[Dear employee, we regret to inform you that your contract has been terminated due to an increase in staff at the company.]
The text that no worker would want to read left a bitter taste in his mouth as he read the email on his old smartphone.
"The contract has come to an end..."
His voice broke, and he collapsed under the weight of those words. The influx of new workers with specialized equipment and skills for the job had made this outcome inevitable.
However, he held no grudge against the company because the world had never been fair; without the job, he would have starved to death long ago, but the following...
[As EXPLICITLY stated in the contract you signed, there will be no severance pay!]
The second blow left him unable to breathe; he felt as if the world before his eyes was collapsing.
The letters of the email left the screen and transformed into two grotesque and macabre figures that seemed to have escaped from hell itself and began to suffocate him slowly.
Much of his life had been marked by stress and worry, mainly because he had been orphaned.
Noah Mori, an ordinary person who doesn't stand out in any way, is yet another who had to mature prematurely due to the hardships he faced over the years.
His hands were covered in calluses, and his muscles had developed beyond his age from his work.
The passage of time had left its mark on his fragile young heart, which had not known a hint of happiness during all those years.
However, he was not alone in these circumstances. Besides him, many people are in the same situation somewhere in the world.
It comforted him a little to know that he wasn't the only one in that situation. But it doesn't help him much to know that, given the horrible situation he's in now.
His old smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime, took a moment to close the email app.
Once out, he quickly turned to a job search website to find a solution to his current situation.
But there are always opportunities for those willing to take risks. After reviewing numerous job offers, Noah came across one he had avoided all this time.
With no other options, he decided to explore the work's content.
[We need a porter to access a new low-level dungeon. If you are interested, please get in touch with us by sending a message to the following email address: [email protected]. For more information about this opportunity, the dungeon is located at 123 Construction Avenue, NY 10001.]
'A newly appeared and as yet unexplored dungeon.'
The work's content does not mention completing it, a task reserved for guilds and their members.
Instead, a group of hunters with a porter would be needed, an individual responsible for gathering items and transporting additional equipment, such as food, among other things.
Although Noah had no previous experience as a porter, he devoted himself to learning everything necessary for the job, even receiving training in some martial arts in case he was awakened to become a hunter.
[Greetings, my name is Noah Mori, and I am 20 years old. Previously, I performed cleaning tasks after acquiring the necessary skills at the association's academy. Although I have not yet demonstrated any hunting skills, my abilities compensate for this deficiency...]
With great care, Noah wrote his message, which was practically a lie, and reviewed it several times before sending it.
To impress the potential employer, he combined some exaggerations with real facts. In addition, to add a touch of impact, he kindly attached a letter of recommendation from his previous job.
Despite the negative comments he had read about this job and the warnings, he felt a small glimmer of hope in the face of his dire situation.
It was not courage or recklessness that prompted him to apply for that job he had been putting off, but rather an expression of pure desperation.
The night grew long, and Noah spent hours researching the dungeons and the monsters that inhabited them. He intended to be well prepared in case he was hired.
While exploring this information, he received an email in response to his job application.
[Great! See you tomorrow at 10:45 a.m. at the location indicated in the email. The rate will be $30 per hour.]
The response was brief, in stark contrast to the detailed message Noah had written. Despite his initial enthusiasm for the job, it quickly faded, replaced by fear and concern.
Being a porter was one of the jobs with the highest mortality rates for people who hadn't awakened as hunters, but even more so because anything could kill you inside a dungeon.
He made sure to do all the necessary preparations, but when he checked his bank account, he realized he didn't have enough money to buy a gun.
A sigh escaped his lips. He had to leave empty-handed.
...
The next day, at 10:30 a.m., Noah stopped in front of the dungeon entrance that marked the location of the mail.
He headed toward a nearby hut, where hunters used to gather to plan strategies before venturing into an unexplored dungeon.
When he reached the hut, he found five people sitting around a table: three wearing simple armor and two without armor. The group consisted of three men and two women.
Most of the group appeared to be in their twenties, accompanied by a middle-aged figure holding an imposing shield.
Noah gathered his courage and stepped forward. Despite being younger than those present and also the weakest, as he was not a hunter, his confidence, though hidden, remained latent.
The conversation was abruptly interrupted when all eyes turned to Noah. They examined him from head to toe, and under that intense gaze, nerves got the better of him.
However, he made an effort to hide his anxiety, aware that showing weakness could lead him to an unpleasant fate: being treated like a slave, something he wanted to avoid.
Suddenly, a voice broke the tension:
"Hi, I'm Adam. We spoke yesterday."
The shield hunter introduced himself as Adam and shook his hand warmly. This gesture calmed Noah's nerves.
He responded to the introduction, exchanged a few pleasantries, and lightened the mood.
However, the rest of the group showed little interest in him. Realizing that Noah was nothing special, they resumed their discussion about the possible monsters that might be inside the dungeon.
Seeing that the conversation had resumed, Noah sat down, keeping a safe distance from the rest of the group.
As you know, today we will be venturing into a new, unexplored F-rank dungeon, as you may have noticed from its green color. This means that the monsters we encounter should not be too strong and that we should be able to handle the situation. However, do not let your guard down at any time. Dungeons are known for their unpredictability and high degree of danger.
Adam informed the group; although the information seemed irrelevant to Noah, he listened attentively in case it proved helpful in the event of any unforeseen events within the dungeon.
At noon, Adam organized lunch at a restaurant near the site, which gave the team the energy they needed before setting out on the expedition.
Since he was not a hunter and had a slower metabolism, he chose to eat a small portion of food to avoid having to go to the bathroom during his stay in the dungeon.
...
Standing in front of the dungeon entrance, the group consisted of four members, led by Adam, whom Noah identified as the typical leader who appears in all novels.
The conversations they overheard gave Noah a rough idea of each member's personality.
The first to catch his attention was Mark Roderick, an eccentric hunter standing next to Adam. The constant stream of words emanating from his handsome face made him hard to ignore.
The second character was Luna Thorne, with black hair and brown eyes, who was slightly taller than him. When talking to Mark, she seemed to know him well and occasionally exchanged words with Adam.
Noah was intrigued by the slender yet well-defined body of Sofia Valentin, who was talking to Adam.
The last member was Aldo, who had not uttered a single word throughout that time, making it difficult to describe him.
When the clock struck 1:01 p.m., the group headed to the dungeon entrance. There, Noah couldn't help but wonder if he would make it back alive or if all his parts would remain intact.
Shaking his head in an attempt to dispel those thoughts, after the members of the association in charge of the entrance checked the hunters' cards, they gained access to the dungeon.
However, before proceeding, Noah had to sign a liability waiver, exempting others from any responsibility if he lost his life.
The world seemed to twist, and his vision distorted as he crossed the portal. Soon they found themselves inside the dungeon, which resembled a massive underground temple.