Rosh arrives home after completing his first dungeon run, still feeling the exhaustion deep in his bones. Just as he steps in, he heads straight to the shower.
The warm water cascades over him as he lets out a sigh.
His fists clench tightly, knuckles whitening under the stress.
"I'm too weak." Scenes of him barely defeating a few goblins flash in his mind.
"I'm E-rank, I should be able to defeat them easily. But even the skeleton collapsed after defeating just one goblin... How will I avenge them like this?" His thoughts race as warm water cascades over him.
His eyes darken slightly as he thinks. "Strength... I need strength... for them."
He steps out of the shower and joins Jareen and Clara for dinner.
Clara leans forward, eyes bright with excitement. "So, How was your first raid, Rosh?"
Rosh replies silently. "It was hard."
"Okay... Did you get to use your ability?" She asks again.
"I did, on a goblin, but the skeleton was weak." He replies, still sounding detached.
"Heyy, what's wrong? Why are you talking like that?" Clara says, a bit annoyed.
Jareen, noticing his tone, asks worriedly. "Are you alright, Rosh?"
Rosh sighs, "Sorry, Aunt Jareen, I just overestimated myself too much. I am E-rank and barely managed to defeat a few goblins that are a rank below."
Jareen tries to comfort him. "It's okay, Rosh. You just started, and you will get better. I'm sure of it."
Clara adds, "Yeah, you just started. You will improve with time."
Rosh smiles faintly. "Thanks, Aunt Jareen; I needed to hear those words."
Clara, now more excited, says, "Now, cheer up and tell me all about the raid, okay?"
He then recounts his adventure, describing how he met the team, what the interior of the dungeon was like, and how they worked together to defeat the goblins and big bats.
At night, in his room, he is looking through videos of hunters raiding the dungeons on the HuntTube, when he comes across an advertisement.
"Awakened dark mana and wondering why you are still weak? Want to know how to get stronger? If yes, then join us! We train you personally and help you become strong.
Visit the website to more and start your journey to become stronger today."
Rosh's eyes widen. "Why didn't I think of joining an institution to learn? Let's check this one out," he thinks, excitedly.
He checks out the website.
"It looks good overall, but the membership costs 50 thousand INR (600 USD) per month... I've only got about 40 thousand in total. Sigh, I'll just raid tomorrow.
The next day, Rosh is in his room, browsing hunter websites for any party looking for a porter. His eyes scan the listings until one catches his attention.
"Hmm, D-rank portal dungeon, nine hunter team, and leader is C-rank swordsman. He mutters to himself.
"It's D-rank, but with the leader C-rank, it shouldn't be hard, and I only need to stay with the porters in the back."
Portal dungeons are fractures that connect the outside to deeper levels of random dungeons. Each has a source called a Dungeon Core. Destroying it cuts off the energy and the portal dungeon disappears.
Rosh decides to take the job as a porter, knowing that porters are paid based on the dungeon's rank- the higher the rank dungeon, the better the pay.
He quickly puts on his hunter gear, grabs the sword just in case, and takes a deep breath before heading out to the portal.
When he arrives, he sees the portal, a glowing fracture in the space, as large as a bus. The area around it is fenced off with a barrier, and hunters are grouped in front of it. At the entrance, he meets the leader of the porter team, a sturdy, middle-aged man.
"Boy, are you the temporary porter hired for today?" The man asks.
Rosh nods, "Yes, am I late?"
"yeah, a bit. Anyway, I'm the leader of the Porter team, Jalad. The gear's over there. You can grab one of the bags." Jalad says, pointing towards the gears.
As they prepare to enter, the team leader, a sturdy man with short brown hair, wearing a shoulder guard and chest plate, with a sword strapped on his back, steps forward. "hello, I'm Hank, a C-rank swordsman. I'll be leading the team through the dungeon. It's going to be tough, so stay sharp. Porters, make sure to stay behind the team. Now everyone, move in."
Inside, the space is massive, the air thick with heat. The ground is cracked, and every few minutes, flames bursting forth with ferocity. Demonic trees with bark the color of dried blood stretch their gnarled branches toward the sky. Their leaves burn, crackling with an eerie intensity, while twisted, grotesque fruits with faces hang from the branches.
"It's hot" Rosh mutters as he inhales the heat.
As they advance, they encounter a group of eight demons. They have humanoid bodies with red skin, and each is holding a bone dagger.
The demons rush forward the moment they spot the hunters. The tanks step up, shield forward, while one of the mages quickly conjures a water ball and hurls it at the oncoming demons.
Their charge halts, and Hank, with other dealers, rushes in.
The water ball quickly turns into steam. Hank swiftly decapitates two demons and engages with the other two while the other dealers hold back the remaining. The other mage casts a spell, and vines erupt from the ground, entangling the demons' feet.
Hank finishes off his opponent and moves to help the others.
And soon the demons are taken care of.
"Good work everyone. Porters, your turn." Hank calls out.
The porters quickly take out their tools and begin extracting mana cores while the hunters keep. While Rosh is working on a demon, he thinks. "Can I absorb mana while working?"
He tries, "Ohh, it works, but the absorption rate is slower. Is it because I'm not focusing enough?"
Undeterred, he continues, absorbing what he can as he works on another body.
After finishing, they move deeper into the dungeon.
On their way, they come across other groups of demons, some stronger while some easier to face. Nonetheless, they defeat them, and porters extract the stuff. Then, those who get hurt are quickly healed by the healer.
As porters work, hunters drink water to satiate their thirst.
As everyone advances, Rosh begins to feel deja vu.
"I feel like there's something... Something familiar." He thinks to himself while looking ahead.
After two hours of fighting and collecting, they see a passageway ahead with less cracked ground. As they step towards it, the heat gradually decreases. As they step into the huge passage, the healer takes a deep breath.
"Ooh, this is heaven amidst hell. Leader, can't we take a short break here?"
Hank, sweating profusely, shakes his head.
"No, we need to ensure the area is safe first."
As he speaks, the healer suddenly shouts in surprise. Hank twists around to see green fluid splattered on her clothes. His eyes widen in alarm. "Monsters above! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
The hunters quickly get in position as the spiders, about 2 feet with red line marks on their body and their limbs as sharp as swords, descend to attack.
"Mages, shields" Hanks shouts.
Both the mages cast barrier spells just as the spiders attack.
The spiders' fangs, dripping with venom, scrape against the magical shields, leaving trails of green fluid that sizzle as they touch the ground.
The dealers leap into action,
their weapons clashing against the spiders' tough exoskeleton.
The tanks hold the line, their shields absorbing the brunt of the spiders' relentless assault.
The porters stay close to the wall, keeping out of harm's way.
The Healer, her hand glowing with soft light, casts a physical strength boost on the tanks and dealers. The enhancement visibly fortifies them, allowing them to push back against the spider onslaught. The mages, freed from defensive duty, begin to cast their spells.
Suddenly, two spiders, faster and more cunning than the rest, drop silently from the ceiling directly above the mages. Their beady, red eyes locking onto the unsuspecting mages below, limbs raised to strike.
"Watch out!" Rosh's voice cuts through the chaos as he lunges forward, sword in hand. He barely manages to intercept the spiders, his blade clashing against their sharp limbs. The force of the impact sends a jarring pain through his arms. But, he manages to distract their attack.
Rosh struggles to hold the spiders back as the spiders attack, their limbs moving in a blur. Rosh struggles to parry their strikes, each blow pushing him closer to the edge of exhaustion.
Just as one spider rears back to deliver a fatal strike, Liam conjures a vine that shoots up from the ground and pierces through both the spiders' abdomens with a sickening crunch.
Austin, reacting swiftly, conjures multiple water bullets above his head. With a shout, he releases them, each projectile finding its mark. The spiders are hit simultaneously, their exoskeletons cracking under the pressure of the magical barrage.
The remaining spiders, disoriented and wounded, are quickly taken care of by the other dealers.
Just as all the spiders are taken care of, the hunters take a moment to catch their breath, their weapons still at the ready, just in case.
Moments later, the porters move in, with their tools in hand.
Hank approaches Rosh, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "What you did back there was reckless, kid. But, thanks to you, the mages weren't hurt. So, thanks. I will make sure you get a reward for that."
Austin nods in agreement. "Yeah, thanks for distracting them, boy. If it wasn't for you, we might've gotten injured. You did well."
Rosh nods, slightly embarrassed by the attention but grateful for the recognition. He quickly joins the other porters, crouching down next to the spider corpses. As he works, he also begins to subtly absorb mana, feeling it flow into him, though the process is slow.
The hunters rest while the porters collect the mana cores, the dim light of the cave casting long shadows across the bloodstained ground.
Once the extraction is complete, the group continues through the passageway, their footsteps echoing off the walls. They see the faint glow of the exit ahead.
Without warning, Rosh's heart pounds violently in his chest, a wave of cold dread surging through him. He stops dead in his tracks, his senses screaming a warning.
"There's something... something dangerous ahead," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
Others turn to look at him, their expressions shifting from exhaustion to concern. The once comforting sight of the exit now seems ominous, as if something is lurking just beyond the light.