Cassandra McConnell's Perspective
Seriously, how long was this going to keep happening?
Cassandra had had enough.Those two flies—two brainless, talentless, shameless warriors—had been tailing them for three missions straight. No matter where they went, there they were, like starving dogs chasing after a bone that would never be theirs.
It had all started in a relatively harmless way.One mission required five members. She, Eleanor, and Hana made the perfect trio, but still a limited one. A group made entirely of long-range fighters wouldn't last long against enemies who closed the distance fast.So, against her better judgment—every instinct in her head screaming it was a terrible idea—they agreed to recruit two warriors.
At first, things actually went fine.The brutes drew the aggro, created space, and let her and Hana unleash spells and arrows freely. The mission got done. The rewards were collected.
A cleric's necklace.Naturally, it went to Eleanor. And to be fair, the two warriors didn't even complain about not getting anything.But honestly, what would a couple of warriors do with a cleric's item anyway?
That's when the real problem started.The party was officially disbanded.Contract over.Everyone was supposed to go their separate ways.
But they just… didn't leave.
They kept following them.Trailing them through Eldenwall's streets, down forest paths, into village gates. Always two steps behind, with those dumb looks, as if waiting to be invited back in at any moment.
Flies.That's what they were. Annoying flies buzzing way too close to her ear.
Cassandra was ready to explode.That's when a brilliant idea struck her: a dungeon.
If only the three of them formed a group, the system would automatically block anyone else from tagging along. The idiots could chase all they wanted, but in the end they'd be cut off. Clean break. Problem solved.
Except… not.
There they were again.Standing at the entrance, arms crossed, smug grins plastered on their faces.They wouldn't let the three girls pass. Claiming that since they'd already done a mission together, "the party should stay united." Pathetic speeches, filled with excuses as cheap as the common swords they carried.
Cassandra tightened her grip on her staff.A spark danced in her palm. She was a heartbeat away from blasting a Fireball straight into their faces. The thought alone made her pulse race with pleasure.
And then… more flies showed up.
As if the world had decided two weren't nearly enough.
Two unknown players approached the dungeon. One of them, a massive brute with a shield strapped to his arm, looked even bulkier than the two warriors blocking the path. The other was a mage like her, though with such a rookie vibe it was impossible not to notice—at least in her opinion.
Cassandra ground her teeth."Great… just what I needed."
The giant brute was the first to speak, his voice deep and dripping with cheap confidence:
"Hey, I heard you want to run the dungeon. Why don't you come with us? I'll hold the front line… with a healer backing me up, it'll be easy."
I rolled my eyes, already shaping the nastiest comeback I could think of, ready to spit the words like a Fireball, when he decided to outdo himself.
The idiot sent us the party invite directly.
And then came the surprise, something I could hardly believe—but it was right there in front of me, undeniable proof.
The numbers didn't lie.Level 4.
I swallowed hard, too shocked to hide it.Seriously?We had been playing nonstop for more than twenty-five hours straight, only logging out because the game itself had kicked us off that morning, and the second the server reopened we jumped back in, chaining mission after mission without even breathing properly. And we had barely reached level 2.Yet this muscle-headed brute was already level 4.
She wanted to scream at him, demand an answer even if she had to torture it out of him.
The shock made her slip for a second.Before she realized it, her finger hit the wrong button.
Invite accepted.
"Perfect." The word left his lips like a punch to the face.
Behind us, the two flies that had been tailing us all this time exploded in outrage.
"Hey, man! We're already in a party here!" one of them shouted."Yeah, don't butt in—get lost!" the other spat, furious.
I braced myself to watch a ridiculous squabble, flies fighting each other over the right to annoy us. I could already taste the sweet satisfaction of seeing them brawl like fools.
But the bigger brute… simply raised his hands, like he was surrendering."Relax, guys. Relax."
And without saying another word, he walked toward the dungeon.He didn't look back.Didn't respond to their jeers.He just kept going, steady, until he stepped into the portal.
I wanted to scream again.I wanted to punch that wall of useless, decorative muscle.Level 4 or not, he was just an ornament.
But the moment he crossed the portal…
Everything went dark.
When the light returned, we were no longer outside.
The world had changed.
Our feet pressed against a narrow, damp tunnel, rough stone walls closing in like we'd been swallowed by some colossal throat. Along the sides, crude torches flickered, their flames casting just enough light to reveal the dust floating in the air and the shaky shadows dancing against the rock.
Sound echoed strangely. Even silence itself felt heavy here, as if the dungeon were alive, listening to every breath.
I glanced at Eleanor and Hana.Eleanor's green eyes caught the firelight, wide with surprise, yet her posture was calm—the kind of calm only she could hold. Hana, on the other hand, was tense, fingers tight against her bow, as if firing was the only way she could feel safe.
I could see in their eyes the same thing mine was screaming:We were lost.
Up ahead stood the newcomers.The rookie mage, his anxious expression still showing disbelief at what had just happened.And the massive brute, of course, smiling.
That damn, infuriating smile.
He turned slightly, the shield on his arm reflecting the torchlight.Then he spoke, his tone firm, like he was delivering a lecture:
"When one member of a party enters the portal, the entire party is pulled inside. Dungeon rules."
His gaze locked on mine.His eyes said it all—he expected… gratitude.
As if he had saved us.As if he had done us a huge favor, freeing us from the two flies that wouldn't stop following.
But the idiot didn't realize…To me, he was just another fly.