The first section housed a grand hall that depicted the ancient prosperity of those who once occupied these places. The walls told a story of wealth and abundance, partially describing a history where its inhabitants demonstrated their veneration for some kind of god of avarice.
As we moved forward, I thought back to our formation and its members. Thomas's team was strong enough to be classified as a B-rank team, despite the fact that the majority of its members were C-rank.
Marcus was a C-rank Tank, which significantly increased his physicality and endurance. Moreover, he had a "taunt" skill that allowed him to focus the monsters' "aggro" on himself, making him the perfect front line of defense.
Second, there was Thomas, a B-rank Warrior, who balanced strength, endurance, and speed. His skill was Clairvoyance. A capability that allowed him to predict his enemies' movements.
Émilie, a C-rank Support, saw her agility and ether enhanced, allowing her to use her enchantment skill safely.
As with any team, we also needed members who could deal damage, and in ours, we had Liana, a B-rank Mage capable of summoning several elemental electricity spells, and Ethan, a C-rank Assassin who could move at high speed over short distances.
As a Mage, Liana had low endurance and strength but a very large ether reserve, while Ethan had a low reserve but surprising strength and agility.
Finally, there was me, an F-rank Support, who played the role of a 'Mule,' a term used to denote those who only pick up the 'loot' from monsters as well as their carcasses. If it weren't for Thomas, I never could have been part of such a talented team. That's why I gave it my all. My skill was special; it allowed me to open a portal to another dimension, enclosing a one-square-kilometer platform. Aside from the extra space my skill provided, it offered nothing else.
So, having no advantage other than a large space to offer, no one wanted me, except to fill the role of a Mule. It was after several explorations where I was abused and betrayed that I finally met Thomas, who welcomed me like a brother. It had been a few years now that we had been exploring together, and he had never mistreated me.
The exploration proceeded quietly; the first section was empty of treasures and enemies, so we increased our pace. Arriving at the second section, the path divided into several tunnels, some ascending, others descending. Each of them was golden from floor to ceiling and large enough to allow three people to pass side by side.
As we advanced, we finally encountered a Greedy Goblin on our path.
Its yellow eyes gleamed with devouring greed, capturing my attention. Its greenish skin seemed marked by the stigmas of its relentless quest for treasures, as a thin layer of golden dust covered its hunched silhouette.
Dressed in rags, the grotesque creature carried a huge bag filled with objects, as if they were bound to it by an irresistible obsession. It reminded me of one of the characters in the series "Lord of the Boats."
What was disturbing, in my opinion, was its high-pitched, mischievous laugh that escaped from its split lips, echoing through the dark corridors, creating an atmosphere that was both sinister and intriguing.
Busy rummaging through the ground, it had not seen us approaching, offering a perfect opportunity for Liana to send a lightning bolt arrow. The Goblin fell dead to the ground. Thomas signaled us to continue while I opened my portal and dragged the monster's corpse and its belongings onto my platform. I quickly rejoined the team after completing my task to start again, over and over, after each skirmish.
We continued our exploration for a few hours before finally arriving at the third section of the dungeon.
"Before we proceed, rest and check your resources, once everything is in order, we will continue to the other side of these doors." Thomas instructed us, pointing towards a large double door. They were finely carved and seemed to be made of an extremely expensive material.