Lua zipped his backpack in deep thought. He was going on another mission, one that could potentially change the course of his life. He had had the same thoughts while he was preparing to go to the previous mission. It couldn't be helped - life and death were at stake during these missions.
Lua simply decided to forget about it for now. He put his bag over his shoulder and stepped out of the room into the corridor. He saw Mick and Anthony, already waiting for the others. With Arc in tow, Lua sat down onto the couch and began talking with the men until the others arrived.
"Have you ever been in a dungeon?" Lua asked, sizing up their knowledge on the matters. This was critical for their exploration, after all.
Anthony shook his head. "I haven't, but Mick has. He's been a mercenary for a few years."
Mick nodded, approving his recollection. He opened his mouth to explain his circumstances.
"A few years ago, I was with a team that was quite powerful. While returning from a mission, we noticed that a storm was approaching and sought shelter. In a forest, the best we could do was an ordinary looking cave."
"In our boredom, we began explorations. First was our frontliner, a burly man that was a bit older than I was. I was at the end of the line with my bow equipped."
"It didn't take us long to notice that this cave lead to a dungeon.. I was against exploring it, citing our lack of information. However, the team unilaterally agreed to follow through.. and I was stuck following them."
"I later learned that the dungeon was an Extreme class, something way above our paygrade as high-tier adventurers. Upon hearing this, you may question how our adventure turned out."
Mick rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hideous scar on his forearm. "Everyone was slaughtered by a pack of demonic mutts. Everyone excluding me. I watched as they were eaten alive, while I looked at them with fear, unable to do anything. Fear overtook me, and I ran. I ran as fast as I could. They yelled for my help from behind me, but I couldn't. I knew I stood no chance against those beasts, so I left them all to die."
Mick's voice turned pained, regret dripping from his voice as if he had opened a tap that had been shut tightly for years. He sounded like he did not want to remember any of these events. "My fiancé was my co-mercenary. She was devoured in a bloody mess in front of my eyes. We were going to get married later that year."
Lua couldn't speak. What Mick was explaining was absolutely terrifying, something that shouldn't happen to anyone on this planet. Lua felt he might have given up then and there, accepting death's embrace. Just imagining it was enough to send shivers down Lua's spine, making him question his decision to choose the dungeon quest.
"We're lucky it's only an easy leveled dungeon. Normally, I would have turned down this job due to my fears, but our increased numbers gave me the determination I needed to overcome this."
Lua gave a solemn smile, glad that Mick was at least willing to fight to get over his previous tragedy. It also gave him the inspiration he needed to put up a brave act.
Suddenly, Victoria entered the room. She had a grieved expression on her face, as if she had heard everything. She wore her regular adventuring clothing with a sword tied to her back, and her hair tied to a bun. She didn't contribute to the conversation that had already ended. Instead, she simply opted to ask if the team was prepared.
"Are you all ready?" She asked.
"Waitin' on Winston and Luna." Anthony replied, answering her question immediately. Victoria looked like she had a confused expression in return.
"You guys do know they're waiting outside, right?"
After Lua and company arrived outside, they indeed found the others waiting for them. They had been so late that they had opted to sit down instead of waiting for them on their feet. It was not a surprising at all, and Lua would have personally done the same.
"Finally." Winston sighed, eager to get back on the road. "I almost grew roots waiting for you."
"Took you long enough." Luna agreed with Winston.
Victoria chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
A few hours later, Lua and company were in the middle of a dense forest once more.
Why is it always forests?.. Lua was tired of seeing the same old trees over and over. He just wanted to fight some monsters and be done with it, and hopefully find some riches along the way. Of course, by now, he knew better than to be greedy and seek nothing but riches. That wasn't the kind of person he was regardless - he valued survival above all else.
"It's up ahead." Victoria spoke, almost as if she was reading Lua's every action. However, that wasn't possible considering Lua was three people behind her in the line.
After a bit more walking, they came to an abrupt halt in front of a cave. The cave was pitch black, and very ordinary. Without the quest, Lua might have glanced over it. Victoria turned around, and addressed the team.
"Remember the plan! There will be absolutely no blunders in this operation. Is this understood?"
The plan consisted of the usual. Victoria was going to be the frontline, and Winston was going to be our eyes and ears in this dark terrain. Luna was going to cover our backs while Mick stood right in front of her. In the middle was Anthony, and in front of him were Lua and Arc.
"Yes ma'am!" The entire team spoke in unison. Lua was exceedingly nervous, and he could tell some others were in the band as well. He was both excited and terrified after hearing Mick's recollection.
"Onwards!" Victoria yelled at the top of her lungs, signaling the beginning of the quest.