"When faced with a challenge, one may act. But consider first: Could this not be someone else's challenge?"— The Tao of Idleness, Book 4, Verse 1

Lia strode ahead of us, torchlight flickering off her armour as she led the way through the stone doors. The rest of the party was tense. Even the gung-ho Kal, who had thus far treated me like I was some sort of legendary god, was quiet for once. I, meanwhile, continued to have a minor panic attack.

I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be anywhere near this fucking Dungeon. Even ignoring all the other bollocks I had going on, I was but a mere Level 2. This place was benchmarked for Level 5 and above, and – even without that – Dungeons were for actual heroes, warriors, and people who knew what the hell they were doing. Not guys like me who’d only survived this long through dumb luck and the ability to stay out of Lia’s way when she slaughtered a bunch of wolves.

But what made it worse was that no one else knew. They still thought I was some kind of elite mastermind, just lying in wait to reveal my true power - which was hilarious because my real power appeared to be… well, standing around and waiting for things to resolve themselves.

“I can hear your breathing from here, ‘Rogue’,” Lia said, “Are you okay, or do I need to drag you out of the way before you faint?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, “just getting plenty of oxygen on board to prepare for what’s coming. You never know when you might need that extra boost.”

“Smart!” Kal said and began copying me, sucking in big, elaborate breaths. Lia gave us both a long look, but instead of calling me out, she just turned back and kept walking. The others, however, buzzed around like they couldn’t wait to see me in action.

“Bet the Rogue’s got a plan,” Ivor stage whispered to Elise. “He’s probably already disarmed all the potential traps with his special abilities.”

Oh, yeah. I was all about the traps, alright. Mostly by hoping someone else would trigger them before I did.

“You know, you don’t always have to hang back, mate,” Kal added with what I’m sure he thought was an encouraging grin. “It’s sweet you’re letting us get most of the XP, but feel free to do your thing if you want. Please, don’t hold back on our accounts.”

“I hear you,” I nodded, “Cheers!” Internally, I was screaming.

The space we had moved into, behind the doors, screamed ‘BOSS FIGHT!’ in all caps. The walls were covered with bloody handprints, and the ground was littered with debris—broken stones, shattered weapons, and what looked disturbingly like the half-eaten remains of adventurers who had come before. A faint glow emanated from the far side end of the chamber, where a pedestal stood, surrounded by jagged stones that had clearly been placed to look intimidating.

Lia raised a hand to stop us. “We’re close,” she said, her voice low and focused. “Stay sharp.”

Everyone else bristled with anticipation, checking their weapons and preparing for whatever came next. I, on the other hand, was just putting the finishing touches to my last will and testament. Not that I had much to leave. Not unless you counted my collection of half-read books and that mysteriously moist stain on my carpet. And all of that was from my previous life anyway. Here and now, I literally just owned the (wet) clothes I was wearing. That didn’t feel like a haul anyone would be lusting after.

“Alright,” Lia said. “Here’s the deal. We move towards that pedestal, but slowly. Check for traps, and don’t touch anything until we’re sure we understand how the encounter will play out. There’s bound to be some unusual mechanics here, or the Elders wouldn’t have needed to send in the A-Team, right?”

The other group members all preened, nodding eagerly like they were on some kind of field trip. The A-Team? I wondered what that made me. Maybe Mr Bean in some weird crossover episode? I stayed quiet, trying to blend into the background, hoping no one would ask me to do anything remotely heroic.

Lia’s eyes flicked to me again. “’Rogue’, why don’t you take point? You’re the one best suited for dealing with traps anyway.”

Look, I really did fancy this armour of this girl, but right now, she could fuck right off. I swallowed, feeling the sweat start to pool under my collar. “Sure. Just stay back whilst I … scope things out.”

I took a hesitant step forward, eyes scanning the floor for anything that looked remotely suspicious. I had no idea what I was looking for. The most experience I had with ‘traps’ was watching Indiana Jones movies. The system must have sensed my distress because, suddenly, a little notification popped up in my vision.

Danger: Nearby traps identified. Proceed with caution.

Huh. Well, that was suspiciously convenient.

“Looks like there’s something… there,” I pointed at the floor ahead of us, where a slightly raised stone sat, just waiting for some poor sucker to step on it. “And over there,” I added, spotting a tripwire stretched across the far end of the room.

The rest of the group murmured their approval. “See? I told you Rogues were the absolute business,” Ivor said, grinning like an idiot.

Lia gave me a look that said she still wasn’t impressed, but she nodded anyway. “Good eye, Rogue.” Whoop, she said it properly! “Let’s press on.”

As we carefully manoeuvred around the myriad of traps, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. Not because I’d actually done anything especially awesome, but because, for once, I appeared not to be actively screwing things up for other people. We reached the pedestal without setting off any traps, and I felt a small wave of relief wash over me. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

I just don’t fucking learn, do I?

The walls trembled, cracks spreading like spiderwebs as dust cascaded down from above. Something massive stirred from the shadows, a monstrous figure lumbering into the dim light of the chamber. The beast's form was immense, a grotesque blend of sinew and scale, and its gaping maw displayed rows of teeth jagged enough to make a saw blade jealous.

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“Get ready!” Lia's voice snapped through the chaos, her sword gleaming as she assumed a battle stance, she gestured to the others to form a line. Beside her, Kal notched an arrow, his eyes narrowing as he drew the bowstring taut, while Ivor's hands began to glow with the eerie light of his incantations. Elise clutched her staff, muttering prayers under her breath, her face drawn with focus. And me? I was frozen. Not from fear, per se, but from the overwhelming certainty that this was about to go catastrophically wrong.

Sub-boss fight? Are we really doing this?

The beast let out a low, rumbling roar, the sound reverberating through my bones, and I took an involuntary step back, cursing under my breath. My entire body screamed run, and as much as I wanted to oblige, something—perhaps a misplaced sense of dignity—kept me glued in place.

“Uh, do we have a plan for this?” my voice wavered embarrassingly.

“Yeah,” Lia replied, eyes locked on the creature. “Don’t die.”

Don’t die. Solid advice, really. The ground beneath us shuddered as the creature advanced, and the rest of the party tightened their formation. The thing was enormous. Its claws, thick and hooked, glinted like polished steel as it moved. Scales, shimmering with an oily iridescence, reflected the dim light in sickening hues. And its eyes— FUUUUCCCK!

"Stay calm!" Lia shouted, sounding far more chill than anyone had any right to be in this situation.

My gut twisted into a knot. Calm? Stay calm?! Every part of me wanted to dive into the nearest hole, curl up, and wait for someone else—anyone else—to deal with this. But that wasn’t going to happen.

As the beast lunged forward, Lia exploded into motion. She darted toward the monster with fluid grace, her sword swinging in a wide arc, aiming for the creature’s foreleg. Her blade clanged against the thick scales, and sparks went flying as she deflected a blow from its claws. Kal’s arrows zipped out, each one slamming into the creature’s chest but barely scratching its surface. Ivor’s magic surged—a wave of crackling fire erupted from his hands, enveloping the monster’s flank. The flames licked at its scales, and for a moment, I dared to hope it might actually do some damage. Then the creature roared, its claws swiping out, and Lia barely managed to dodge to the side. She was a whirlwind of swordy death, deflecting blow after blow, her every step calculated, every strike purposeful. But was not making a jot of impact.

Nearby combat has triggered Lazy Aura.

Sub-boss level exceeds acceptable parameters.

Lazy Aura fails.

Hah, well, there it was. My trusty Class reminded me just how utterly useless I was in this situation. Unfortunately, my major problem right now wasn’t the failure of my Ability or even the terrifying monster. It was Lia. She had saved my life once, and now here she was, standing front and centre, fighting this oversized reptile pretty much all on her lonesome. And while the rational part of me was screaming, "RUN!" another quieter voice reminded me that I was still following her around for reasons of horn.

"James!" Lia barked, snapping me out of my doomspiral. "Get behind the others and stay out of the fucking way!"

Okay. So, that was an instruction I could follow. I nodded vigorously and ducked behind Kal, who was already on his eighth arrow. The rest of the party was bringing the thunder whilst I, meanwhile, was preparing to not die.

“Don't let up!” Lia shouted, ducking and rolling under smashing talons. She was a blur of movement, her sword crashing down as she darted all around the monster. The others poured in their own damage, forming a crude line as they did their best to support her.

The Sub-Boss roared and swung a massive claw down, trying to swipe away its attackers, but Lia was simply too fast. She dodged the blow with ease and brought her sword slashing across to sever the creature’s hamstring. Sparks flew as steel met scales, and the monster let out a furious bellow and nearly fell.

I huddled behind Elise, doing my best impression of a rock. My role here was clear: don’t die, don’t get in the way, and hope everyone else did their job perfectly. I watched as Ivor and Kal continued to unleash a tidal wave of pain towards the Sub-Boss, a flurry of attacks flying at the monster from all sides. Lia was like a whirlwind of destruction, especially now the beast was almost entirely immobile, her sword dancing through the air as she landed hit after hit on the beast. Meanwhile, I was busy receiving constant notifications every time someone landed a solid blow.

Allied hit detected. +2% Experience.

Allied damage dealt. +3% Experience.

Allied damage dealt. +2% Experience.

I’d been in plenty of battles in idle games where you just sit back, click a few buttons, and watch the XP roll in. This felt... weirdly familiar. And also very wrong. I mean, yeah, this was – and I’m using this term advisedly – ‘real life’, and there was a very good chance I could be eaten alive by the giant monster in front of us, but there was something unpleasantly satisfying about watching everyone else do the hard work while my XP bar quietly filled. Although, thinking about that, I realise there’s more than a little bit of chance I’m being a colossal dick …

The battle raged on and, suddenly, the monster let out another ear-splitting roar and, ignoring Lia, reached out to swipe at another one of the group. Poor Ivor didn’t stand a chance. The impact sent him flying across the room like a rag doll, and he hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

“Ivor!” Elise yelled, rushing toward her fallen comrade. But there was no saving him. The Mage was... gone.

The room seemed to go quiet for a moment. Even the monster paused, as if acknowledging the life it had just ended. I could see it in the others' faces—and that hit me where I lived. This wasn’t a game anymore. Someone had died. One of us had died.

“Focus!” Lia shouted, her voice sharp. “We can’t afford any more mistakes!”

She was right. This wasn’t just about fighting monsters and levelling up anymore. This was real. And for the first time, I felt the weight of that realisation settle in my chest. What the man had said in the alley actually started to resonate. Was it possible I was actually here?!?

The fight resumed with renewed ferocity. The party pressed their attack, their movements more desperate now, as if Ivor’s death had flipped some kind of switch inside them. Lia was everywhere, her sword cutting deep into the beast’s body, but even she was starting to look worn down. The creature, meanwhile, seemed to be getting angrier with every hit it took.

I was still in my corner, doing my best to stay out of sight, when suddenly, a notification popped up.

Borrowed Strength activated: Your stats increase based on those around you. Find stronger allies to grow more powerful. Random Trigger Modifier.

I blinked, trying to process what had just happened. Before I could decide whether that was the most horrifying or useful thing ever, I felt a surge of energy rush through me. My body buzzed with a newfound strength, like I’d just downed an entire pot of coffee in one gulp. I glanced at the others—none of them seemed to notice my sudden glow up, nor appeared worse the wear for it.

"Rogue!" Lia’s voice pierced through the haze of adrenaline, and I snapped to attention. "Get ready—we’re finishing this!"

Finishing this? I could hardly process what was happening. My body buzzed with the sudden influx of borrowed power, my vision sharp as a razor. Then I saw it—what Lia was pointing at: Ivor’s staff, discarded near his body. Her eyes met mine, and for a split second, I could feel the weight of her trust, the unspoken challenge she was throwing at me.

Throw it.

Before I could even second-guess myself, I was moving. I bolted across the cavern, weaving through the debris, dodging the creature’s wild thrashes. Every step felt surreal, as if I wasn’t in control of my own body—like I was watching someone else be the hero. The mage’s staff felt heavy in my hands as I picked it up, but with the boost from Borrowed Strength, it was manageable. I gripped it tightly, the wood slick with Ivor’s blood. Without thinking, I hurled the staff with everything I had, aiming straight for the creature’s head.

It crashed against its snout, exploding like Michael Bay was filming his latest blockbuster and momentarily stunning the creature. Lia didn’t hesitate. With a fierce battle cry, she lunged forward, her sword flashing. She brought it down in a powerful, two-handed strike, the blade sinking deep into the creature’s exposed neck. The beast let out one final, gurgling roar before collapsing in a heap, its body twitching before going still.

Silence filled the chamber once more.

The fight was over. The monster was dead. And we... well, we were still standing. Most of us, anyway.

Lia wiped the blood off her sword, her eyes sweeping over the room. She didn’t say anything, but the bunching in her shoulders spoke volumes. We had won, but at a cost. And as much as I wanted to feel relieved, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something far worse. With perfect timing, my Borrowed Strength buff ended, and I sagged to the floor.

The others began gathering around the creature, checking its body for loot or whatever else they did after a battle. I stayed on the floor, still reeling from the danger inherent in what I had just done.

“Nice work, Rogue,” Elise said with a nod of approval as she passed me. “Knew you’d come through.”

I nodded weakly, forcing a smile.

Lia’s eyes flicked to me, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something like suspicion cross her face. She must have noticed my sudden surge in competence. But then she simply frowned and turned away, leaving me to wonder how long I could keep up the Rogue charade before it all came crashing down.