That morning, he had been nursing a cup of bitter tea when the call came. Not a summons from a guild elder or an invitation to a prestigious raid, but a text message from a second-generation C-rank hunter named Chadric Sun—son of a billionaire and owner of more enchanted swords than Thalen had socks.
"Need a pack mule for a dungeon run. Pay's good. Dress sharp-ish."
Thalen blinked. Pay was good. Dress sharp-ish? He owned one shirt that wasn't stained and a pair of boots missing a sole. But hunger beat pride.
Thalen hated Chadric and his team but they were the only one who were to dumb enough to hire him.
....
Thalen grunted as he hoisted the heavy pack onto his back. The leather straps bit into his shoulders, digging in like the endless chain of misfortune that had become his life. Rain spat against the cracked windows of the guild hall, cold and relentless, much like the life of an E-rank hunter.
"Move it, mule!" barked Chadric Sun, the arrogant heir to some weapon empire, his voice dripping with entitlement.
Thalen swallowed the urge to reply. Not that it mattered. He'd learned the hard way that arguing with spoiled C-rank hunters was as useful as shouting at a wall. So instead, he cursed them all in his head—Chadric with his gleaming sword
worth more than Thalen's monthly wages, Bianca Moon the mage who only cared about likes and followers, Leo "Vanguard" Vann who polished his armor mid-battle, and those damn twins who looked like they'd been born with bows in their hands.
Rich brat, poseur, shiny shield, and two spoiled arrows... What a stellar team. Thalen thought bitterly, adjusting the load that seemed designed to break his spine.
He didn't belong here. Not really. He was just a porter, the guy who carried the heavy gear, brewed potions, and got out of the way when things went south. He didn't even have a proper weapon, just a rusty dagger he'd found in a dumpster
But he needed the money. Badly. He doesn't want to fora few more days
The group swaggered to the dungeon gate, their expensive gear shining even in the dull light of the ruined subway station. The stench of decay hit Thalen's nose—mold, blood, and something metallic.
"Stay close, pack mule," Chadric sneered without looking back. "Try not to embarrass us."
'They are gonna get me killed someday' Thalen thought as he followed them silently
...
Inside the dungeon, things went downhill fast.
Chadric charged ahead, swinging his golden sword like he was in some fantasy drama. Bianca was busy taking selfies between spells, the twins exchanged smug glances and fired arrows with careless arrogance, and Leo puffed his chest out like he was invincible.
The shadows whispered, the air grew thick with magic, and the dungeon shifted as if alive.
Everything was going fine until it wasn't.
Then came the monster.
A centipede demon, ugly and wrong, its hundreds of legs scraping the stone, eyes glowing red-hot with hatred. It smelled of rot and despair.
The twins missed every shot, their arrows bouncing harmlessly off the demon's chitinous armor.
Bianca's spell fizzled; she had been distracted by a notification on her wristband.
Leo raised his shield but barely managed to hold before the demon's tail smashed it to splinters. Leo went flying past Thalen like a arrow
Chadric screamed something about "family honor" and was promptly swallowed whole
Thalen dropped the pack and stumbled back, heart hammering. Thalen had been standing in back maintaining the distance between the group the whole time because of their neve ending chatter. Who knew it would save his life.
He started running at full speed towards the gate. while desperately running for his life his eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny near the gate.
It was none other than leo whose body went flying past him just a moment ago. Leo "Vanguard" Vann, the golden tank who had strutted like he owned the world, now looked like a defeated, slightly broken statue.
His armor was scratched and dented in ways that suggested someone had been wildly enthusiastic with a hammer.
Leo was covered in blood, barely breathing
The slow rise and fall of the chest was the only thing suggesting he was alive.
Thalen remembered the golden rule of
Survival: When the team is dying, check their pockets.
It would be a smarter choice to give up on greed and run straight to the gate
But Thalen wasn't the smartest person when it comes to money.
Sorry, Leo," Thalen muttered under his breath, "but you're looking like a walking donation box."
Thalen tried to pull the storage ring out of leo's bulky finger with no avail.
"Good thing i brought a dragger to this raid"
Thalen started running towards the gate as soon as he cut leo's finger. But it was too late the centipede has caught up to him.
Just when he was about to reach the gate a force akin to being hit by a truck at full speed hit him.
Thalen went flying towards the gate as his vision burled and he lost his consciousness
[Hidden quest completed]
Objective: [Kill a hunter above your rank]
[ You killed a C-rank hunter leo vann]
Reward: [ The quest granter skill level up to
Rank of the hunter you killed]
[The quest giver upgraded to class C]
[The quest granter skill upgraded to rank C]
New skill unlocked [Stealth master rank C]
[Eye of desire ]
...