It was already nighttime. Ethan arrived at Old Maple Street, where the area had been fully barricaded. A few beast corpses lay scattered around — three-eyed mist dogs, freshly slain. That meant the dungeon had only just opened.
About a dozen people gathered near the barricade, waiting. Ethan counted quickly — twelve total: ten men and five women. Among them, one girl immediately caught his eye. She wore mutant beast armor, far too advanced for her young frame. She looked no older than fifteen.
A first-timer rich girl, Ethan thought as he joined the group.
Eyes immediately turned toward him. Everyone recognized him. To most, Ethan was the weakling who kept joining raids. Nobody cared much; at worst, he'd serve as bait.
Ethan smirked inwardly. Hmph, pathetic. You think you'll use me as bait again? Let's see who's bait this time.
The armored girl suddenly stepped forward, approaching Ethan with a curious smile.
"Hi, I'm Gloria. May I know your name?" she asked, offering her hand.
Up close, Ethan saw her clearly: long legs, radiant red hair, delicate features that could turn heads anywhere. She clasped his hand gently.
"I'm Ethan. Nice to meet you," he replied calmly, withdrawing his hand almost immediately.
Gloria blinked, slightly disappointed. She was used to boys being dazzled by her looks, but this boy remained steady and indifferent.
"So… what did you want?" Ethan asked.
"Well," she said lightly, "as you can see, I just turned fifteen. I want to try awakening in this dungeon. I heard there's a boy my age who already raids dungeons often, so I figured it must be you."
Ethan gave a small nod. She was right — he was the only teenager reckless enough to keep raiding here.
"So… are you going to tell me your experience?" she asked hopefully.
"Be careful. Even if it's only Tier 1, it's still dangerous," Ethan said flatly.
"That's it?" Gloria pressed.
"Yeah. Didn't they teach you all this in your academy?"
"Yes… but I wanted to hear it from someone who's actually been inside."
"Fine. Stick close to me when we enter."
"I wouldn't if I were you."
A tall boy stepped in, cutting off their conversation. He was about eighteen, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with arrogance.
"I'm James," he said smugly. "My aspect is plant control. I can restrain beasts with it. You'll be safer with me."
Gloria tilted her head, unimpressed. "And why would I do that?"
James grinned. "Because this kid here is the weakest among us."
Gloria pulled Ethan closer by the arm. "No thanks. I'd rather stick with someone my own age."
James' smile faltered, then twisted into a smirk as he glanced at Ethan. Fine, poor girl. You'll regret it. I'll deal with you in the dungeon.
Ethan remained calm. "You should follow him. He might be safer for you."
Gloria's lips tightened. "He's a pervert. I saw the way he looked at me — him and half the guys here."
Ethan had already noticed. Still, he couldn't understand why she insisted on following him, a so-called weakling.
"Well… we could be friends then," she said warmly.
"Okay," Ethan replied with a nod.
Before he could say more, a loud voice called out.
"ETHAN!"
Ethan sighed. Damn it, why does he always have to yell like that? He turned.
"Freddy," Ethan greeted with a smile.
A tall, broad-shouldered boy jogged over and slapped Ethan's back hard. "You're here too!"
"Yeah, I've been here a few times. What about you? Weren't you planning to apply to the advanced school?"
Gloria watched them closely, curious.
Freddy scratched his head. "Nah, there's a requirement. You have to awaken first before you can apply. So here I am." Unlike Ethan, Freddy came from a wealthy family.
"Oh, right. I forgot," Ethan said with a small laugh.
"Well then, let's stick together like old times, right?" Freddy grinned.
Before Ethan could respond, Gloria cut in from beside him.
"Wait. Who's she?" Freddy asked, startled. He rarely ever saw a girl around Ethan. Something about Ethan felt different tonight — sharper, calmer, almost like a different person.
"She's my new friend," Ethan said casually, surprising Freddy.
Before more could be said, an awakened attendant walked up to the group.
"Alright, listen up. Reports say there are three-eyed mist dogs and goblins inside. The dungeon boss should be around the boss level. Good luck with that." She smiled, then left.
"Eh, should be easy," a massive guy said, shoving someone aside as he stepped toward the portal.
"Tch, what's with him?" someone muttered, but no one dared complain. Everyone here had seen arrogance before.
"We need a leader. Linn's absent, so who steps up?" someone asked.
"Corrie, obviously."
No one argued. Corrie, a tall, dark-haired young man around twenty, stepped forward. He carried a mutant beast spear and an earthly beast shield. James immediately walked to his side.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. Corrie and James… always giving me trouble. But this time, things are different.
Just then, a familiar chime rang in his mind.
[New quest received: Defeat the awakened Corrie and James to earn 1 Mana Essence and 20 EXP.]