Dark Knight

Hans swept his gaze around. 

He asked, "I thought there were 10 people invited? I can't see Wayne."

"Ah? Wayne went to his Guild today to file reports. But he said he'll be there when the raid starts."

"I see."

Wayne should be part of a guild. Due to their restrictions, he couldn't just take a short leave on workdays. Although Hans wasn't part of a guild, he somewhat knows how it functions and some rules. 

"Well, now that Hans is here, let's go."

Jason stood up and grabbed his keys from the table. Seeing everyone begin to get up as well, Hans followed suit but he still asked just in case. 

"Where are we going?" 

"To eat." With a weave of his hand, Kyle pulled his collar up, "Jason reserved a table at Mokojin's Resto." 

"Ehh? It's expensive there right?" 

Kyle immediately wrapped his arm around Hans' neck and laughed, "Don't worry about money. It's a treat. You wouldn't spend a cent. I guarantee."

"But isn't that a little exaggerating? The dish out there is literally millions per serving."

"Hmm… Jason's rich." Kyle held his chin and smirked, "or I guess he just missed us too much?" 

Kyle wasn't much of a thinker. Although feeling some doubts, Hans ignored it and followed the group outside the Cafe. On the way, many people turned their heads as soon as they walked out. Hans heard their conversations. 

"Is that Jason James?!" 

"Omo! I-it's Jason!" 

"Why didn't I notice earlier?"

Hans took a short glance at Jason who's seemingly unbothered by the people flocking towards him. Hans knew that such a scene would come as Jason was an heir of a company responsible for manufacturing potions. Not only that, as the CEO of the company, his father spoiled him very well, giving him expensive luxuries and gears a normal Awakened couldn't even afford. 

What's luckier was that his father was a retired S-class Awakened. The weight of an S-class Awakened was not something they could ignore. With an S-class father, Jason was like living in a normal world with his dad as the president of the country. 

That's why some of these people were probably here not to compliment him or anything, but they are after his wealth and power. 

'Man, living in the 21st century is really hard.'

He's just 23 this year. He only experienced 3 years of normal life before the world became a mess. And living like Jason was only a far-fetched dream; an unreachable desire. The world is unfair after all. 

As the crowd began gathering, at that moment, 5 shadows swiftly appeared around them. 

Swish—

Hans' skin crawled. The nerves on his body contracted and his muscles tense slightly due to their unexpected appearance. Wisps of mana dance wildly in his palm, ready to step forward once the danger is confirmed. 

But… 

These men in suits just blocked the people going their way. Hans immediately realized. 

'Oh, bodyguards.' 

The build-up tension from his body was lightly released, returning to calmness as his muscles rapidly relaxed. As if sensing Hans's sudden stiffness, Kyle patted his back. 

"Oh, I forgot. They are Jason's bodyguards. Don't worry, they are harmless."

Hans just nodded afraid that his actions might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. 

'Harmless? These bodyguards are all A-class!' 

Staying in here might blow his cover. His mind raced, struggling as he tried to find a solution. 

'Well, it's not like I'll fight right?' 

Although the group would raid a dungeon later, he wouldn't truly fight. He's more of a spectator. He might even carry their things inside. Knowing things would be this way, Hans' heart gradually relaxed. 

"Jason, how's the development of the Mana potion? I heard the project can increase mana permanently."

"We're still at the theoretical procedure. Nothing's done." 

"Ehh? But why did you advertise early? 

"Uh, I don't know." Jason shrugged his shoulders, "It's my father's decision."

As the group began to converse, Hans listened idly behind. 

"Maybe a marketing tactic?" Hendrick answered. 

"Eyyo boy, there's no product yet. You're not even listening." 

"But they have the potion's trailer."

"Our little CEO here already said it."

Soon everyone arrived at the parking lot. Different cars ranging from Bambowgini, Auni, Noyota, and other famous franchises were aligned in the area. Just a few meters apart, 8 cars were parked separately away from others. 

"All of you have cars?" Hans whispered, leaning close as he spoke. 

Kyle chuckled and shook his head, "Mine's at home."

One by one everyone got inside their car. Hendrick motioned Kyle to get inside leaving Hans alone.

"Hans, why aren't you entering? Get in the back!" 

"O-okay."

The ride was fun but due to the snowfall, the streets were kinda slippery. Shortly, they arrived at a grand place. Hans unbuckled his seat belt and went out of the car. The savory smell of food attacked his nose, prompting him to inhale the lingering scent in the air. 

Broom—

Following their arrival, everyone parked their car and proceeded to walk inside the resto. Even from the outside, the designs were attractive. It's like being attacked by a charm spell, he couldn't help but be curious. 

Entering the resto, they were greeted with a warm welcome. Hans swept his gaze around the place. The insides were vibrant and cozy. The yellow light truly showcases what a 'warm welcome' was. 

'It's like a mansion.'

The waiter led the group to a table reserved by Jason. 

"Let's order. I'm hungry."

"Yeah, let's just do that."

Hans briefly glanced at the menu, dumbfounded by what the price was. Just a simple appetizer cost more than what he earned last year. 

'Even water is expensive.'

What kind of restaurant was this? This is just overpricing. 

.... 

2:00 PM. 

After wiping his lips with a tissue, Kyle seriously warned. 

"You're joining Hans? This raid would be dangerous for you. We have Jason, a B-class but even then, a flick of a C-rank mob can kill you." 

Hans turned towards him. He knew what Kyle meant. These guys were furtherly trained by professional guilds. Seeing death is normal, but for a friend to die meaninglessly, it's not right. Hans knew Kyle was concerned. 

But before he could answer, another voice interrupted. 

"Why are you killing the mood, Kyle? Bro chill. It's just a yellow dungeon." Jason turned his attention to Hans, "Don't listen to his shit." 

"Hays, I think Kyle has a point."

"I agree with him too."

Jason's expression abruptly turned grim before changing into a friendly smile. 

"Okay, okay, stop. Hans, will you join or not?" 

In the end, Jason passed Hans the decision. 

"I… I'll go." 

But in truth, he's just there for the shared exp. 

Sigh of disappointment and pity came from others. In the end, knowing Hans decided, the group came to a mutual understanding. 

Kyle put his hand on his head, muttering softly, "Are you really that broke?" 

"I guess? I still have a few hundred bucks so can't say I'm totally broke… but I'm going there." 

Kyle shook his head and snicker at Hans' words, "Well, perhaps I'm just overreacting."

"It's alright. I understand." 

The time for the raid has begun. 

......….. 

The heat of the noon should be perfect for sunbathing but the damn winter season kept holding it back. 

The location of the dungeon was close to a convenience store on the highway. A large whirling portal was at the center, restricting the passage for cars. 

Hans kept his hand inside his coat pocket, his eyes darted around the eerie vicinity. The road was locked so no people were passing by or any cars except for active Awakened. 

Shortly, the team gathered once again for the initial briefing. As Jason organized the raid, he was also voted as the leader. 

"Emma, check the dungeon to see if the information is correct. Then check their gears if it's functioning." 

"Got that."

Emma stood in front of the dungeon with Ada at her side. Beside the whirling portal was a small slab of stone. Injecting mana into it would show the dungeon information. Unfortunately, this thing was only available for yellow dungeons and above. 

The stone twinkled in light, gradually dimming as time went by before words began appearing in its surface.

Tut tut—

[Dungeon: Abandoned Lair of Skeletons. 

Max Number of People: 15

Rank: Yellow Rank / C-class 

Note: Have at least one B-class in the party for safety purposes.] 

"Skeleton lair, max is 15, yellow rank. It's a perfect match." 

Emma then proceeded to check the raid team's equipment, trying to find if there were any malfunctions or not. 

"We're good."

Hans stood behind them and equipped a gear as well albeit it was cheaper than what they wore. Well, as far as he knows, he wouldn't participate in the battle and would just stand idly behind. And since they didn't know he could level up now, the exp will be shared with him too. 

It's killing 2 birds in one stone. 

"More t—"

Brroooom—

From a distance away from here, a sports car with a rumbling engine stopped in front of the convenience store. Due to it's loud engine, everyone shifted their attention towards this car.

A man stepped outside the car donned in glittering gears. An elegant shield hung in his back. 

"I'm sorry, I'm late. The guild raid took much longer than I expected and I have to do a stack of reports earlier. Also, I took a shit before I came here."

"Seriously? You took a shit?" 

"What's wrong with shitting?" 

"You've been shitting for an hour! Don't you even have a sense of urgency?" 

Wayne didn't even flinch at Jason's angry voice, just spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders. 

"Is this the dungeon we're raiding today?" Wayne shifted his gaze to others, more specifically to Hans, "Who's this pumpkin?" 

Kyle answered his inquiry, "It's Hans, Wayne."

"Huh? Really?" As if his ass caught on fire, Wayne quickly turned towards Jason, gesturing for a message. 

'Why is he joining? Isn't he an F-class?'

'He wanted to.' 

'But man, it's dangerous. We're here to raid, not babysit.' 

'Just let him off once. Don't worry, after the raid, he wouldn't join the next one.' 

'Alright.'

Seeing everyone finally gathered, Jason cleared his mouth and spoke in a commanding voice. 

"Now that everyone is here, we can start the final briefing. As Emma mentioned earlier, this dungeon is a yellow rank dungeon which only means that the mobs inside were C-class."

Jason raised his watch and looked at the time. 

"It's 3:37 PM now. Our main objective is to clear the dungeon in 1 hour if we want to maximize the reward."

"But can we do it in an hour? That's difficult."

"...and that's why I'm here. Don't worry, we can do it. I've got a fair share of experience dealing with these kinds of things so trust me just once. Any questions?" 

Jason glanced around, but no one spoke indicating that they understood. Well, this has been all spoken beforehand so no one asked anymore. 

"Since everyone's ready, let's get going."

The raid consisted of 12 members. Two Tankers, 4 Close Combat Fighters, 3 Mages and 2 Support and of course, Hans, the spectator. 

All of them are seasoned C-class experts with Hans and Jason as an exception. For a mere yellow dungeon, this lineup was indeed overkill. 

"Oh, that's right before I forgot, once we enter the dungeon, don't let your guard down. Safety is our priority and you must obey my orders." 

"Yes." 

"Got that."

"Let's do our best."

Everyone stepped through the portal and was immediately sucked inside it. 

........

The smell of rotten corpses. This was what Hans smelled the moment he spawned. 

The interior was different from the usual cave structure. The dungeon itself spewed death aura against intruders. As Hans looked around, he finally determined what the dungeon looked like. 

'A cemetery.'

The sound of water splashing echoed through their ears as they galloped deeper. Suddenly the air tingles their senses; chills ran down their spines.

"This is why I hate Skeletons."

"Shut up Wayne. Act like a professional."

"I'm just stating my opinion. No hard feelings."

In the meantime, Hans remained calm and collected, enjoying the place in his sight. Although the eerily and gloomy vibe of the dungeon somehow made his skin crawl, he wasn't afraid. 

Next to him was Hendrick, a mage. Hans took a short glance at him. He seemed rather calm than any other mages here. As if feeling his gaze, Hedrick moved his eyes and their pupils met. 

"First time?" 

It seemed like Hendrick thought he was frightened. 

"Yes. It's thrilling."

 "Haha, I think so too." 

Soon the team reached an ample space void of life, as they stepped towards the damped floor. Skeletons walked groggily around, holding different weapons ready to butcher intruders anytime. 

Meeeh—

From a distance, a loud neigh resounded. 

Clack —

Clack —

"Everyone, ready in position!" 

Hans focused his gaze on the first enemy they encountered. 

The silhouette towers at 3 meters tall. Its body was seemingly donned in black armor while its hand held a long bone lance. Additionally, it was riding on a large skeletal horse whose eyes were gleaming in blue streaks of light. 

Shortly, as if the light shone on its face, the true face of the monster was finally revealed. 

"Fuck… It's a Dark Knight."