going to forgive your right now since I can tell you are not a threat but if you keep crossing the line, I will not be as lenient as before."

As much as I am wary of him, he was right that he can easily squash me without any challenge. I won't even be able to make another miracle of killing him in the process but perhaps if the Instant Death proc then perhaps I can kill him but that is not possible too since there is no way it would proc in the first attack. I would be dead before I can even land a second hit with too much uncertainty that my attack would hit an instant kill. I am not that lucky to be able to pull off that kind of sh*t.

I have no choice so I dropped my hostility against him but kept my guard up against him. There is no way I would trust him completely with my life after he tried to kill me. That is the main case.

"Where am I? Why did you bring me here?"

"This place? You can say that this place is where I call home. It might not be the usual home that you have known so far but it is cozy and warm enough to feel myself safe enough from the cold weather," he nonchalantly said as he approach the prison and stare at the creature that caused the banging sound from earlier on the bones.

"Then why didn't you kill me when we are fighting earlier? I lost and I am quite sure that you would kill me after doing that."

"Ha, as I said earlier, I am not that heartless. Yes, I may be a brutal warmonger but if that person did nothing wrong to me and I am the one who instigated the  fight, there is no need for you die. It would be much better if I keep you alive instead."

After that, he went away from the prison and beckons to me while he is walking away.

"Let's get out of here, annoying these little f*ckers would not be a good idea and they easily get agitated if they smell other humans other than me. You don't want to become monster chow don't you? Then we better get going before they will go on rampage."

He is right, I can easily tell the monsters behind those giant bones are agitated and ready to pounce any chances they get and if that happens, I am instantly killed.

"So what are you planning on keeping me alive like this?"

"Huh? Plan? What are you talking about?" the guy frowned when I started asking him.

"Don't play dumb. There is no way you would keep me alive without any sort of motive as to why you are keeping me alive."

"Ha, think all you want but I have no objective as to why you are still alive until now. But suit yourself if you believe that is the case here. Because I don't really mind."

We soon arrive into what you call in the modern house, a living room. The place is also similar to a living room but for a caveman due to how it didn't resemble a normal house interior. This was a cave after all but he changed most of it for the ske that he can live inside it without much discomfort coming from being it a cave.

"Now, sit down for a bit. I will go and prepare some dinner. Don't worry, I won't be poisoning the food, that is just quite a disrespect to the food."

He points out the rectangular stone slab near a campfire with a small kettle under the flames. I am not so rude to decline him even though we are enemies and since he didn't give any hostility to me, I decided to let him do what he wants. And even if the food has poison, I can easily dispel them, so its not a problem to me too.

"Are you a vegetarian or anything, boy?"

"No, I am fine with meat."

"Well, that is good. With this hellhole being a harsher place than most places, around Earth, growing plants and vegetables are close to impossible so most food we can have here are from monsters. Vegetarians will be forced to eat meat if they want to survive in this sh*tplace."

Indeed, with the whole place covered in ice, there is no way for veggies to grow here and even if you artificially grow some food for yourself, the temperature will ruin the whole process so its kind of pointless too.

This guy... has he been living this kind of harsh life for so long already?