Noah stood atop a hill, inhaling the warm, sweet air with a smile. From his vantage point he watched as an invisible force gently caressed the lush green grass, causing it to sway like a rippling wave under the wind. The sky above was just as mesmerizing, a shade of aquamarine without a single cloud in view. In the distance he spotted a majestic forests and towering mountains worthy of being captured on canvas.

The calm before the storm.

As Noah surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. All around him were fellow adventurers in various stages of preparation. Some adjusted their armor under the gentle warmth of the sun, while others meticulously inspected their weapons or engaged in friendly conversations. Because just a few feet in front of them was a radiant, shimmering light in a circular shape. A portal, a gateway to another realm known as a dungeon. The sheer energy emanating from it electrified the air, causing a tingling sensation. It made one's hair stand on end, created an underlying unease for deep down everyone knew what lurked within it. Nightmarish creatures, eagerly awaiting the moment when the portal would reach a critical stage.

“Nervous kid?” a tall guy said, one hand slapping Noah’s shoulders. Embarrassingly enough it startled him from his observation and he nearly jumped.

“Oh, uh…” Of course Noah was nervous. Who wouldn’t be if one might die within the next few hours. “A little?”

The man’s name was Owen, if Noah’s memory served him right. A warrior class specializing in diving the back line. He carried a large two-handed broadsword on his back, wore lightweight but sturdy leather armor, and on his waist were a few potions strapped on his utility belt. He grinned at the moment, his wild brown hair giving him a fierce appearance.

“Don’t be. There’s nothing to worry about. We just need you to stay at the back line and carry our things. We’ll do the rest.”

“Yup!” a guy chimed in as he walked up to them. Noah couldn't recall his name but he noticed the bow on his back and a quiver full of arrows. “The guild knows we can clear this dungeon faster than they can blink, but they still insist we bring a minimum number of adventurers.”

“And good thing you were around,” Owen said with another slap to Noah’s back. It pushed him a step forward, most likely taking out a few of his health points in the progress. He awkwardly laughed while rubbing the smarting spot.

“Always happy to help!”

He truly was. If it wasn’t for that specific rule, adventurers at the bottom of the barrel like himself would most likely never see a dungeon from the inside. Never have the opportunity to gain a little bit of experience towards their next rank. Even if all he does is carry someone’s bag or grab whatever loot was dropped, it was better than nothing. That’s the unfortunate fate of people like him. Adventurers that nobody wanted in their group.

“Alright,” Owen shouted over the other people’s voices. “Let’s line up and move. I’ve got to be home by eight, or my wife will kick my ass again.”

“Someone else suddenly wanting to take it slow?”

“And it looks like Dave volunteered to be the scout.”

Dave grinned. „Fine by me!” a man shouted. Dave most likely. “Gives me ample time to plan my escape when I spot your wife on the horizon.“

Laughter filled the air and even Noah felt his tension ease, though he was still quiet nervous as the group started to move towards the portal. After a brief hesitation he followed the group, grabbing various backpacks piled up next to him.

“Here goes nothing.”

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Moving through a portal always felt weird. There was a certain sensation to it, a lurch of sorts, as if someone at your back had given you a bit of a shove. Then suddenly you’re in a complete different place, going from a clear, blue sky to a cave. A forest. A ruined town, or somewhere else with a bunch of monsters lurking around. The dungeon he found himself in this time was fairly tame in what it could offer. It was a cavernous type with high ceiling and spacious rooms, leading into narrow tunnels. A sort of mine shaft, he would describe it as. Judging by the starting layout, it wouldn’t be unusual for the rest of the cave to follow a similar pattern. Bronze dungeons rarely broke the mold and were generally very strict in it’s design, though the higher it gets, the crazier things will be. A helpful quirk for any upcoming adventurer looking to learn the ropes in relative safety. Though rule number 1 says to expect the unexpected.

Noah looked at his surroundings to gather a bit of hints. Most of the time you could base the monster type on it’s surroundings and prepare ahead of time. For example the moss and other plants growing along the walls could hint at a plant monster, or something that feeds on plants. Or perhaps something that feeds on whatever feeds on plants. These types of things weren’t too straight forward, unfortunately. Its why scouting classes were essential in every group, right next to a support and a tank.

His current group wasn’t too interested in scouting, however. The moment he stepped through the portal and reoriented himself, the group was already up ahead walking towards one of the narrow tunnels. He had to run towards them to catch up, the various potions and other trivial gear clanking with each step. The atmosphere was very casual, nobody seemed on edge or too worried. It was both reassuring and a bit nerve wrecking. Over confidence was the number one killer of adventurers, according to the guild. That was rule number 2.

“So. Any bets on what monster we’ll find?” one of the adventurer asked.

“Goblins, maybe?” A man in full body armor mused. Most likely the tank, judging by the massive shield he currently had on his back. “Pesky little things.”

“Because they’ll just pile on top of you until you can’t move anymore?”

“That, and they’re a smelly bunch.”

The man from earlier, Owen, chuckled while giving him a friendly pat on his shoulders. “Let’s hope it’s just a bunch of spiders.”

A red haired girl with a long flowing, black robe shuddered. “Anything but spiders. Hate these things. They bend and move all kinds of creepily whenever I hit one.”

“Maybe don’t use your fire magic then?”

“But I like my fire!”

“Do you have any idea how horrible things smell when burnt,” grumbled the tank. They continued to goof around, musing about their enemies, the boss and which of the enemy types smelled the worst. Apparently nothing compared to the undead so far and Noah had to agree on that. Especially the type with bits of flesh hanging off their body still.

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The mounting tension in Noah’s belly finally came loose when they stumbled across the first group of enemies. Spiders, as Owen had said. Big ones with large, yellow markings and black butts. Disgusting to look at and very terrifying when they charged at you. These ones were the ambush type, setting up kill zones for inexperienced adventurers. The moment we stepped into a large, spacious room, they descend from the ceiling. It was a man with a bow who was the first to sense them. A form of danger sense kicking in, most likely.

“Spiders,” the man’s voice barked out. “From above!”

The group sprang into action immediately and it was a beauty to behold. The tank was the first to jump into action. He roared, the very air shaking as his voice traveled like a wave. It hit the spiders well before they reached the ground, their focus shifting from attacking whoever was the closest to hissing at the tank. A taunt ability, Noah recognized. Fairly potent with a huge area of effect. Most taunt abilities generally were single target.

The extra seconds it bought everyone allowed the group to reposition by the entrance of the room, the front liners engaging the spiders from behind while the back line unleashed devastating, ranged attacks.

“As your life would weaken,” the support chanted. “A shield stands tall.”

A blueish light engulfed Noah’s skin and he watched in fascination as it affected everyone else. It was an aura skill, he remembered. One of the rarest and most sought out support skill. Anyone near her would now get a meager but continuously refreshing shield every other second for as long as she could hold the concentration required. Then she weaved in a healing on top of the tank before cleansing the first spider webs slowing him down, all of it within moment of each other.

The ranged damage dealers weren’t idle, however. The archers and mages were casting offensive skills the moment they were in a safe position, a large fireball shooting out of the red haired girls hand. A flurry of arrows being shot by the archers. They hit their mark and decimated their target before Noah could even blink. The monsters were faster to react, however. A few of them ran at the back line with an angry, hissing sound, the clacking of their sharp feet sending chills down Noah’s spine. Every adventurer was at minimum adapt at fighting in close range, but few ranged classes were good enough to go toe to toe in these situations. Luckily, though, the fighter classes were ready to intercept the group shaking off the taunt effect. They were the shields of the back line and formidable duelers. The moment a straggler came near their swords, they’d strike with lightning speed, their swords slamming into the chitin armor of the spiders. Some fell immediately, others were more resilient, dancing back and forth as they fought.

Noah watched it all unfold with wide eyes, taking in the various skills at play, the attacks from the spiders and how they fell one after another. It was a beauty to witness. The way these adventurers worked in tandem with one another, like a well oiled gear. Few groups he had joined were this good and experienced. You could see the trust in one another. If one person made a mistake, another took up the slack.

He was the most fascinated by the healer, of course. As a fellow support it was a teaching moment to see how a true support participated in a fight. He watched her cast one healing spell after another, a damage over time heal on the fighters, an instant heal on the tank. A group heal when multiple people were in danger. She also used a few buffs he dreamed to have himself. A damage increase buff. A movement speed buff. An attack speed buff.

This could’ve been him, he thought. A support people could rely on, someone that was useful and the backbone of the party. If only...

No, he shook his head. He had made peace with his fate.

Noah wasn’t entirely useless, however. He was there with various potions in hand, offering them to people demanding one. Mages and supports were notorious for their mana usage, so he would continuously run back and forth to hand a bunch of mana potions over. It wasn’t the most glorious task, a lot of other adventurers looked down on people like him but at least it was an opportunity for him to gain a bit of experience. Every little bit counted and while his role didn’t offer much experience, a drop was still a drop. Maybe one day it’ll be enough to rank him up.

The fight took at best ten minutes, even if it felt much longer to him. Contrary to all the glory and songs the bards had composed over the adventurers profession, actual fights were incredibly dirty. The large spiders were gored and bleeding with each hit they received, some of them literally showering anyone nearby with guts and blood. Add a bit of sizzling fire and the concoction was straight up poisonous, affecting everyone nearby with health loss. The support had to cast a bunch of cleanses as it polluted the room. Though it still affected people with a poisonous miasma. Luckily one of the adventurers had a wind ability to clear the gas and it worked wonders on the stench as well.

With the fight finally over and the tank waddling over to get hosed off by someone’s water skill–the man took it all with a grumbled mutter–Noah started to pick up the loot the monsters had dropped. A bit of silk and some venomous fangs. Nothing unique or crazy, but even trashy items could be sold or crafted further. You might not get a lot from it but every little bit counts in the lower ranks and besides, the main haul was the boss or potential treasure rooms anyways. All in all, it took around fifteen minutes for everyone to clean up, both physically and magically, and grab all the loot.

Fights from here on out were much cleaner. Everyone knew what to expect and the tank always made sure to enter a room all by himself, activating his taunt skill to draw out lurking enemies. It was an effective strategy, despite the simplicity.

They reached the boss room in what felt like record time, a huge, closed gate barring their path. It was ornamented with a mass of skulls at the bottom while at the far top was a spider, hanging from a single thread. Ominous and foreshadowing, to say the least.

Noah swallowed.

“Finally,” one of the fighters grunted, already heading for the door. “Thought it’ll take the entire day.”

He kicked it open with a boot smashing against it, revealing a large, circular room. Even from the distance Noah could see a dark silhouette hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The size it had was at least five times his, and not for the first time he wondered how people had the strength to face that type of creature in melee range. It could simply run you down and what possibly could you do against that? He thanked the god for being a support.

“Typical warriors,” one of the girls huffed as she followed after him into the boss room. In lower tier dungeons the fight wouldn’t start until someone attacked it, so there wasn’t any rush. You could even set up a bunch of traps or prepare the room to make it more in your favor, but this group was confident to the dot. They all entered in a leisure pacing, chatting with one another as if it was a simple walk. Noah wasn’t that calm, he felt a growing unease spread through his chest, nervous and worried. He hesitated by the door.

“Want to wait outside, kid?” Owen asked. It was tempting. He wouldn’t be able to contribute to the fight at all, his support skills would do more harm than good, but if he waited outside he’d be all alone in the dungeon. It wasn’t likely, but there’s a chance a roaming spider was left alive somewhere and he really did not want to be all by himself then. Not to mention that he wanted part of the boss experience. If he stays outside he wouldn’t get anything out of it.

“I- I’ll join.”

“Good man,” he slapped his shoulders and went into the boss room. Noah followed hastily, his eyes roaming across the room. The walls were smooth, the ground unblemished and on the other side of it was a treasure chest. Opening it up would force the fight and deny a first strike, so in general it was wise to not go near it.

“Everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s do this then!”

The ranged back line prepared their strongest attack, aimed at the spider up above and attacked at the same time. The sorceress cast a fireball trailed by several smaller ones. An archer let loose a lightning quick arrow. A fighter drew his sword faster than Noah could see the motion, a crescent half moon slash flying towards the boss. All of these attacks were well timed, in order of speed, and hit the boss at nearly the same time.

It woke up with a screech.

Noah winced as the door behind him closed.

There was no escape now.