Entering his apartment, Jake tossed his backpack onto the couch, the bag landing with a soft thud. Making his way into his room, he set the tote bag down before changing into a fresh pair of clothes. Now dressed in a tee and sweatpants, he unpacked the new equipment he had acquired. Aside from the armor, he also grabbed more supportive gear, such as a satchel and extra pouches.

'It’s a good starting point,' he thought before putting the new equipment aside. Now that he had some decent gear, he could reasonably deal with some bigger threats, be it human or otherwise. Yet, he knew it wasn’t enough. This would help serve as a stopgap, but only up to a certain point. ‘Still morning, so I should have some time to complete another dungeon.'

With that thought in mind, he changed into his new equipment. Once he had finished changing, he found the armor to fit rather well. While somewhat heavier, there wasn’t much difference from the vests he had worn before. Once finished with strapping on his gear, he made his way out of his bedroom. Grabbing both his dagger and gun, he strapped the blade onto his leg before putting away the pistol. He then grabbed his backpack before emptying the materials out onto the table. Once empty, he slung his bag over his shoulder before making his way out of his apartment.

Stepping out onto the now busy street, he began to make his way towards the bar. He followed the path he took before, the chill air brushing against his neck. Yet, something about it seemed…different than what used to. The cold seemed to gnaw into his body, digging under his skin. Yet, it didn’t hurt, the sensation more like the result of sticking his bare arm into snow.

Odd, but not unpleasant.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he continued onward, eventually arriving at the bar. Stepping into the establishment, he made a beeline for the Dungeon Board. Once in front of the large board, he began to look through the posted dungeons. As he searched through the pinned papers, one of them caught his eye. Ripping the paper off the cork-board, scanning the contents.

Skaava Nest

|WARNING: Mana Anomaly Detected, Squadron Recommended

|Rank Approximation: D+ (Marked For Retesting)

|Reward: 8500 MaCre + 65% of all harvested resources

‘To think I would find something like this,’ he thought. Folding up the paper, he shoved it into his pocket before making his way to the bar. Once he was at the counter, he watched the staff interact with the staff and go through the motions. Watching as one made their way towards him, he leaned over before flicking the side of their head. Almost jumping out of their skin, their head snapped towards him, a mix of panic and surprise on their face.

“...Hey there. Can I help you?” the worker asked, confusion clear in their voice. At his question, Jake brought the paper out of his pocket before setting it on the table. Furrowing their brow, they took the paper before reading it over. As they did, he watched as their eyes widened, their gaze shifting between him and the paper. Setting the notice down, they cleared their throat before setting the paper down. "Sir, it says that this requires a squadron to complete this. Are you sure that you want to do this alone?"

"I'll be fine. Don't need any teammates," Jake answered, shrugging. It would take longer, but it’s pretty much the same as his old work. Besides, he had done this stuff in the game before, so it wasn't anything new to him. He watched as the worker stumbled over their words, their mouth opening and closing like a fish. Meeting their gaze, he saw their eyes widen in realization, their thoughts clear as day.

'Oh shit, he's being serious about this.'

"A-alright, then. Follow me," the worker, now a guide, said before making their way from behind the bar. Following behind them, the duo made their way out of the bar, exiting through the backdoor. As they walked through the backstreets in silence, Jake felt their gaze land on him. Yet, whenever he turned his gaze to the staff worker, they acted as if they weren't staring at him.

'Makes sense, but it's not my problem,' he thought, pushing the situation aside. With that, the two of them continued in silence, eventually arriving at the parking garage. Stepping into the building, they made their way through the lot before stopping in front of a parked car. With a dull gray coloring and tinted windows, it carried a more modern energy than the truck from before. Pulling out what looked to be car keys, they pointed it at the car before pressing it. Almost instantly, the vehicle roared to life, the engine coming down to a low hum.

"Hop in whatever seat you want," the guide said, pocketing the keys before making their way to the driver's side. Going over to the other side, Jake tossed his bag into the back row before sliding into the passenger seat. Closing the door, he felt his body jerk as the car began to move. 

Making its way out of the lot, Jake watched as the vehicle merged into the noon traffic. Watching a mix of vehicles and buildings pass by, he leaned back into the seat before closing his eyes. As the sounds of the world around him faded away, he felt something tug at his mind. Focusing on the sensation, he felt the chill from before. Ye, it was softer, the feeling like tasting a cold drink. 

Odd.

As he mulled over this phenomena, he felt his body suddenly jerk forward, bringing him out of his thoughts. Opening his eyes, he turned his gaze to ask why they stopped, only to see a tense look on their face. Following their gaze, he found himself seeing a rather unexpected sight. A crowd of over a dozen people surrounded the vehicle, each one openly armed. Most had weapons ranging from hand axes to pistols, with a few of them even carrying Aether weapons.

"Everyone in the car, step out with your hands up!" one of them shouted, pointing their weapon at the vehicle. They seemed to be the leader, due to how different in demeanor they were. Rather than the tense readiness that the others had, they had a sharpened focus.

'That one has more experience than the others, that much is clear. Would have to deal with them after getting rid of the ones with the Aether weapons.’

“Wait here. I’ll deal with them,” Jake said, causing them to snap their head towards him. Ignoring their shocked stammers, he unlocked the door before letting out a breath.

Focus.

Feeling the world slow to a crawl, he opened the door before rushing towards the nearest gunman. Stabbing them in the neck with his dagger, he took the pistol out of their hands before shooting them in the head. Hearing a sudden shout, he ripped the blade out of the corpse's neck before throwing it into the head of a nearby foe. He then fired at another enemy, the bullet piercing through their skull.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he rushed towards it as an enemy turned the corner, their rifle raised. Before they could fire, he launched a kick into their stomach, knocking them down. Ducking a swing from a sword, he fired a bullet into the head of the prone enemy, finishing them off. He then side-stepped another swing before firing a round into the side of their head. As the body fell, he took the blade out of its hands before dodging a swing from an axe.

"Die!" the enemy shouted as they rushed towards him. Ducking under a swing, Jake deflected another strike before stabbing them in the neck. He then twisted the blade before ripping it out of their neck and kicking the body away.

Focus.

As the world came to a crawling gray, he rushed past the corpse, turning the corner to find a crowd of enemies. Before they could respond, he dashed forward, stabbing the first one in the neck. Twisting his body, he tore the sword out from their neck before slamming it into another foe's head. He then fired the pistol into the final enemy's skull, killing them instantly.

'Only a few more left to deal with,' Jake thought as color returned to the world. He ripped the blade out of the corpse's skull before resting it on his shoulder and made his way towards the leader. Yet, as soon as he turned the corner, the leader fired a barrage at him, forcing him to duck behind the vehicle. As they fired burst after burst, Jake reaffirmed his grip on his weapons as the sound of gunfire came closer.

Suddenly, the gunfire went silent as a sharp and familiar hiss cut through the air.

Focus.

The world around him went gray as he rushed out of cover before bolting towards the leader. Once close enough, he shifted his body before cleaving through their legs. Twisting his body, he then stabbed the blade into their neck before ripping it out. As the near-beheaded corpse collapsed, he let out a small breath as color returned to the world. Making his way over to a dead bandit, he knelt down before ripping his dagger from their skull and sheathing it.

'Now, to get rid of the bodies. Might as well take their gear, too.'

With that, he began to work his way through the dead bodies, taking whatever equipment they had. Once finished, he then tossed them into the back of the vehicle before securing them. Climbing back into the car, he felt it shift as it started forward, leaving the dead for nature to deal with. As they continued, Jake turned his attention to the window. It was clear that they were outside the city's walls, probably a good few miles away. A mixture of highlands and forests dot the landscape, giving a sense of a painting in a way.

"...You have something you want to say to me," Jake stated, cutting through the heavy silence. In the faint reflection of the window, he saw the driver flinch slightly, unease and fear clear on their face. Their eyes shifted towards him, seeming to weigh whether to say what's on their mind. After a beat, they turned their attention back to the road, letting the silence grow between them. With that, the two of them continued in silence.

"This is the place," the driver said as the vehicle came to a slow stop. Climbing out of the vehicle, Jake turned his attention to what he can only assume is the Dungeon entrance. Seeming like an entrance to an old and decrepit sewer, it carried the scent of a past left to fester and rot.

Making his way to the back of the vehicle, Jake took out the Aether rifle alongside other guns and weapons. Loading each rifle, he slung them over his shoulder before strapping down spare ammo on his body. He then grabbed any melee he could before strapping them onto his body. He might as well use them. Once finished, he found himself armed from head to toe, with a mixture of blade and firearm at hand.

‘This seems like enough,’ he thought as he slid an axe through one of his belt loops. With that, he brought one of the rifles to bear before racking a round and making his way towards the entrance.