"Your contract has been terminated," said the man smoking a cigar, his belly protruding enough to be a cup holder. His eyes glanced toward the papers before him, then at the young man sitting across. "As stated in your contract, there is no reimbursement upon termination. We just have to let you go."
"Did I do something wrong?" asked Arthur, swallowing hard, his voice cracking and hollow. "Is it about not being able to work on weekends? I can change that," he pleaded, but the manager rubbed his bald head without answering. He might have been choosing the gentlest words to let Arthur go.
"Our agency needs scavengers who yield results, and yours have been mediocre at best. Recently, many people have appeared with detecting abilities that can find a needle in a haystack. You are just… normal."
"Normal" was a word that did not fit in this world. It had been a few hundred years since mana appeared, bringing monsters and abilities alike. Societies had remolded themselves following such a drastic shift in power. Nations fell and new ones rose, following stronger abilities. In such a world, it was a sin to be normal.
Arthur gathered his things, although he did not have much. What he did have as he left the Lime Agency was a letter stating that his debts were long overdue, and any delay in paying next month would result in the reclaiming of their house. The letter weighed on his chest, almost turning into a leash around his neck.
Since he returned early, he found that no one was home. His mother was working at the grocery store nearby, and his brother was still in school. Arthur was relieved since he could not face them. His mother took care of the groceries and bills, while Arthur had to pay the bank.
After throwing his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, Arthur returned to his room. The light flickered as it shone on his room, which did not have much. His eyes turned toward the wall of newspapers, filling his entire view. Some of the titles read: A Betrayal Leads to Massacre, Thief of The Century, Everlasting Stream Suffers a Loss.
Arthur had read them hundreds of thousands of times over the past three years. The man in the pictures was none other than his father, who was accused of stealing a powerful artifact from a famous guild. He slumped in his chair before the newspapers, glaring at them.
The Lime Agency could not be blamed. Their world was changing, and those left behind would be crushed and eaten. It was usual for most to awaken at fifteen years of age, but Arthur was different. Even the most basic ability seemed to be a divine power in his eyes. In truth, he blamed the world for being this way, and himself for not being the same.
"Cry me a river," said Arthur with a sigh as he brought out his phone. It was an old model, but it could surf the web. Arthur logged into the Yalveran Awakeners Association to find a new job. Although he could look for normal jobs, they did not pay enough for him to keep their house. The website loaded after a minute or so.
His hunt lasted an hour. In the end, he focused on the jobs that wanted a porter, someone to carry the bags and take care of the group. The one that paid the most was in a dungeon called Avarice, the biggest in their city and also the most dangerous.
It was the dungeon where his father was last seen. Arthur felt fate calling for him at the coincidence. If he could find clues inside the dungeon, he might be able to uncover what really happened to his father, and whether he was really as the world believed.
Arthur knew that this dungeon was dangerous. Its rank was Unique since it did not conform to the usual layout for dungeons. No mana leaked out of the dungeon, but the opposite, since it devoured everything. But on the other hand, it gave high rewards for killing dangerous monsters.
[Greetings,] Arthur began his email to the person who posted the job. Then, he wrote down everything about himself that might appeal. Arthur had to lie a little to sound less useless but found his worries unfounded once he read the comments on the post. No one wanted to lose their lives.
In truth, Arthur was scared shitless of this dungeon. It was known for a high mortality rate, so he did not expect this to be remotely safe. However, he was not reckless or arrogant, but in rather desperate need of money. After revising his email again, Arthur sent it. Minutes later, he received a reply.
[11 AM, Avarice Dungeon, table 36. $100 per hour.]
Arthur almost burst with joy as he found a job that would save him. However, he could not go underprepared, so he decided to research more on the dungeon. After hours of reading, he realized that while Avarice was a dungeon, it did not seem to pose impossible challenges. Sleep was the best preparation he could do at the moment.
––––
Each dungeon had a meeting area in front of its entrance. That area was restricted to citizens, but Arthur managed to go inside because his name was in the system. He looked through the tables, searching for his until he found it, Number 36.
The moment he approached the booth, he heard the conversation die down as everyone turned to look at him. There were five awakeners inside the booth, looking at him with both displeasure and curiosity. Arthur gulped as he glanced at his phone, making sure he wasn't late. It was still 10:45 AM.
"You must be our porter," said a man as he rose from his seat and offered Arthur a handshake. He was the oldest in the group, with a strong jaw and white sideburns. "My name is Alan. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, sir," said Arthur while shaking his head and turning toward the rest. "I'm glad to be working with you, everyone."
"You are working for us, not with us," said a man sitting in a relaxed manner, one leg over the other. "Just stay out of our way and don't be a burden during fights."
"Please refrain from infighting, Juan," said Alan with a frown, and the warrior sneered but did not reply. "Arthur is alright. We are working together. Our goal is simple: the Regenerative Golems in the third layer. My analyst said that it would be safe given our powers."
Everyone was relieved to hear that, even Arthur, who decided to avoid the warrior with a long nose. He was the only other warrior beside Alan. There were two more women and a young man, who did not care enough to introduce themselves to Arthur.
Before they went into the dungeon, they had a meal. Arthur had to use the restroom since he did not have an awakener's metabolism, and there were none inside the dungeon. Then, the group marched toward the portal looming in the distance.
Arthur overheard the conversations among the members. Another woman chatted with the long-nosed warrior, whose name turned out to be Juan. The large woman, who was taller than Arthur himself, was called Beatrice, who was also a warrior. The last woman wore mage clothes but did not participate in the talk.
As for the last young man, who seemed pale and weaker than Arthur himself, he was a Magic Gunman called Yuran. He was the only one in the group to chat with Arthur or even acknowledge him. What amazed the porter was that Alan seemed to pay special attention to the gunman for some reason.
Before entering the dungeon, Arthur had to sign a form that would clear any responsibility from the association or the team in case of his death. Then, they were allowed into the dungeon, which glowed blue. It was huge, befitting the dungeon labeled Dragon Gate. The name promised awakeners that they might find skills, items, or cores that would turn them into dragons.