Enter the E ranks!

Outside the entrance to the dungeon, 4 adventurers were rife with anticipation, they clutched their weapons, some had a somber expression and some did their best to suppress the giddiness within them. Rupert had grilled them before leaving on this mission, E rank adventurers rarely get permission to enter a dungeon, much less without a guide. They all knew the stakes, rescuing Rupert's grandson was their top priority, but the fact that they had all dreamed of the day they got to step into the dungeon was impossible to ignore.

Observing their excitement, the guards were visibly upset. Cal had been a regular in the dungeon and frequently interacted with them, even without the ex-guild master's recommendation, he was a youth with potential.

An aged guard with deep-set eyes and wrinkles glared at the E ranks, silencing the whispers they were exchanging with each other.

"OY!" he growled, his voice haggard and harsh from decades of lecturing others.

"EEK!" the youngest adventurer, a mage, felt himself jump backward with just the guard's tone alone, the others stiffened up, shocked.

The old guard wanted to give them a talking to, but every second spent here is another where Cal would be alone inside the dungeon, he couldn't afford to let emotions control him. The guard had no doubt that Cal would still be alive, he believed in that boy.

"The proper documentation has been completed, you may enter the dungeon. Take every precaution deemed worthy to ensure safe passage. If you feel that it's too dangerous, abandon the mission. Is that clear?" said a guard, this guard stood beside the one who had growled at them, only he was much younger and spoke in an emotionless tone.

"Yes sir!" said a young woman in a clear voice, she looked to be about 20 years of age and was assigned as the leader of the party by Rupert. She was fully covered from head to toe in jet black clothing. She went to great lengths to hide every aspect of herself; even her hair was covered by a hood. The woman had no distinguishable features apart from the two silver short swords strapped to her back, the pommel of each sword had a Monster Core embedded into it; even a passerby with no knowledge about adventuring or cores would deem it to be a luxurious item.

The young guard eyed the short swords with curiosity for a millisecond before returning back to his professional self and opening the barricade into the dungeon.

The 4 adventurers had their excitement quelled by the old man, yet they were still eager to get inside and did so with no hesitation. The barricade was promptly closed.

"Phew..." the young guard's stifled and professional expression broke apart and his face wore a frustrated emotion. The old man glanced at him yet said nothing.

"C'mon Mr.Kent! Those adventurers volunteered to go get Cal! Should you be so rude to them?" expressed the young guard, wagging a finger in "Kent"'s face. Kent grabbed the other guard's finger with a fist and glared into his eyes.

"Volunteered? Jameson... if YOU think that those CHILDREN sincerely care about saving Cal nearly as much as hoarding Monster Cores and finding loot, then YOU are the fool!" exclaimed Kent, yelling in between words to bring forward his point. Kent had a woeful expression on his face, even if he had complete belief in Cal's ability as an adventurer, he couldn't quell the images of a deceased Cal laying in the dungeon. He was worried.

Jameson bit his lip and held back his reply. He understood Kent's pain.

Cal was a friend to many and an enemy to none, the only people who held any grudge against him were the ones who despised his grandfather, as Rupert had been in a position of power for many years, he was bound to have ruffled a few feathers, even more so due to Rupert's stubborn personality.

Kent let go of Jameson's finger.

"Phooo..." both the guards let out a collective sigh, they each were full of emotion looking at the adventurers who just passed by. Kent and Jameson remembered asking the guild-master for permission to enter the dungeon the day Cal went missing, yet she simply waved a hand and denied them. Since then, they both held a deep resentment against her and the callous attitude she had toward the potential death of one of their comrades.

"Let's just hope they come back with Cal then." said Jameson, breaking the silence and easing the tension between the two. Regardless of their reactions to the tragedy, they both were united in wanting Cal to come back safe.

---

"Whoaaa!!" a young mage exclaimed, ducking and weaving over rocks that adorned the dungeon's entrance. He wore a simple grey tunic and held a long wooden cane in his hand, all throughout the cane, Cores of varying size, purity, and colour were embedded into the cane.

The woman with the short swords was walking at the helm of the group, both the swords had been removed from their scabbard and were now in position to attack at any moment. She took one glance forward and then threw her head back to reprimand the mage.

"Davey!" she yelled, her gaze as sharp as her sword.

"EEK!" the young mage bounced backward again and clutched his cane with both hands, from the beginning, the woman had scared him.

"S-sorry Alex..." Davey said meekly, his demeanor had been one of a kid inside a candy store; Davey's cane was an amalgamation of cores that were haphazardly put together, like every other mage, Davey dreamed of one day owning a luxurious and powerful cane that would increase his power tenfold. A dungeon is a place rich with all the resources that a young adventurer would need to become powerful, he often dreamed of venturing down there and plundering its resources, Davey's pipe dreams were immediately shut down with Alex's yell.

Alex narrowed her eyes at the 4 adventurers behind her, they were all trailing behind while gawking at the dungeon.

"Do not stray from the mission. Our goal is to uncover whereabouts of the C rank adventurer Cal and bring him home if possible, if not, we are to report our findings. Understood?" she asked, her tone was commanding.

"Davey. Stay in the middle, cast some form of light magic as well." She jabbed a finger at davy and then traced it to just behind herself. Davey complied and hurried on over to where Alex had pointed, quickly forming a spell with one hand, illuminating the dark cave.

"Wint, you're with me at the front. Ready your shield for any and all issues. Jun, put that spear to use and stay behind Davey, stab the monsters from behind him." Her commands were clear and concise. Wint followed Davey's train of thought and obeyed Alex with no trouble, his heavy armour clanking as he hurried; Jun on the other hand was hesitant.

Wint got into position and held his shield out with one hand for any incoming attacks, his other hand gripping a small dagger fitted with a black blade.

"Jun." Alex glanced over her shoulder" and noticed the only adventurer who had ignored her commands. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"..." Jun said nothing and tightly held his spear. He was 6'4 in height and towered over the others who entered with him, as a 30-year-old man with 6 years of practice as an adventurer, he wasn't keen on receiving commands from a newbie. Although Jun agreed with Alex's decisions, following her instructions to the tee like Wint and Davey wasn't something his pride would allow him to do.

"Jun. Get into position or we will return to the guild. Everyone here can attest to your insubordinate actions." Alex coldly said before turning back to face the dungeon's path.

"W-What?!" Jun yelled, he wasn't used to such blunt behvaiour.

"Are you deaf as well? Perhaps we should go back." Alex didn't bother looking back with this comment. She looked forward into the depths of the dungeon. Her jet black clothing seemed to dance as Davey's illumination spell pulsed, looking as if it were becoming one with the shadows.

*Thud thud thud*

"Hmph." Alex recognised Jun's footsteps and understood that he had listened to her orders as well. She was pleased, yet not surprised. Someone who's still at that level at 30 wouldn't have enough heart to pick a fight.

Alex glanced back at her teammates and took stock of them, they were ready. With one breath, she whispered.

"Onwards."