Prologue: Crimson Blades

Three months later…

The Crimson Blades were the last resort for desperate adventurers, and Lucas was no exception. He hoped his father's old badge would give him some credibility, but he knew it was a long shot.

He quit his job as a clerk at the Ministry of Dungeon Affair three months ago and had hoped to begin a more exciting and fulfilling career as an adventurer and was willing to start at the very bottom as a treasure collector.

But after applying at the other big six guilds and being rejected by all of them, he was getting desperate.

He approached the reception desk, where an older woman greeted him.

"Hello, How may I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, I have an appointment with Victor Hugo," Lucas said.

"Ah, yes. You must be Lucas. Victor is expecting you. Please follow me," she said.

She led him to a large door with a sign that said "Foreman". She knocked on the door and opened it.

"Victor, your 10 o'clock is here," she said.

"Thank you, Lisa. Send him in," a voice said from inside.

Lucas entered the office, which was packed with various trinkets and oddly shaped stones from dungeons. He saw a hairy, well-built man sitting behind a desk, who looked to be in his late forties. He had dark hair with streaks of grey, a cigar hanging from his lip and a scar on his left cheek. He looked up at Lucas and smiled.

"Lucas Moore. It's good to see you again," he said.

Lucas tried to hide his confusion. "I don't remember meeting you, sir."

Victor dismissed his lack of recognition with a wave. "It's alright, you were about this high," he said miming a height of about 2 feet.

Victor gestured for him to sit down on a chair in front of his desk. "So, you want to join the Crimson Blades as a treasure collector?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. That's right," Lucas said.

Victor nodded. "I see. Well, I'm not going to lie to you, Lucas. It's not exactly an easy or safe job and the Crimson have the worst safety record of the big six. That being said, we have a lower bar to entry. We accept almost anyone, ex-felons, misfits, you name it but not former Ministry Clerks."

Lucas took a big gulp.

Victor continued. "A former Ministry Clerk looking for a job here screams undercover investigation-"

Lucas half stood up to interject but Victor stopped him with an outstretched palm.

"You don't have to say anything. The higher-ups here don't pay attention to who I hire to work the dungeons and I owe your dad for everything he did for me so I'm willing to give you a shot."

"I understand that, sir. And I'm willing to do what it takes," Lucas said.

Victor smiled again. "I'm glad to hear that, Lucas. Because I think you have what it takes to be a treasure collector. You have your father's blood in you," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Lucas replied said.

Lucas reached over his desk to hand him something.

"What's this? A resume?" Victor said with a laugh. "That don't mean nothin' here. I'll watch you work and we'll see if you're qualified,"

Victor spotted something else he was holding "And you have your father's badge," he said. He pointed at the badge that Lucas was holding. "That badge belonged to one of the best treasure collectors this guild ever had. He was my friend and a brave man."

Victor took the badge from Lucas and examined it for a few seconds before handing it back to Lucas. "Keep it. It's yours now. Maybe it will bring you some luck," he said.

Victor rose from his seat and strode to the door, his leather jacket flapping behind him. He tossed a helmet to Lucas and grinned. "Come on, kid. My crew just got a callout for a B-Class Dungeon near the mall. Let's go see your first dungeon," he said.

They arrived at the mall 30 minutes later, weaving through traffic on their motorcycles. A group of people mostly older men greeted them with fist bumps and nods. They wore similar jackets with the logo of a downward-facing crimson sword surrounded by a ring of fire. "We'll do introductions later," Victor said. "Consider this your orientation. Here at the Crimson Blades, we prefer on-the-job training."

There was laughter from the rest of the crew, some of them showing missing teeth or scars. Lucas followed Victor and the rest of the team as they walked towards the dungeon gate. He noticed that some of them had tattoos of numbers or symbols on their arms or necks, indicating that they had spent time in prison. Others had calloused hands or tool belts, suggesting that they had worked in construction before. They were all treasure collectors now, risking their lives in dungeons for a chance at wealth and glory.

The dungeon gate was a large metal archway that had appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago, next to a mall. It was surrounded by a fence and guarded by soldiers, who let them pass after checking their IDs and permits.

Lucas felt a surge of adrenaline as he stepped through the gate. He had heard stories about dungeons, but he had never seen one before. He wondered what kind of world awaited him on the other side.

He was not disappointed.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he felt a strange sensation, as if he was being pulled into another dimension. He saw a flash of light, and then he was in a different place.

He looked around and saw a vast landscape of hills, forests, lakes, and mountains. The sky was blue and clear, and the sun was shining brightly. He felt a warm breeze on his face and smelled fresh grass and flowers.

He heard Victor's voice in his ear. "Welcome to the dungeon, kid. Don't let the scenery fool you. This place is full of dangers and mysteries. Stay close to me and follow my orders."

Instead of a mall in the middle of the city close to the winter, he looked around and saw a vast landscape of hills, forests, lakes, and mountains in the distance.

The sky was blue and clear, and the sun was shining brightly. He felt a warm tropical breeze on his face and smelled fresh grass and flowers.

They walked for hours, but the landscape seemed to never end. It was a vast and varied terrain, with rolling hills, beyond woodland forests, which surrounded a lake, and mountains.

Lucas felt tired and thirsty, but he didn't dare to stop or complain. He followed Victor silently, who led the team with a steady pace and a confident expression. Victor had a map in his hand, after all.

Lucas looked at the map but couldn't make heads or tails of it.

He decided to ask Victor. He said, "Hey, Victor. Can I ask you something?"

Victor glanced at him and nodded. He said, "Sure, kid. What do you want to know?"

Lucas said, "What is this place?"

There was laughter and jeering from the other members of the team.

Victor sighed and said, "That's right, kid. You've never been in a dungeon before so all of this must confuse you. It's not an easy one to explain. But I'll try to give you a simple version."

Victor pointed at the gate they had entered through. He said, "That's how we got here. That's not just a gate, it's a portal of some kind and we're in something the scientist called a pocket dimension. Each dungeon is unique, with its own set of headaches but we let the adventurers worry about that. Our job is to gather everything valuable and take it outside."

Lucas listened intently, his sense of wonder growing with each word. This was the adventure he had been seeking, a world beyond his mundane existence, where every step held the promise of discovery and the thrill of the unknown. "Adventurers are lucky people then," Lucas said.

As the team continued their journey through the vast landscape, Lucas couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The lush forests whispered secrets, the mountains beckoned with their untold mysteries, and the lakes shimmered with hidden depths. Lucas ventured deeper into the dungeon, ready for anything.