Back at the academy, the guild gathered once more at the quest board. Kajala hummed happily as he flipped through the available missions. "Okay! 'Slimes Near the Riverbend.' Sounds squishy and fun!"
Regulus cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready."
Rika groaned. "Let's just get it over with."
Eryan looked like she'd rather be reading a book.
Just as Kajala was about to pull the slime quest off the board, a new parchment fluttered down beside him. He blinked and picked it up.
"'Missing Adventurer in the Shrouded Hollow Dungeon,'" he read aloud. "'Last seen two days ago. Suspected trapped. Guild assistance urgently requested. Reward: 60 silver.'"
Everyone froze.
Silence hung thick in the air.
One by one, the guild slowly turned to look at Rei.
Rei, who had been sipping water, stopped mid-gulp. He blinked. "...What?"
No one said anything.
Then Kajala, with an innocent smile, held up the paper.
"No," Rei said immediately.
Regulus tilted his head. "You are the knight."
"No."
Rika smirked. "And you know the most."
"No."
Eryan raised an eyebrow. "And dungeons do need someone brave."
"No no no no NO," Rei backed away, hands out like he was warding off an evil spirit. "Nope. Not happening. Absolutely not. Hell. No."
Rei bolted.
In an instant, he was at the guild hall's front door, hugging it like it was the last safe place on earth.
"I'M NOT GOING INTO A DUNGEON," he yelled, limbs wrapped around the frame like a koala. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE? NIGHTMARES. CLAWS. UNIDENTIFIABLE GOO. I AM A SURFACE PERSON."
Kajala, who had followed at full sprint, grabbed Rei by the waist and started tugging. "C'mon! It'll be fun! Like a team-building exercise but with traps and monsters!"
"I AM THE LEAST BUILDABLE TEAM MEMBER," Rei shrieked, gripping the door harder. "I QUIT. I'M CHANGING CAREERS. I'M GOING TO BE A BAKER."
"You hate bread!"
"I'LL LEARN TO LOVE IT!"
The rest of the guild walked up slowly, watching as Kajala dug his heels in, trying to peel Rei off the door like a stubborn sticker.
"I think he's panicking," Eryan said.
"I think he's possessed," Rika muttered.
Regulus chuckled. "He'll thank us after we kill the first dungeon slime."
Kajala gave one final tug.
With a yelp, Rei came loose—and all five of them fell backwards in a heap.
"Rei," Kajala said, still sprawled on the ground, "it's gonna be okay. We've got each other, remember?"
Rei stared up at the sky. "…We're all gonna die."
Kajala beamed. "That's the spirit!"
Rei groaned, defeated. "Fine. But if something breathes acid on me again, I'm leaving."
The guild gathered themselves, dusted off, and headed toward their next adventure.
The Shrouded Hollow Dungeon awaited.
And Rei had never felt less ready in his life.