Here am I. The guild house of the [Viper Fangs]. Although, I can't say it's a true guild house. It's only an old ruined building that can be mistaken as a dungeon if it wasn't set inside [Initio]. I don't know what they're thinking, but it's understandable since they have a habit of making other players slaves and unwilling to gain attention because of it. Unlike my last visit, there are many more players than before and most of them are new faces. I have a feeling they were busy with the newbies. The real question is what are they planning this time?

"Um... Excuse me..."

A woman's voice. Must be one of the newbies. I turn around to help her...

But then, my heart starts to flutter when I see her golden long hair, blue eyes, and skimpy brown leather armor with a dagger sheathed on her back.

"Are you one of the guild members around here?"

I'm almost speechless upon seeing her in-game appearance. Thankfully, I managed to calm myself before muttering nonsense in front of a lady.

"Uh... No... No, I'm not. I'm sort of a... an associate," I sheepishly answered.

"To whom?"

I wish I had avoided using this answer, but...

"To the guild leader," I groaned. "It's a long story. Are you new around here?"

"Yeah, second day, finished the . A big recommendation to my RL friend." To my surprise, she stretched out her hand to me and smiled. "I'm , what's yours?"

"Lowry. Embarrassing name, I know."

"Oh?" M3GAN tilts her head. "I don't think your name is embarrassing. I think it sounds cute."

Tell that to Lyca.

"Whatever. Anyways, are you sure you want to join this party? It might be too dangerous for a newbie like you to take the plunge into dungeon diving."

The woman laughs and says, "No problem for me. I did have a lot of help and so far, we have many players in our party. I doubt this dive won't be an issue. Well, tell that to my 1 month of playing an MMO in only one day."

It's my turn to chuckle. Yeah, she won't survive if she doesn't get help. Thankfully, our chat ends with a trumpet and several guild members gathering on a makeshift stage.

"Looks like the whole gang is here."

And that would mean one thing.

"Well, didn't expect you to arrive here on time, Lowy."

My gaze turned into a glare as I turned around and saw a familiar brown-haired man in leather armor and a large sword on his back. He was sneering with a gold tooth implanted in his mouth and his red eyes were gleaming in pure malice.

That's the guild leader that I'm both fearful and annoyed.

"For a second there, I might have sent some men to pick you up."

Despite his name, he is anything but his namesake. He's an arrogant know-it-all who loves putting down anyone he deems weak. His gaming skills are decent, but he uses his party to level up faster to the point he stops fighting by their side. I'm guessing that's the reason he set up this guild. What's worse is that he's a bad mentor. He blames the newbies for his faults and is willing to harm them as long they are outside cities and towns. This makes me wonder why the mods aren't acting against these kinds of jerks right now.

"Do you think I'm planning to abandon a dungeon raid party who wouldn't know where to go without a [Scribe] navigator?" I said. "Knowing you, you would have led them to their early [Death Penalties] if you tried PKing me out of LOLz."

Savior chuckles as if I'm making a joke. "Now come on, why would I do that to a helpful s- I mean, unofficial guild navigator? Sure, your [Scribe] is only Level 7, but you're good at drawing maps and you can copy some of them at the library just like we ask. Plus, your potions are all the rage in the guild and you're quick in healing and buffing. You may be weak in battle, but you are good at being a nanny."

Is that what they think of me? A nanny?

If that's another one of his insults, then I'm not happy about it.

"You do realize I'm a few meters away from the door. I don't care if you give me another [Death Penalty]. But know that you're down a navigator if you do."

I'm hoping it would be enough to push that jerk away. But all I can see from him is his smile turning into a frown.

"So? A penalty is a penalty," Savior said with venom in his voice directed at me. "Your job is to heal and navigate. I don't care if you have any debuffs or status conditions as long you do your job right. You're too weak to do anything to the monsters, so why do you have a right to call in sick?"

I gulp as I stare at his red eyes as if I'm staring right in front of a dragon. I should have a right to call out his bullshit. I know I can't fight, but I am also defenseless against aggro monsters. Even the stat debuffs from the penalties are more dangerous since they also affect my already low defenses.

I try opening my mouth, trying to find the courage to shut him up.

But I can't.

"Fine. Have it your way."

With those words, Savior's smile came back, only with a sinister façade. "Good to hear. I'm glad you're always the understanding type. Well, sit back and relax. The briefing will start in a few seconds."

Savior walked to the stage with a burst of laughter you can hear from many cliché villains. I remained calm, but I struggled to contain the anger in my heart. Even if I do, it won't end well for me and everyone else involved.

So I remained quiet and sat on one of the rubble to wait for the briefing.

----------------------------------------

Eventually, the dungeon briefing has begun. I joined the party specifically made for this dungeon dive so I can get the [Quest] from Savior.

[Dungeon Quest: Conquer the Ruins! ***]

[Beasts and monsters have plagued the ruins in . However, a treasure awaits if they reach the source of the plague.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Goal: Clear the dungeon!]

[Dungeon Quests] are what you call the main goal assigned to each dungeon in [Isekai]. You can tell which once you access its entrance. I never tried that because of my current level and I mostly got them from Savior's party.

What's different from the other [Quests] is how you complete it. While normal [Quests] often have a multi-Quest structure when it comes to the main and side stories in the game, [Dungeon Quests] often give new goals as part of a single one. That's because you need to climb up or down the dungeon to progress and to do that, you need to clear the floor based on RNG. In other words, not all dungeon floors are the same.

However, this dungeon seems a bit different from the others I've been before. I can't point out what it is, but this doesn't sound like a dangerous dungeon, especially in [Isekai's] initial patch. Not to mention the rumors Harley mentioned...

"Lowry?"

My thoughts broke as soon as I heard M3GAN's voice. Right, she must have witnessed my confrontation with Savior. Either way, I'll figure it out later.

"Oh... Sorry about earlier..." I apologized. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood back there."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm just surprised you look like you knew the guild leader very well. Are you friends in real life?"

I scoffed. "Friends? As if. You may think of him as a reliable guild leader here. But in real life, he's a tyrant. He's the worst guy you can meet here if you rub him the wrong way. He's even worse if you meet him in real life."

"Tyrant" might be too much, but that's how I describe Savior (aka David Lawson). In reality, he's a bully who somehow worms his way from high school to college enjoying my suffering under his hands while taking advantage of his benefits as an heir of a famous tech company in Silicon Valley. For some reason, he also thinks he's a protagonist of a Korean drama or webtoon who has OP skills and the underdog who conquered all others. Either that or he read too many webtoons online.

"If he's that bad, why are you still hanging around with him?"

M3GAN has a good point. But I did mention he is an heir and I'm serious about that part.

"There's a chance he will use everything to keep me here. To him, I'm a cash grab for dungeon rewards. If I leave, who knows what will happen to my real life now? Besides, if I leave now, their [Death Penalties] are all on me."

M3GAN chuckled. "You look like a weak kid, but you have a big heart, huh? I like boys like that~"

What does she mean by that? She even twirls her finger around my chest when she says those words. Dammit... I'm already blushing just looking at her.

"Uh... Yeah..." I muttered as I tried to regain my composure. "If you need help in battle, just give me a call, okay?"

M3GAN nods and says, "Got it! I'm looking forward to working with you, teacher~"

Man... Why does she look so cute?! Goddammit, puberty! You make me lose my composure!

----------------------------------------

Eventually, the briefing ends. We need to be at the dungeon 2 hours before the full moon. That means I have enough time to forage for my shop's stock for tomorrow.

At least that was the plan until Savior approached me again

"Hey, bud! Got a minute?"

I glare at him, knowing what he might ask. "What is it, Save? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Yeah, busy. I get that, but the dungeon dive is tonight and I kinda need your assistance with something. Namely, stock up about 10-15 dozen potions?"

WTF?! Is this guy screwing with me?

"Why are you asking me?! Even if I can produce it in a few hours, I still need to stock up on herbs, but only for the shop!" I countered. "Plus, you already have alchemists with you? Why can't you ask them to craft the rest or better yet, buy them in the store?!"

"Good point. I should ask t- Oh wait... I can't because we know [Alchemy] is one of the least popular [Masteries] right now and no one is willing to sacrifice a [Mastery Slot] on one. I would like to buy some, but I don't want to waste my hard-earned money on something so trivial. Which is where you come in. Besides, who would want to buy in your dinky store anyway? I doubt it's good enough to have a decent stand that won't break down with a feather. Hahahahaha!"

That...bastard!

I want to smack him so bad. But unfortunately, he's too fast for me to react before he punches me in the gut. This causes me to collapse on my knee as I cough out a bit of blood.

"Teacher Lowry!"

Dammit... Now I'm making a female newbie worried. Not to be rude, but I feel like I'm not a teacher material for her given how I'm kneeling like a helpless puppy. Not to mention him having a passive [Mastery] feels a bit unfair for a support magic user like me.

"But you do have a point on time. Whether you buy or craft them is up to you. Just be here with the potions, okay?"

I still grit my teeth as I nod, trying not to let out any tears for Savior to enjoy.

"Ha! He really is a pushover!"

"Hey! Don't forget to flavor your potions, kid! I like a "lemon" taste for my potion."

"I like mine "orange-y", mule!"

"And mine "peachy"! Get it? Cause you're the "butt" of all [Isekai]!"

I can hear Savior's goons laughing at my back. Dammit, all... Just how many orders do you want me to do just for your entertainment?!

"L-Lowry?"

Oh, right. M3GAN is still watching. I sigh as I struggle to get up. "Sorry you have to see that, M3GAN."

"I get that. But are you sure you're okay?" She asked with concern in her voice. "That punch looks kinda pai-"

"I'm fine," I quickly interjected. "I'm okay. I only lost a bit of my [HP], that's all. It will be fully recovered by the time of the dive."

"But that's not..."

I quickly gesture to her to stop. "I know you're worried about me and I appreciate your concerns. But this is my problem alone. If you get involved because of me, then I won't forgive myself."

"Lowry..."

I dust my clothes and stretch my arms. "Either way, I was going to stock up on potions for the dungeon anyway. If I don't get them in time, then we won't be able to survive through the end. I can't fight, but the fate of this party rests on my hands."

That sounds a bit cliche. But it's a good way to ensure M3GAN that I'm not the type to go down that easily.

"Alright... Just be careful... I'll try to buy some stuff for the dungeon, too."

Right... I almost forgot that she was new at this game. I took out a small piece of paper and jolted down some items with my [Quill Pen]. "Here. These are the consumable items I recommend getting for newbies. They're not powerful as the staples, but they are cheap for you to buy."

"Thanks, teach. Hope to see you at the entrance!"

I nod as I wave goodbye to M3GAN for now. Yeah, this is my burden alone. I don't want to give it to anyone else, not even my friends. I didn't ask to be bullied. I didn't ask for my bully to follow me in this game. I didn't ask to have the same experience as with my family.

But this is the fate they give me for [Isekai]. A fate I cannot escape even with my full strength. There are consequences if I dare to do so and I don't want everyone to give me unnecessary pity for the events I unknowingly instigated.

I look down to see a puddle reflecting my character's image. He looks like a weak kid. A representation of my cowardly facade. I made him, yet I hated him because he was everything I tried to escape.

I grit my teeth as a tear falls from my eye.

If only I could kill my weak self...

If only I could be reborn in this virtual world...

If only I could start from zero...

If only I become a beast than a mage...

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[Lowry's Masteries]

[Dagger] Level 5

[Fire] Level 3

[Life] Level 6

[Magical Affinity] Level 4

[Alchemy] Level 8

[Scribe] Level 7

[Magecrafting] Level 1