Dungeon Race

"I am coming to the Fang Caverns. Let's clear it like we decided," David messaged Tom inside the game and dashed towards the dungeon. He looked around and realised it was crowded but relatively empty compared to the Town area. "Players haven't realised that there is a reward for being the first party to clear it in Nightmare difficulty."

David stopped in front of the dungeon and tried to find Tom. Dungeons were specialised regions of the map where the players could work in a party and clear the monsters that spawned in that region.

Every dungeon had a different environment, which suited the monsters, creating a fun challenge for players. Each dungeon had four difficulties: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Nightmare. The dungeon had rewards in proportion to the difficulty level, and there were notable achievements on clearing the dungeon within a time limit or being the first party to clear it.

The dungeon David was currently in front of was called "Fang Caverns" and was home to wolf-type monsters.

"Where are you, Tom?" David quickly replied, but there was no reply from Tom.

"Did he stray off for some random quest again? God fucking damnit, I got skeletons to beat! I wonder what sound they will make when I smash their head with my new staff", he grinned as he summoned his new weapon he bought from the shop.

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Name: Metal Staff

Rank: Uncommon

Durability: 100/100

+3 Strength, +3 Mana

**Description:** A staff which deals bonus physical damage to its enemies. Its existence brings up the question about the masochistic tendencies of fellow wizards

Effect:

1) 10% more Physical Damage

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"HEHEHEHEHE", David was grinning all by himself, not realising that the nearby players had started to walk away from him, thinking it was a mentally ill patient who got access to a VR machine.

"Come with me, Sarah. I will help you clear the dungeon", a voice rang near the dungeon where David was standing. He could instantly recognise who this voice belonged to, "Jason", he muttered. He quickly rushed towards the voice and noticed that two groups of players were standing next to each other.

"I don't want to clear it with you, Jason. Please go away", a calm but cold rang. The girl had white hair and blue eyes and held a long sword in her left hand. Behind her were a few more players, all holding different weapons. He couldn't recognise who the girl was, but he had a feeling that he had seen her somewhere.

David glanced to the other side, and he could instantly recognise every player standing behind Jason.

"The core members of the future Lotus Guild", he muttered, clenching his fist. He could feel that his blood was boiling just thinking about how those guys made his life hell in the future. 

"We have received information from some NPCs that we will be able to create guilds once we enter the kingdom, and I want you to be a part of it, Sarah", Jason said to the girl, smiling.

"knock it off, Jason. When she says, "No, it means a no, " a short girl standing behind Sarah speaks up.

"Who the hell are you? You pesky little rat", this time the voice came from Jason's side, and a fat, burly man stepped up, holding a greatsword in his hands.

y now, many players had huddled around the two groups, interested in how the events would unfold. Still, one person had already disappeared from the crowd with the plans he wanted to execute.

"kekekeke, that fat bastard is the perfect one to test my new staff on. Wonder if it will bounce back like against the slime", David thought as he jumped between the two groups.

"What are you doing here, David?" Jason muttered as he glared at David.

"Here to practice my baseball skills, " David grinned, swinging his staff like a baseball bat.

"Get out of here before I get mad. Your boyfriend isn't here to protect you right now", Jason said, grinning.

"I have been shipped with far worse", David muttered, thinking of when his guild members thought he was dating an alien octopus.

"Robin, deal with him", Jason said, glancing to his side as the burly man held his greatsword high and rushed towards David.

"Or maybe I would rather be shipped with an alien octopus than a guy", David muttered, lost in his thoughts.

"Should we help him, Jen?" Sarah muttered as she slowly unsheathed her sword. 

"Sorry, bud", Robin muttered as he slammed his greatsword towards David. Still, David swiftly dodged the attack before jumping on top of the sword, holding his staff tightly.

"peekaboo", he muttered as he smashed his staff directly onto the player's face, causing him to fall.

"Melee, huh?" Sarah muttered, thinking of David's staff as some sort of club.

"KUGH", Robin groaned as he tried to get up.

"you!" Jason shouted at David and lunged at him, but his sharp blade was stopped by a longsword before it could reach David.

"Enough", said Sarah.

"ugh, don't interfere", Jason muttered, but Sarah didn't back down, glaring at Jason. "Stop bullying the weak." 

"did this chick call me weak? Ya, bitch!" David shouted. 

"Well, you seemed weak for a melee, so I said it", Sarah blurted.

"Hey Sarah, forget about him. Let's continue what we were talking about. We should have a competition." Jason grinned. "Both our parties will challenge the Nightmare difficulty of the dungeon. The one who gets the 'First Clear' reward first wins. "

"If we win, you all have to join our guild", he muttered, looking behind Sarah at her party members.

"And if we win, we will." Sarah was about to finish, but David interjected.

"We will take an item of our choice from your party", he said, grinning.

"Who said you are getting anything? "Jason asked with an ugly expression.

David walked next to Sarah and said, "I saw your team. It doesn't have a mage, no? I am ready to forget that you called me weak and set aside our differences to help you beat that bastard."

"Yeah, but you are a melee; look at the club in your hand", Sarah replied.

"See! No wonder you thought I was weak; you need some glasses, miss. I am a mage", David smiled and held his weapon before him, "and this is my beloved staff!"