Frank stared at the HunterNet posting on his tablet, the words blurring together after reading them for the fourth time. The coffee in his mug had gone cold hours ago, but he didn't notice. His finger hovered over the "Apply" button like it was a detonator.
D-Rank Dungeon Run - Ironspike Caverns
Need: Swordsman (Flexible Role)
Party Leader: J. Lee
Requirements: D-Rank minimum, own gear, no tag checks
Payment: 15% loot share + completion bonus
J. Lee. Everyone in Arcadia knew that name. Juliet Lee—A-Rank Emberlance Huntress, fire-spear specialist, and owner of a temper that burned hotter than her weapon. The forum comments below the posting were predictable:
"Good luck finding someone crazy enough to keep up with her pace."
"Lee burns through swordsmen faster than potions."
"Trader class? She'll eat you alive, no-tag."
Frank closed the comments section. He'd heard enough about Juliet Lee to know her reputation. Fast, aggressive, impatient with weakness. Exactly the kind of Hunter who'd dismiss him on sight.
Perfect.
He tapped "Apply" before he could second-guess himself.
The reply came within ten minutes:
"Ironspike staging area. One hour. Don't waste my time."
Frank grabbed his gear and headed out.
The staging area buzzed with pre-dungeon energy. Groups clustered around equipment checks, last-minute strategy sessions, and nervous laughter that didn't quite mask the underlying tension. Frank spotted Juliet's team immediately—they stood apart from the crowd, their body language screaming competence and impatience in equal measure.
Juliet Lee was exactly what he'd expected and nothing like he'd imagined. Tall, athletic, her dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail that revealed a face marked by old scars and fresh determination. Her armor was scorched in places, the leather darkened by countless battles. The spear across her back seemed to pulse with contained heat, its metal tip glowing faintly even when dormant.
She looked up as Frank approached, her eyes scanning him with the same intensity she'd use to evaluate a piece of gear. No welcome, no pleasantries. Just assessment.
"You know which end of that sword to hold?" she asked.
"Sharp end goes in the monster," Frank replied.
The corner of her mouth twitched—not quite a smile, but not dismissal either. She jerked her chin toward the rest of the group. "Introductions. Quick."
Dale Carter, the archer, was lean and wiry with eyes that never stopped moving. His bow looked expensive, well-maintained, and thoroughly used. He gave Frank a nod that managed to convey both acknowledgment and skepticism.
Mina Torres stood with her shield propped against her hip like it weighed nothing. The metal was scarred and dented, telling stories of battles survived through pure stubbornness. She offered Frank a slight smile—the first genuine warmth he'd encountered.
Ravi Deshmukh clutched his staff with white knuckles, his nervousness obvious in the way he kept adjusting his pack straps. Young, maybe early twenties, with the kind of anxiety that came from being the weakest link in a chain of steel.
"Prep time's over," Juliet announced, cutting through any chance of further conversation. "Dale's got the route mapped. Mina sets the pace. Ravi stays close to center. New guy—" she pointed at Frank "—covers flanks and keeps your mouth shut unless something's trying to eat us."
Ravi started to speak, probably wanting to double-check their supply distribution, but Juliet was already moving toward the dungeon entrance. The rest of the team fell in behind her with practiced efficiency.
Frank reviewed his gear one last time as they walked. Two healing potions in easy reach, his new blade secured but ready to draw, and enough dimensional backup supplies to handle emergencies. His stats had improved significantly since his last major dungeon run, but D-Rank was still a step up in lethality.
The entrance portal shimmered like disturbed water, its surface reflecting distorted images of the world beyond. Frank had passed through dozens of these gates, but the sensation never became routine—that moment of weightlessness, reality bending, then the sharp snap back into a different world entirely.
The air on the other side hit them like a cold slap. Damp stone corridors stretched ahead, their walls lined with moss and old bones. The ambient pressure felt wrong, heavy with the promise of hidden threats. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped with metronomic persistence.
Dale moved ahead immediately, his footsteps silent on the stone floor. The rest of them formed a loose diamond formation—Mina at point, Juliet and Frank on the flanks, Ravi protected in the center. Professional, efficient, and moving at a pace that made Frank's previous dungeon experiences feel leisurely.
"Movement ahead," Dale's voice carried back to them, barely above a whisper.
Juliet's spear came off her back in one smooth motion. The metal began to glow, heat radiating from its tip in visible waves. "How many?"
"Pack formation. Maybe six, could be more."
"Standard approach. Mina anchors, Dale picks the edges, Ravi stays—"
The first Cave Howler burst from a side passage before she could finish.
It moved like a nightmare fusion of wolf and hyena, its body lean and powerful, jaw unhinged to reveal rows of yellowed fangs. Its eyes reflected the torchlight with an unsettling intelligence that suggested pack tactics and calculated aggression.
Mina's shield met its charge with a sound like a hammer striking anvil. The impact drove her back half a step, but her stance held firm. Dale's first arrow took the creature in the shoulder, spinning it sideways into the wall.
Three more Howlers poured from the shadows.
Juliet moved like controlled violence, vaulting over Mina's shield to drive her spear into the lead Howler's chest. The weapon's heat cauterized the wound instantly, filling the air with the smell of burned flesh. She twisted, pulling the spear free, and pivoted toward the next target.
Dale's arrows found their marks with mechanical precision—shoulder, leg, throat. Each shot calculated to wound, slow, or kill based on tactical necessity rather than showmanship.
Ravi raised his staff, light gathering at its tip, then faltered as one of the wounded Howlers turned toward him with predatory focus. His spell fizzled, the gathered energy dissipating harmlessly.
Frank stepped in.
The Howler leaped, jaws aimed for Ravi's throat. Frank's blade met it mid-air, the steel sliding between ribs with surgical precision. The creature's momentum carried it past him, landing in a heap behind Ravi's position.
『+8 XP -- Cave Howler (D-Rank)』
『Combat Rating Increased: 47』
Another Howler circled toward their rear, trying to flank around Mina's position. Frank intercepted it with a lateral slash, opening its side from shoulder to hip. The creature stumbled, giving Dale a clear shot that ended its involvement in the fight.
"Ravi!" Juliet's voice cracked like a whip. "Focus or die!"
The young mage flinched but managed to complete his next spell, sending a bolt of healing energy into Mina as she absorbed another Howler's charge. Her shield arm steadied, the strain lines around her eyes easing slightly.
The battle rhythm accelerated. Juliet pressed forward with relentless aggression, her spear leaving trails of heat through the air. Dale maintained covering fire from his elevated position on a broken stone ledge. Mina held the center like an immovable object, her shield work turning potential kills into manageable wounds.
Frank found his role in the spaces between—covering Ravi when the formation stretched thin, supporting Mina when multiple attackers converged, cleaning up wounded Howlers before they could regroup.
Then the alphas arrived.
Two massive shapes emerged from the deeper shadows, each easily twice the size of the pack members they'd been fighting. Their movements were deliberate rather than frenzied, intelligence gleaming in eyes that reflected not just light but calculation.
The first alpha targeted Mina directly, recognizing her as the formation's anchor point. Its charge carried enough force to crack stone, driving her back three full steps despite her braced stance. Her shield developed a spider web of stress fractures from the impact.
Frank moved to support her, his blade finding the gap between the alpha's ribs and foreleg. The wound was deep but not immediately fatal—these creatures had redundant vitals and thick hide that turned aside anything but perfect strikes.
The second alpha circled toward Juliet, who had overextended in pursuing a wounded pack member. She realized her mistake too late, spinning to face the new threat with her spear held in a defensive position.
"Lee!" Dale's warning came with an arrow that struck the alpha's flank, drawing its attention but not stopping its advance.
Juliet sidestepped the alpha's initial rush, her spear trailing fire as she carved a line across its shoulder. The creature's hide smoldered but didn't penetrate deeply enough to hit vital organs. It turned for a second attack, this time keeping low to avoid her overhead strikes.
Frank threw one of his healing potions toward Ravi. "Drink it!"
The young mage caught the vial reflexively, downing its contents without question. His posture straightened immediately, exhaustion fading from his features.
"Stay out of my way!" Juliet snapped at Frank as she maneuvered around the alpha's flank.
"Start thinking before you charge!" Frank shot back, positioning himself to cover the gap she'd left in their formation. "Next time it's not just your team on the line!"
The alpha attacking Mina made another rush, its claws scraping sparks from the stone floor. Frank stepped in at an angle, his blade finding the creature's eye socket in a thrust that penetrated deep into its brain. The alpha dropped instantly, its massive form hitting the ground with earthquake force.
『+15 XP -- Cave Howler Alpha (D-Rank Elite)』
『Skill Proficiency: Piercing Fang +3%』
Juliet's alpha proved more cunning. It feinted left, then launched itself in a spinning attack that used its full body weight as a weapon. Juliet barely got her spear up in time, the shaft taking the brunt of the impact and nearly snapping under the force.
Frank and Juliet moved simultaneously—spear and sword converging on the alpha's exposed flank. Juliet's weapon punched through hide and muscle while Frank's blade found the joint where the creature's rear leg connected to its torso. The combined assault brought the alpha down in a thrashing heap.
The remaining pack members, seeing both alphas dead, fled into the deeper tunnels with yips of dismay.
Silence settled over the battlefield, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing and the distant drip of water on stone.
Ravi stepped forward, his staff glowing with renewed confidence. "Let me get those wounds."
His healing magic felt different now—stronger, more focused. The various cuts and bruises Frank had accumulated during the fight faded under the warm touch of restorative energy.
Juliet wiped blood from a cut on her cheek, her adrenaline still running hot. She studied Frank with newfound attention, her earlier dismissiveness replaced by something approaching respect.
"That was just the warm-up," she said, her voice carrying both challenge and acknowledgment. "Still want the job, Trader?"
Frank tested his grip on his sword, feeling the familiar weight settle into his palm. The deeper tunnels stretched ahead, shadows thickening with each step away from the entrance. Somewhere in that darkness, the real challenge waited.
A low rumble shook the cavern floor, followed by a roar that seemed to come from the earth itself. The dungeon boss, awakened by the sounds of battle.
"Only if you start thinking like you want to keep it," Frank replied.
Dale reloaded his quiver with practiced efficiency. Mina examined her cracked shield, testing its remaining structural integrity. Ravi's grip on his staff had steadied, confidence replacing anxiety in his posture.
Juliet nodded once, then turned toward the deeper tunnels. "Then let's see what you're really made of."
The path forward descended into true darkness, the walls pressing closer with each step. Behind them, the entrance portal's light faded to a distant memory. Ahead, something vast and hungry stirred in the depths, drawn by the scent of intruders in its domain.
The real test was about to begin.