After going over the plan in detail three separate times, the teams felt like they were ready to begin as soon as the dungeon doors opened.

"I'll go talk to as many of the other teams as we can to see if anyone minds if we go next into the dungeon. The last two teams that went in didn't come back and I don't like the chances of the one that's in there now. I doubt we'll have much trouble with a request to go next." Zach said and walked away to talk to people in the camp.

"We will get our teams ready too," Isaac said looking at Chris who nodded back to him.

"I don't know what chances we have exactly, but I like these odds way better than just running in there with only my team like the others have been doing," Chris said.

With that, Chris and Isaac moved off to be with their teams as well.

"You all ready?" Tom said.

"Of course. We aren't afraid to die here. If we did nothing we die anyway so this is just us giving it one last try at surviving. We see it as if we are going to die either way we might as well die trying to stop it from happening." Kedron said.

"Thanks for being with us," Tom said.

"You're welcome. We're happy we can stand with friends in the end." Kedron said.

"Fuck man, don't call it the end. That's dismal as shit." Tom said.

"I was trying to sound fucking heroic you douche canoe. Give me this fucking moment." Kedron said.

"You just were bringing down the whole mood you cockholster. We don't need to talk like that. We can win this." Tom said.

"Right. Like all those other teams did. Seriously man, lighten up and take this moment to sound like a hero." Kedron said.

"You played way too many video games didn't you?"

"Oh, you're one to talk. 'Mr. I worked for a big video game developer'." Kedron replied.

"If there was a fan here blowing your hair back in the wind, it couldn't be more perfect for the hero pose you were going for. Come on, puff out your chest and do the Captain Morgan pose for me." Tom said.

"Fuck you. At least I wasn't some emo whiner about the situation." Kedron said.

Both men paused then erupted into laughter.

"Fucking gallows humor. I'm so glad you were the one to find us and not some other asshat who takes things too seriously." Kedron said.

"Yeah, me too. People suck sometimes." Tom said.

Kedron slapped Tom on the back and together they walked back over to the group.

"You two are in a great mood. I'm guessing you were just talking about how we are likely to die horribly as well?" James asked.

"Yup. We specifically mentioned how your ass was likely to go down first when we scatter and leave you to fight the creature by yourself. It's going to be fucking hilarious." Tom said.

"Wait, for real? You guys are joking, right? I'm squishy." James said a small hint of panic in his voice.

"Relax dick boy. We got your back." Graham called over.

"Phew. Thanks, meathead. I need your fat frame in front of me to take all the hits." James said.

"Anytime shithead," Graham replied. "We can't all be good at something."

"I'll have you know I've become a pretty good shot," James said.

"Yeah, but if this creature doesn't have a dick, you're fucked." Kiera said.

"Besides, I doubt your little bullets are going to be that effective," Bobby said.

"I'll have you know I got a skill for a powered shot that uses my mana to deal extra elemental damage," James said.

"Great, because we are going to have to unleash everything we have. Don't use that until Bob gets the creature off of the machine though. It can heal itself until then. Once it's off though, we give it fucking hell with everything we have." Tom said.

Zach came back over to the group as they were bantering back and forth working on lifting their spirits.

"Everyone is willing to let us go next. Isaac and Chris said they would meet us by the entrance. Whenever you are ready, just join us there. I'm going to get my team ready now too. Bob should already be there. He seems eager to go inside." Zach said.

"Understood. We will see you all there shortly." Tom said.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Zach left them again and Tom turned to the team.

"Well, you heard the man. Pack your shit up and let's get going." Tom said.

Everyone in the teams broke down what they had left and put it into their storage. They all pulled their weapons from their inventories to be ready ahead of time and moved together toward the entrance of the dungeon.

As he promised, Zach, Chris, Isaac, and all of their teams were ready and waiting for them. Each of the teams had a full squad except for Kedron's team as Bob made up the eighth person in Tom's team. As they stood there, another man came up from the camp behind them.

"Anthony? What are you doing here?" Zach asked.

"I noticed you're one man short. I figured I would offer my services." The man, apparently Anthony, said.

"You're willing to help us?" Zach asked, clearly confused by the man's request.

"Wait, what's wrong with him joining us?" Tom asked. "Seems like we could get all the help we can."

"Anthony has been one of the ones who was really ready to jump in. He seemed reluctant to let us go first until I told him about the whole planet exploding thing." Zach said.

"I'm sorry for that. I thought you were just trying to get ahead of your turn unfairly. I've been waiting for days to go with my team. They were starting to get restless. I didn't mean to sound like I was against your idea." Anthony said. "I just want to help put an end to this shit. We want to make sure the world doesn't end just like everyone else."

Anthony was wearing full plate armor and had a shield and sword for his weaponry. He was over six feet tall and looked to be heavily muscled as well.

"I'm happy to have another beefcake to stand in front of me," James interjected.

"We can use all the help we can get. So long as Zach doesn't object." Tom said turning to look at Zach.

"I agree. I was just worried he was coming to try to stop us. If he wants to help, then I say welcome aboard mate." Zach said.

Kedron sent Anthony a party invite and Anthony took his place with the others.

"Alright, Bob. Do we just walk to the entrance and it lets us all in?" Tom said.

"No, you haven't formed the raid party yet? It's in the party menu." Bob said.

Tom pulled up the menu, and sure enough, there it was.

"It wasn't there before. What the hell?" Tom asked.

"It only appears at dungeon entrances. I'm guessing you never looked at the party menu while there? Now that you are here it becomes available to use. Go on, set it up, boy." Bob replied.

Tom selected the Raid Party option and extended the offer to join to all the party leaders. Each one accepted and Tom's display changed to show the party leaders' names with tiny red bars under each showing the health of every one of the forty party members. It was a little overwhelming at first, but he moved the items around so that the bars would be at the edges of his vision and it became easier to handle.

"Alright, now all we have to do is wait for..." Tom began but was interrupted by the sound of stone grinding on stone behind him.

The entire raid party turned to watch the dungeon door open. Darkness met them beyond in the stone corridor that followed. Staring up at the door as it was lowering, Tom realized just how big the dungeon actually was. Twenty feet high, and just about the same width, the entrance was massive. Waiting patiently, the team watched to see if anyone would come out. No one did.

"Damn. Another team killed," Zach said.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time to mourn them. Jerky, get over to Bob. Keep him safe." Tom said.

Jerky appeared on his shoulder, causing some of the people on the other teams to jump at the sight of him, one man even drew his sword.

"Jerky keep old man safe," Jerky said.

"I'm not that old! I'm fifty-one!" Bob protested.

Jerky jumped from Tom's shoulder and bounded over to Bob, where he climbed up onto the man's shoulder.

"And just what exactly is this...thing supposed to do for me?" Bob asked.

"He's a lot more useful than you think. Plus he'll keep an eye on your back while you work." Tom said. "Can't have you getting shot or stabbed or blown up or cut to ribbons while you do what you need to do."

"That instills me with such confidence, thanks," Bob said sarcastically.

"Time to get in there mates. We can sit here and shoot the shit til the world ends... literally. But let's get going and see what we are facing." Zach said.

"Right. Time to go in." Tom said.

As he turned back to the groups he noticed that the entire camp had gathered behind them. They stood there in solidarity with weapons raised in the air as a sign of wishing them luck. As the teams all looked out at the amassed men and women standing before them, someone from the back called out.

"GIVE 'EM HELL!" They shouted, and the rest of the gathered people let out battle cries.

The teams stood there, unsure what to do in the awkward moment. James seemed to have a response.

"Oh yeah! We got this, don't you guys worry! We're gonna kick that thing's ass and be back for tea time!" He said.

The teams facepalmed, then turned to enter the dungeon. Darkness began to swallow them when Tom received a prompt.

Dungeon of the Devourer

You are attempting to enter the dungeon with a party larger than the allotted party size. Since you have formed a raid party would you like to enter the Dungeon of the Devourer as a raid?

Yes No

Tom selected yes and the prompt disappeared.

"Devourer, eh?" Tom said.

"What are you, Canadian now?" Jay asked.

"Just surprised at the creature's name. Apt." Tom said.

Continuing in silence, the team continued into the corridor. As they did the door began to close behind them. The familiar sound of stone on stone grinding behind them signifying the door's ascent into its place. Once the door had completely closed, torches lit along the walls of the dungeon, lighting the way forward for the adventuring team.

As the parties progressed, they began to hear noises in the distance. Ahead there was a bend in the path to the left, then a set of stairs leading down. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the shadows on the walls began to crawl and move as though something was there, but the parties were completely alone in the corridor.

"I don't like the look of this," Tom said. "Anyone have some light magic?"

"Why light magic? The torches seem fine." James asked.

"Not for seeing with. Because the monsters might be fucking shadows you twat waffle," Derek said.

"Aww, Derek you do care," James said.

As James and Derek were talking a shadow jumped off the wall and lunged for them, seeing an opening. A flash of light from behind them burst out and shot into the creature. It screamed as the ball of light hit it and caused it to explode into a black ashlike substance.

James and Derek had both jumped back and put their hands up defensively in response.

"What the fuck was that?" James asked in a panic.

"A shadow creature, you nitwit!" Derek answered. "Thank you to whoever used the light magic."

"No problem," A man from Zach's group said as he gave a small wave. "And I'm Steve by the way."

"Steve. Thanks again. Glad you were ready." Derek said.

"Yeah, no worries," Steve said with a smile.

"Everyone have your weapons and spells ready. We need to be prepared for anything ready to jump out at us." Tom said.

The parties raised their weapons into a ready position as they continued deeper into the Dungeon.