The Underground Market was a festering wound beneath the city, smelling of rust, cheap spice, and desperation. It was the perfect place to disappear.
Kael stood before a stall selling "scavenged gear." He didn't look like the Anomalous E-Rank who had defied the Protectors. He looked like a drifter. He wore a heavy, hooded cloak stained with grease, and over his face, he secured a beat-up gas mask with cracked lenses.
"50 credits," the vendor grunted. "Filters are half-dead, but it'll keep the acid out of your lungs."
Kael tossed the coins. "Keep the change."
He adjusted the mask. His breath sounded loud and ragged inside the rubber seal.
"Cosmetic Rating: 2/10," the Codex's voice droned in his ear. "You look like a radioactive hobo."
"Quiet," Kael muttered. "It covers my face. That's all I need."
He checked his map. The Weeping Mines were a few miles out, in the industrial wasteland. The dungeon was restricted, meaning solo entry was banned. To get in without raising alarms, he needed a "valid" party.
He needed meat shields.
The Recruitment
The entrance to the Weeping Mines was a gaping maw in the side of a cliff, surrounded by a toxic green fog. A makeshift camp had been set up outside where low-rank hunting parties gathered to find members.
Kael walked up to a group sitting around a portable heater. They looked… colorful.
The leader was a hulking man in oversized plate armor that looked two sizes too big. He was polishing a massive axe that had "KING SLAYER" painted on it in uneven letters.
Beside him was a mage in bright purple robes playing with a lighter, and a scrawny rogue cleaning his nails with a knife.
[ Scan Active ]
Goran (Tank): D-Rank. Strength: High. Intelligence: Low.
Jinx (Mage): D-Rank. Fire Affinity.
Silas (Scout): D-Rank. Stealth Specialist.
"Looking for a party?" Goran, the tank, grunted, looking Kael up and down. He squinted at the gas mask. "You look soft. What rank?"
"E-Rank," Kael rasped, distorting his voice. "I need materials."
The group burst into laughter. Jinx, the mage, snorted so hard a spark flew from his nose.
"E-Rank?" Goran wiped a tear from his eye. "Kid, this is a D-Rank Toxic Zone. The air alone will melt your skin. Go back to hunting rabbits."
"I have utility," Kael lied smoothly. "I can scout. And I can carry loot."
Goran stopped laughing. He rubbed his chin. "Loot carrier, huh? Silas hates carrying the heavy ore. And my back's been acting up…"
He looked at his team. "What do you think? Bait?"
"He's small," Silas the scout said, his voice strangely smooth. He looked at Kael with eyes that were a little too sharp. "But if he dies, we just split his share. I say let him come."
Goran grinned, slapping Kael on the back hard enough to rattle his teeth.
"Congrats, Mask-Boy! You're hired. No combat pay. You get 5% of the loot, and you carry the bags. Deal?"
Kael gritted his teeth behind the mask. "Deal."
"System Notification," the Codex whispered. "Designation updated from 'Anomaly' to 'Pack Mule.' Upgrade complete."
Shut up, Kael thought.
The Descent
Ten minutes later, Kael was regretting everything.
They were deep inside the mines now. The walls dripped with glowing green sludge, and the only light came from the luminescent moss and Jinx's fireball.
And Kael was carrying everything.
He had a massive canvas sack strapped to his back, filled with supplies, mining picks, and Goran's spare armor plates. It weighed at least fifty kilograms.
"So there I was," Goran bragged, his voice echoing off the damp walls. "Cornered by three Hobgoblins. Most hunters would run. But me? I grabbed the biggest one by the ears and used him as a club to beat the other two!"
"Wow, boss, you're amazing!" Jinx cheered, though he was clearly rolling his eyes. "Tell us about the time you wrestled the Wyvern again!"
Kael trudged behind them, the heavy bag digging into his shoulders. I killed a Void Stalker yesterday, he thought bitterly. And now I'm listening to a guy brag about goblins.
"Humility is a virtue," the Codex teased. "Also, your posture is terrible."
"Hey, Mask!" Goran shouted back. "Pick up the pace! My grandma walks faster than you, and she's got one leg!"
"Coming," Kael muttered.
He scanned the tunnel. The air was getting thicker. The "Weeping" sound of the mines—gas escaping from fissures—was getting louder.
"Hold up," Silas said, raising a hand.
The scout knelt down, touching a puddle of green slime. He rubbed it between his fingers.
"Fresh tracks," Silas said softly. "Something dragged a carcass through here recently. Big claws."
Goran scoffed, hefting his axe. "Let 'em come! My 'King Slayer' is thirsty!"
Kael narrowed his eyes behind his mask. He looked at the walls. There were scorch marks. Not from fire, but from acid.
[ Warning: Ambush Predator Detected. ] [ Number of Hostiles: High. ]
Kael dropped the bag.
"Hey!" Goran barked. "Who told you to rest? Pick that up before I—"
"Quiet," Kael snapped. The command was so sharp, so authoritative, that Goran actually shut his mouth for a second.
"Do you hear that?" Kael whispered.
Skitter. Skitter. Click.
It was coming from the ceiling. Thousands of tiny legs tapping against stone.
Jinx raised his fireball higher. The light illuminated the cavern roof.
It was moving.
Hundreds of Crystal-Acid Scorpions, each the size of a dog, were clinging to the stalactites. Their tails dripped glowing green venom that sizzled when it hit the floor.
[ Hostile: Acid Scorpion (E+ Rank). ] [ Colony Size: 50+ ]
"Uhh... boss?" Jinx squeaked, his fire flickering.
Goran paled. "That... that's a lot of bugs."
One scorpion lost its grip and fell, landing with a wet thud right in front of Silas. It hissed, raising a tail that glowed with enough acid to melt bone.
Then, the ceiling erupted. The swarm dropped.
"Defensive formation!" Goran screamed, panic cracking his voice. "Mask-Boy! Get in front! Buy us time!"
Kael sighed. He looked at the terrifying swarm raining down on them. Then he looked at the terrified "D-Rank Elites."
"Bait," Kael muttered, reaching into his cloak for his jagged Shadow-Shard. "Right."
"Combat Mode: Engaged," the Codex hummed happily. "Time to quit your day job."