"So. Gerald. Why did you bring us to such a secretive place? I remember you telling me the gist of the mission. It definitely didn't seem this… urgent," Marcus asked, looking over Gerald before glancing around the room. He was confused. Extremely so. Yes, he knew an investigation into the previous version of the squad he just took over was quite sensitive… but taking everyone to some bunker deep inside HQ made him a bit worried.
Marie blew her bright hair out of her eyes with her breath. "Exactly. I remember you telling us when we arrived it would be a simple investigation of foul play. What aren't you telling us?"
Gerald clasped his hands in front of his nose, his serious expression becoming even more serious as he grimaced. "Yes. Allow me to explain. It may seem simple on the surface, but—"
"Wait, wait. Can you tell us what the fuck we're talking about?! Please?!" Geraldine immediately interrupted, her eyes wild, one hand still rubbing against her dog tags. Must be a coping mechanism.
Marcus could hear Gerald's heartbeat… It was calm. He prepared for this. "Not bad…" he muttered under his breath as Gerald cleared his throat.
"You'll be heading into a dungeon to investigate the deaths of the previous Epsilon Squad. The issue is, Tenpo-Ippo only allows us access when we're double raiding the dungeon." Gerald answered.
The rest of the group had varying reactions. Vanessa didn't seem to know or care who Tenpo-Ippo was, Marshall's eyes widened slightly but he didn't stop eating his snacks. Marie kept silent, but she made eye contact with Marcus. Not a good sign… And finally, Geraldine almost crushed her dog tags like soda cans in her hands as she stopped herself from screaming in terror, her sweat filling Marcus's nostrils… He could smell her fear.
"W-Why didn't you tell us earlier about this?! We have to double raid a dungeon with TENPO-IPPO?!" Geraldine cried out, fist slamming against the table.
"Because you weren't in the guild yet…" Gerald said bluntly, causing Geraldine to blush lightly from embarrassment as she slowly sat back down.
"What's the problem with Tenpo-Ippo? I only know they're a higher-ranked guild." Marcus was even more confused. He'd heard about Tenpo-Ippo while working in America, but Marie always avoided talking about them, and their promotional stuff always felt too… fake for Marcus.
Geraldine looked at Marcus like he was insane, like he should've known what Tenpo-Ippo was like… He could see it all over her face. "Tenpo-Ippo is a Japanese-based Guild. They are from Tokyo. But what really sets them apart is that their guild master was one of the first Hunters ever born. He's still around. Been around for a long time. They're also a B-Rank Guild."
Geraldine started listing characteristics of the guild… but none of that jibber jabber were the real meat, or potatoes of the guild.
Marcus shook his head, "You know that's not what I asked. Why the fuck are you so scared of them?" He tilted his head slightly as Geraldine looked at the rest of the group, asking them with her eyes if she should really let Marcus know. Gerald did the honors for her.
"They're known for using spies to infiltrate competitor guilds, keeping them undercover until there's an opportunity to Double Raid—"
"And assassinate their strongest Hunter. What the fuck? How are they still a legitimate guild?" Marcus asked, Marie sighing.
"Just like how my father, Paul, is still Guildmaster after all the shady shit he's pulled. Legacy and money."
After those words, the group stayed silent for a few seconds.
Marcus closed his eyes and began to think. This was a first. He'd never been inside a dungeon with anyone other than Marie and her squad. Especially anyone from Korea. He never had a need to. He didn't know a thing about Guild Politics or any of that bullshit… But he had a job to do. Gerald was depending on him.
Opening those grey eyes back up, Marcus nodded to both Gerald and the rest of the group. "Just tell us what we have to do, Guildmaster, and we'll do it. I guarantee you." Marcus stopped his disrespectful chatter. Gerald was a client now. Not his childhood friend.
Marie's eyes widened as she saw Marcus swallow the little pride he had and submit to her brother… Smirking, she nodded as well. "Yes, sir. Go ahead. "
Geraldine, Vanessa, and Marshall all nodded along, waiting eagerly for Gerald to get to the real job description.
"Y-You guys~!" Gerald squealed, holding his head in his hands, face burning bright red, his heart irises bouncing around inside his eyes… This was so surreal. He'd never actually been respected during his time as the Guildmaster of Suhojadeul. He'd made tons of mistakes… But Marcus didn't care about that.
Clearing his throat, he nodded one more time before continuing, "The job is simple." As he began speaking, a small hologram appeared in the middle of the massive metal table. A hologram of the entrance to the dungeon they'd be raiding soon. "Jewel Mine".
The entrance was one of the largest Gates Marcus had ever seen. The mana swirling like a storm, a mind of its own. Some of the mana wisping out from the confines of the massive, bejeweled doorway.
"Why is it so volatile?" Vanessa asked, a bit confused herself now, her eyes locked in on the hologram.
"We don't know. It's a C-Rank Gate. But it barely has any monsters, as far as the Association knows. It's a simple mine, but instead of coal it's—" Gerald is interrupted by Vanessa.
"Mana stones."
"What the fuck? And this dungeon isn't owned by the government? How?" Marcus questioned, eyebrows raised in surprise. He'd never heard of a Mana stone mine being owned by a private entity.
"It was promised to us.." Gerald said underneath his breath, that is before swiping at the hologram. It's image changes, and it shows the inside of the dungeon. An aerial view. It resembled a sort of American countryside. Lots of lush hills of green, and then it finally arrives at the entrance to the mine. A large ravine, a gash in the Earth, resembling the slash of a sword.
"Your objective is to investigate the murder of squad Epsilon and figure out who did it. If possible. You are about to be shown their remains." Gerald looked at Marshall as he spoke, but the fat man never stopped snacking… Seems he believed he had a strong stomach.
Marcus steeled himself, his senses dulling as he focused entirely on what he was about to see. When the hologram changed, he immediately wanted to barf up the lack of breakfast he had in his stomach…
On the hologram, the scene was finally revealed.
Lying on the stone floor of the inner mine were twenty bodies. All of them had been hit by some strange attack—their bodies melting into the ground, somehow decayed far beyond how long they'd actually been dead.
What really set it apart was the body sitting in the middle of them all. The body of the B-Rank Hunter. He was practically rotted to the bone by now, a strange dark energy seeping from his eye sockets, his knees planted into the ground.
Geraldine didn't seem disgusted. She seemed to be used to seeing such death, averting her eyes, but her hands never letting go of her dog tags.
Marshall abruptly stopped eating and slapped his large hand across his mouth to keep from puking up his precious food. He stared down at the table, his entire body shaking.
"No!" Vanessa pulled her witch's hat down over her eyes, shaking her head in disgust…
Marie was the only one who seemed unfazed. But Marcus could see it in her eyes. She was outraged…
"Sir. How did this happen?" Marcus questioned, causing Gerald to rub his chin in thought.
"No idea. We don't believe there's a monster in the dungeon capable of this damage. Especially against a B-Rank Hunter. But the Association won't look into it, and Tenpo-Ippo denies all charges."
Silence followed.
Not only was Tenpo-Ippo stronger, but they had an inside man in the Association. Marcus could hear all the heartbeats in the room. They were fast, nervous. Feeling like they were beaten already.
This mission could end before it even began.
Shaking his head, he slammed his hand against the table to catch everyone's attention yet again. "Stop! Stop thinking that Tenpo-Ippo is untouchable. We're going to do this mission, and make sure we get those bastards back for killing our guildmates! We may be new, but these guys are Suhojadeul alumni as well!" Marcus yelled. He didn't know why he felt this strange sense of loyalty so soon. Maybe it was his father's blade. Maybe it was Marie's connection to it all.
But all he knew was that he would never let whoever killed Squad Epsilon go. Dead or alive.
Marie nodded at the sentiment. "What Marcus said. We're gonna get this shit done. No matter what." She pounded her fist against her chest, the metal of her armor sounding out, her eyes looking fierce. The swords in both twirled.
Geraldine finally let go of her dog tags. Pulling her earmuffs back onto her head, she seemed content. Nodding.
Marshall finally stopped shoving M&M's down his gullet, gulping it all down and giving a shit-eating grin… The chocolate actually made it look like one. "Me and Vanessa are new here. But I like the balls on our Squad Leader! We'll get to the bottom of this!"
Vanessa nodded along like her head was attached to a string. "Yes! Yes! I love it! Revenge shall be granted to their souls in heaven!" She giggled, the ozone in the air smelling like it was burning yet again. She was definitely excited.
Gerald was taken aback, looking at the ragtag group Marcus had seemingly pulled together on the fly. But he could feel it in his bones… This new Squad Epsilon was being held together by one man. "Marcus. Can you promise me you'll get it done?"
Marcus laughed, nodding his head. "Yes, sir. I've never failed an assignment before. This one should be easy too." It was definitely the blade talking. He'd never done anything like this before. But he felt like he could do it. If he really tried.
"Last thing though, can you give us like… eight hours? And allow me to peruse the armory?" Marcus asked, causing Gerald to look surprised.
But it was just an act, a very similar grin appearing on his face as well. "Of course. You're our new Special Raid Team. You have the complete support of Suhojadeul and Guardians. Get the job done. Meet at the mine in eight hours."
Gerald stood up, the door slowly opening as he decided to leave first.
This was it. His first actual mission.
[QUEST Granted: Investigate the Untimely Deaths of Squad Epsilon]
[Difficulty: D-Rank]
[Rewards: 50 Gold, 200XP, Positive Morale, Fame + 50]
[Failure: Negative impact to Morale, Negative impact to fame.]
Marcus looked over the notifications for a few seconds, mulling them over. He didn't exactly know how much XP 200 really was… But he'd have time to check. Later.
Dismissing the windows, he looked up to see the rest of his squad waiting for him at the door.
"You coming? Squad Leader~?" Marie asked, teasing Marcus slightly with the new title.
Shaking his head and giving her a smile, Marcus sat up and followed behind them. "Yep. Let's go check that armory out! Shopping spree!"
[Title Earned: Squad Leader]
[B-Rank Title]
[Expands PARTY size to 50, allows all party members to gain positive effects based on MORALE and SYNERGY.]
[Check the SQUAD screen for more details.]
Marcus really wanted to look at the new notifications he got… He really did. But after a short walk through the guild's halls, and arriving at a very different vibe of rooms, they finally reached the armory.
Two unassuming, automated glass doors sat between them and their new favorite room in the guild. "Unless they have a cooler training room," Marcus said under his breath as the group walked inside.
Boy, was he wrong.
Looking up, he could see aisle after aisle of weapons, many of which had a slight blue sheen to them… Adamantine gear?! When Gerald said they had money, he wasn't lying.
"Why so surprised, Marcus? You're being paid 150 million dollars a year… as a rookie. This is to be expected," Marie said, patting her boyfriend on the back before moving toward the hammer and shield section of the armory. "Get geared up! We'll need it!"
"Uh… sure." Marcus turned to the other three, who were looking at him with puppy-dog eyes… He guessed he needed to give them permission to actually take anything worthwhile. "Go ahead. I'm paying for it all."
"Yay!" Vanessa ran away toward the staff section. Well, more like skipped away. But she went there nonetheless.
"Awesome," Geraldine said as she took off toward the archery section. What more could she ever need? Maybe some armor?
"Food." Surprisingly, and luckily for Marshall, there was an MRE section of the armory. He waddled his big body over that way.
Now that Marcus was alone, he could finally hear his own thoughts. The entire time he was with his new friends, all he could focus on were their heartbeats, constantly predicting their inner thoughts. It was exhausting. Looking down at his blade, he gritted his teeth. "We definitely need to have a chat when we're alone."
Gladly.
Ignoring the voice for now, Marcus headed over to the blade section of the armory. He had something to test.
Rounding the corner, Marcus nearly felt his heart beat out of his chest… On each side of the long aisle, he saw almost endless amounts of blades. He could hear their wails. Their calls. They desperately needed masters.
Clearing his throat, he pushed their words out of his head. "Stop. We'll see how many of you I'll need after I test something."
Marcus remembered what he had gotten at the apartment after packing all his bags. Bag Packing. It sounded like a useless skill, but he needed to test how it actually worked.
Looking toward a nearby bag, the System immediately gave him a description of the item—
[Duffel Bag]
[Unranked Storage Item]
[This is a simple—]
"Stop. Seriously. Can I use Bag Packing on any bag in the area, or—?"
[You need ownership of the bag to use BAG PACKING.]
Marcus sighed, walking over to the black duffel bag and grabbing it by the strap. A few seconds went by, and he got another notification.
[Ownership of the bag has been transferred to the user.]
"Good." Marcus placed the bag back down, turning away and grabbing a nearby short sword. What he was about to do could be extremely dangerous. Especially with his new strength stat. But he needed to try it out.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus turned away from the bag and brought his arm all the way back past his head. His teeth gritted before a small shockwave was released. He threw the short sword away and down the aisle!
But what he saw surprised him more than anything he'd ever seen—other than the fact that he could teleport now, of course.
The blade went about twenty feet down the aisle before stopping in its tracks, shaking mid-air as if something had grabbed it. It immediately turned around and flew right past Marcus at the exact same speed he threw it, slipping directly into the duffel bag perfectly. Even at that insane speed, the bag sustained no damage whatsoever.
Marcus felt a lump form in his throat. "N-No way…" He slowly began to grin. "This needs more testing."
Marcus began grabbing multiple swords, getting around fifteen and putting them into the duffel bag before he left the aisle and began looking for a weapon testing area.
Wandering around for a few minutes, he finally found a firing range of sorts.
Jumping over the barrier, he walked over to the nearest target and placed the duffel bag about thirty feet behind it, before grabbing another longsword, walking back over to the barrier, and hopping back over.
Once over, he heard footsteps. Coming from his right was Geraldine. But she was definitely in a different vibe. She had this strange crossbow. But it was massive. Like, half her body massive… That must be the Cross-Ballista.
"Sir. What might you be doing?" Geraldine asked, taking off one earmuff to hear Marcus.
He didn't even respond, smirking a bit and turning toward the firing range yet again. Geraldine didn't question it. She knew Marcus was more of an action man than a talker…
He twirled the longsword in his hands, something he'd never personally done before. But he felt like he could do it. Like he'd been doing it his whole life. He did a simple knife trick with the large blade before pulling back and launching it gingerly behind him.
"Sir, what the fuck—?" Geraldine was interrupted as the blade immediately began to fly at a slightly faster speed toward the bag, even though Marcus had thrown it in the completely opposite direction.
But the target was in the way… The blade stuck into the metal frame of the target, the dummy made to take mana bolts and eat them for breakfast. The blade seemingly couldn't get through, even with the help of Bag Packing.
Marcus sighed. "I guess I was thinking too hard… No way it'd be able to go through a stronger object—" As soon as he was about to finish his sentence, the blade began to shake like it had a mind of its own.
And then there was suddenly another sonic boom as the blade ripped entirely through the target and slipped into the bag peacefully… The damage was astronomical. The longsword turned the target into a donut.
"I stand corrected…" he said, laughing to himself.
Geraldine just looked on in slight awe… "That seems… strong."
Marcus shook his head in response. "I wouldn't say so. It's very niche. Requires lots of setup. And you saw how fast I threw that sword, right?"
"Threw? You barely flicked it, sir," Geraldine said gingerly, tilting her head in confusion. She didn't seem to understand.
"Exactly. In a real battle, that would never work against an opponent fast enough. Especially since to get the speed up I have to do an extremely telegraphed throw. It would only be good at range. And that's not my effective range… But I'm about to test something out. Maybe it can be salvaged," he explained, loving his new tool. But this wasn't something he could use constantly…
Turning back to the dummy, he took a deep breath. He held out his hand toward the dummy, but mainly the bag behind it. "Retrieve," he called out, as all of the blades inside the bag immediately began to fly out at high speeds, coming straight for Marcus. But the dummy was in the way. It began to be pelted with the blades, some getting stuck and others slightly nicking it, until eventually Marcus said something else.
"Pack the bag!" The blades that were about to hit Marcus immediately turned around and started flying back toward the bag at even faster speeds.
CLANG!
SHUUK!
The swords of various sizes and weights made sounds Marcus had only heard on TV… Once the onslaught was complete, he saw just what he needed to see.
The dummy was cut to ribbons, like a swordsman had attacked to kill.
"Now that's usable."
[BAG PACKING levels up to… Level 4!]
Marcus grinned, dismissing the window and looking at Geraldine, satisfied. "Need anything from me before I go look for some actual armor for myself?"
Geraldine thought about it for a second before shaking her head. "No, sir. Enjoy your rest. I'll see you in eight hours."
He nodded, holding out his hand as the duffel bag flew directly into it from all the way across the room. Slinging the blades over his shoulder, he went back to shopping.
[LOOTING in progress.]
Marcus began to look around the armory for things he could actually use. He couldn't wear super heavy armor. He needed a clothing upgrade. Maybe a simple chest piece, but soon enough he found exactly what he needed.
First, he found a gold-plated breastplate. It kind of resembled the strong chest of a man… Legionnaire's armor. Seemed like Guardians loved their Romans.
[Legionnaire's Breastplate]
[Rare Armor]
[Grants the user a base defense boost depending on their AGILITY. Every 5 AGILITY, the wearer gains 10 ARMOR rating.]
Marcus slipped the armor over his new shirt and felt it contort to his body type before resembling his own chest muscles… Neat. Patting it down, he turned to the new jacket he found.
It was another leather jacket. But he loved this one more. It was longer toward the bottom, kinda like one of his favorite heroes. Closer to a cape. The color was a flat but bold purple over the entire thing, some red dots sprinkled in all about, and finally, Suhojadeul and its logo, a Black Guardian on the back. Squad Leader on the right shoulder patch as well. "Perfect."
[Suhojadeul Squad Leader Jacket]
[Rare Attire]
[Grants the wearer the LEADERSHIP stat when worn.]
Even though it had only that one singular bonus, it felt like destiny for some reason. Pulling his arms through the sleeves, he felt the jacket morph to his body as well.
Taking a deep breath, he felt like a new man.
[LEADERSHIP gained. Base: 24]
The rest that he found wasn't really of note. Just some simple fingerless gloves so it'd be harder for him to drop his swords, knee pads in case of a fall, and better sneakers for more traction as he ran.
Walking towards the doors of the armory, he saw that he was the last one finished yet again.
"Is this gonna turn into a habit?" Marie asked, a grin all over her face.
Marcus nearly snapped back, that is until he saw her glow-up. She had a golden breastplate, just like Marcus. Though it was all ridges instead of a model of someone's chest. She had bands on her wrists, very much like Wonder Woman, and a pauldron and upper arm armor on her right arm. Probably because she had a shield for the left. No reason to clutter herself up.
She had black yoga-like pants that hugged her figure, golden bands wrapped around her legs—two around each thigh—and a purple belt and leather armor on her right leg. It was all strangely… hot. Especially since her chest piece still showed off that scar she got from the Hobgoblin Queen.
But what really caught his eye was that new tiara that encapsulated her head and cheeks. It gave her an air of dignity.
"Looking good, M," Marcus said, barely being able to keep his eyes off of her through those sunglasses.
Marie used her head to gesture to the rest of the squad. "Should see them too."
Marcus looked over at them, and he sighed softly. He was so happy that he had an unlimited amount of money to spend here…
Geraldine seemed to grab the least amount of stuff. She wore a new but strange-looking mix of a crop-top and a jacket. That same Suhojadeul purple. She had a few extra bolts on her hip, and she actually had her weapon slung onto her back. Simple. But effective.
Vanessa had her same outfit on. But that staff. She had some strange purple snake-like staff… Marcus would have to inspect it later.
But the biggest change was Marshall. Marshall was wearing a full purple jumpsuit, but it seemed to be perfectly tailored for him. Red lines on the legs and arms. Classic jumpsuit type.
"Looking good, everyone. We're all Barney!" Marcus joked, causing the rest of the group to cringe… Except for Marie. She giggled, seeming to enjoy the joke.
"Either way, we've got what we needed. Everyone, go enjoy the next eight hours of your time. We'll be raiding that dungeon with those bastards tomorrow! Steel yourselves!" Marcus cheered, the group doing the same as they slowly dispersed.
That is, everyone except Marie.
The two were now alone, Marie's eyes staring daggers into Marcus's. Like a predator to prey. "Marie… Wanna go check out the house?" he asked, playing it off.
Marie grinned, nodding eagerly. "Yes. Let's go check it out!" she said, turning around and beginning to walk out of the armory. Hips moving side to side…
Marcus sighed. Tonight was going to be a long night.
[MARIE is eager to chat with you, User.]
Marcus groaned, dismissing the window yet again. This was the fifth time he had to do it on the ride home. Jolyne had given Marie the keys to that truck… Seemed like she wanted them to have it.
Rounding one more corner, Marcus's jaw dropped to the ground in surprise. Their new home was immaculate.
A moderate two-story, with a modern and sleek design. A pool in the back, gated with security, the whole shebang… He loved it.
Driving up to the gate, the security immediately opened the gate for the two, allowing them to park in their driveway for the first time.
"This is fancy, Marcus. Even for me," Marie said, looking at their new home through the window…
"It is," Marcus said, a shit-eating grin all over his face.
With that, the two got out of the vehicle and walked up to the door of their new home.
STAT SNAPSHOT
[MARCUS KOA]
[Level 3 Porter, Level 4 Breaker Swordsman, ???]
[TITLE: Squad Leader (B-Rank)]
[ROLE: Main DPS]
[HP: 765/765]
[STR: 46]
[CON: 34 (+15)]
[AGI: 35]
[INT: 3]
[WIS: 7]
[MAG: -6]
[CHA: 18]
[LDR: 24] (Granted by Jacket)
[???: 5]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]
[CLASS ABILITIES & SKILLS: Lift, Carry, Dash, Sword Resonation, Bag Packing (Lv. 4)]
[EQUIPPED GEAR]
[Weapon: REDACTED Blade, Redmane's Scimitar]
[Chest: Legionnaire's Breastplate (Rare) | Effect: +70 ARMOR]
[Outerwear: Suhojadeul Squad Leader Jacket (Rare) | Effect: Grants LDR stat]
[Accessory: Duffel Bag (Unranked) | Effect: Ownership transferred. Holds 15x blades.]
[ACTIVE QUEST: Investigate the Untimely Deaths of Squad Epsilon (D-Rank)]