The moment the team stepped through the shimmering blue portal, they were greeted by a suffocating wave of heat. The air reeked of sulfur, and Xavier coughed, his lungs already burning from the oppressive atmosphere. The terrain stretched out endlessly in a nightmarish expanse of molten volcanic rock, rivers of bubbling lava, and ash clouds swirling in the hot air. Every step crunched against brittle rock, the ground radiating a heat that felt like it would scorch through their boots.
Xavier shivered, but not from cold. This was his first C-rank dungeon, and every fiber of his being screamed that he didn't belong here. He was an E-rank hunter, used to doing menial tasks like carrying supplies or fetching coffee for stronger hunters. The sheer scale of the place overwhelmed him, and a deep sense of unease rooted itself in his gut.
"Stick to the back," Xavier muttered to himself. "Just stay out of the way and let them handle it."
Brandon, leading the group, raised a hand to signal the team to stop. "Eyes sharp! This isn't like any C-rank dungeon I've seen before. Stay in formation and be ready for anything."
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, faint at first but quickly growing more violent. From cracks in the volcanic rock, glowing orange light seeped out, and grotesque creatures began to emerge. They were humanoid in shape but twisted, their skin resembling cracked molten rock with veins of fiery lava coursing through their bodies. Their eyes glowed like embers, and their jagged teeth snapped hungrily as they emitted guttural growls.
"Positions!" Brandon barked, his voice slicing through the team's shock. "Ellis, take out anything that tries to flank us. Fighters, with me at the front! Mages, stay back and provide support!"
The team moved like clockwork, their prior training kicking in. Brandon charged forward, his massive shield raised high, slamming it into the nearest molten creature with a force that sent it reeling. Marcus and Eli flanked him, their axes and spear flashing as they tore into the advancing horde. Fire and ash flew everywhere as Nina and Dana unleashed a volley of spells, bright flashes of blue and green lighting up the battlefield.
Xavier, meanwhile, crouched behind a cluster of large ashen rocks, clutching the bag of equipment he was tasked to carry. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he peeked out to watch the chaos unfold. The sheer ferocity of the monsters left him breathless.
What am I even doing here? he thought, his hands trembling.
A roar erupted nearby, snapping him back to attention. At the edge of his vision, he saw something moving in the molten lava. It was long and sinuous, its body slithering through the molten rivers like a fish in water. As it emerged, Xavier's breath hitched.
The creature was a serpentine monster, its body covered in glowing volcanic scales that shimmered with heat. Its head was angular, with glowing, fiery eyes and a mouth filled with jagged teeth that seemed to drip with molten magma. It moved with terrifying speed, heading straight for Ellis, who was focused on picking off stragglers from the horde.
She doesn't see it!
Xavier's mind raced, and panic surged through him. He didn't have time to call out a warning, and his voice felt trapped in his throat. In a desperate move, his eyes locked onto a large rock nearby. Ignoring the searing heat, he grabbed it with both hands. The stone burned his palms, but he didn't care. With every ounce of strength he had, he hurled it at the serpent.
The rock struck the creature's side with a loud crack, and its glowing eyes snapped toward him. A deep, guttural hiss escaped its throat, and it turned its massive body, now focused entirely on Xavier.
"Oh, no. No, no, no!" he whispered, his stomach dropping.
The serpent let out a deafening roar and lunged at him with blinding speed. Xavier froze, his body refusing to move as fear gripped him.
I don't…wanna…
Before the monster could reach him, a flurry of arrows rained down, piercing its head, neck, and upper torso with deadly precision. The serpent collapsed mere feet away from Xavier, its molten body twitching before finally going still.
"Xavier!" Ellis's voice rang out as she sprinted toward him, her bow still in hand.
He sat there, stunned, staring at the now-dead monster. His heart pounded so loudly he could barely hear her.
"Are you okay?" Ellis knelt down, her green eyes scanning him for injuries.
"I—I'm fine," Xavier managed to stammer, his voice weak.
Ellis sighed in relief and, to his surprise, pulled him into a quick hug. "Thank you. That thing would've blindsided me if you hadn't distracted it."
Xavier sat motionless, his face heating for an entirely different reason as he processed the sensation of her arms around him. Her gear smelled faintly of lavender, a surprising contrast to the burning ash and molten air around them.
"T-Thank you," he muttered, his cheeks flushing red.
Ellis pulled back, smiling warmly. "You're braver than you think."
Before he could respond, Brandon's booming voice interrupted the moment.
"Status check! Everyone, report!"
The team responded one by one. Marcus was fine, though winded. Nina and Dana were unharmed but rattled by the intensity of the fight. Eli's armor bore scorch marks but nothing serious.
"We need to gather materials from these monsters," Brandon said, gesturing to the corpses littering the battlefield. "This new type of creature needs to be documented. Guilds will pay top dollar for samples."
Xavier opened his mouth to report that he was okay, but Brandon didn't even glance his way.
"Mercer," Brandon said flatly, "just stay out of the way and don't get yourself killed."
"Got it," Xavier muttered awkwardly, feeling invisible.
As the team regrouped, Xavier took a deep breath and stood, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. His thoughts swirled as he followed the group deeper into the dungeon.
The air grew hotter, the bubbling lava and glowing embers painting the world in shades of red and orange. Xavier gritted his teeth, determined to see this through. If they survived, he'd make enough money to support himself for months. Maybe even a year if he budgeted carefully.
Just stay out of the way. That's all you have to do, he thought.
With resolve hardening in his chest, he adjusted the bag on his shoulder and pressed on, staying close behind the strike team as they ventured further into the infernal landscape.