This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

John, after taking a gulp of water, addressed the group. "We've faced four types of monsters so far," he began, his ears twitching at any sound outside the cavern.

"The normal Gigantic-Rats are the easiest to deal with. However, the poisonous rats are a real danger. They are weak physically, but their skills are lethal. Always prioritize them in a fight, or we won't last long."

Toby nodded, his gaze fixed on John, waiting for him to continue. Maxwell, wiping off the grime from his hands, listened intently.

"Then there are the red rats," John continued, his brow furrowed. "Their base stats may be low, but from what I saw, their skills increase their stats and it can turn the tide. We need to avoid taking on too many at once."

He took another gulp of water before continuing. "And finally, the oversized Gigantic-Rat—it's a powerhouse. Its skill sharpens its claws to lethal levels. We need to isolate it or handle it like we did in the last fight."

Silence settled over the trio as John's words lingered. The uncertainty of what lay ahead weighed on them. "I've lost track of how many monsters we've fought, and who knows what else is there," John admitted, his tone reflective. "Any thoughts, guys?"

Toby scratched his head, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Not much on the monsters, but hear me out. We're the perfect team. We can conquer this dungeon, move on to the next, and keep going. We could be the best team out there—"

John cut him off, "No daydreaming, Toby. We're fighting for our lives here. Let's focus on the task at hand."

But Toby, undeterred, eyes blazing with passion, pressed on. "Just think about it. You're the scout, initiator, harasser, and hunter. I'm the mage and damage dealer. Maxwell's our tank and bruiser. All we need is someone with healing and support talents, and we'd be unstoppable."

"Enough with the RPG fantasies," John said, rolling his eyes at Toby's absurd imagination.

Toby persisted, "But seriously, think about it. With every fight, our teamwork improves, and our stats will grow. We take on more challenges, grow stronger, and repeat. It's doable, right?"

John sighed, cutting through Toby's idealism. "Okay, I get it. But let's focus on what's right in front of us, no overthinking, alright?"

Seeing him nodding, John stated, "Two hours of rest, then we can get going."

....

In a well-lit room, a desk with a computer on top was accompanied by three chairs and a couch. The walls were painted in simple colors, complemented by basic decorations. Director Noah was frowning, tapping his finger on the desk, visibly stressed as Quinn entered his office.

Lifting his head, a sigh escaped his lips as his eyes lingered on Quinn. Seeing him in this state, Quinn couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"Quinn, there are signs of a Level 6 dungeon emerging near the borders of Pravine." The gravity of the news made Quinn take a seat, his brow furrowed as he listened intently.

"As you know, our country, Naville, and Pravine are allied nations. A dungeon of this level could have devastating consequences on both us and them if an outbreak occurs."

After a moment's hesitation, resolve shone in Noah's eyes as he commanded, "I need you to form a team and be ready for deployment at any time. It will be a joint team of experts from our country's bureau and theirs."

Quinn took a long deep breath before saying, "I need some time before deciding who to pick. How is the situation now?"

"It's not good. The energy is spreading from the dungeon, covering an area that spans hundreds of thousands of meters around it. We're not just dealing with the dungeon here. The energy field is warping everything in the area—animals, plant life, maybe even the terrain itself."

Quinn's eyes narrowed, his face hardened, and he began tapping on the chair's armrest in a rhythmic pattern. "How did you handle it?"

Noah let out a sigh. "What else could I do? I sent all the foundation realm agents who were available there immediately. The energy levels around that dungeon might spike again, and then the mutant animals will undergo a huge transformation, which will become a massive threat to normal members. Only expert realm agents will be able to handle it. We can only eliminate as much as we can before that happens."

Quinn stopped his tapping and turned his head to the director. "You know that's not enough. How's Pravine's bureau doing?"

Noah steepled his fingers together. "They want an all-out effort, and they're asking their allies for help. For us, we'll have to assist—the dungeon is too close to ignore."

Quinn leaned back, frowning. "A huge operation like this is impossible to hide."

Noah elaborated, "Our cover story is in place. This will be a joint military exercise—an environmental hazard clean-up. We're still trying to determine the full scope of the energy's reach before the military and the police lock down any entry or exit from the area. If even one mutated animal slips out of our containment and someone catches it on camera, the fallout will be catastrophic."

Quinn mused, "That's good, but the real issue is manpower. Our agents are spread thin. We'll need to rotate teams frequently—mutant animals alone will exhaust the lower-ranked members quickly."

Noah's face tightened as he stated, "That's why I need you to pick your team carefully, Quinn. Once the dungeon fully emerges, I want you to clear it as fast as possible. You're the point man, and I'm leaving you in charge of the whole operation."

Quinn remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "I'll continue training the newbies until the dungeon surfaces. When it does, I'll take on the mission. Just make sure nothing goes wrong in the outside world while I'm clearing the dungeon."

After a chuckle, Noah said, "You don't have to worry about that."

Quinn stood up, making his way to the door. "I'll show you the list of people I've chosen after I'm done reviewing my choices."

Noah waved his hand. "Go, and don't take too long." After Quinn closed the door, Noah's voice dropped to a near-whisper, "I hope you can come back safely."

....

"Time is up, let's go," John stood up, reminding the group.

Awake from his drowsy state, Toby jumped up, excited for the next fight. "I feel I can take another five of these oversized rats. Let's clear this dungeon fast."

"Okay," Maxwell cracked his knuckles and moved to follow John out of the cave.

After returning to the swampy landscape, John led the team deeper into the dungeon. After a long-time walking, John finally heard movement. Gesturing with his hand, they moved closer to the sound. Crouching behind dense vegetation, John peeked out to identify the next threat.

"Let me see! 15 red rats, 8 poisonous ones, two oversized rats, and 30 normal Gigantic-Rats or more. How on God's green earth are we going to fight all that?!" John clenched his fist, almost exclaiming as he counted the monsters.

"What's that behind the monsters?" Toby whispered, pointing at a huge gate visible in the distance. Maxwell deduced, "I think that's the end of the dungeon. Taking care of these monsters and whatever's behind the gate will clear it."

Nodding in affirmation, John frowned as he said, "Yes, that makes sense, but how are we going to kill all of these monsters?"

The oppressive atmosphere hung thick as the trio racked their brains, trying to figure out how to eliminate the monsters without dying.

After a while of waiting in silent, John looked at his two companion and understood that they couldn't come up with a plan, he suggested, "Each of us should take a general antidote pill and leave another under our tongue. We have to focus on the poisonous rats first, but in the worst case, we won't be affected by their poison if we don't take care of them in time."

The party opened their Aid-Kits and took two pills each. Toby asked, "Then what?"

John's palm rested on Toby's shoulder as he outlined the plan. "I will go in, wreak havoc amidst them. Your job is to distract the monsters. I don't need you to kill them. It takes you too long, channeling to concentrate your fire for kills. Just make sure the monsters don't surround me—I'll do the killing. I'm counting on your backup, Toby."

After receiving a nod from Toby, John turned to Maxwell. "Maxwell, you know what to do, right?"

After being assured, John whispered, "On my signal, send a big fireball into their midst as I dash forward."

Tension filled the air as Toby began concentrating his fire. Seconds passed, when John saw Toby reaching his limit he shouted while dashing forward, "THROW IT NOW!"

The monsters, alarmed by the fire and John's shout, growled. Their growls echoed through the vicinity, sending goosebumps across John's body.

(AGL 10 --> 15)

The fireball reached the monsters, who scrambled to evade the danger. The explosion sent a heat wave through the area, killing three normal Gigantic-Rats and injuring two more.

"Aghaaa!" John reached the Gigantic-Rats and delivered a powerful cleave, severing one in half. (STR 12 --> 17, AGL 15 --> 10.)

Wasting no time, John lunged at another rat and took it down in a flash.

Shifting effortlessly between agility and strength, John unleashed the full force of his talent, tearing through the swarm with lethal momentum.

Maxwell and Toby soon caught up. Toby unleashed a barrage of fireballs over the area, while Maxwell shoved or killed any rat that got too close.

From a nearby hill, a fresh wave of Gigantic-Rats surged toward the battle. As John weaved through the fray, he caught sight of them, and a flicker of panic shot through him.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God" John exclaimed, panic rising in his voice. "TOBY, WE NEED TO SPEED THING UP. This IS NOT LOOKING GOOD"

"Calm down!" Toby shouted back, his hands still conjuring flames. "I'm doing what I can!"

John's worry turned to frustration as he dodged another rat's lunge. "I CAN'T CALM DOWN IF I'M GONNING TO DIE. YOU'R TAKING TOO LONG!"

"Hey, I'm doing my best!" Toby snapped, his voice rising. "This isn't just about you, John! We're all in this together!"

John's temper flared. "If we don't kill them faster, we'll die together!"

The tension between them grew as John's focus shifted solely to surviving oversized Gigantic-Rats' assault.

Toby's frustration grew, but John roared as he pushed his agility to the limit. A surge of power flooded his veins, allowing him to narrowly dodge a swipe from a rat's claw.

"Stop being reckless!" Toby yelled, hurling a fireball that singed the fur of an oncoming rat.

"Reckless my bottom. Do I look like I want this?" John scream of frustration reverberate as he ducked, narrowly avoiding an attack that ripped through his shirt.

"Mother of – Toby, where's your freaking fire? I need some help here!" John barely evaded another oversized rat, a claw grazing his hair as it lashed out at him.

"Can you stop whining? I'm fighting too!" Toby barked as the new wave of Gigantic-Rats descended. Some charged at him and Maxwell, while the rest swarmed around John.

A cloud of green poison smoke burst from one of the rats. John stopped momently to swallow the Anti-Poison pill that was under his tongue. A gush of blood comes from John's shoulder as a claw scratched him right after this momentary pause.

Without any more fire coming from behind, John was pushed into a corner, surrounded from every direction. With eyes burned red with rage, and an unsettling killing intent, John's shout rang across the battlefield. "I was wrong to depend on anyone but myself! I'll remember this, Toby!"

For the first time in weeks, John was forced to activate the second effect of his talent.

(STR:12 -->17 AGL:15 -->15 FLX:9.5--> 14.5 VIT:12 -->17 INT:11 --> 16)

Power, agility, clarity, and an unprecedented sense of control surged through John's veins and muscles. With INSANITY CHECK active, the second effect of Double Focus kicked in as well.

The movements of the monsters slowed to a turtle's pace in John's eyes. Lines of their attack trajectories flashed in his mind, only to vanish a second later. But as John on a timer and in perilous situation he didn't capture this effect.