Tomorrow morning?

Great. That left one question—where the hell was I supposed to sleep?

What, was I supposed to drag my ass all the way back to Clinton Bay, then come right back here at sunrise?

"So… I have to go back and then come back again tomorrow?" I asked, hoping that didn't sound as pathetic out loud as it did in my head.

Renna let out a laugh—so I guess it did.

"No, of course not," Raine said, which was a relief.

Niko, still half-asleep looking, raised a lazy hand. "There's a free bed in my room. You can crash there."

"Right." Raine nodded. "Besides, going back and forth would be exhausting. Just stay here until tomorrow."

"Ting!" Sienna chimed in like a damn service bell. "Boss is so right!"

image [https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/thumbnails/034/487/737/small_2x/gold-frame-page-divider-free-png.png]

So this is what it feels like—being in a party.

Weapons strapped in, tension thick in the air.

Renna, of course, had some oversized axe that looked like it could split a car in half—fits her personality. Niko, the human houseplant who barely moved last night, had a pistol strapped to his hip. Sienna clutched a staff. Jace… what the hell was his class again? Did he even say? I glanced at him—nothing. No weapon, no gear. Kai, at least, had potions jingling in his belt pouch.

And then there was Raine busy doing something. Also no weapon. No gear. I’d assumed she’d be coming with us—dumb assumption. Turns out, some Awakeners didn’t actually have to do Awakener things. They could just… manage. That was an option?

"Hey, newcomer," Renna called out, her voice sharp. "You got a weapon?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Should I?"

She smirked. "I think a kitchen knife might suit you best."

Laughter. From everyone.

Hah. Hilarious. In my head, I’d already elbowed her in the face. In reality, I forced out a dry chuckle. Good one. Really. Top-tier comedy.

"Wait, seriously?" Kai asked, frowning. "You're not bringing anything?"

"Does the guild have a weapon stash or something?" I asked, pausing. "Might as well grab something if there is."

If there wasn’t a weapon stash, I was actually going to grab a kitchen knife. Not even joking. Not like it’d do much, but literally it was much better than bare fists. Then again, why the hell would I listen to Renna? She’s insane.

Kai nodded, which meant yes—there was a stash. Good. He led me down a narrow hallway, past a door that stuck for a second before he shoved it open. Inside, the so-called armory was… underwhelming. A few racks lined the walls, filled with weapons that had clearly seen better days.

Alright..

A dagger? Too short. Would have to get up close. I wasn’t fast enough for that. A longsword? Nah, too heavy—I’d probably throw my back out trying to swing it. A spear? Decent range, but the weight distribution felt awkward in my grip.

That left me with… a short sword. Not too heavy. Not too long. Balanced.

Good enough.

Kai watched as I picked it up. "Sorry, our weapon selection isn’t the best."

"It’s fine. First time using a sword anyway."

His eyebrows went up. "You’ve never used a weapon?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I know the basics. They made us train with sticks in school."

Which was true. Self-defense drills, mostly just a formality. Not exactly dungeon-tier combat, but—at least I know which end to hold.

“GUYS! TIME TO MOVE!”

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

Raine’s voice erupted, thus making Kai and I halted mid-step, our eyes snapping to her.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” Renna called back, her tone laced with impatience.

I tightened my grip on the sword in my hand, the weight of it grounding me. Did I really need this? Would I even use it? Probably. I should be helping Ruk more. The logic was easy—obvious, even—but a part of me wished I could just be down there myself instead of letting my summon do all the work.

Yeah, I wasn’t even here just to spectate.

image [https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/thumbnails/034/487/737/small_2x/gold-frame-page-divider-free-png.png]

Renna, Jace, Sienna, Niko, Kai, and myself.

Six of us, packed into a beat-up car. Technically, Raine had reserved this dungeon for us, so we did. Lucky for us, no other awakeners had claimed it. Then again, this was bottom-tier—a weak-ass F-rank. Not exactly prime hunting ground.

Still, I’d only just learned that places like this weren’t actually shut down, even with a dungeon sitting right in the middle of it. Regular, unawakened people couldn’t see dungeons. To them, it was just another day, another stop on their routine. They went about their business, oblivious, but the moment they noticed us—really noticed us—it all changed.

We were the anomaly. The spectacle.

“The hell?” A man’s voice drifted from the throng of bystanders.

“Those are awakeners, right?” someone else muttered.

“They’re probably raiding,” another voice chimed in.

“I’m late,” a woman hissed, pushing past the gathering crowd.

The whispers rippled through them, a quiet hum of fascination and unease. Some stood on tiptoe for a better view. A few cheered. Most just stared, trying to make sense of what we were. What we did.

Because this—this—was an awakener’s job: clear the dungeons, keep the monsters contained, make sure the world didn’t go to hell. And right now, that duty rested on us.

We stood in front of the dungeon’s entrance, unmoving. A gaping dark entrance shimmered where there should’ve been nothing, an absence in reality itself. And the unawakened? They saw none of it. Just a bunch of kids staring at thin air.

"Alright, let’s get our asses moving." Renna hefted her axe onto her shoulder.

"Haaah." Niko let out a slow, lazy yawn. "Can we wrap this up quick? I need a nap."

"You just woke up, you dick."

"Don’t even start, Ren."

And here we go—round five of their never-ending bickering, before we’ve even stepped inside. Meanwhile, the other three—Sienna, Jace, and Kai—stayed quiet. Too quiet. Sienna had this eerie smile glued to her face, she either loved this or was about to snap and murder us all. Probably just her natural resting psycho face. No offense.

Jace took the lead, walking straight toward the entrance. We followed. Was he the leader? No clue. Didn't really matter. What did matter was the fact that I still had no damn idea what his class was. Dude didn’t carry a weapon. No staff. No sword. Nothing. Still suspicious as hell.

"Oh, shit, they’re raiding!"

"Get a video, man!"

The crowd buzzed behind us, their voices fading as we crossed the threshold into the dungeon—an invisible doorway only awakeners could see.

And just like that, the world outside vanished.

Ding.

[Entering Dungeon]

[Contract Now Active]

A notification flickered in my vision. The exit was gone—sealed the moment we stepped in. The distant hum of the train station? The murmurs of bystanders? Gone.

The place looked... familiar. Too familiar.

Rock walls. Stale air. The kind of dim light that didn’t seem to come from anywhere but somehow still let you see.

It was just like the first dungeon I got thrown into.

"Want some potions?" Kai’s voice cracked a little. "Just in case."

"Save ‘em." Jace didn’t even look at him.

"We haven’t even started, Kai. Why do you look like you’re about to pass out?" Niko said, eyeing him.

And yeah—Kai looked bad. Sweaty, pale.

I reached out, gave his shoulder a light tap. Didn’t even think about it, just did it. "We stick together."

Why the hell did I say that? Sympathy? Fear? My own nerves clawing their way out? My hand trembled just thinking about it. Was Kai like me.. trembling in tough situatios? Or was he dealing with something worse?

image [https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/thumbnails/034/487/737/small_2x/gold-frame-page-divider-free-png.png]

The first wave hit.

A pack of bone-thin wolves, their ribs nearly bursting through what was left of their flesh. The kind of creatures you didn’t find in nature—just here, in these twisted places.

I didn’t summon Ruk. Didn’t move, either. Just stood there, frozen, watching as my teammates tore through them.

Jace stayed put. So did Kai.

But the others?

Renna was a damn wrecking ball, her axe cleaving through bones. Niko—somehow still looking half-asleep—moved fast, his pistol snapping off clean, precise shots. And Sienna… well, she got there eventually. Missed a few spells, then nailed the last one.

Didn’t matter. They won. Fast. Efficient. Like they’d done this a hundred times before.

"They’re good, huh?" Kai muttered.

I exhaled. "Yeah. They are."

But my attention shifted to Jace. Still quiet. Watching. Calculating.

"Hey, uh…" I hesitated. "What’s his class?"

Kai followed my gaze. "Jace? He’s a mage."

A mage? Without a staff?

My mind clicked. I’d seen something about this on the news. Mages who cast without staffs—those were the elite ones. The naturals. The ones who didn’t need a crutch.

So Jace was one of them.

Which meant... he was probably the E-ranker here.

"Should we start moving?" Jace’s voice cut through the silence. "You know, loot distribution’s based on contribution."

Oh. Right.

Shit. I’d completely blanked on that little detail. If I didn’t pull my weight, I’d walk out of here empty-handed.

No loot. No damn point in being here.

My brain had been stuck in neutral since we got in here, my body locked up. Come on, idiot. Move.

"Shit…" I muttered under my breath, forcing my legs into motion just as the second wave of wolves came tearing through the dark.

---

[Ethan Kael]

[F-Rank Cursed Summoner]

Attributes:

Strength (STR): 9

Agility (AGI): 8

Intelligence (INT): 6

Endurance (END): 7

Perception (PER): 5

Binding (BIND): 30

"Fuck… looking at my stats makes me want to vomit."

My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword, but before I could even swing—

SWISH.

Renna barreled past me, her axe carving through the nearest wolf.

"Hey! This one's mine!" she barked, practically shoving me aside.

I was 90% sure there was nothing in the contract about hoarding all the kills, but at this rate, Renna was gonna walk away with everything while the rest of us fought for scraps.

"This won’t work," I muttered under my breath.

I clenched my sword, considering my options. Did I really want to do this? Keep hiding behind him?

The wolves lunged. Shit. No time.

I lifted my arm. "Kneel."

The air split, the summoning circle flaring to life. A moment later, Ruk materialized—a hulking mass of fur and muscle. It had been a while since I’d summoned him. Maybe he got some decent rest.

Maybe he’d be a little less pissed off this time.

"Summon me for puppies huh?" He said..no.. I was definitely wrong.. he sounded like he was pissed off.

Kai stiffened. "Is—is that your summon?"

I nodded.

Jace’s eyes locked onto Ruk. "That’s a big wolf."

Couldn’t argue with that. Ruk was massive, even for a summon. Maybe the system had a thing for dramatic size increases, or maybe summoners just got extra compensation for being wildly underpowered. Either way, he looked more like a small bear than a wolf.

"HEY! MORE COMING! MAYBE MOVE YOUR ASSES?" Renna’s voice tore through the dungeon.

I glanced over—she, Sienna, and Niko were still cutting down the wolves. Meanwhile, we were standing around like we were about to start a damn book club.

I pointed at the incoming pack. "Ruk, exterminate your cousins."

He shot me a glare. "What cousins?"

"Forget it." I waved him off. "Just kill them."

He let out a low, annoyed huff before lunging forward, tearing into the wolves. Damn, he was getting moodier.

"Might as well join in." Jace finally spoke, lifting his hands.

I eyed him warily. "Uh… aim carefully, unless you’re trying to friendly-fire those three."

"What?" He frowned, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Before I could clarify, something bright materialized in his hand.

Wait.

Wait, what the fuck was that?

Light pulsed, forming solid shape—shifting, morphing—then stabilizing into a weapon.

A bow?

No—a bow and arrow, made of pure light.