The expedition group gathered inside the cold, decaying warehouse. Chandra stood next to Virgil, who was simply referred to as 'the kid.' Waiting for them were the four veterans.
Chandra broke the silence with a single, firm gesture, forcing the necessary formality. He looked at Virgil, then swept his hand toward the others. "Listen up, Varis. This is your team. The muscle is Joris, a Chienthrope and his brother, Boris. Then Riya is the Elf, she handles ranged attacks. And Liliruca is the carrier." The veterans offered no acknowledgment, only cold suspicion.
Chandra then placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder, a signal to the others. "This is Virgil Varis. He is the new addition to the party. Kid has talent, he'll be a good addition to the party."
Joris didn't bother speaking. He spat near Virgil's boots, and looked at him with disgust. "Another useless liability. He's food for a Kobold." He growled.
Boris nodded in agreement. "Just dead weight."
Riya looked down her nose at Virgil, her gaze on him. "Can he even carry his own weight. He will slow us down." Lili, the Pallum, ignored them, pretending the tension didn't exist.
Virgil met the raw anger and the contempt with a blank stare. Wow, I see why the owner of this body was always sad in the memories. Almost everybody's an assh*le. What a drag.
Chandra finished buckling his armor. He faced his party and called them out.
"Enough," Chandra cut in. He looked at Joris, then Riya. "Virgil's with me. He's trained hard, and I trust him to hold his place. That's all you need to know." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
The protest died quickly. Joris muttered under his breath but didn't push it further, and Riya only crossed her arms with a sharp look. Whatever they thought of Virgil, Chandra's word settled it.
They left the warehouse and walked toward the center of Orario. No one spoke along the way, the weight of the coming descent keeping them silent. When they reached the Dungeon's entrance, it gave goosebumps to even the veterans.
Chandra held out his heavy mace and looked at the group. "This is where it begins. The Dungeon doesn't forgive, and it most certainly doesn't care about care about how brave you are. Stay sharp, move with purpose, and watch each other's backs."
His eyes settled on Virgil. "Trust what you've learned, and don't waste a single step."
Virgil gripped his weapon. He nodded once, then followed Chandra into the waiting dark.