Getting onto the bus, he could see many different faces; some of old, some of young. While the young, raw MSA members chatted and laughed, the elder, experienced MSA members briefly talked over small things then started to converse about the upcoming mission.
Looking around, Luke joined a group of teenagers. In the end, it was best to have allies in the dungeons. One thing that was certain, whether you made allies or not, was that you should never make enemies. After all, anything that happens in the dungeons, stays in the dungeons.
"Hey" Carl called out upon seeing Luke's figure approach. Soon after, the others followed and looked at the teen heading towards them.
"Mind if I sit?" Luke politely questioned.
"Sure" Carl replied with a smile as Luke began to sit. On the bus, they chatted with one another and Luke began to forge some new bonds. Something he learned from his past experience and the place of his family was that gaining trusted individuals was essential to survival. Of course, he wasn't going to ignorantly trust them; he was simply laying the foundation for a trusting friendship.
Half an hour past in the blink of an eye and the grand bus came to a stop. Peering out of the glass, Luke spotted a strange portal, 'So that's a dungeon's gate. Looks just like what I found on the dark web'.
"Wow" the teenagers looked at the portal in awe, the elders not so much. It was more of an unsightly thing in their eyes, painted in horror.
Soon, they all left the bus. Since they were MSA, there was no fee. All the things like that were covered by the MSA, though the money was sourced from tax.
As James was about to march in, he was stopped by one of the older MSA.
"Get the hell off me! What do you want?" James yelled, trying to force the hand off him.
"Don't walk in before we're done. Otherwise, you'll die a pointless death. Your lucky I stopped you, the others would have just watched you get yourself killed" the middle-aged man with a short beard and scorched arm whispered to James. When James looked at the group of experienced MSA, he saw their uninterested expressions and uncaring gazes. The man was telling the truth. If James just waltz in there like an idiot as he was trying to earlier, they would have just allowed him to die and shrugged it all off.
Oli, Carl and Frank all looked over in shock when they heard the quiet words of the middle-aged man. On the other hand, Luke was too busy taking notes in his mind to react. 'It's just as they said online. This world has always been survival of the fittest, and whether you like it or not, it's never going to change'
"Thank you" James bowed to the man in a polite and thankful manner. He wasn't sure what was in the dungeon but when thinking about it, he soon believed the man's words. He had seen their reactions on the bus and when they got off it, there was something about the dungeons he wasn't told; something that the MSA hid from the public.
"As if those old bastards were planning to let us die" James face was devoured by anger.
"Ha. Us? You mean you. You're the dumbass who tried to just stroll in there" Carl chuckled.
"Hmph. If it wasn't me, it was just gonna be another one of us" James retorted with a frown.
"Right"
"Well since they tried to kill us, we shouldn't care about them" Carl was mildly infuriated by their attitude but something seemed off about the previous scene, "I have a feeling they are up to something. We need to keep our guards up"
"That guy who talked to James. I don't trust him"
Over in the huddle of elder men, who were discussing their plans, the middle-aged man strolled back with a smirk.
"How'd it go" another middle-aged man with a messy beard and a scar across his left eye questioned.
"Perfect. Looks like they took the bait" the man broke out in a sinister smile, his expression polar opposite to the one he held before the boys.
Soon after, the group walked into the portal in it's entirety. At the front, the boys took note of any suspicious activity by the veterans. Whereas, at the back, the veterans were brewing a callous play of tragedy where the boys would be the main actors.
"When the monsters get here, 'accidently' hit him with your ice spears" the scarred man nudged the youngest among the group of elders with a persuasive attitude, causing the younger man to feel encouraged.
The place was huge, surrounding the group with gigantic walls and ancient patterns. Every nine steps, a blazing blue light could be found hanging on the wall, being exerted from a lit torch trapped in a torch metal cage-like torch stand.
It wasn't long before the group became swarmed by monsters. Since this dungeon was known as the Knight's Palace, it was obvious what monsters could be found. Caging in the group, tall figures clad in shiny iron armour, paired with a huge and mighty sword that could easily slice the group in half, there were six. At every 60 degree angle, a guard could be found.
Soon, the group engaged in battle, splitting off into small teams taking on a guard each. Amid the chaos that scorched the imposing walls with destruction, the young man fired an ice spear at one of the teens.
"arrghhhh" Joe screamed in pain, his voice echoing throughout the entire dungeon.
"Joe"
"What happened?"
"Shit. They betrayed us"
Realising the situation, Carl looked at Joe's motionless body and hesitantly shook his head.
"We have to move. He's as good as dead. We can't bring him" Carl voice was shaking, reflecting the conflicting thoughts within his mind.
"We're just going to abandon him" Frank asked in disbelief. How could he abandon his friend?
"We don't have a choice! He'll die whether we bring him or not" a slow stream of water trickled down Carl's eye before they quickly ran away from the veterans.
"Are we going to chase them, Hunter?" a middle-aged man asked the scarred man.
"No. They'll die on their own" Hunter replied with an insouciant shrug.
Sprinting at top speed, like a deer from a tiger, the boys had no time to think at all. All that mattered in that moment...was their survival. But one thing that occurred simultaneously in all their ignorant minds was: the MSA lied to us!