In the year 20XX, there is an existence of a dungeon around the world.

Like its name, it was a large maze made of many floors filled with various treasures and artifacts guarded by deadly monsters and traps.

Similar to its game counterpart, various people raid the place seeking its adventure and riches called players.

It has been almost a century since the appearance of dungeons and players on the earth. Now various guilds and companies have been established all around the world to fight against monsters and earn profit from raiding dungeons.

The dungeons became no different than one of the world's natural recourses of nations. At the same time, the players also became part of various occupations and members of the nation's strength and security.

But that doesn't mean people underestimates the danger of dungeons or the power of players.

Among those various dungeons and players spread out the whole earth, there is one great dungeon, and ten great players stood out.

The great dungeon Tartarus.

The largest dungeon ever appeared on earth located in between Russia and China.

What makes this dungeon stand out from the rest of its kind was the sheer size and unique ecosystem.

It had the size of the whole nation that used to occupy that land before its massive mana and monster overflow made from unknown illegal experimentation failure led to the terraformation of the whole area into one big floor of the dungeon and responsible for the death of over 4 million people died.

It said the later the culprits who responsible for disaster found. But sadly, it didn't go far from simple rumor.

The ten great players are individual people who possess strength and ability equal to or even more than an entire nation and hold S+ rank globally.

Afraid about the enormous power those ten players possess. For the sake of peacetime, the UN made the pact with them using various written contracts, magical blood vows in exchange for numerous privileges, exclusive rights, all ten of them agreed to follow established rules.

Some examples of the rules and rights written in the contract:

* Whereas, any player that wrote its name under contract will not be tied to any country and, at the same time, will not have any cooperative relationship with any country.

* Whereas, no country is permitted to tie any player that wrote its name under contract to their country for any benefit.

* Whereas, any player that wrote its name under contract is prohibited to use its power or ability to harm or, by chance, hurt another human. Other than when they felt it a danger to its rights or its life.

* Whereas, any country has the right to request support in case of emergency related to the dungeon, from any player that wrote its name under contract

* ... etc.

***

In Japan, there is a small place called Andrew's range on the west side of the central road of Roppongi.

Inside the gun range, there are rows of areas separated by sound absorption materials and in front of them laid targets that were ready to get hit.

However, most of those areas were empty.

Once, every single space had been occupied, but now only one was occupied.

That person was a middle-aged man dressed in comfy clothes made of gray sneakers, light blue jeans, and a black shirt with the logo of gun range printed on it.

He wears a cap hat with the same logo. Due to his droopy eyes and big nose, he looked like a human version of a grumpy cat.

He was Andrews Patterson, an owner of Andrew's gun range.

"Haah~~"

Andrews placed his empty handgun with ear protection on the counter, letting out a long sign.

"It became quite quiet here."

It was way past the work time, and the only reason his place was open was because of a single appointment made by one VVIP member. Usually, Andrew declines such an offer due to the various reasons he decided to receive it.

"Now she should be arriving..."

Andrew checked his wristwatch while staring at the entrance. And right on its time, he saw a human silhouette pushing open the door.

"Finally."

With a smile, Andrew pushed open the range's door and walked towards the counter to receive the customer. Standing behind the counter, he finally got a closer look at its customer.

She was a tall mature woman dressed in a simple business suit and shoes with a flat sole. In contrast to her clean suit, she had short, messy blonde hair.

Along with her sharp ruby-colored eyes that resemble a hawk and strong gaze seem like she is about to explode at any moment, she could easily be mistaken as a yakuza rather than a simple office worker.

She had a very rough manly hand covered with thick and smooth calluses with a missing one of her pinky, she held a handgun case. It was a black case roughly forty centimeters long and thirty centimeters wide.

From her VIP membership card, Andrew read her name. Seiya Akito.

Like usual Andrews, handed her ear protection and her requested ammo along with a key for a private shooting range.

"Remember we close in one hour."

"Thanks."

With a single word, Akito went to a private room. While Andrews lay on the chair, looking at the clock waiting for the close time.

With a clicking sound, Akito entered the private shooting range and calmly arranged things in front of the counter then opened her pistol case.

Inside the case lay two different handguns, one was a revolver while the other was the fully automatic one. Removing the first layer, there is a clean cylinder and two normal and one high capacity magazine.

With a speed loader, Akito began to load the bullets in an orderly fashion. For a few minutes, inside the room, there is only the clicking sound of bullets that were being loaded into the magazine.

"Fucking piece of shit!"

Akito said in between her teeth while finished loading the magazine. With ear protection, she took her full automatic pistol and loaded the first magazine then turned the safety off and pulled the slide back, loading the first round.

"You are good! You find a better one ?"

Akito’s shoulders shook violently, and the rage she could no longer hold back exploded forth:

"FUCKING WHORE!"

She aimed at the target and began to pull the trigger fast as she could.

In just seconds the target's center part was riddled with bullet holes. But it didn't end there, after dumping the full magazine, Akito is still felt her anger nowhere near being lessened. So she loaded a second one and aimed.

"I am worth no more than your fucking mistress? Is that the dream you speak off?"

The second was not enough, so she loaded a large one with 100 capacity and switched to full auto. The pistol began to rain down empty shell casing on the stand, while on the other side the target quickly reduced into nothing but pieces of paper and wood.

Only after hearing the clicking sound of her empty chamber, she feel her rage finally fizzling out. But now, the only thing left in there was emptiness.

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"No...he just made the right choice, nothing more and nothing less. He didn't betray or backstabbed me. There was just a far better option."

Compared to herself, she had everything a good background, an awakened player with a unique skill and promising future, beautiful looks. As for herself, she was just a friend and a simple assistant manager.

She was a diamond in a rough while, herself was just copper can be found anywhere.

Akito said to herself, but then another fire ignited when she recalled the smug smile the woman gave her when she was fired from the company.

"Just as said, love makes one blind."

Then remembering the stupid reason they used to fire her, Akito's rage is replaced with comfort, finding a way to gut-punch them one last time.

"To think I have a chance to use those things I collected in such a way."

After thinking about her payback, Akito placed her empty automatic pistol on the stand and reached her hand towards the large revolver.

The revolver decorated with beautiful silver engravings resembles a luscious vine. With its flower in full bloom, the vine completely enveloped the gun's body except for a small yet distinct golden engraving read as 'Shine From Your Old Man'. The grip is made out of unknown high-quality wood carved to fit her hand comfortably.

Anyone would be able to recognize this revolver is master-crafted for her. It was a gift sent along with a VVIP membership card and gun license from her father on her 21st years birthday. It was a perfect gift for a gun enthusiast like her.

If one trully talks about its background, Akito's background could easily crush such a puny family, but she will not even consider such a thing.

To Akito, the name of her father was a reminder of her past mistake and thing call herself a mother.

***

She still remembers the face of her father when her mother left him during a time where he needed her most for a more handsome and successful person. And herself following behind her, completely ignoring him like a stranger on side of the road looking forward to her new *father*.

Even went far as replacing her last name with her new boyfriend.

But in just two years, the karma stuck both of them. Her mother was replaced and thrown away like used socks similar fashion to how she treated her father.

On that day just like usual, she returned from her school to her home. But she stopped at door by the family's servant to be told about how her new father cut ties with them.

As for her so-called mother, she just left somewhere else even without telling her anything. 7 years old Akito's just stood there on the side of the street waiting for her mother to pick her up in blind hope.

Luckily she was found by local policemen during his patrol, after some extensive search, she bought in front of the apartment.

"It is the police."

After the knock, the door was pushed open by her mother.

"We found your kid, so I bought her here."

But her mother's response was:

"UURGH~~~~LIKE I SAID ON THE PHONE! I DON'T NEED THAT KID!"

"Throw her into an orphanage or something. Urgh~~ why can't you understand my words!"

"We can't do that ma'am! As a parent, you have this thing called 'Responsibility for protection'..."

She doesn't remember what they said after that. But from that day, she understood she was just a child born only to grant her comfortable life.

That is the only reason behind her existence.

From there on, it was the start of her worst year.

After knowing her real father's success as a player through media Akito's mother began to leave her at the doorsteps of his newly established guild. To use her as another tool.

When it fails, she would just leave her on the station of some countryside. Disposing of her Akito like a useless toy.

Then through threatened him by phone about killing her then making as a joke.

"If you don't need her then shall I kill her and throw her in front of your house. Eh?"

"What? now she suddenly became your child now? Kahahaha I was just joking. As her mother why should I kill her?"

But Akito clearly knew she wasn't joking at all.

One year later, like usual when she was bought at the doorstep of her mother by police. And on that night the human scum tried to kill her by electrocuting her with the stun gun. Thinking she is dead, the human scum hanged herself from the roof of her study room.

In the morning, Akito was awoken on a medical bed unable to control her body in the hospital. It said due to damage done to her nerve through the cervical vertebrae led her to permanent loss of sensation of pain, cold, and heat. But thanks to trash's sloppy work, it didn't lead to any life-threatening injury like complete paralyzation from the neck down, muscle breakdown, or cardiac arrest, etc...

From what she heard afterward, the pathetic scum decided to take her life after getting constantly mocked by fans of her real father and found a perfect companion.

As for her, she was sent to an orphanage since her other father refused to take her in. Then later to be adopted by an old smith called Seiya living in the countryside.

Eventually, she went under the old man Seiya as a disciple during her middle and high school years. After Seiya passed away due to old age, Akito left the city at age 20 after handing over the old man's smithy to his real grandchildren.

***

"Oh, today is also the day that bitch killed herself from rage."

Akito pushed one of the buttons on her left, replacing the target with a new one. With a smile, she aimed her revolver at the target and slowly pulled the trigger.

"Have fun in hell bitch."

Followed by a loud bang, a part of wooden targets flew off. Then another and another.

***

Akito left the shooting range with her case.

"Damn, there goes my one month's worth of living expense."

While walking through the road, she checked her wallet. She ended up firing two whole boxes of 500g bullets, firing that revolver was fun and stimulating while it lasted, but the cost was no joke.

Putting her wallet back, Akito walked towards the supermarket located on her way.

While hearing a gentle soundtrack, Akito walked through rows of goods before arriving at the drinks and alcohol section. Arriving at the section, she saw a can of energy drink.

"Lucky they restocked it."

Akito took three cans of drink from different flavors along with a new box of a match. Walking out of the supermarket, she immediately went to her apartment.

***

Akito pushed open the door and turned the light on.

Akito saw a single room connected to the balcony. Changing her shoe with a flip flop at the entrance, she walked towards the kitchen.

Opening the refrigerator, Akito placed two of her drink in the bottom and one in the freezer then took out donner she saved from her last meal.

"A day and a half are passed but it should be okay to eat since it was been a refrigerator after all."

Akito smelled it first, didn't find anything suspicious. So she placed it in an oven to warm it up.

While her meal warming up, Akito changed to her more casual attire made of a simple baggy shirt and underwear. She lives in this one-room apartment alone, so she has nothing to worry about public decency.

*Brr!*

Stopping the timer on her phone, Akito took out her warm meal placed on the table in front of the tv along with a glass of cold freshwater she purposely left in the fridge.

"Why do I even need this?"

Akito felt that way as she looked at the tv that turned off.

"I can just look at the news with my phone."

Akito hated something bright and noisy. But throwing completely normal working tv felt like a waste, even if she removes it. She doesn't know what to put in place to fill the empty space.

"You won this time."

Akito felt she have no choice to stare at this black screen for while until she found a solution.

After finishing her meal, Akito calmly cleaned the dishes. Then she placed her gun case along with another box beside the stool on her balcony.

The atmosphere was quiet and solemnity, the clear blue sky it is the perfect time to view stars.

Akito sat on the stool holding her cooled drink and new match on each of her hands. First, she opened the box taking out a kiseru pipe and began to prepare for smoke.

The kiseru pipe had a long shaft with two metal pieces at each end. The metal pieced had gold plating with a beautiful and particular design. The design is smooth but has wispy lines on the metal itself, going over the surface of the metal and popping out.

This pipe was a gift from an old man Seiya to Akito that he made by his own hand.

"Who would even gift a pipe to his adopted daughter ?"

With a reminiscence, Akito said while rolling the leaves into a ball shape for smoking and placing them on the pipe before igniting it. Her old man said it's more healthy than normal cigarettes, but she felt there is not much difference to find.

*Fuuu~~*

Letting out the smoke, Akito reached for her drink. With a crisp sound, she opened the drink and took a sip.

It was a large 750ml can of energy drink with a picture of a young woman printed all over it.

She was a pure beauty, whose lush, golden hair grazed her shoulders. Dressed in a long, elegant robe, with a long crystal blue staff.

Her overall appearance was attractive and gave the impression of being graceful and pure.

This angel-like beauty was one of the youngest B-ranked players and leader of the White Rose guild Chen Grace. A sixth child of Lei Chen the first ranker of the top ten players of earth. She came from his third wife, Emily Anais.

And Akito's sister from her father's side.

"What a beauty~~Thankfully, you took all good genes like the others."

Complimenting her sister that she will never meet, Akito opened the can and took a sip.

In a current time where an individual person could possess strength rival entire military if one's rank is high enough it was entirely possible for a player to have their own place or harem

Especially as a ranker, there was no surprise her father to have his own harem. One could say it will be weird if a person of his caliber has no harem.

Currently, Akito has four little sisters and five little brothers who came from five different mothers. And all of them world-renowned in some way or another.

"But still, isn't that bit a small?"

Akito said after she finished counting them. Her father's harem and siblings were quite small compared to the other nine players.

"Ahh, maybe the father is going for quality rather than quantity?"

Akito drew another smoke from her pipe then took another big swing from her can.

"What would they think if they met their piece of shit elder sister that came from bitch who gave their father trauma and heavy case of woman phobia ?"

Akito thought she would be happy they gave her swift death.

"But damn, I look even older than my father."

Akito took a good look at her father Chen's picture was printed on another can, she could not help but be impressed by the power of players. Compared to what her father looked like in his early twenty while she was already passing her thirty, and she know the gap will only get wider.

Then she took another swing from her drink and placed it on the floor before taking out her guns for maintenance.

*Fuoo~~*

Drawing another smoke from her pipe, Akito continues cleaning her gun. She loves this time and this moment where she is alone in a silent, quiet place with something to thinker with it.

But her peaceful moment didn't last long before the interruption.

While cleaning her gun, Akito didn't notice a small magic circle appearing underneath her feet before transporting her into another place that was full of a smell of rotten egg.

Busy with her work Akito didn't notice the change of atmosphere due to her inability feel anything except the smell of rotten egg.

A small spark of her kiseru pipe ignited the air before starting a huge explosion.

The only thing that was in confused Akito's mind before the explosion was:

'Did I leave my gas stove on?'