"Excuse me, are you Mr. Soren?"
Soren turned around.
Standing behind him was a tall, muscular young man with a friendly smile. He wore practical combat gear and had a large shield strapped to his back.
Soren nodded. "Yes. And you are...?"
"I'm Darren, the party leader. Glad to see you made it." He extended his hand for a handshake.
"The pleasure is all mine." Soren shook his hand firmly.
Darren then gestured toward the others standing nearby. "Let me introduce the rest of the team. This is my younger sister, Lira."
A petite girl with shoulder-length brown hair stepped forward and waved cheerfully. "Hi! Nice to meet you!"
"And this is Nina," Darren continued, nodding toward a young woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail. She gave Soren a brief, assessing glance but said nothing.
"And her little brother, Torin." A lean young man with messy black hair stood beside Nina, arms crossed. He acknowledged Soren with a slight nod but remained silent.
"Alright, now that introductions are done, let's head to the Gate," Darren said, already turning toward a parked vehicle. "We can talk more on the way."
The group climbed into a sturdy off-road truck. Darren took the driver's seat, and Soren settled into the passenger seat beside him. Lira, Nina, and Torin climbed into the back.
The engine rumbled to life, and they drove toward the Gate location.
───────
As the vehicle moved through the outskirts of the city, Darren glanced at Soren.
"So, before we go in, mind if I ask your age and rank? Just to get a sense of the team dynamic."
Having finished analyzing, Soren dismissed the status windows from his vision and replied. "I'm twenty-two. First Circle, Mid Stage."
Darren blinked in surprise. "Twenty-two? You're the oldest one here, then. I'm twenty, Nina's twenty, and our siblings are both eighteen."
From the back seat, Torin and Nina both looked up, their expressions shifting slightly. Torin's skepticism was barely concealed, while Nina's gaze sharpened with quiet assessment.
"Twenty-two and only First Circle Mid Stage?" Torin muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard.
Nina didn't say anything, but her eyes lingered on Soren for a moment longer before she looked away.
Darren shot a quick glance at the rearview mirror, clearly noticing the shift in mood. He smoothly redirected the conversation.
"Well, age and rank aren't everything. I saw on your profile that you recently cleared the Gate solo. Azure Slime Forest, right?"
Soren nodded. "That's right."
"That's impressive," Darren said genuinely. "Most people wouldn't attempt a solo clear on their first Gate. You must be really strong and have a powerful ability to pull that off."
Soren shook his head modestly. "I mainly rely on my weapon and basic techniques. I'm still a beginner, honestly. I'm sure you're all far more experienced, so I'll be relying on your guidance today."
Darren appreciated the humility. "Don't sell yourself short, but I'm glad to have a team player. In that case, since you're the oldest here, how about we call you Brother Soren?"
Lira perked up from the back seat. "Brother Soren! I like it!"
Soren chuckled softly. "I don't mind."
"Settled then," Darren said with a friendly smile.
The atmosphere in the truck eased slightly, though Torin and Nina remained quiet in the back.
Darren steered the conversation toward their strategy. "Alright, Brother Soren, let me run you through our setup. I'm the tank, meaning I stay at the front to draw aggro and manage enemy positions. Nina handles close-range combat with her dual swords. Since she is quick and hits hard, her job is to flank and pick off targets."
He gestured toward the back with his thumb. "Torin scouts ahead and provides ranged support with his bow. He is good at spotting ambushes before they happen. Lira stays in the rear as our healer. She is still new, so her mana pool is limited, but she can handle minor to moderate injuries."
Soren nodded, taking it all in.
"As for you," Darren continued, "you will be helping with our offense. Stick close to Nina and help pressure enemies when they are engaged. Use your spear to cover her flanks or assist with crowd control if things get messy. If you see a clean opening, take it, but do not overextend. Safety first."
"Understood," Soren said. "I'll follow your lead and stay in formation."
"Perfect. Communication is key. If you're in trouble, call out. If you see something dangerous, speak up. We've all got each other's backs." Darren's tone was steady and reassuring, the kind of confidence that came from experience.
The truck continued down the rough dirt road, leaving the city far behind. As the terrain grew rockier, the faint shimmer of a Gate appeared on the horizon.
Lira leaned forward between the seats, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "There it is!"
"Stay focused," Darren reminded her gently. "Remember what we practiced."
"I will!"
The truck pulled up to the Gate checkpoint, and after a quick verification with the official on duty, they parked and gathered their gear.
Soren stood with the others in front of the Gate, staring at the swirling portal of pale gray energy. It pulsed faintly, distorting the air around it.
Darren adjusted his shield and glanced at the group. "Everyone ready?"
Nods all around.
"Let's go."
One by one, they stepped through the portal.
Soren felt the familiar sensation of reality twisting around him, and then his boots hit solid ground on the other side.
The cave stretched out before them, dim and quiet.
"Everyone, stay on alert."
As Darren's voice echoed softly in the enclosed space, Soren tightened his grip on his spear and waited for his eyes to adjust to the low light. The damp, cool air carried the earthy scent of moss and stone, while the distant dripping of water grew amplified as it bounced off the cavern walls.
Moving forward in their established formation, the group advanced, Darren leading the way, his shield raised defensively. Nina flanked to the right with both dual swords drawn, while Torin hung back slightly with an arrow notched, scanning the shadows along the walls and ceiling. With Lira staying close behind Darren and clutching her staff nervously in both hands, Soren positioned himself between Nina and Torin, keeping his spear at the ready as their footsteps crunched softly against the uneven stone floor.
"There," Torin whispered, pointing ahead.
Soren followed his gaze toward the cave walls, where several large, beetle-like creatures clung to the rock. Their dark gray shells blended almost perfectly with the stone, rendering them nearly invisible in the low light. Though they remained motionless for the moment, their twitching antennae betrayed their awareness.
Stone Beetles.
Darren raised his fist, signaling the group to stop.
"Six beetles ahead. Standard formation. Nina, start from the left side. Brother Soren, support her. Torin, cover from range. Lira, stay behind me and keep your guard up."
Darren took a deep breath and stepped forward, striking his sword against his shield.
The clang echoed through the cave, drawing the immediate attention of the beetles. Dropping to the ground, the creatures turned toward the noise, their legs skittering against the stone as they charged forward.
"Here they come!" Darren shouted.
The battle began.
Nina darted forward with her swords ready, moving in sync with Torin, whose arrow whistled forward and struck one of the beetles square in the head. Soren immediately moved in beside her, thrusting his spear toward the exposed joints of the creature's shell.
Everything was going smoothly until Torin screamed.
"Above!"
Soren's head snapped up.
Hanging from the ceiling directly above them were dozens of writhing, vine-like creatures, their green tendrils unfurling as they prepared to drop.
'Moss Creepers!'
And they were all falling at once.