The tension was immediate. As the team left the city limits and made their way toward Nightshade Caverns, Ethan could feel the unspoken distrust radiating from his new party members. He wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t a real adventurer. And they weren’t going to let him forget it. The Road to the Dungeon They traveled along a worn dirt path, cutting through the outskirts of Portland’s safe zone. Beyond the protective barriers of the city, the world was still wild. Ruined buildings sat in overgrown fields, abandoned cars rusting along the roadside. It was a graveyard of the old world—a reminder of what had been lost when the System took over. Ethan kept his head down, adjusting the heavy supply pack strapped to his back. It was filled with extra rations, medical kits, torches, and emergency gear. His job was simple: carry supplies and stay out of the way. That didn’t stop Kara from shooting him a glare every few minutes, like she was waiting for him to collapse under the weight. Ethan wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “Alright, listen up.” Gareth’s voice cut through the quiet as they neared the dungeon entrance. “This is an F-Rank dungeon, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. You slip up, you die. Simple as that.” His sharp eyes flicked to Ethan. “And that goes double for you, porter. We’re not here to babysit.” Ethan nodded, biting back his irritation. “Understood.” Leah, the team’s healer, offered a small smile. “Just stick close and you’ll be fine,” she said, voice softer than the others.
Ethan didn’t reply. Because deep down, he knew. If something went wrong— They weren’t going to save him. The Entrance to the Dungeon The entrance to Nightshade Caverns was a massive, jagged tunnel carved into the earth. Black stone walls pulsed faintly with an eerie purple glow, as if the dungeon itself was alive. Ethan swallowed hard. This was his first time inside a dungeon. The moment he stepped through—he wasn’t in the real world anymore. He was in the System’s domain. Gareth stepped forward and held out his hand.
[DUNGEON IDENTIFICATION: NIGHTSHADE CAVERNS]
[F-RANK – RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 5-10]
[PARTY LIMIT: 5]
[MONSTER TYPE: NIGHTFANGS]
Ethan read the notification, his chest tightening. Nightfangs. He had heard of them before. Small, wolf-like creatures with razor-sharp claws and an unnatural hunger for human flesh. They weren’t as bad as higher-ranked monsters—but they were still killers. Gareth clenched his fist.
[ENTER DUNGEON] YES/NO
A red light pulsed around the cavern entrance. Then— The air shifted. The world around them twisted. And suddenly— They were inside.
The moment they entered, the outside world disappeared.
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Ethan shivered. The air was colder here. Thicker.
The cavern walls were smooth and unnatural, as if they had been carved by something other than time.
Faint purple crystals jutted from the ceiling, casting a ghostly glow.
The tunnel stretched deeper, fading into pure blackness.
“Light up,” Gareth ordered.
Kara pulled a torch from her belt, striking it alight. The flame flickered against the cave walls, pushing back the shadows.
Ethan followed silently, his heart pounding.
This wasn’t like the outside world.
This was different.
The System controlled this space.
And if they made a mistake—it wouldn’t let them leave.
A Party That Doesn’t Trust Him
As they moved forward, Ethan noticed how tightly the others moved together.
A well-practiced formation.
Gareth led from the front, spear raised and eyes scanning for movement.
Kara stayed just behind him, sword in hand.
Leah followed in the middle, keeping a protective distance.
And Ethan?
Ethan was in the back.
He wasn’t part of their formation.
He wasn’t part of their team.
He was just a porter.
An afterthought.
“Keep up, Voss,” Kara muttered. “I don’t want to have to drag your body out later.”
Ethan gritted his teeth but didn’t respond.
He knew how they saw him.
Weak. Useless. Expendable.
But he wasn’t here to prove anything to them.
He was here to survive.
And maybe—just maybe—find a way to awaken his class.
The tunnel twisted, leading into a larger cavern.
Gareth held up a hand, signaling for them to stop.
“Something’s close,” he muttered.
Ethan strained his ears.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then—
A low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness ahead.
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
Then came the eyes.
Small, glowing yellow orbs appeared in the shadows—dozens of them.
The Nightfangs were watching.
Kara grinned.
“Finally.”
Then the monsters attacked.
The Chaos of Battle
The Nightfangs lunged from the darkness, their forms a blur of black fur and flashing claws.
Gareth reacted first, thrusting his spear forward with practiced precision.
It impaled the first Nightfang mid-air, slamming it against the cavern floor.
Kara was next—her blade flashed, slicing through the neck of another beast before it could reach her.
Ethan stumbled backward, heart hammering.
He wasn’t fighting.
He wasn’t supposed to.
But watching them move—
Watching them fight like it was second nature—
He felt pathetic.
Another Nightfang broke through, darting past Gareth’s defenses.
Straight for Ethan.
His breath caught.
It was too fast.
He had no time to move.
Then—
A burst of light flared beside him.
Leah’s staff glowed bright blue, and a surge of mana slammed into the monster, sending it skidding backward.
“Stick to the back!” she snapped at Ethan.
Her voice was sharp—but not cruel.
Ethan forced himself to move, pressing against the cavern wall.
The battle ended as quickly as it had started.
The last Nightfang collapsed, its body lifeless on the cold stone.
Kara flicked the blood from her sword.
“Easy.”
Ethan’s breathing was shaky.
It had been easy for them.
For him?
He had frozen.
A harsh reminder of what he already knew.
He didn’t belong here.
Not yet.
But he would one way or another.
