Sidius took a refreshing bath and dressed in a dark denim hooded jacket, black jeans, and rubber shoes. With his attire sorted, he texted Pliero back to meet him at the Hayston station near a large forest in Leafworm Town.
It was time for him to focus on honing his skills and becoming stronger. Now that the shackles of his limitations were gone and with the memories of Den Grimar, he could fully abuse his talent to the core.
After a journey on foot and a train ride, he finally reached Hayston station, the closest stop to the E rank dungeons in the East.
Stepping off the train, Sidius struggled to recognize Pliero at first due to his changed appearance. Pliero now resembled a regular human, possibly a result of a recent bath or he is in a disguise yesterday.
Upon seeing Sidius at the station, Pliero greeted him.
"Boss," he said.
"You haven't witnessed my abilities yet in battle, call me that after you've seen them," Sidius replied, offering a warm smile at Pliero who seemed like a lost cub that had found an owner.
"How are you going to show me? Fight with me?" Pliero asked curiously.
"We're going to raid a dungeon," Sidius responded as they made their way into a nearby shop that sold consumables for those who wanted to explore dungeons.
Using the remaining star coins he had, Sidius purchased one advanced healing potion, two stamina recovery potions, along with some sticky potions and haste scrolls.
"But... it's just the two of us," Pliero objected, gesturing his hands from Sidius to himself. "At least a team of five people is needed to raid a dungeon," he added.
"Is that a problem? We'll join a party," Sidius reassured as he placed the potions in his expansion bag. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
"Yes, yes, here is your 'Dangle Deceit,'" Pliero presented.
Seeing the artifact, Sidius grabbed it and put it on, modifying his name in the panel information before walking into the bustling crowd.
"Then, which dungeon are we going to raid?" Pliero inquired, trailing behind Sidius.
"Just an F rank free dungeon."
"What's the name?"
"The Fiery Mist," Sidius exclaimed.
"You mean 'that' Fiery Mist?! Are you crazy!?" Pliero stopped in his tracks, his eyes expressing disbelief at what Sidius had just said.
"Yep, that Fiery Mist," Sidius responded, turning to face his shocked companion. "Don't just stand there; the time's running," he urged as he headed towards the dungeon.
Sidius understood what was running through Pliero's mind, explaining the shockness on his face. The Fiery Mist was indeed an F rank dungeon, but its frightening aspect was the fact that it doesn't have a mercenary or guild owner for 10 years.
Dungeons were categorized into two types: acquired dungeons and free dungeons. The acquired dungeons were those that chosens had successfully cleared, making them a source of income.
The higher ranked guilds, organizations, institutions, and even academies use similar tactics to nurture their juniors. It was safe and effective way.
On the other hand, free dungeons referred to those that remained unconquered, and the Fiery Mist is one of them.
'This dungeon is the perfect place to train my skills and decision-making without any prying eyes,' Sidius thought with determination.
He continued to walk until the sound of people shouting can be heard.
"Need one E rank healer! Come if you want!"
"Selling one advanced potion for double price but you will get one for free!"
"We need an E rank Tank!"
"Join if you are an E rank ranger! We have an E rank tank so you'll be safe!"
Various voices interlocked as Sidius made his way through the crowd, creating a bustling atmosphere. Utilizing his skill 'Inspect', he began searching for a powerful party to join.
Observing people still brought Sidius the best feeling, thanks to his innate trait as a strategist.
Skimming through the status of several chosens, he finally found a party that met his requirements.
Turning his head, he flashed a smile in their direction. He approached a guy equipped with a full E rank warrior set, accompanied by a female mage with a witch hat and a sturdy tank-like companion.
"I am with a chosen who is a ranger," Sidius said to them, but their heads only glanced at him briefly before looking away again, seemingly uninterested.
"Boss, wait!"
In time, Pliero caught up, and their heads turned back to Sidius, picking their interest.
"You call this F+ rank Boss, while you are an E rank?" questioned the warrior man, furrowing his brows. "Leave this trash and join my party," he added, pointing his fingers first at Sidius and then at himself.
Sidius simply dismissed the idea, tilting his body to turn away. However, just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice.
"L-let's accept them!" the mage pleaded with the man who seemed to be their leader. "We can't raid the Fiery Mist without a ranger... a-and if we delay any longer, the large mercenary groups will monopolize the raid time again," she added, lowering her head.
A smile spread beneath Sidius's black hoodie as he overheard her words.
The warrior man and the big guy were taken aback, but they eventually get along with the mage's idea. The leader called out to Sidius, asking him to wait.
"I'm sorry for my words earlier," the warrior man said, though Sidius could sense that he wasn't genuinely sorry. Nevertheless, he let it slide.
"I'm Gion, this is Lumia, and that's Troy," the warrior man introduced, gesturing towards the woman and the big guy. "As you've heard, we are planning to raid the Fiery Mist, so think carefully about joining us. As for why we're raiding that dungeon, you'll find out soon," he added with a smug expression on his face.
"No need, I'm in," Sidius replied firmly, meeting his gaze head-on. "I'm Seed, and this is Mirzam," Sidius added, pointing to the man he came with.
"What a weird name... looks like you're not trash at all, brat," Gion said with a smile before walking towards the portal.
The area near the Fiery Mist dungeon portal was less crowded, providing them with an easier opportunity to initiate the raid.
As the five of them stepped into the cracked space, Sidius and the others felt a magical force pulling them in, like pieces of a million bright stars engulfing their entire beings.
At the same time, they were transported into a realm that seemed otherworldly, far foreign from the world they knew.
'Interesting,' Sidius praised.