In front of a purplish portal was parked a humvee next to it was the gang preparing themselves for the dive.

It all started as they were driving by a river heading further and further into the forest. They were already in nearly one third of their journey thanks to them not taking a break, they were switching drivers on the go.

It was then that they saw it and their music unfortunately stopped and the voice of Telno sounded out. Informing them off a mission they were given.

[Task: Don't let the water be contaminated

Rewards: Random trait gem (Common)

Time remaining:5 hours 59 minutes.]

"Why should we do it other than because of reward?" Mike asked.

[This Dungeon radiates a lot of death energy possibly making this a death zone for the foreseeable future. Now, Chaos spike is about to happen, bursting every Dungeon there is. This was supposed to happen one month later but something unusual happened to bring forth such disturbance.]

They looked at each other no one seemed to mind it, plus the additional rewards so they started packing.

"So, we were supposed to have a vacation?"

[In a sense yes. At first you all were supposed to have basic training and the upcoming officers to be transported to their respective schools. All the while you'd be taken for outings into the Dungeons or clearing some monsters that weren't killed in the Dungeons.]

"Can you at least tell us what we're dealing with in the Dungeon?" Tami said sounding hopeful.

[No, I can't.] They were about to start arguing but Telno continued regardless. [Because I don't know what's inside. I can only gather information from you. Not gleam into another dimension.]

"Yeah, that seems fair enough. Okay guys let's go and do our job." Julie said and started unloading some of the ammo.

"I didn't volunteer for this." Tami said while also taking a rifle out.

[Don't worry. If it proves to be too much you can go and become any occupation you want the Universe needs. But only after getting into the city.]

They all prepared rifles in hands before the portal. But Telno's voice took them out of it.

[You can't take the rifles in.]

"Why's that. Is it some stupid law or something. Be helpless." Nina said.

[No because only things of chaos can go inside the Dungeons. While the metal indeed was bathed in chaos energies for a long time, but ultimately it's just an ordinary metal.]

Hearing that they all took out the weapons they got from their tutorials and were stepping inside the Dungeon only to hear at the last second.

[That also includes clothing.]

***

Some minutes later a bunch of half-naked people could be seen inside of what looked to be a forest. They had bandages wrapped around their private parts. While the withered vegetation scraped against their bare skin. The black ground underneath their feet felt to be without stones.

They made their way through the forest waiting for any kind of battle to happen, but not one enemy was spotted. Be it by map or by Nina scouting from the tree tops.

They searched until a slight drop of rain fell on them that quickly turned into a proper rain. The sun that was in the sky if it could be called that was close to disappearing beyond the horizon.

"This sucks! We are here for four hours straight but nothing." Nina said.

They were all inside a cave they found, sitting around a fire they managed to lit thanks to Julie.

[You just have to find the core of the Dungeon and let me destroy it. But beware there's not one Dungeon documented without monsters in it. Either that or find the boss of the Dungeon and kill it.]

They each paid it no mind and started thinking about where it could be located. Meanwhile in front of the cave the leaves started rustling all around.

"What's that?" Tami said and clenched her sword tightly.

"Probably just the wind. Don't worry there's nothing seen on the map." Mike said while Nina and Nick looked at each other, worry visible in their eyes.

Before they could warn the others, they saw a skeleton get visible in the light of the fireplace.

It came rushing straight at them but before it could get its bony arms at anyone it got struck with a club from Mike. As it laid there on the ground, he gave the skeleton a few love strikes turning him into fine powdered dust before it burst into chaos energy leaving behind a pair of socks.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Really, Telno? A pair of socks?"

[Don't blame me. It's random and also based on how much chaos energy there is purified. I could only limit it to clothes but what you get has nothing to do with me.]

"Look if you don't want it give it to me, darling." Vanessa said, eyeing the pair of socks.

"Not a chance."

After a while they both ended up with one sock each. Yet after this small battle a much larger one was about to ensue. From the forest sounded out screeching of bones against each other.

They unanimously decided to go check it out. They put out the fire and got to work.

Walking through the wet mud they found holes that previously housed the skeleton. Along the way they found more of the holes and not long after they found the previous occupants.

They stalked a group of skeletons. They hid behind the tall trees and observed them searching about.

"Why didn't we see them before on the map. They don't exactly seem to possess any stealth."

[Because the ground itself acted as a camouflage for them.] Just then they all felt her uselessness.

"No matter we'll deal quickly with this group, find the boss and get out. So, that finally we can wear some clothes." Julie said.

They all rushed at the group of skeletons. It was just a five of them. It proved to be a no problem for them as they managed to hit the initial hits. Then it only went downhill from the skeletons.

For one skeleton it was literally downhill as he got tackled to the ground by Mike and they tumbled down the side of the hill. The others took a bit more careful approach of hitting and dodging the skeletons.

After the whole fight they went downhill to check on Mike and found him laying down in what looked to be a worn-down grave. He was digging there a hole as if possessed.

"What happened to you Mike? Did you hit your head when you were falling?" Nick said only to get elbowed in the side by Vanessa.

"Mike, stop. If something's the matter let's talk it out." Vanessa said while going towards Mike.

But before she could get to him a sound of something falling was heard and not long after Mike fell into the grave.

"Mike!" The group yelled and rushed to the grave only to see him at the bottom of the grave, merely two meters from the top. He was smiling with a foolish grin as if everything was okay.

By the look on Vanessa's face, it wasn't.

"You act like you're having some mental breakdown. Only to find out you intentionally dug into some pit."

"It's not just any pit. It's a grave."

"Great, what have you inside the grave?" She said waiting to pounce on him from anger.

"I've found the boss of this Dungeon. Check your map. We can finally go out."

"Yeah, but first of we have to kill the damn boss." She said visibly less pissed.

"Guys, don't wait around and jump in."

Upon jumping in they all found themselves to be inside a tomb of some kind with ancient murals engraved on each wall. On the way forward they had to rely on the map that was being generated as the tomb wasn't expecting visitors of any kind. Therefore, the lack of any light.

Yet they persevered. On their way they had to move through tight spaces and mud that got into the tomb, but finally they arrived at their goal.

A room lit by the glow of the moonlight trough the holes that were somewhere in the ground. All around the room was mud except in the centre where stood a stone sarcophagus.

On it was a laid down statue of a knight of some kind in armour with his shield and sword tightly gripped.

Before they had a chance to step inside Tami spoke. "Guys shouldn't we have someone check out the place at first."

Everyone looked at her. Bearing such pressure she said.

"How about we all go then?"

"It's not a bad idea. To check it out I mean. But let's do it like this. I'll go uncover the sarcophagus and you'll wait for me at the start of the room." Nick said.

"Will you be fine?"

"Well, hopefully yes. If everything goes to shit, we should have a chance to run back."

"Should?" Vanessa said bringing back her anger.

"Well, if games have taught me anything then. This room might trap us in here with the boss."

"Very reassuring news."

"Honey, but it's true and a common RPG knowledge."

"Telno is it true?"

[There have been some instances of that happening. It's not exactly an uncommon occurrence.]

"Okay, then we've got your back."

They all stood at the start of the room while Nick crouched his way right to the sarcophagus. On his way he didn't find any traps that he imagined to be. Yet as he was closer and closer to the sarcophagus an invisible pressure beared on him. Every pole of his body screamed for him to get out of there. With the last step he took he came face to face with the warriors visage on the lid.

He tried pushing it off and it proved to be much easier than he initially thought. As it came tumbling down it brough out the decadent dust from the grave.

From there a skeletal hand rose, the skeleton swung his sword and roared at the invaders of his place of rest.

[Skeleton Warrior

Bronze Common

Weaknesses: holy element, blunt damage

Once a honourable Warrior in his life. Now nothing but a carrier of chaos, unwilling yet forced to carry it. That's simply how life goes.]

"He doesn't look like that much of a threat." Julie remarked as they all prepared for a fight.

Perhaps it was spoken a tad bit too soon, because as he stepped out from his grave. Skeleton hands started digging through the mud from all around the room.

Nick seeing the situation to be wrong sprinted back fast thanks to his [fool's escape] and called out. "Don't just stand there run."

And run they did they backtracked through the dark tunnels until they came into a place where the tunnel got slim.

They went through there with Mike being the last. As they were about to continue running, they heard him call out.

"Guys, I have a plan."

They discussed it quickly before getting into positions.

Just as the skeleton warrior came into the slim passage. He started receiving arrow after arrow.

But unfortunately, he shrugged it off like nothing.

But that wasn't their plan. As the skeleton warrior came into the wider area, Mike quickly rushed and lodged his shield behind him. Effectively cutting him off from other skeletons.

But that didn't go without its risk as he got a slash across his back as a reward.

"Mike." Vanessa called out and came rushing at the skeleton waving a sword at him.

Yet he swatted it to the side like a fly and head butted her. Now on the ground he was about to finish her only to get shot from a bow and consequently tackled by Vito.

Vito gripped the skeleton's arm with the sword and even though the skeleton pummelled him with blows, he didn't budge. Seeing that the others copied him and too tackled him.

After a while everyone from the group was holding him in some way. They made him lose his weapons before they brought him on the ground and struck him there until he died.

[Congratulations you've killed the boss of the Dungeon. Even though it was quite dishonourable to use such bully tactics. But anyway, extracting out in ten seconds.]

They looted the things that dropped and felt the sickly feeling of teleporting out.