Outside The Dungeon

Liam and Alice walked between the adventurers camping right outside the dungeon's entrance. The gate looked like a massive cave hole of stones, large roots, and lustrous green bushes. Yet, a rancid warm air gushed out of it soaked in demonic magic.

"There are a lot of them." Alice looked, "This dungeon might be a piece of cake." She smiled. Oh no, a lot of people will die, bringing this many people here is like gathering together to avoid enemies' large explosives, you're only asking to be blasted all at once. I have to save them, killing the boss at the end as fast as possible would minimize the damage; I need to split up from the group.

 "You're right, it'll be easy." Liam smiled. "We can sit back and deal with the weaker demons while they clear the dungeon for us." Good, the more people die, the stronger the boss gets, and the stronger the skills I can get out of him. If they came here willing to die, who am I to stop them? It's their lives and they are free to do what they want with it.

"Hey! You are the C-rankers!" A large man shouted from the front, walking toward them. He wore a thick set of steel plate armor and his great sword was enchanted with several spells. "I'm the A-rank adventurer Jamile Ronny, a level 39 fighter. I'll be leading the current expedition; you'll be following my orders like the rest."

Liam smiled, saluting the man, "As you say, Lord Jamile. We'll be stationed at the back, is that correct?"

Jamile stared at Liam for a second, weirder by his weirdly enthusiastic smile. "Y-Yeah… you'll be moving supplies to us while we hunt monsters." Most adventurers usually get enraged by being thrown at the back, which would cause them to fight less, and gain far fewer rewards than the rest.

"As you order! Don't worry, Lord Jamile. Go fight to your heart's content, we'll make sure you get all the supplies you need." Liam nodded and even Alice stared at him with a dumbfounded face.

The B-rank adventurers in the front started giggling and laughing at him, the loser happy to stay in the back.

But, Liam couldn't be happier with them going ahead. They'll just die and get eaten by the boss making him stronger, which will only give him stronger skills and even more money. What's more, it looks like it's their fault, he was only doing as he was ordered and waiting in the back. They even gave him charge of their supplies; he could help the boss if they seemed to be winning.

"I get it!" Alice gasped, patting him on the back, and then gave Jamile a thumbs up. "You can count on us." Liam told me he's level 19, going to the front line is a suicide, and there is nothing wrong with someone knowing their limits. Making sure to support the front squad is the best way he can help them survive.

She turned toward the other adventurers, seeing them laughing at them. Making the rational choice for the good of everyone even if it put him in a bad sport, I thought Liam wouldn't do it, but I was wrong, he's a far gentler person than I thought. Yeah, I'm the stupid one used to charging forward as I was the hero. She could remember everyone standing behind her in wars and battles. Their role is important as well.

"Let's do our best." She smiled at Liam. Also, sitting in the back would be best, it'll grant me a chance to slip away and charge forward to kill the boss if the situation seems bad. No one will die as long as I'm here.

Jamile returned to his tent in the front to get a plan of attack written with the help of B-rank adventurers. This whole expedition was comprised of one A-rank that is Jamile, around fifty B-rankers, 2 C-Rankers, and ten D-rankers staying outside the dungeon for communications. Liam and Alice's job is taking the supplies from outside the dungeon where the D-rankers are all the way to the layer where the B-rankers and Jamile are fighting.

Jamile walked out of his tent and pulled his sword, lifting it up. "The plan is simple. I charge forward with the B-ranks and clear the dungeon. The two C-rankers would transport supplies from the D-rankers outside the dungeon all the way to us at whatever layer we were in. The D-rankers will replenish supplies from nearby towns, this includes potions, scrolls, food, weapons, and arrows.

Jamile turned toward Liam and Alice. "Even if the layers are cleared, demons would still spawn. Don't fight any and run toward us. I'll even put three B-ranks to protect you on your way."

"Got it!" Liam said enthusiastically, unable to wait until when everyone died and he got to kill the boss and take his skill.

Jamile stared at him with a worried face; Liam's smile couldn't help but creep him out. "Let's charge."

Jamile turned toward the dungeon and started walking in the front with the B-ranks following him. They went through the door, and everyone around them changed into a large stone building akin to the interior of an unfurnished castle of red bricks illuminated by torches.

A one-meter-tall red goblin-like monster walked out of the corner dragging an old rusty sword. Its eyes dripped with blood as it turned to face the adventurers, "GRAAAAAAAAAA!"

"That's an imp; this place is really filled with demons." A B-ranker pulled his bowstring and fired an arrow, killing the imp in a single shot.

"Don't drop your guard down. There'll be more to fight." Jamile took a stance and tens of imps rushed from the corner and charged forward. Jamile took a deep breath and swung his sword horizontally. [Wind Slash]

From the blade of his sword, a large wave of mana compressed the air into a hazy crescent moon, slicing the imps in half as it flew through them. Blood splashed everywhere and the monster growled as it rolled on the ground. Demons are more durable than humans. They remain alive for a few seconds even when severed in half. Walking over them is only asking to be bitten. It's better to wait a few seconds for them to bleed out and die.

"This layer should still be full of imps and several other weaker demons. Don't let your guard down, and proceed slowly. No one is allowed to die." Jamile growled at them.

"Not like we can choose when we die." A man growled. "We'll do our best though."

Jamile growled at him. "No, don't you dare die in my expedition?"

"I said no one can choose the time of death."

"Then make it possible." Jamile growled back.

"You're unreasonable." He sighed.

"You're married, right? It was written in your guild card." Jamile asked.

"That's none of your business." The man growled.

"It'll be off my business. Die here I'll go fuck your wife. Stay alive, you bastard, even if it meant to run away." Jamile approached him with a raging face, "If not for your, then for her sake. I've seen too many young talents perish."

The man smiled, "You're really something. I'll come out of the dead to kill you." He tapped Jamile's back. "But I guess I can't die here, can I?" He smiled, pulling a sword. "I'll fight safely." He then turned toward the other, "Men, you've heard the leader! Don't die for the sake of those waiting at your home!" He shouted.

"But I'm a woman. I only have my boyfriend there." She stared at Jamile with a grin, "You don't have anything on me."

"Does that make a difference to what I said? Don't die, it's for his sake." Jamile growled.

"What?" She gasped.

"Did I stutter? He won't be left unharmed if you die here. Don't die," Jamile said and turned around, pointing his sword forward as a human-sized white demon covered in grey spikes like a hedgehog.

"A spiked demon!" The woman gasped.

The demon growled as he swung his head down like a man at a rock festival, sending hundreds of sharp spikes toward the adventurers.

Jamile swung his sword down and cut the spikes coming toward him. The adventurers carrying tower shields rushed to the front and formed a wall, deflecting the spikes. Archers aimed their bows at the demon and fired their arrows. Some got deflected by the spikes, and some reached the demon.

Before the arrows could hit the demon, several imps fell off the ceiling and took the hit for it. Even more, imps showed up, pointing their crusty arms toward the adventurers and growling in demon language. Flame gushed from their nails and formed several small fireballs that they hurled toward the adventurers.

The wizards pointed their staffs forward. [Water wall] By combing their magic they managed to flood all the flames. With a splash, Jamile charged through the water wall and ran directly toward the spiked demon. His armor was enough to shrug off the demon's claws and flame, but it wasn't able to block the spikes so he dodged them.

In a second, Jamile reached the spiked demon, "You're mine." He swung at the demon's head. But the demon blocked the swing with his shoulder spikes.